Evil For Evil: A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery

More excellence from James Benn with solid history, a gripping mystery, and a good thriller. Proud Irishman Billy Boyle is sent to Ireland to find out if American soldiers are helping to arm the IRA. He has to put aside his idealistic view of Ireland he was raised with to discover who his real enemies are and who are his real friends as he searches for the killer. Once again, more "low crimes in high places" that threaten Allied unity and depend on Billy to resolve. I like all of the books in this series a lot; this one is a standout.

This was a disappointing purchase because it was a library discard. No where in a description of the book was this indicated. Also, the book cover did not fit -it was obviously colour copy of the original. Amazon needs to be more diligent in the books that it offers for sale. A black mark on your reputation - I was greatly missed for the rather substantial cost for the book.

Very good read and I so like Billy the former cop from South Boston . Good take on WWII too,

Billy Boyle has been asked to find fifty stolen Browning Automatic Rifles. He’s less than thrilled, however, because it appears that the thieves are the IRA, and Billy and his family have always supported the IRA in their quest to unite Ireland. Still, if the IRA is planning to give the guns to the Germans, he knows he needs to find them. His investigation makes him question what he has always thought about the people of Ireland. But as the bodies pile up, can Billy find the guns before it is too late? I’m really torn with this series. On the one hand, I enjoy the history we get as we delve into another aspect of World War II. It really makes the World War part come into focus. The mystery is good, with plenty of twists and action without being too over the top. Billy is a fantastic main character who matures a little here once again. We don’t see much of the supporting characters, but the new characters are strong and help pull us into the story. Unfortunately, I feel like the story and characters are drowning in too much detail. It might be me since these books take me longer to read than I am used to. But I can’t help but think a little editing would make me enjoy these books more because there are definitely parts I do enjoy.

Like other reviewers, I have read all of the Billy Boyle mysteries, and I look forward to the next with anticipation. "Evil for Evil" has the most complex plot of the series so far, and enough characters and conflicting loyalties that I almost had to make myself a cheat sheet. The author juggles the characters, the plot, the dialogue, the action scenes, seemingly effortlessly. Others have described the story in detail, so I'll be brief. It is 1943, and Billy Boyle, former South Boston cop, Army lieutenant, and special investigator to General Eisenhower, is sent to Ireland to investigate the theft of a shipment of heavy guns. The Allies are concerned that the stolen guns will somehow be used to try to create enough chaos in Ireland (between Ulster and independent Eire) to hamper the war effort and siphon off troops from the European theater. Billy is a wonderful character - Benn manages to convey his youth and generally sunny disposition in his thoughts. From book to book we see him maturing but still maintaining his informality and using his brains. In "Evil for Evil" he is forced for the first time to weigh the loyalties he was taught from infancy by his Irish Catholic family against the reality of life in Protestant Ulster, and to work with British police, the British army, and British spies to fulfill his mission. The contrast between the romanticised Ireland cherished by American descendants of Irish immigrants and the actual Ireland torn apart by decades of guerilla warfare becomes obvious. Who are the "good guys" and who are the "bad guys" in this story? Every character has suffered heartbreak and injustice inflicted by the "other side". Each has reached his or her own conclusion of how to deal with it, and their actions intertwine to build the story. For other readers of the series, there is very little of Diana, and no sighting of Kaz, so we will just have to keep waiting for them.