A Blind Goddess
By James Benn
Soho Crime. $26.95 (Rating: Very Good)
Racial politics within the U.S. Army during World War II accounts for one of the strains of this latest Billy Boyle mystery. The first all African- American battalion preparing for combat, the 617th Tank Destroyers, are stationed in England. Despite a warm welcome from the British, the American infantrymen in the area aren’t quite as accepting.
When one of the men in the unit is unjustly accused of a murder, it becomes all too apparent he is not going to get a fair shake because of his race. Captain Billy Boyle is asked by a childhood friend to see what he can do to exonerate the soldier.
At the same time, Boyle is also handed a bizarre case by British intelligence to look into the death of an accountant and the disappearance of a young girl. Not only is the connection between these two events and the US Army unclear but Boyle also quickly discovers he will not be allowed to question some key witnesses.
Given the fact that the 617th is billeted in the area, Boyle can divide his time between these two seemingly disparate cases. “Seemingly” is the operational word here because as his investigation proceeds you’ll see the cases converge.
This eighth Billy Boyle mystery has already been lauded as one of the best novels in the series. Not only is it a gripping and exciting suspense story but James Benn also explores the issue of race, which did present a problem in the US military at the time.
A Question of Honor: A Bess Crawford Mystery
By Charles Todd
William Morrow. $25.99 (Rating: Excellent)
The memory of a horrendous crime, the murder of five people, resurfaces when a dying soldier on the battlefields of France tells nurse Bess Crawford that the man responsible for the crimes and thought to be dead is still alive.
Not only is this unwelcome news a shock, but Bess also takes some time off while on leave to investigate to see if there is any truth to the dying man’s claim.
Years earlier when Bess was living in India while her father served in the military, one of his officers was accused of committing a series of murders in England and India. Lieutenant Wade, the supposed murderer, tried to flee and disappeared trying to reach Afghanistan. Bess’s father has had to live with the thought that one of his trusted men was a disgrace to his uniform.
Now, a decade later, Bess is going back to the English village where three of the killings took place. While many locals think Wade was innocent, the present owner of the house where the crime took place believes otherwise. He also thinks Bess’s father had something to do with helping Wade flee the country.
The inquisitive English nurse may well regret ever digging into this closed murder case for there are some secrets here that will shake her to her very core. Not only is Wade still alive, as Bess was told, but she’ll learn his real story.
Another remarkable story in this well written historical mystery series, “A Question of Honor” is a thoughtful read with an exceptionally well-fashioned cast of characters.
Gone With the Win
By Mary Daheim
William Morrow. $23.99 (Rating: Excellent)
Judith McMonigle Flynn should know better. She’s sworn off playing amateur detective after her last misadventure, but when a woman she met at the Oktoberfest in Little Bavaria turns up at Hillside Manor seeking assistance, the B & B owner succumbs again.
Ruby’s mother was strangled twenty years ago and the investigation has gone totally cold. Why would Judith want to get involved in trying to find a murderer who may, in fact, have already gone to the grave? Good question!
Her first reaction is to gracefully decline the investigation, but then Judith learns that her husband’s former partner and old friend, Woody Price, was assigned to the case. Since Joe is willing to help and use his police contacts to dig up the old evidence, Judith decides to look into the case.
It is hard to believe that this series has reached 28 titles and it is still going strong. How Mary Daheim keeps coming up with fresh ideas for new stories is a mystery in itself, but she does. For a whole slew of loyal fans, Judith, her sister Renie and the rest of the cast of characters have become dear, old friends whose exploits continue to amuse and entertain the reader year after year.
Lineup
By Liad Shoham
Harper. $25.99 (Rating-Very Good)
A young woman is raped in a Tel Aviv neighborhood. The police draw a blank when it comes to finding the rapist so the victim’s father sets out to find the man. When the distraught father delivers the individual he is convinced assaulted his daughter, the police are glad to make an arrest and send the man before a magistrate.
Then things begin to come unraveled. The accused rapist, who works for the mafia, doesn’t try to explain why he was seen around the rape victim’s apartment nor does he attempt to defend himself in any manner. But when the case is thrown out on a technicality, the man walks free and the detective assigned to the case is fired.
Suddenly the freed man is on the run. His mob connections have soured and his boss is after him, plus another rape has occurred and the police are convinced he is the person responsible. Only by forming an alliance with the disgraced detective fired because of his acquittal will this suspected rapist be able to clear his name. Unfortunately, his crime connections complicate matters and place the man’s life in jeopardy.
Based on a real event that occurred in Israel, Liad Shoham has created an intriguing thriller about mistaken identity, organized crime, a man on the lam and a cop seeking redemption. Well respected in his native country and lauded throughout Europe, this novel introduces Shoham to American audiences. It shouldn’t take long before he acquires a following for his well-constructed crime fiction here.
Cuckoo Clock Caper: A Josephine Stuart Mystery
By Joyce Oroz
Cozy Cat Press. $14.95 (Rating-Good)
Aromas resident Joyce Oroz has written another in her mystery series featuring muralist Josephine Stuart. In this latest adventure, Jo’s neighbor, Emmett Hooley, loses his home in a mysterious fire that takes his sister’s life.
The elderly Emmett moves in with Jo for a while and while he’s there, Jo tries to figure who was responsible for the deadly blaze. An accomplished clock maker, Jo learns a little about cuckoo clocks and probably more than she wants to know about the elderly man’s kinfolk and colorful friends.
Of course, that’s knowledge Jo will put to good use as she sifts through the ashes of Emmett’s past life and discovers who had the audacity to torch his home.
With the action unfolding in Santa Cruz County and in Moss Landing, this suspense yarn has plenty of local color that should delight those who like stories set close to their home stomping grounds.