Preview
  • Rag and Bone

  • A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery
  • By: James R. Benn
  • Narrated by: Marc Vietor
  • Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (137 ratings)

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Rag and Bone

By: James R. Benn
Narrated by: Marc Vietor
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Publisher's summary

Billy is sent to London in the midst of a Luftwaffe bombing offensive to investigate the murder of a Soviet official. There's reason to believe that the crime could be connected to the recent discovery of mass graves in the Katyn Forest, where thousands of Polish officers were executed. Is a killer is out there, targeting Soviet officials in revenge for the Katyn Massacre? If so,the diplomatic stakes couldn't be higher as the uneasy relationship between the Soviets and the other allied powers hangs in the balance.

Further complicating matters, Scotland Yard names Billy's friend Kaz, now working for the Polish government in exile, as the prime suspect. Billy must track the killer through London's criminal underworld and save his friend.

Spend some more time with Billy Boyle.
©2010 James R. Benn (P)2010 Audible, Inc.
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Editorial reviews

Billy Boyle is back. This time, in James R. Benn’s fifth, fascinating World War II mystery, he’s on the hunt for the murderer of a Russian officer in London. Narrator Marc Vietor is also back, vividly bringing to life the latest assignment for the Boston police detective handpicked by “Uncle Ike” Eisenhower to serve as his personal investigator. Vietor has a soothing voice that makes listening to the latest Boyle mystery as pleasant as savoring a glass of single-malt scotch by a warm, glowing fire. And while Boyle may be from Boston’s Irish South Side, Vietor’s voice contains a hint of an English accent mixed with softened “Southie” vowels, a tone that makes sense since Boyle has been stationed in Europe for two years by this point in the series, and has spent much of his time in England. More than anything, Vietor’s narration gives the Boyle series a wistful air, a longing for a time when good and evil seemed more straightforward.

But things are never what they seem in Rag and Bone. While the Nazis remain the bad guys, hints of the Cold War soon to come can be felt throughout the novel. Technically, the Russians are on the Allies’ side, but it’s never quite clear who’s spying on whom. And Boyle, freshly promoted to First Lieutenant, must be careful of who he trusts in war-ravaged London as he investigates this mysterious murder. This includes Boyle’s longtime friend, Kaz, an aristocratic Polish baron living in the Dorchester Hotel. Kaz claims to be working for the Polish government, but he soon becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the Russian officer. Boyle has his doubts, but he remains a detective first, relying on facts and careful observation to determine exactly who’s the killer.

Even if you’ve never listened to a Billy Boyle mystery, you can jump straight into Rag and Bone and not miss a beat, especially since it stands on its own as one of the better books in this tightly written series. —Ken Ross

Critic reviews

"An entertaining series based on fascinating historical premises." (Booklist)

What listeners say about Rag and Bone

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Brilliant WWII Mystery Series

The stories in James R. Benn's Billy Boyle WWII Mysteries are extraordinary for the merging of real people, places, and battles with fictional characters and mysteries. In each book, Billy Boyle, an investigator attached General Eisenhower's command is assigned to quietly solve a crime that impacts the war effort, but also exposes the reader to little known aspects of the war. In this book, Billy is back in London, investigating the murder of a Soviet soldier during a time of extreme tension between the Poles and the Russians over the murder of thousands of Polish officers during the early days of the war.
A rich cast of characters both real and fictional, a complex mystery, a clever investigator, and snappy dialogue, combine with history for an exciting and engaging story. Excellent narration.

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Billy Boyle

I thoroughly enjoy Mark Vietor's narration of Rag and Bone. James R. Benn is one of my favorite Mystery writers. Billy Boyle and his team are great characters. I love Benn's weaving of Boston detective lessons being applied to European war time settings as General Eisenhower leads the Allies to victory!

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another great story in the series

and this kind of police procedural with twists and turns we begin to see the implications of the future Cold war. also the political realities of trying to win World war II
it also covers the tragic fate of the Polish people and the country they live in being between Germany and Russia and how many different times they've been betrayed by friends. reminds me of the Hmong people during the Vietnam war.

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Love it

Great story, great writing can’t wait for the next book
I really enjoy the authors style

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Least favorite so far.

I have become a huge fan of the Billy Boyle books. This one is my least favorite so far. It just seemed rushed. The revelations Billy makes do not really come until the end, and all at once. It was definitely a departure from previous books where he is putting pieces together gradually.
I hope this is not a sign of things to come.
***Also just found out this is the last of the audio books narrated by Marc Vietor. I will reserve judgement as much as possible, but I doubt very highly a change of narrator will be positive.

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