Billy Boyle vs. Christopher Foyle

I love historical fiction, and one of my favorite time periods to read about is World War II. My new favorite TV program is a British show, Foyle's War, that is set in England during World War II. Christopher Foyle is a detective who investigates murder, sabotage, stolen fuel supplies, etc., while the war goes on around him. It's a great show that depicts what life was like for the English during the war. While there is usually a murder, the violence is minimal. You could almost call it a "cozy." Most of the World War II books I have read are thrillers that usually involve espionage, which I enjoy, but I wanted to find a book that is more like Foyle's War: something that focuses on what was going on at home during the war, not necessarily in the thick of it.

In my search I discovered a new series by James R. Benn. Billy Boyle is the main character and the title of the first book in the series. His second book in the series, The First Wave, will be released next month. Billy Boyle is a Boston cop whose family ties to General Eisenhower got him an office job in London, rather than on the front lines. "Uncle Ike" wants Billy to use his detective skills to investigate problems within the ranks. His first case involves the Norwegian government that is living in England in exile. It is believed that a spy is amongst them and Billy sets out to find him. During his investigation, a high ranking Norwegian official is murdered, and Billy is also asked to solve the crime. Billy is no Christopher Foyle, but he is a likeable character. It's a good mystery without a lot of violence. Benn does a good job of describing the effects of the war on England. It has a somewhat slower pace than most WWII thrillers, but that's what I like about Foyle's war. I did get a little confused with all the characters and suspects, but aside from that, I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

It turns out that World War II is one of the hottest subjects in publishing right now (both fiction and non-fiction) and is expected to continue in the next decade. The Telegraph has an interesting article about the World War II publishing phenomena, and why it is so popular.