Road of Bones

By: James R. Benn

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot

Billy Boyle is sent to the heart of the USSR to solve a double-murder at a critical turning point in the war in this latest installment of critically acclaimed James R. Benn’s WWII mystery series.

It’s September 1944, and the US is poised to launch Operation Frantic, a shuttle-bombing mission to be conducted by American aircraft based in Great Britain, southern Italy, and three Soviet airfields in the Ukraine. Tensions are already high between the American and Russian allies when two intelligence agents—one Soviet, one American—are found dead at Poltava, one of the Ukrainian bases. Billy is brought in to investigate, and this time he’s paired, at the insistence of the Soviets, with a KGB agent who has his own political and personal agenda.

In the course of an investigation that quickly spirals out of control, Billy is aided by the Night Witches, a daring regiment of young Soviet women flying at night at very low altitudes, bombing hundreds of German installations.

It’s a turning point in the war, and allied efforts hang by a thread. Unless Billy and his KGB partner can solve the murders in an atmosphere of mutual distrust, Operation Frantic is doomed.

©2021 James R. Benn (P)2021 Recorded Books

The Best of the Billy Boyle Series (IMHO)

I've now listened to the entire Billy Boyle series and this book is my very favorite. From the fear I felt along with the bomber crew in the first scene, through Billy's adventures in the Soviet Union to the exciting conclusion, this story, its characters and the insights it offers into the experiences of the military and spy networks in Europe is excellent. James R. Benn creates a clear picture of what life was like at this point in WWII for both military personnel and spies in the Ukraine, and elsewhere. The mystery is complex and compelling. Peter Berkrot's narration is some of his best, great voices and well formed characters. I really enjoyed the entire Billy Boyle series, but this one is without a doubt my favorite, I even listened to it all the way through twice.

History + Story = 100% Great -

If you have listened to this series before... no explanation is needed, this installment is as good as any of the others.
If you are new to the series, Billy Boyle, the lead character is a Captain in the Army, a cousin of Eisenhower that refers to him as Uncle Ike because of the age difference, and a Boston Police Detective until World War II came calling. Ike assigns him to a special investigation unit that takes on very sensitive investigations in the European Theater of Operations. Along the way, Boyle collects a handful of similarly adept friends to join his squad.
The events are all interwoven with very real events, units, and operations from World War II. The action, intrigue and realism is as good as you could hope for. The writing style sucks you in and transports you back to 1940's Europe in a way that makes you see the action. I love the series and hope for many more adventures.
Final point, Peter Berkrot is a FANTASTIC narrator for this series. He strikes exactly the right balance of reading and acting so that you are enmeshed in the story, not distracted by him. His voices are subtle and perfect, not silly or overdone. All in all, perfectly executed.

A very good story, however...

Mr Benn loses one star for his frequent use of profane expletives. Such language adds nothing to the story. Would Mr Benn appreciate it if people asked him to damn everything? Would it not hurt him to have people use his name as a curse? 😕

Bitter Sweet

I enjoy the store series. I am sad there are no new ones to continue my journey through WWII

another great book in the series

the research done on these books is so good it's almost like you're getting a history lesson as you listen to them... the performance by the narrator was outstanding as well as the plot line and the further character development of all the reoccurring characters in the series