Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy Boyle | 2006 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 2 | Billy Boyle: A World War II Mystery | 2006 | James R. Benn | N/A |
| 3 | The First Wave | 2007 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 4 | Blood Alone | 2008 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 5 | Evil for Evil | 2009 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 6 | Rag and Bone | 2010 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 7 | A Mortal Terror | 2011 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 8 | Death’s Door | 2012 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 9 | A Blind Goddess | 2013 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 10 | The Rest is Silence | 2014 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 11 | The White Ghost | 2015 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 12 | Blue Madonna | 2016 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 13 | The Devouring | 2017 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 14 | Solemn Graves | 2018 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 15 | When Hell Struck Twelve | 2019 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 16 | The Red Horse | 2020 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 17 | Road of Bones | 2021 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 18 | From the Shadows | 2022 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 19 | Proud Sorrows | 2023 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 20 | The Phantom Patrol | 2024 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 21 | A Bitter Wind | 2025 | James R. Benn | Buy |
| 22 | The Ninth Circle | 2026 | James R. Benn | Buy |
The Billy Boyle World War II Mystery series by James R. Benn is one of the longest-running historical mystery series in print. Billy Boyle, a Boston Irish-American cop, gets pulled into military intelligence through a family connection to General Eisenhower. His job takes him to every major theater of the war, where he solves murders that intersect with military operations, espionage, and the politics of the Allied command.
The series began with Billy Boyle (2006) and has continued without interruption, with one new book per year. Each entry is set during a specific period and location of the war: The First Wave covers the North African invasion, Blood Alone takes place in Sicily, and later books move through France, the Pacific, and Eastern Europe. This structure means the series doubles as a chronological tour of the conflict.
With 22 books available, new readers have a substantial amount of material to work through. The annual release schedule and consistent quality have built a dedicated readership among fans of both mysteries and World War II history.