When Hell Struck Twelve

"An especially fine example of Benn's long-running series . . . the emotional journey that is evoked by the talented Benn along the way is strong, vivid, and completely authentic. If you want to get a feel for what it might have been like for a Parisian in 1944 to finally be liberated from an oppressive rule, pick up this novel."
--Mystery Scene Magazine

"Even after all this time U.S. Army detective Billy Boyle is still one of the coolest characters out there."
--Suspense Magazine

"Vastly entertaining, decidedly literary . . . Benn writes with a brutal and evocative skill about the grim and bloody reality of a situation and environment reflecting the cumulative cost of war."
--The Day

"Fascinating characters and history-worthy plots...You won't be able to put it down till the last page!"
--Eyes on World Cultures

"I've read every book in James R. Benn's series, reviewed most of them, loved all of them, and this is the best one yet."
--BookPage, Starred Review

"This consistently strong series has jumped to another level, with this volume clearly the hands-down best so far . . . a grandly suspenseful, old-school war story . . . Benn's portrayal of the gallimaufry of competing Resistance groups, whose bullets, Billy learns, kill you just as dead as the Germans' more powerful weaponry, adds a fascinating dimension to this exciting story of the sometimes-deadly chaos that accompanied the liberation of Paris."
--Booklist, Starred Review

"Stellar . . . The author makes the most of the tense and dramatic backdrop to this high-stakes whodunit. Benn has surpassed himself with this installment."
--Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review

"The action starts on the first page and doesn't slow down."
--Library Journal

"A World War II supersleuth slips into Paris to find a murderous French traitor . . . As usual, Benn packs this installment with historical detail and writes with authority and punch."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Once I started this tension-filled mystery, I realized nothing short of a major catastrophe would stop me from reading it . . . With thorough research and authentic characters, James R. Benn always bring his stories to life for me."
--RJ Julia Independent Booksellers (Madison, CT)

Praise for the Billy Boyle World War II mysteries

"Spirited wartime storytelling."
--The New York Times Book Review

"A fast-paced saga set in a period when the fate of civilization still hangs in the balance."
--The Wall Street Journal

"Full of action, humor and heart."
--Louise Penny

"[A] thrilling battle of wits between a dogged US investigator and cunning killer. Deft, gritty, and real as a howitzer blast."
--Andrew Gross, bestselling author of The One Man

"Benn's Billy Boyle mysteries are always entertaining . . . Benn's research is admirable and the expert way in which he uses this historical data to tell a riveting story is brilliant . . . Historical mysteries just don't get any better than this."
--Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Cleverly told . . . the book weaves fascinating military facts with obscure historical details about the islands and native life."
--The Arizona Republic

"These creations just keep getting better and better."
--Suspense Magazine

"Exceptional . . . Benn has never been better at integrating a whodunit plot line with a realistic depiction of life on or near the battlefield."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review