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James R. Benn

James R. Benn is the author of the Billy Boyle mystery series, set during the Second World War. He has been nominated for the Dilys, Sue Feder Historical Mystery, and Barry awards, long-listed for the 2015 Dublin IMPAC Literary Award, and was awarded the 2018 Al Blanchard Short Story Award. His forthcoming book, Road of Bones, is the 16th in the Billy Boyle series.

Dorothy L Sayers and the Thirty-Foot Drain: Searching for Peter Wimsey

James R. Benn goes on a quest to discover the original inspiration for Sayers' iconic war-weary character.

James R. Benn On Finding Inspiration in the Strangeness of Everyday Moments

Or, who's buried in Guy Topper's grave?

March 15, 2023 By James R. Benn

War Movies: An Essential Primer

These films prove that every good war movie is an anti-war movie.

September 6, 2022 By James R. Benn

No One Has Ever Lived In The Past. So How Can Writers Accurately Represent History?

On The Challenges of Writing Historical Crime Fiction

September 9, 2021 By James R. Benn

The Crime Novels of WWII

How Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, Dorothy Hughes, and other crime icons addressed (or didn't) the war in crime fiction.

September 11, 2019 By James R. Benn

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