First sentence: It was dark, and I was at sea, hunkered down in a flat-bottomed landing craft, slamming through four-foot swells and chugging noisily towards shore, leaving the relative safety of our troop transport behind.
Premise/plot: The First Wave is the second book in the historical mystery series starring Billy Boyle. The first novel was set in England in 1942; the second novel is set in North Africa (Algeria) in late 1942. The plan was supposed to be simple: Harding and Boyle are supposed to be involved in the negotiations for the surrender of the Vichy French forces. But it’s a snafu from the start. The surrender won’t happen quickly—if at all. Soon Boyle is back to solving murders—and the body count keeps going up.
My thoughts: I wanted to love this one just as much as the first book. I do still really like the characters Boyle and Kaz. I was heartbroken over Diana’s situation. I think the weightiness of that kept me from fully engaging with this one. The mystery element also disappointed me. I don’t know why, but, I guessed the identity of the murderer super early. I usually don’t do this in the first half. Sometimes authors keep me guessing until the last handful of pages. I like the suspense. This one definitely reads more like a trauma-filled war novel. Gritty—very much showing the horrors of war.
© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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