James R. Benn

James R. Benn is an accomplished American author, best known for his historical fiction and mystery novels. He is particularly famous for his Billy Boyle series, which is set during World War II. Benn was born in New York City, New York, in 1949 and spent his formative years in Southington, Connecticut. After completing his schooling from Southington High School in 1967, he went on to earn his Bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut and his Master of Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University.

Before becoming an author, Benn worked as a librarian and also served as the director of the Godfrey Memorial Library, a private family history library. He published his first book, 'Desperate Ground,' at the age of fifty, in the year 2000. Benn's writing career took off with the publication of his first novel in the Billy Boyle series, 'Billy Boyle: A World War II Mystery,' which was well-received and nominated for a Dilys Award. He has since published several other books in the series, all of which have been praised for their intriguing plots and historical accuracy.

In addition to the Billy Boyle series, Benn has also written several stand-alone novels, including 'On Desperate Ground,' 'Souvenir,' and 'Shard,' which deal with a range of topics from World War II to the American Revolution. His latest stand-alone, 'Freegift,' was released in October 2022 and is set during the American Revolution. Benn currently lives in Hadlyme, Connecticut, with his wife, Deborah Mandel, a retired psychotherapist who works as a copyeditor and writer. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Author's Guild and has worked in the library and information technology fields for over thirty-five years before retiring to write full-time.