March, 1944: US Army Lieutenant Billy Boyle, back in England after a dangerous mission in Italy, is due for a little Randamp;amp;R, and also a promotion. But the now-Captain Boyle doesnand#39;t get to kick back and enjoy his leisure time because two upsetting cases fall into his lap at once. The first is a personal request from an estranged friend: Sergeant Eugene andquot;Treeandquot; Jackson, who grew up with Billy in Boston, is part of the 617th Tank Destroyers, the all-African American battalion poised to make history by being the US Armyand#39;s first combatant African American company. But making history isnand#39;t easy, and the 617 faces racism at every turn. One of Treeand#39;s men, a gunner named Angry Smith, has been arrested for a crime he almost certainly didnand#39;t commit, and faces the gallows if the real killer isnand#39;t found. Tree knows US top brass wonand#39;t care about justice in this instance, and asks Billy if heand#39;ll look into it.But Billy canand#39;t use any of his vacation time to investigate, because British intelligence agent Major Cosgrove puts him on a bizarre and delicate case. A British accountant has been murdered in an English village, and he may or may not have had some connection with the US Armyandamp;mdash;Billy doesnand#39;t know, because Cosgrove wonand#39;t tell him. Billy is supposed to go into the village and investigate the murder, but everything seems fishyandamp;mdash;heand#39;s not allowed to interrogate certain key witnesses, and his friends and helpers keep being whisked away. Billy is confused about whether Cosgrove even wants him to solve the murder, and why. The good news is the mysterious murder gives Billy an excuse to spend time in and around the village where Tree and his unit are stationed. If heand#39;s lucky, maybe he can get to the bottom of both mysteriesandamp;mdash;and save more than one innocent life.
