Customer Reviews

Watches of the Night (Ben Reese Mysteries)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Watches of the Night is the fifth book in Wright's series featuring university archivist Ben Reese. In the earlier books, many references are made to Ben's experiences as a scout during World War II, but readers have never been given Ben's war story. Finally, with Watches of the Night, you learn about Ben's war years.

Kate Lindsay, Ben's longtime friend, receives a most unexpected package in the mail some twenty years after it was mailed. When she opens the package, she discovers the eye of her husband who was killed in World War II. Startled to say the least and somewhat horrified by the eye, she contacts Ben who had served with her husband. Ben agrees to help Kate figure out who sent her the eye and why. While working through this strange mystery, a person who has haunted Ben's dreams becomes all to real again.

Meanwhile, professionally Ben has run into some problems at the university. Ben finds himself crosswise to the university president over a document in his possession and suffers the pain of academic politics. As a tenured archivist, he enjoys a great deal of freedom to travel and do outside work. However, both the head librarian and the president are threatening that freedom.

While Kate attempts to trace who sent her that eye, Ben is enlisted to help her locate the people involved using his skills as an archivist. Helping Kate triggers Ben's memories of the war. Through these memories, you follow Ben as he is moved from camp to camp, as he goes on a scouting mission and witnesses a horrific event during an ambush.

Wright tells Ben's story and unravels the mystery by shifting back and forth between the 1960s and 1945, following first Kate and Ben's investigation and then Ben's memories. The effect is perfect for building suspense.

While it is helpful to have read at least some of the previous Ben Reese books, readers who are not familiar with the series will have no problems sorting out the characters and their relationships early on in Watches of the Night.

Armchair Interviews says: Sally Wright is a very good storyteller.

All the Ben Reese mysteries are fun but this is the most satisfying. Good character development, great settings and believable twists and turns to the story. I felt like I knew Ben Reese and was confident his skill would overcome the evil Ted Mitchell. This story would make a good movie.

Ms Wright's main man, Ben Reese, is delightful and a joy to read about. I enjoyed her treatment of flashbacks. Her book, however, suffers from lack of editing. Sentences are broken. A character, to whom a page is devoted, is not included in the character listing at the beginning of the book.

I really like the mystery novels of Sally Wright. Her detective, Ben Reese, is a university archivist and tenured faculty member, so he gets sabbaticals for travel, study and (surprise) solving mysteries. The stories are set in the early 1960s.

In "Watches of the Night," a patient and doctor with connections to the same hospital in Britain die. One appears a suicide, the other a hiking accident. But the doctor has left behind a letter. And Reese is eventually drawn into it by his friend (and possible love interest) Kate Lindsay, only to find that he's confronting ghosts from his experiences in World War II. At the same time, he's battling political intrigue at the university, with his president aiming to get him fired.

The action moves from England and Scotland to Ohio and Kentucky, and finally to Italy. And it is in Italy that Reese will meet his war ghosts and embrace love.

Wright produces beautifully crafted stories, and "Watches of the Night" is no exception. And the reader doesn't get only a good mystery story. Along the way, you learn things, like when you sit in on an academic lecture about preservation and conservation techniques.

But it is the character of Ben Reese that's the main attraction. Modeled on an actual friend of the author's, her detective is a man of integrity and a quiet faith. This story includes details of his war experiences and serious injuries, as well as his extensive recuperation afterward.

"Watches of the Night" is a good, entertaining read.

WATCHES OF THE NIGHT dramatizes insightful character development in the Ben Reese series woven into a tapestry with a WWII background. Descriptions of Italian art and countryside intertwined with colorful references to Kentucky and New England create a rich fabric with a memorable story. I will be watching for the next Sally Wright novel; she is an author who doesn't need to follow the popular formula of in-your-face sex and violence to captivate a reader.

'The choice of an archivist as the protagonist by Ms Wright was an inspiration that permits a nice
balance of cerebral and physical action. This, the fifth in the series, has a clever plot set in the
1960s, although it stems from Ben Reese's own experience as a scout in World War II.. Ms.
Wright's descriptive power paints vivid action in war and a strong sense of place. Her account of
the trip to Italy generates a powerful impression in the reader's mind of having been there. She
deserves a wider readership.

What a wonderful book! This was my first Ben Reese mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. From the intrigue of the mystery that unravels to the characters and interesting subplots the story moves quickly to a dramatic and exciting conclusion. There is much to love in the novel. How the author unravels the mystery in stages that keeps the reader interested is extremely well done. I could feel the outcome of combat through her tight use of descriptions. The characters were clearly defined and both good and bad and always interesting. I also felt like travelling back to Italy after the wonderful scenes and descriptions that take place there. Some very likeable characters and a heinous villain as well.I also enjoyed the political academic hierarchy story line. Now I look forward to reading the earlier novels by the talented Sally Wright. Great read!

I have read and enjoyed all of the Ben Reese Mysteries written by Sally Wright. It was great to see Ben Reese re-emerge in "Watches of the Night" after a lengthy hiatus. I especially like the historical period that the novels are set in from World War II to the early 1960s. In "Watches of the Night", there is a great connection spanning both periods in the which the mystery begins and ends - an interesting read.

I loved reading Watches of the Night. Wow! I couldn't put it down. There was so much information there. It's obvious Sally Wright did a lot of research on the war, artifacts, jewelry, Italy, etc. Now I am wondering what Ben will find when he gets back to the university. I'm staying tuned! I also love her putting the list of characters in the front of the book. This is so helpful to us readers. Sally certainly knows how to write a good suspenseful, as well as educational book.

University archivist Ben Reese was a scout in World War II. Kate Lindsay, a longtime friend, receives a package 20 years after it was mailed. It contains the eye of her husband killed in World War II. Ben served with her husband.

Ben and Kate set out to discover the identity of the sender and why it was sent. A person from the past haunts Ben and the memories of war.

The story jumps back and forth from the 1960s to 1945. While I'm sure the author did a great job portraying the war scenes, I didn't read them as I am just not into history. I love Ben and Kate, though. Their chemistry and detecting skills are terrific. I like how they work together and build off each other even through great distances between them.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more in this series.