The Page 69 Test: "A Bitter Wind"

Sunday, September 21, 2025

"A Bitter Wind"

James R. Benn is the author of the Billy Boyle World War II series, historical mysteries set within the Allied High Command during the Second World War.

The series began with Billy Boyle, which takes place in England and Norway in 1942.

Benn applied the Page 69 Test to his new novel, A Bitter Wind, the twentieth installment of the Billy Boyle series, with the following results:

From page 69:
“Did you check the carbon paper?” Diana said. “You never know.”

No, you never do. I remembered a clue once being found on carbon paper, but I think that was in a movie. Real life is never that easy, but I pulled out the dark, flimsy sheets to check them. The request for the Mandrel jammer was right on top, a worn, well-used sheet that had seen its final roll around the platen. Even so, I could make out the salutation to the 101 Squadron supply officer. The sheet under that was the memo to Brockman’s commanding officer at the 36th, the unit’s name clearly visible on the fresh page.

“Wait a minute,” I said, and set the sheets down side by side. “Brockman typed this one yesterday, using a new piece of carbon paper. He typed the supply request the day before, using a sheet that was on its last legs.”

“Very economical of him,” Diana said as she waited for me to make my point.

“This is how they came out of the tray,” I said, and placed the well-used sheet on top.

“Oh, I see,” she said. “It’s in the wrong order. Someone went through the carbon papers to see what the major had typed. Someone who got here before us.”

“Which means Brockman took both the original and carbon copy with him, which is why our intruder was reduced to riffling through the carbon paper,” I said.

“Or Major Brockman made a simple mistake,” Diana said with a sigh. “Out of character, but still possible. This is thin gruel, Billy.”
At first glance, this passage may look like thin gruel indeed for establishing the value of the Page 69 Test. It’s a bit dry and workmanlike, with a previously defined technical term laid out here much like a puzzling tidbit.

But then again, a murder investigation is full of tedious factchecking and the meticulous sifting of potential clues. And that’s exactly what’s going on here. Major Brockman is the murder victim—the first, that is—found early in the book. The Mandrel jammer is a piece of top secret electronic countermeasures hardware, designed to overwhelm German early warning radar systems. Brockman’s body was found with highly classified documents concerning electronic countermeasures used by the Royal Air Force in his pocket; documents that should never have left the base.

Which brings Billy and Diana sifting through routine paperwork in order to be certain all of the electronic warfare components are exactly where they should be. Dull, boring, and inconclusive, like much of real life.

So the test works well enough. The theoretical browser will know there’s already been a murder and that our detectives are searching for clues in a realistic fashion. Plus, there’s the added nostalgic sensation of handling carbon paper for those of an age to remember.

But there’s one last section of page 69 worth a mention:
“If we didn’t find him with his head bashed in, I’d agree it was just a mistake. But you’re right, it’s not much,” I said. “This must have something to do with what Conan Doyle had you investigating.”
Conan Doyle? If our browser has paid attention to the very end of the page, that name is sure to attract attention. This is a mystery, after all. The Conan Doyle in question is Squadron Officer Jean Conan Doyle, daughter of Sir Arthur, and in real life an intelligence officer with the Royal Air Force during World War II, and she plays an active role in this novel.

The Page 69 Test: passed, with flying colors.