Martin Limón Brings Back Sueño and Bascom in WAR WOMEN, 1970s US South Korean Occupation

As for so many of the crime fiction series from Soho Crime (Soho Press's dedicated imprint), there's a lot of eager anticipation for each year's new novel from Martin Limón. WAR WOMEN, a November 2021 release, features US Army CID (Criminal Investigation) agents George Sueño and Ernie Bascom, chasing down criminal activity -- not necessarily to shut down crime during the US occupation of South Korea in the 1970s, but to make military life easier and more profitable for their bosses.

Two major twists take this adventure into new terrain for the pair of investigators. The first is that one of their particularly eccentric fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class Cecil B. Harvey—known to George and Ernie as "Strange," for his unending hunger for tales of romantic and especially sexual strangeness—has gone missing, along with a top-secret document. Both of these aspects are so unexpected for "Strange" that the investigators would be chasing him down no matter what, just to satisfy their own curiosity. But in fact the sergeant, who's in charge of the 8th Army's classified documents, is such an essential ally that they've got to find him and try to get him back. Digging into the disappearance will pit them against both their own army and the North Korean espionage system.

Every new moment puts them at risk, though: As George notes, "I'd just reached out to hang my coat on the rack. I held it a moment, frozen in fear. Had they already discovered the theft of the document? Had Strange told them of our involvement? As calmly as I could, I turned and asked, 'What's this about?'"

As usual, Sueño and Bascom need to manage their personal pursuits while also obeying orders. In this case, their assigned task is to manage a tabloid journalist threatening to expose their superior officers. That would be tough on its own, but the journalist is Overseas Observer reporter Katie Byrd Washington, whose brilliant ability to sneak around and use colleagues against each other has already burned the two in the past. And somehow, they're supposed to lock her up:

Katie Byrd Washington was a civilian. Her legal fate fell well outside of 8th Army's jurisdiction. The US military could pull her press pass and deny her access to our bases—if we had justification—but arresting her would be strictly illegal. Illegal not only under American law, but also under Korean law.

It turns out that their bosses expect George and Ernie to manipulate their Korean police colleague, nicknamed (with reason) Mr. Kill, into doing the job for them. Anyone who's read any of this series knows that's failure just waiting to happen. Mr. Kill isn't just non-manipulable ... he's downright dangerous when annoyed.

WAR WOMEN offers a great romp across terrain and situations, including some little-known roles of Army women and their Korean allies. There are no particularly high-tension moments, and not a lot of change in Ernie and George—but as winter entertainment, the book is a delight.

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

The newest South Korea mystery from Martin Limón, G.I. CONFIDENTIAL, is at once a tight and fast-paced crime investigation—military police Sueño and Bascom are under fierce pressure to ID and halt the serial bank robberies that are painting US occupying forces as murderous criminals, thanks to an out-of-control GI contingent—and a hilarious tangle for three, as the two men find themselves repeatedly bested by tabloid reporter Katie Byrd Washington.

Before the reporter engages action, though, catch up with the stresses of the 1970s as the investigators walk the challenging line of respecting the local Korean National Police, and the demands of their own officers. George Sueño, who's achieved speaking fluency in Korean (a very unusual asset for an American then!), partners with the more impulsive Ernie Bascom. They add up as an effective team, but sometimes the requirements are odd ones:

As the GI and injured Korean policeman stood awkwardly in front of one another, I translated ... But I translated his words into Korean with quite a bit of diplomatic license. It came out as something like, I'm sorry I hit you, I shouldn't have done it, and I'll be sure to show more respect for Korea and Korean law in the future. Both [Korean police commander] Mr. Kill and Officer Oh realized that my translation was less than exact but kept their faces impassive.

The wounded Korean officer paused for a moment, making sure that everyone absorbed this abject apology from an obnoxious foreigner. Finally, he nodded his head and barked an order. ... Quickly, the two GIs, mumbling to themselves, climbed back into their truck ... and sped away.

Mr. Kill told me, "You should be in the State Department."

"Every American soldier is an ambassador for their country," I said.

One situation defused for the moment -- but a lot worse ahead, as the tabloid reporter drags the investigators into a situation that could seriously tarnish the reputation of several US officers. Or, come to think of it, ignite a big war.

Limón crafts an exploration of corruption and sex scandals, while creating a highly entertaining snap-trap for Sueño and Bascom, as slippery journalist Katie Washington sets them up to take the fall. When the story began to threaten armed conflict, I jumped for some Korean history and confirmed that what seems like wild exaggeration in Limón's timeline is actually reflects the chaos and risk of that time. It's a lot of fun to surf the action through the down-to-earth assessments and effective counterstrikes of Limón's characters.

This is the 14th in the series, and one of the best—shelve it with historical fiction, or with (military) police procedurals, or with Good Crime Fiction to Read Again. As long as the plot's tight and the clues are sensible, the heart of a good mystery is in the characters and the action. G.I. CONFIDENTIAL is a winner on both counts.

Like Lee Child? James R. Benn? Barbara Cleverly? Jacqueline Winspear? This series shows the same fine storytelling, with an excellent sense of pace and satisfaction.

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Vivid New Crime Fiction from Martin Limón, THE LINE (Korea, the Suenõ and Bascom Series)

There are plenty of good mysteries around, in this season -- but the really masterful ones, the ones written by a gifted storyteller who keeps you in another time, place, and person without stumbling, those are rare. And such a gift!

So I dove hopefully into the new George Sueño and Ernie Bascom investigation from Martin Limón and Soho Press, THE LINE, and sure enough, I didn't come up for much else until I reached the end of the book. Although Limón's series starters are very exciting (Jade Lady Burning, Slicky Boys, Buddha's Money), this 13th title (14th if you count the short story collection) may well be the very best.

Sueño and Bascom are criminal investigators for the US Army in Korea in the 1970s, the heyday of tension along the line dividing the significant Asian nation, and a time when most Americans abroad still performed the "our country's way better than yours" routine. In fact, George Sueño stands out in the Army because he's taken time to learn Korean, both spoke and written, which makes him a far better investigator. On the other hand, his partner in crime-solving, Ernie Bascom, "gets" the Korean culture, and together the pair is almost fearless.

Which they're going to need especially this time, because "the line" that divides Korea from (at the time) Communist North Korea is the site of a murder the pair should investigate. But their arrival on scene at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) bristles with weapons and antagonism from both sides, and the investigators are stranded in between, in every sense. Soon, as anyone in their shoes could have predicted, even their superior officers opt to blame them for the friction and possible outbreak of hostilities resulting.

Colonel Brace stood up. "That'll be just about enough out of you." He stuck his finger about a foot from Ernie's nose. "You will not investigate this matter further. Is that clear?"

Ernie didn't answer.

"Is that clear?"

Finally, Ernie relented. Even he know that the hammer of the US Army smashed whatever it hit completely flat. He'd seen the splatter often enough.

"Yes, sir," Ernie replied sullenly. "It's clear."

Still, that won't stop the action -- they'll just have to figure a way to investigate "something else" that will circle around toward the information they want. Fortunately (so to speak), a missing officer's wife gives the two investigators a reason to return to the scene, this time in a dive bar near "the line." George is narrating:

Her name was Ai-suk. Love-Chastity. When I asked for her family name, she clammed up. Apparently, that was too many questions too fast. She was a cocktail waitress at the Lucky Seven. ...

Her eyes widened. "You dingy dingy?"

"No," I replied. "I'm not crazy."

"Paju-ri woman no can love GI," she replied, suddenly serious. "GI come. GI go. Always count days until go back Stateside. Go back wife. Go back girlfriend. Paju woman just make GI happy." She fluttered her fingers like a bird taking flight. "Then he go."

"What do you get in return?" I asked.

Her eyes widened once again. She was debating whether I was making fun of her. Apparently, she realized that I wasn't, so she answered seriously, "What Paju-ri woman get is we get to live."

Because George and Ernie take even these bar girls seriously and kindly, their case builds strength, one revelation at a time. And because Korean crime at the time came knotted together as a network, and the pair have exchanged favors with the Korean National Police, it will be possible to work on both their crime scenes at once -- most of the time, and with acceptable risk. Well, maybe not so acceptable.

Long-time fans of the series will enjoy appearances from "Strange," and Inspector "Kill," and scenes when the investigators go under cover in their blue jeans, sneakers, and nylon jackets embroidered with fire-breathing dragons. And oh yes, ID and firearms. Big money's at stake in both crimes.

Limón's expert plot twists and the heart-deep (if sometimes clumsy) generosity of the "good guys" here make for yet another excellent crime novel. If I were headed for a desert island -- or a Vermont winter --- I'd want this book in my backpack. And the other 13. No need to read the earlier ones before plunging into THE LINE, but be ready to start scrounging for them afterward, for the sheer pleasure of exploring this series in all its details and delight.  Release date, October 23.

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

[Or if you're just interested in more from this author: click this one.]

Crime-Solving in the Korean DMZ (and Beyond) for Sueño and Bascom in THE NINE-TAILED FOX, Martin Limón

Soho Crime continues to bring remarkable international crime fiction to American readers -- and one of most enjoyable of the current series is the one from former military pro Martin Limón. Limón writes from his decade spent in Korea, with the complex mixture of love and despair that a friend of this small-but-fierce nation can easily develop. And his investigators from the US Army's military police in the 1970s, sergeants Ernie Bascom and George Sueño, operate from that same complicated standpoint: wanting to make things work out well for the Koreans around them who are so often misunderstood by the American forces, and pressed to a timeline of "solve this and get back to base" -- while also resisting the dangerous partnership with the Korean National Police that they've entered over the past few titles in the series.

There are already a dozen books before this just-released title, THE NINE-TAILED FOX, and I'm such a fan of these well-written crime novels that I suggest reading them all. But you don't need to have followed the series before plunging into this one. For one thing, Limón is a strong author who engages readers in both character and plot twists, without depending on prior knowledge; for another, it appears from the slightly uneven "explaininess" of the first few chapters that someone decided to make sure there were extra paragraphs to bring people into the situation. After all, Army life isn't simple, and neither was the Korean assistance in the 1970s, a presence by American forces that the Asian nation desired in order to hold back the Chinese, but also in some senses an Occupation operating from a narrow set of prejudices and military logic.

This time, George and Ernie -- the only ones on their base who seem able to navigate the streets of Seoul successfully -- are thrust into investigating three missing servicemen, in three different locations. The pressure's nonstop, from their superior officers (solve it, clean it up), from the Korean officer they've nicknamed "Mr. Kill" who's going to take things into his own hands soon, and of course from the sense of obligation these investigators feel when they witness murder and the associated local pressures of organized crime and prostitution.

The title refers to a Korean fairy tale of a sexually devouring woman called "the nine-tailed fox" -- or in Korean, the gumiho, a term that the investigators first hear described by others as a "gummy whore." (Their on-base informant, an eccentric pervert they've nicknamed "Strange," is quickly obsessed with this archetypal figure!) She appears to have lured each of the three missing men in some way, in order to kidnap them. But why? There are no ransom demands, no action that makes sense in American terms. Or Korean!

By the time Sueño and Bascom -- with dangerous assistance from Mr. Kill -- sort out what's really going on, they're in too deep to back out. But also too deep to keep themselves safe.

Let the awkward first few pages slide by, and follow the chase into the complicated crime and highly specific Korean negotiations that follow. This is a great page-turner, and at the same time a classic military-based mystery, packed with action and intrigue.

Oh yes, do get the rest of the series as soon as you can. I've rarely found a series with such diverse plots. And having a small taste of Korean culture in the past, I find the setting and motivations in Limón's books addicting, and the plots highly readable. Thanks to Soho Crime as well as the author, for keeping this one rolling.

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

CID Sergeants in Korea, Where Love and Murder Mingle, PING PONG HEART, Martin Limón

Hard to believe Martin Limón has reached the 11th already in his superb Sueño and Bascom series, set in American-occupied Korea in 1974. In PING PONG HEART, Limón proves again that for a pair of Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division) sergeants with heart, even a war zone can be a place where justice is served -- which is not exactly the same as keeping the letter of the law, is it?

George Sueño and Ernie Bascom don't think much of the case that comes there way at the opening of the book. It sounds like a classic low-life "he-said, she-said," with the Provost Marshal sending them to check out an irate major's claim that a prostitute downtown, Miss Jo, took his money and ran off, without providing any, umm, services. Major Schultz has "connections," which is why Sueño and Bascom have the assignment, instead of ordinary military police. Plus, the two of them get along with the Koreans better than most ... George studies the language and can carry on a conversation pretty well (although he's not yet reading the characters), and Ernie, well, all the girls seem to love him -- both the bar girls and their colleagues the (not always willing) prostitutes, and the secretary in the office on base. Which really should be another thing altogether, except somehow Miss Kim turns out to have her own complications that cross over into the not-so-small-after-all case.

Within the first 24 hours of the case, Sueño and Bascom find themselves tripping over people they really ought to stay away from: the power brokers in military intelligence. But as always, since they're on the side of the disadvantaged (in this case, the Korean bar girls) and being pushed by their dangerous-to-resist Korean counterpart investigator, Mr. Kill, the pair have plenty of reasons to move forward (against orders, of course). This time, each one's heart is also at risk: Ernie because Miss Kim means more to him than he's admitted so far, and George because a sudden chance to see his half-Korean son (readers of the earlier books, are you coming to attention?) during the investigation could capsize the easier relationship he's had working for him lately.

There's also a lot of fun here, in spite of the stakes. For instance, Ernie's been telling George that speaking in Korean to the girls being investigated in losing respect for them. George doesn't buy it -- but a mama-san who owns the bar where they're looking for a lead is more blunt:

"You talk," she said. "Pretty soon I busy."

I asked her again to sit, this time in Korean. She thought it over, stepped forward, and keeping her butt toward the edge of the chair, sat down. "You speaky Korean pretty good," she said. "Who teach you?"

"I study it," I said. "On compound." ...

She shook her head. "Number hucking ten." No good. There's no "f" sound in the Korean alphabet so often it's replaced with "h." And in GI slang, number one -- or hana -- is best and, reasonably enough, number ten in worst.

"Why number ten?" I asked.

"GI speak Korean, all girl lose respect for GI."

Ernie grinned and sipped on his beer,

I took the bait. "Why lose respect?"

Her eyes widened. "Talk like baby. All girl laugh at them."

Ernie glugged even more of his beer down, trying to keep from bursting into laughter.

"Okay," I said. "No more Korean. Only English." ... Then I asked her about Jo Kyong-Ja.

PING PONG HEART is full of action, twists, and good moments -- a classic Martin Limón book, satisfying, enjoyable, and almost impossible to put down. No need to read the others in the series first, but you may want them all, after reading this one.

From Soho Press, whose Soho Crime imprint continues to bring great international (and American) crime fiction to the table.

Worth Fighting For, in THE VILLE RAT, Martin Limón

One look, and the two crime investigators commit themselves to finding the young woman's killer. Yes, George Sueño and Ernie Bascom are tough members of the 8th U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division in Seoul, in 1974 -- they've seen a lot of the underside of the occupied city and its surroundings, in South Korea and the DMZ (and sometimes they've crossed the line to the sadder half of the divided nation). But a beautiful Korean woman in traditional feminine clothing, clearly murdered and discarded at a frozen river, gets the guys worked up.

The 11th in Martin Limón's passionate crime series may be the clearest yet in showing what George and Ernie treasure in Korea, from its women to its people of honor and to their counterpart on the Korean National Police side of things, Inspector Gil Kwon-up, better known as Mr. Kill. So when a black-market scheme with American backing turns out to be linked to multiple deaths, and to abuse of an even younger woman, maybe a teen, kidnapped into sexual servitude, the investigative partners refuse to back off.

And they've got plenty of reason to keep pushing on the entwined cases, as Mr. Kill wants them to handle the military aspects, where he can't use his own men -- and a scrawny Caucasian, apparently former military himself, and known only as the Ville Rat, flags them down near the scene of a crime:

"I had to stop you," the man said, breathless. His voice was hurried. Green eyes darted from side to side. "He shouldn't have done it," he said.

"Who?" I asked.

It was as if he hadn't heard me.

"She just wanted her freedom, that's all."

"Who are you talking about?" I shouted.

But when Ernie switches off the engine and the two try to catch up with their unexpected informant, he runs deftly away from them, calling back, "You were almost there!"

The two actually have a lot of miles to cover, and a lot of bars in which to ask about the mysterious shipments they realize are taking place there, before the pieces start to come together. They even need to rely on Strange -- that is, Harvey, an informant inside the military, to figure out what's up.

It turns out that two generals of different divisions are using George and Ernie against each other, and it looks like they'll be crushed in a rat trap within the military if they keep in pursuit of the criminals. But, did I already mention they can't let go of this one?

Limón always spins a good tale, full of details of Korean life and culture, as well as the passions of the men who've been drawn to its exploration. This is one of the best -- with a swift pace, great twists of action and revelation, and a heartfelt sweetness interwoven with the fierce chases and escapades.

Sure, you can read this one without the other 10 -- and it will be a good introduction to Limón's series. Then pick up the others, each with a very different approach. This is one of my faves among the international crime series that Soho Crime is publishing, and I look forward to re-reading them all over the winter. Worth every page!

Korean Police Procedural: Martin Limón, THE IRON SICKLE

The ninth Sueño and Bascom mystery from Martin Limón, THE IRON SICKLE (Soho Crime), takes a small, tragic crime -- a murderous attack in a military claims office, by a local man who's obviously unbalanced -- and follows an intrepid pair of Army investigators through the city of Seoul and Korea's mountainous rural regions, spinning a taut, well-told story of suspense. And at the same time, Limón exposes some of Korea's large, tragic history: from the 1970s (the time when the mystery is set) backward into Japanese occupation and American-aided liberation, and forward to the swift growth of the Pacific Rim country, into a future of power and prestige.

But Limón never paints with a broad brush -- he nails the story and the suspense through personal detail. Like the Koreans around them, investigators George Sueño and Ernie Bascom deal with orders that make hardly any sense to them. The reaction the "brass" has to the murder that's taken place on their base is to send these two seasoned Criminal Investigation Division officers to patrol the fences. Yes, it's because they've annoyed an officer or two. And they're not exactly the favorites of the Military Police, either -- Sueño's taken the crazy step of actually learning Korean, to speak with suspects, victims, and witnesses, and Bascom, well, he's been known to engage in something more than just lust with the ladies. Only when the politics of the case engage Seoul's own investigators in an effort to not solve the case (!) do the teams demand Sueño and Bascom in action.

The "iron sickle" of the title is the murder weapon, and it's in use -- or another one like it! -- for more slash-and-slaughter events clearly aimed at the American military. But there's some aspect to the crimes that's embedded in Korean symbolism, as George and Ernie find what looks like a totem at one the crime scenes:

"Wait a minute. What's that?" I pointed. The beam of Ernie's flashlight followed mine.

"Hell if I know," Ernie said.

There was a jumble of wooden crates, most of them flattened, thin slats held together by thick wire. One of the crates was standing upright, the slats of wood forming a teepee-like shape. Atop that, strands of wire had been woven into a flat, rectangular grill. The entire edifice stood about three feet tall.

"Christ," Ernie said.

Hanging from the construction was a dead rat, eviscerated and dangling from its back paws, thick blood seeping from red guts.

It's a crazy item to find, and emphasizes the insanity of the criminal and crimes. But as the investigation continues, the two CID men find that the darker crimes of the past may lead toward exactly this response -- and the people around them who seem craziest may in fact be the ones most wounded, responding in ways that make perfect sense.

And that, of course, is how they team up with the beautiful psychiatrist Dr. Prevault, and the struggling Korean therapist, Doctor Hwang.

Soon the team is racing toward the site of a military disaster from the past, trying to sort out their own form of sanity and justice.

Limón's ninth book in the series is tightly woven, hard to put down, as the tension continues to ramp, and the investigators take grave risks. You don't need to read the earlier books in the series, although they'll add to the bond with Sueño and Bascom if you do. Me, I'm looking forward to book 10, later this year (maybe the end of summer?) -- and I may just decide to re-read the entire series while I wait!

Martin Limón's Newest Korean DMZ Police Procedural: THE JOY BRIGADE

Actually, no, it's not a police procedural after all. And that's why THE JOY BRIGADE didn't suit my taste as much as the seven books that preceded it, which featured Sergeant George Sueño and his buddy Ernie Bascom, working for the U.S. Army in Korea's demilitarized zone (DMZ) in the scary 1970s, solving crime and doing their bit to ensure some kind of justice for the Koreans around them.

But Ernie doesn't show up until the closing of this one -- and the action during the rest of the book requires a substantial amount of patience and suspension of disbelief, as Sueño works his way into a North Korean splinter group while also trying to catch up with his beloved, Doc Yong, who -- he is pretty sure -- has given birth to a baby. Their baby. His son. Along the way, he ties his fate to that of -- well, this person:

His name was Hero Kang. He showed me the photograph hanging from his neck. It was framed in varnished wood and showed a much younger version of himself standing in full military uniform next to the Great Leader of North Korea, Kim Il-sung, shaking hands. Both men were smiling. Hero Kang told me that the photograph was taken in Pyongyang in the Great Hall of the People almost twenty years ago, after the end of the Korean War.

"You must've been very brave," I said, "to receive such an honor.

His round face grimaced. He changed the subject.

The premise is interesting. But there were quite a few moments when I stopped and said things like, "Why wouldn't he wrap his feet in something?" Or "He thought he could do WHAT with his version of martial arts?" Or even "Doing that, while carrying a baby? Are you crazy?"

In the long run, THE JOY BRIGADE is a tall tale, a wished-for adventure for an investigator who dreams of ending the Korean standoff, and seeing Confucian values and family affection knit together a divided nation.

The thing is -- I really, really like Martin Limón's rough and friendly Army-based police procedurals (Jade Lade Burning; Slicky Boys; Buddha's Money; The Wandering Ghost; G.I. Bones; Mr. Kill; I haven't read The Door to Bitterness).  So THE JOY BRIGADE doesn't suit me very well. On the other hand, Martin Limón is such a good writer that I'll keep a copy on my shelf, and hope that the next book in the series goes back to the ground of buddies in trouble together, solving crimes and restoring some measure of justice. Like, umm, yeah, Hero Kang.