So, in the end, I liked this book...a lot. I like police procedurals and this one was made even better because I had a sense for the location. I lived in Korea for 8 years and Limón gives the reader an accurate portrait of the dysfunctional relationship between everyday Korean life and the culture of the American military.

Why 3 stars? The writing is clumsy, especially at the beginning and the pace was slow. In the end, however, the author seemed to find firmer footing and I could not put the book down. I am going to try more of his books because I get a sense his books will only get better and I like the two main characters of Sueño and Bascom. ( )

Noir it is, and not a better setting for it: US army bases in Korea circa early 70s. This mystery has a lot going for it: piquant characters, humor and heart, but it dragged sometimes. There were dangling facts (who took those incriminating photos? Kimiko?) but it gets four stars from me for the way it reverses sleaze - those we expect to be sleazy are complex and those we expect to uphold civic values - are corrupt. The corrupt, on the other hand, have evolved a different system altogether.
The end:chilling. ( )

This is a very intriguing and original mystery set in Korea in the early 1970s and told through the narration of George Sueño, one of the American 8th Army CID investigators. He and his partner, Ernie Bascom, have been tasked with discovering who murdered Miss Pak Ok-Suk, a young Korean prostitute who worked the bars frequented by American soldiers.

George and Ernie are tremendously flawed characters but believable for the context of the time and the place. They drink, stop off at clubs for quickies with the local bar girls, and overlook much of the corruption they witness on a daily basis. They are total opposites and it makes sense that George narrates the story since he is the analytical one and Ernie is the stubborn one. This combination seems to work well for them and despite more dead bodies, threats and even physical assaults they continue their investigation. It becomes clear to George that the only reason for this to be happening is because it must involve powerful people.

I think many readers may be offended by the portrayal of the Korean business “girls” but these woman were struggling to survive and the American soldiers were a good way to do it. This was a great noir style, gritty mystery set in an exotic location and realistically combining both Korean and US Army culture. ( )

Limon knows his turf, the world of American soldiers stationed in Korea in the late 1960s and early 1970s. HE really brings it to life in this noir mystery, the first of an ongoing series. ( )

I came to this book from other Asian detective stories, and when I realised the US military involvement I didnt expect to like it. However it grew on me.
The main characters are believable and not beset with the relationship problems that haunt many detectives.
Being young GI's they face a different set of challenges that make the story engaging and interesting, and show a side of Korea I hadnt seen before ( )