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Martin Limon has been justly praised for his depiction of life in the military in Seoul, Korea, in the 1970s. His series features two agents for the Criminal Investigation Division of the 8th United States Army, George Sueno and Ernie Bascom. At first glance, they seem an unlikely pair, with Sueno taking a relatively measured approach as compared to Bascom's more flamboyant style. However, as in all great partnerships, they complement one another and support each other despite their differences. As the book opens, Sueno is whisked off to a fortune teller by the chief public health service officer, Doctor Yong In-ja. Doc Yong has learned that Auntie Mee has a request of great importance to make of Sueno. Even if that were not the case, George would have gone along willingly, as he has more than a professional interest in Doc Yong. Accompanying them is a young woman, Miss Kwon, who is a local prostitute. Auntie Mee makes a startling revelation. She wants Sueno to recover the bones of an American soldier, Florencio Moretti, who disappeared in 1953. She states that he bothers her every night and that he will only be happy if his bones are returned to his family in the States. Furthermore, she warns that if the bones are not found soon, Miss Kwon will meet an unpleasant fate. Sueno's research reveals that Moretti was a model soldier who spent his life serving not only the military but the local people as well. He represented the poor and worked hard to improve their lives. Some of his efforts were not appreciated by the local underworld lords, known as the "Seven Dragons"; Floretti's work was threatening their authority in Itaewon, a city located very near the military complex which had been developed to meet soldiers' most basic needs. Prostitution and black marketing are rampant. As you can imagine, the city thrives and those who benefit from its rewards aren't going to give them up easily. Through some painstaking analysis, Sueno is able to find Moretti's bones, only to have them stolen before he can send them to the family. He and Bascom find themselves facing danger from the locals and resistance from their own leadership who would prefer not to make waves. They end up investigating quite a few other situations that are tangentially related to the original quest. Although I enjoyed the setting and the individual sub-plots, I felt that the book suffered from an overly ambitious plot. In addition to the search for Moretti's bones, Sueno and Bascom were also charged with finding the wayward daughter of an influential colonel and resolving at least three murders. Where Limon excels is in depicting the local culture and developing characters who get under your skin. The relationship between Sueno and Doc Young was wonderfully done. The picture that Limon paints of life in the military and the complicated relationships between them and the local population seems very authentic. The glimpses of Korean culture have me wanting to learn more. I'll be searching out other books in this series—it's a winner.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, January 2010
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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