Mr. Kill

Starred review from October 31, 2011
Set in South Korea in 1974, Limón’s excellent seventh mystery featuring U.S. Army investigators George Sueño and Ernie Bascom (after 2009’s G.I. Bones) richly illustrates how both loathsome and lucrative the American presence is to the Koreans. When Sueño and Bascom look into the rape of a young Korean mother in a bathroom aboard a crowded train traveling from Pusan to Seoul, witnesses claim the rapist was a U.S. serviceman, which the Army tries to deny. After a Korean woman is raped and murdered on the same train, the two rough-hewn sergeants are joined by enigmatic Korean Inspector Gil, who appears to be a mild-mannered Confucian gentleman, but lives up to his ruthless nickname, “Mr. Kill.” Meanwhile, the investigators’ attention is diverted to protecting members of a popular female country and western band who are concerned about peeping toms and petty thefts of equipment. A vivid view of Asia, from the Demilitarized Zone to the Yellow Sea, and an insightful look at the era lift this fine entry.

December 1, 2011

It begins with the rape of a young mother on a train in late 1970s South Korea. Witnesses say an American GI committed the crime, so U.S. Army detectives Sueno and Bascom are brought in to investigate. Crimes escalate--now there's a murder--and rumor has it that the bad guy has an unfinished checklist. Now Sueno and Bascom are working with Gil ("Mr. Kill") Kwon-up, Korea's chief homicide investigator. Pursuing clues and narrowing down their suspects, the trio meet their most daunting physical challenge ever as the suspect brashly defies them all. VERDICT Twenty years on, this series (Jade Lady Burning was the first; G.I. Bones the most recent) remains remarkably sharp and fresh. Featuring a fast pace, nuanced characters, respect for the locals and their culture (Sueno speaks Korean), and plenty of twists to keep readers guessing, this is military crime fiction at its best. [See Prepub Alert, 8/2/11.]

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 1, 2011
A young Korean woman is savagely raped on a train from Pusan to Seoul, and the rapist is said to be a GI. Koreans are outraged, and army criminal investigators George Sueo and Ernie Bascom are assigned to work the case with the Korean National Police. A second rape leads to murder, and Korean rage threatens to boil over. Searching the country from Seoul to Pusan to an island in the Yellow Sea, Sueo and Bascom find themselves working with Korea's greatest police detective, Mr. Kill, a man famed for not only tracking down criminals but also dispensing justice personally. They also find themselves exhausted and in grave danger. Limn's army service included a decade in Korea, and his knowledge and appreciation for the country and its people and culture are extensive. With each book in this steadily maturing and critically acclaimed series, Limn has become ever more skillfully able to weave this background knowledge into his plots. Similarly, his awareness of army procedure related to soldiers' travel in the country enriches the procedural elements of the book. This series is a must, not only for procedural fans but also for anyone who enjoys crime fiction set in distinctive international locales.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)