Hidden Moon

“The book’s often sharp repartee is reminiscent of Raymond Chandler’s dialogue, while the corrupt North Korean bureaucracy provides an exotic but entirely convincing noir backdrop…Like Marlowe and Spade before him, Inspector O navigates the shadows and, every now and then, finds truth in the half-light.”

“Like nothing else I’ve ever read…Church creates an utterly convincing, internally consistent world of the absurd where orders mean the opposite of what they say and paperwork routinely gets routed to oblivion.”

“Church uses his years of intelligence work to excellent advantage here, delivering one duplicitous plot twist after another…The author’s affection for the landscape and people of Korea is abundantly evident…[A] stunning conclusion.”

 “Hidden Moon reads more like a spy novel by a Korean Kafka. Final word: Fascinating.”

“The real pleasure of Hidden Moon is its conversations, loaded down with layers of secrecy and suspicion that surface words are meaningless in the face of buried intention.”

“Church’s spartan prose is a perfect match for the sparseness of the North Korean landscape.”

“With wit and efficiency, Church masterfully evokes the challenges of enforcing the law in an authoritarian society and weds the intriguing atmosphere to a fast-moving and engaging plot.”

“The foibles of North Korean bureaucracy are the focus of the Inspector O mysteries, which deliver a tangled web of political and criminal intrigue that fails to disturb the unflappable detective. Feodor Chin accentuates O’s laconic observations. He remains deadpan, in true noir style, in the most dangerous situations and snarled conspiracies. Chin’s hard-boiled drawl contrasts with the voice of O’s commander, Mein, who manipulates and intimidates the inspector with measured pacing and gruff authority.”

“Nothing short of brilliant.”

“O’s second outing is for readers who enjoy the journey more than the destination—especially those who appreciate Church’s stylish prose and incisive portrait of modern North Korea.”