The Ville Rat

Synopsis

The tenth book in the critically acclaimed Ernie Bascom and George SueNo series set in South Korea in the 1970s. South Korea, 1974: A young Korean woman is found strangled to death on the frozen banks of the Sonyu River with only a carefully calligraphed poem on her person. Sergeants George SueNo and Ernie Bascom, agents in the US 8th Army CID, are called in by the formidable KNP detective Gil Kwon-up to investigate. As they begin to investigate, George and Ernie come into direct contact with the US Army's 2nd Infantry Division, a disciplined and often brutal force that won't stand for outside officers questioning its men. But George and Ernie aren't exactly known for going out of their way to avoid stepping on US Army toes, and this is no exception. A pair of likable protagonists who often discover and expose crime within their own ranks. A rarity in fiction that looks closely at daily life in 1970s South Korea, with American troops stationed there in the wake of the war. Praise for the Ernie Bascom and George SueNo series "It's great to have these two mavericks back. . . . Mr. LimOn writes with gruff respect for the culture of Seoul and with wonderful bleak humor, edged in pain, about G.I. life in that exotic city." --The New York Times Book Review "Combin[es] the grim routine of a modern police procedural with the cliffhanging action of a thrilling movie serial . . . full of sharp observations and unexpected poignancy." --The Wall Street Journal "[W]hat a great gift any of LimOn's six mysteries starring Army Sgts. George SueNo and Ernie Bascom would make for those mystery lovers who haven't yet discovered them! . . . Imbued with affecting characters, a morally knotty storyline, and a last chapter that just plain stuns." --Maureen Corrigan, NPR Martin LimOn retired from military service after twenty years in the US Army, including ten years in Korea. He is the author of nine previous books in the SueNo and Bascom series, including J ade Lady Burning, Slicky Boys, and The Iron Sickle, and the short story collection Nightmare Range. He lives near Seattle. Marketing and Publicity National media campaing targeting crime & mystery reviewers; military & historical fiction outlets. Inclusion in all Soho Crime Fall 2015 trade-facing advertisements. Featured galley at ALA Annual 2015