Jade Lady Burning

by Martin Limón

Book Overview

Almost 20 years after the end of the Korean War, the U.S. Military is still present throughout South Korea and tensions run high. Koreans look for any opportunity to hate the soldiers who drink at their bars and carouse with their women. When Pak Ok-Suk, a young Korean woman, is found brutally murdered in a torched apartment in the Itaewon red-light district of Seoul, it looks like it might be the work of her American soldier boyfriend. Sergeants...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1616950900
• ISBN13: 9781616950903
• Release Date: October 2011
• Publisher: Soho Crime
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.9" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

The Best Mystery Writer Going

Ignore PW. The New York Times rated this book as one of their Notable Books of 1992, a rare acheivement, especially for a first time mystery writer. Martin Limon is one of the few writers I go out of my way to find. He is so good at capturing the Korean culture, the military culture and the way the two cultures affect each other that you feel that you served a tour of duty in 1970s Korea yourself. The mystery and the characters are wonderful, too.

well written

This is one of the better books i've read recently. For any military or ex-military personnel who have been to korea, this book will most likely bring back vivid memories of the experience. A difficult place to put into words, Martin Limon acurately describes the way life is over there as far as the american military experience is concerned. Beyond that is also a well thought out and written story that should keep any reader of detective novels very interested. I highly recommend this book as well as "slicky boys".

Intriguing story full of culture and suspense

This is one of the more original mysteries I have read. As a foreigner who has lived in Korea for three years, I still learned a thing or two from the author reading this book and enjoyed hearing about the dark side of Korea. Although presently things have really changed since the timing of the book, I still walked around Itaewon afterwards and spotted some of the places Limon had mentioned. You also end up having a love-hate relationship with the main character, he obviously feels bad for the prostitutes he comes in contact with and seems to care for their welfare, but yet doesn't mind going into a whorehouse for a quick screw and every woman he comes into contact with, whether a working girl or not, is quickly rated on her appearence. The main character also seems to carry around a lot of the stereotypical attitudes military men here seem to have, but yet he also has learned to immerse himself in the culture and language and seems to have great respect for Korea. I will look forward to reading the next two books by this author, and recommend this to anyone who likes suspense and intrigue mixed in with an exotic background.

Realistic and Totally Believable!

Not only is the concept of the "closing of ranks" (regardless of offense)around military officers totally believable, but even the the "good guys" are flawed. I am a dedicated Asiafile and found that the insights offered by the Author run remarkably deep. The are only a small number of Authors that specialize in the Asian set fiction. Martin Limon is certainly one of the best in this genre and the only one that comes to mind with a series set in a Korean locale. Having read the trilogy, I can hardly wait for his next offering.