Editorial Content for War Women: A Sueño and Bascom Investigation Set in South Korea
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
I have always been a fan of Martin Limón’s above-average mystery series featuring Sergeants George Sueño and Ernie Bascom, which is set two decades after the Korean War. The books tend to take on physical and ethical issues, with our protagonists playing the moral barometer throughout.
At the onset of WAR WOMEN, the 15th and latest entry, Sueño and Bascom are commiserating that business is slow for them since they have been mostly turning a blind eye to the petty black-market dealings of certain NCOs (non-commissioned officers) who just need some extra cash. But that all changes when they are assigned a case involving Sergeant First Class Cecil B. Harvey, who allegedly has absconded with a top-secret document that could get him court-martialed if found in his possession.
"WAR WOMEN is a quick and absorbing read featuring complex characters you really believe in and a resolution that is satisfying."
While they are in pursuit of Harvey, their investigation crosses paths with that of American reporter Katie Byrd Worthington. Worthington is used to doing controversial stories and claims to have an article she is getting ready to release that will expose the U.S. Army at the highest level for ignoring criminal treatment of women within its ranks, up to and including rape. It turns out that the man Sueño and Bascom are pursuing, who is nicknamed “Strange,” has similar material documenting years of abuse that has gone unchecked.
Once Sueño and Bascom catch up with Strange, they hear him out and decide to assist him as much as they can without letting their superiors know that they have found him. When the byline from Worthington hits the papers with the title “War Women,” the Army realizes that it is going to be extremely difficult to sweep these allegations under the carpet. Sueño and Bascom do their part to (unofficially) investigate these charges, recognizing that for some of their superiors, the results will be career-ending.
WAR WOMEN is a quick and absorbing read featuring complex characters you really believe in and a resolution that is satisfying. Sueño and Bascom are sort of like Pierce and Hunnicutt from "M*A*S*H," but with the ability to actually see that justice is done.
Teaser
South Korea, 1970s: Sergeant First Class Cecil B. Harvey has long been a friend (willing or unwilling) to Sergeants George Sueño and Ernie Bascom. So when he goes missing with a top-secret document that even a glance at could get an officer court-martialed, Sueño and Bascom take it upon themselves to find him. Meanwhile, Overseas Observer reporter Katie Byrd Worthington is back to make life difficult for top Army brass. When she lands in a Korean jail cell, Sueño and Bascom are sent to get her out --- and negotiate against the publication of an incriminating story about the mistreatment of women in the military that could land important officials in hot water. But what they learn will make it hard for them to stay silent.
Promo
South Korea, 1970s: Sergeant First Class Cecil B. Harvey has long been a friend (willing or unwilling) to Sergeants George Sueño and Ernie Bascom. So when he goes missing with a top-secret document that even a glance at could get an officer court-martialed, Sueño and Bascom take it upon themselves to find him. Meanwhile, Overseas Observer reporter Katie Byrd Worthington is back to make life difficult for top Army brass. When she lands in a Korean jail cell, Sueño and Bascom are sent to get her out --- and negotiate against the publication of an incriminating story about the mistreatment of women in the military that could land important officials in hot water. But what they learn will make it hard for them to stay silent.
About the Book
Tasked with covering up a tabloid report about high-ranking officers, US Army CID Agents George Sueño and Ernie Bascom discover a dark web of systemic issues that have potentially fatal consequences.
South Korea, 1970s: Sergeant First Class Cecil B. Harvey, a senior NCO in charge of 8th Army’s classified documents, has long been a friend (willing or unwilling) to Sergeants George Sueño and Ernie Bascom. So when he goes missing with a top-secret document that even a glance at could get an officer court-martialed, Sueño and Bascom take it upon themselves to find him.
Meanwhile, Overseas Observer reporter Katie Byrd Worthington is back to make life difficult for top Army brass. When she lands in a Korean jail cell, Sueño and Bascom are sent to get her out --- and negotiate against the publication of an incriminating story about the mistreatment of women in the military that could land important officials in hot water. But what they learn will make it hard for them to stay silent.
Audiobook available, read by Timothy Andres Pabon
