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Sergeants Sueño and Bascom #4
Door to Bitterness
Praise for Martin Limó
“It’s great to have these two mavericks back. . . . Mr. Limón writes with gruff respect for the culture of Seoul and with wonderful bleak humor, edged in pain, about GI life in that exotic city.”— The New York Times Book Review
“Combining the grim routine of a modern police procedural with the cliff-hanging action of a thrilling movie serial . . . full of sharp observations and unexpected -poignancy.”— The Wall Street Journal
“Sueño and Bascom are two of the most memorable sleuths in the modern mystery canon.”— The Plain Dealer
“The writing is plain and sinewy, the characterizations are quietly brilliant, and the moral vision is as cold as a Seoul bar girl’s gaze.”— The Oregonian
The pair of GI cops Martin Limón first introduced in Jade Lady Burning , a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, are back with a vengeance in their latest adventures in Seoul and the sin cities surrounding the capital in the 1970s. While North Korea menaces and Vietnam burns, these two weave through back alleys and bordellos, trying to tip the scales of justice back in the right direction.
This time they are not only pursuing criminals, they’re chasing themselves. Homicidal thieves have gotten hold of Sueño’s badge and are using it to lull their victims just long enough to strike—with his gun. That they are murderers makes it that much worse for the dynamic duo. The army wants its equipment accounted for and the ID and weapon recovered. George and Ernie want to recover their reputation, such as it is. And stop the killings.
Martin Limón is the author of numerous short stories starring his army police duo, as well as three novels. The Door to Bitterness is the fourth in the Sueño-Bascom series, after Jade Lady Burning , Slicky Boys , and Buddha’s Money .
“It’s great to have these two mavericks back. . . . Mr. Limón writes with gruff respect for the culture of Seoul and with wonderful bleak humor, edged in pain, about GI life in that exotic city.”— The New York Times Book Review
“Combining the grim routine of a modern police procedural with the cliff-hanging action of a thrilling movie serial . . . full of sharp observations and unexpected -poignancy.”— The Wall Street Journal
“Sueño and Bascom are two of the most memorable sleuths in the modern mystery canon.”— The Plain Dealer
“The writing is plain and sinewy, the characterizations are quietly brilliant, and the moral vision is as cold as a Seoul bar girl’s gaze.”— The Oregonian
The pair of GI cops Martin Limón first introduced in Jade Lady Burning , a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, are back with a vengeance in their latest adventures in Seoul and the sin cities surrounding the capital in the 1970s. While North Korea menaces and Vietnam burns, these two weave through back alleys and bordellos, trying to tip the scales of justice back in the right direction.
This time they are not only pursuing criminals, they’re chasing themselves. Homicidal thieves have gotten hold of Sueño’s badge and are using it to lull their victims just long enough to strike—with his gun. That they are murderers makes it that much worse for the dynamic duo. The army wants its equipment accounted for and the ID and weapon recovered. George and Ernie want to recover their reputation, such as it is. And stop the killings.
Martin Limón is the author of numerous short stories starring his army police duo, as well as three novels. The Door to Bitterness is the fourth in the Sueño-Bascom series, after Jade Lady Burning , Slicky Boys , and Buddha’s Money .
278 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2005
4 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Martin Limón
43 books96 followersMartin Limon retired from U.S. military service after 20 years in the Army, including a total of ten years in Korea. He and his wife live in Seattle. He is the author of Jade Lady Burning, which was a New York Times Notable Book, Slicky Boys and Buddha's Money.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 22, 2011
This is another in Martin Limon's engaging series about two Army CIDs in the South Korea of the 1970s. As the book opens Sergeant George Sueno is approached by an attriactive woman in a bar. The next thing he knows, he's waking up the next morning in an alley, drugged and hit over the head. Even worse, his badge, identity card and gun are missing.
George and his partner, Ernie Bascom, search desperately to recover the stolen items. But then they are called to the scene of a casino robbery and homicide. Two men, looking suspiciously like Sueno and Bascom have escaped with several thousand dollars and have killed a woman in the process, using the gun stolen from Sueno.
Obviously, Sueno and Bascom have been targeted for some specific purpose and they launch a frantic investigation that takes them through the red light districts of several Korean cities. Other murders follow as Sueno and Bascom slowly unravel the mystery that has engulfed them along with the rest of the victims.
As always in Limon's books, much of the pleasure in reading them comes from his vivid description of Korea and the Korean society and culture in the 1970s. This series is quite unlike any other out there, and fans of crime fiction who would like to take a vacation from Scandanavia and other more popular currently popular settings might want to give this series a try.
George and his partner, Ernie Bascom, search desperately to recover the stolen items. But then they are called to the scene of a casino robbery and homicide. Two men, looking suspiciously like Sueno and Bascom have escaped with several thousand dollars and have killed a woman in the process, using the gun stolen from Sueno.
Obviously, Sueno and Bascom have been targeted for some specific purpose and they launch a frantic investigation that takes them through the red light districts of several Korean cities. Other murders follow as Sueno and Bascom slowly unravel the mystery that has engulfed them along with the rest of the victims.
As always in Limon's books, much of the pleasure in reading them comes from his vivid description of Korea and the Korean society and culture in the 1970s. This series is quite unlike any other out there, and fans of crime fiction who would like to take a vacation from Scandanavia and other more popular currently popular settings might want to give this series a try.
June 13, 2012
One of a well observed series following two enlisted Criminal Investigation Division detectives in the U.S. Army in Korea during the mid-1970s just after the end of the war in Vietnam. Sargent George Sueno is a tough but sensitive Chicano who has learned some of the language and customs of their often unwilling hosts; Sargent Ernie Bascom is an even tougher but much less sensitive battering ram who works best when his superiors in the Eighth Army leave him alone although that rarely happens.
Excellent and bit offbeat.
Excellent and bit offbeat.
March 29, 2017
Thanks to James Thane, I am back in the ville with Ernie and George. The action-packed Door to Bitterness sweeps the reader from back alley hovels to a high-end casino. Several people are killed in various ways. I love the descriptions of the countryside and of the Koreans and the Americans, who lived there together in the early 1970s.
September 7, 2017
Another quick, exceptional read. George & Ernie (especially George) find themselves in deep kim chi in this one! Good exposition of Korean traditions. Keep 'em coming!
April 27, 2019
I'm steadily going through the Sueno and Bascom series. Unfortunately, there are only 14 books plus a book of short stories. I started in the middle, then started reading them somewhat in order. I really like this series because they are easy to read and follow and easy to get into. It's best to read them in order if you are starting new.
The setting is 1970's South Korea and the protagonists are two 8th Army CID detectives. Bascom is a bit like Michael Connelly's Bosch in that he doesn't care for protocol and is more likely to antagonize the people he comes in contact with rather than acting like a normal person and that includes his superiors. Sueno is somewhat the same but more level headed. Both are good CID detectives who don't have time for BS and try to solve the crimes they are tasked to instead of slacking off. Another selling point for them is that they try to relate to the native Koreans as people rather than 2nd class citizens to abuse like some other Americans. Limon does a great job of making the characters real (including the bit parts, the GI's and the Koreans). That's the character study part that I like.
The other good part is the setting. Limon was actually serving in Korea and gives a really good depiction of it from the GI point of view. It's like going back in time with the US Army. Not all of it is good; there's a lot of corruption, poverty, booze and sex, yea, some of it actually reads like The Virgin Soldiers (Leslie Thomas). He makes the country and the people come to life.
The army police procedural part is only so-so. There isn't a lot of excitement in the cases. The detectives do their due diligence, do their footwork and solve the crimes. There is mystery but somehow Limon just doesn't get a lot of excitement across. The interest I get from reading the books is from the character development; I care what happens to the people in the story more than I do about the crimes.
That's the basic review. I can't add a lot about this book itself, not that it matters much to me. I find all the stories fairly uniform and as I go through the series I feel like I'm binge watching a TV show - I finish one episode and move along to the next. They are all different stories but in the same format. Overall, I really like the series and highly recommend them.
The setting is 1970's South Korea and the protagonists are two 8th Army CID detectives. Bascom is a bit like Michael Connelly's Bosch in that he doesn't care for protocol and is more likely to antagonize the people he comes in contact with rather than acting like a normal person and that includes his superiors. Sueno is somewhat the same but more level headed. Both are good CID detectives who don't have time for BS and try to solve the crimes they are tasked to instead of slacking off. Another selling point for them is that they try to relate to the native Koreans as people rather than 2nd class citizens to abuse like some other Americans. Limon does a great job of making the characters real (including the bit parts, the GI's and the Koreans). That's the character study part that I like.
The other good part is the setting. Limon was actually serving in Korea and gives a really good depiction of it from the GI point of view. It's like going back in time with the US Army. Not all of it is good; there's a lot of corruption, poverty, booze and sex, yea, some of it actually reads like The Virgin Soldiers (Leslie Thomas). He makes the country and the people come to life.
The army police procedural part is only so-so. There isn't a lot of excitement in the cases. The detectives do their due diligence, do their footwork and solve the crimes. There is mystery but somehow Limon just doesn't get a lot of excitement across. The interest I get from reading the books is from the character development; I care what happens to the people in the story more than I do about the crimes.
That's the basic review. I can't add a lot about this book itself, not that it matters much to me. I find all the stories fairly uniform and as I go through the series I feel like I'm binge watching a TV show - I finish one episode and move along to the next. They are all different stories but in the same format. Overall, I really like the series and highly recommend them.
November 6, 2012
I've enjoyed other Sueno & Bascom Army CID novels, but think if you want to experience the flavor of Korea less than 20 years after the war, this is the one to read. I've been to every one of the places Martin Limon mentions in the story: Seoul, Itaewan, Yoju, Inchon, ASCOM City, etc. and he nails each one with the sights, sounds and SMELLS of the area. The plot is good, with Sueno being set up and dropped into a fermenting crock of kimchee. He's doped by a hooker and loses his gun and credentials--one of the absolute worst things that can happen to a cop...until someone is killed with his gun. George and Ernie chase a pair of serial killers all over the ROK with a little help from the Korean National Police and barely the toleration of the 8th Armmy provost marshal. It's probably more of a thriller than a mystery and lots of fun.
August 21, 2010
Another riveting read with Bascom and Sueno chasing perps all over Korea. This was as good as Buddha's Money. What starts out as a mugging and loss of face for Sueno quickly escalates into robbery and murders involving his stolen pistol. Drunken GI's and slighted half-breed Koreans make for a volatile mix. As usual the duo antagonizes their immediate superiors by totally avoiding them and detecting incommunicado. However,they have the full confidence of their 4 star CG,who summons them for a personal tete-a-tete (menage a trois in bunker), which further angers the provost marshall and the First Sergeant. A surprising ending to this one too, which really caught me off guard.
March 24, 2013
This is another in the series about two US Military Police operatives in South Korea during the late 1960s & early 1970s. One of them, George Sueño, gets mugged (while completely drunk) in a back alley near a military base. He loses his pistol, credentials, money, etc. Worse, the perpetrators start using his gun and creds to commit crimes. The criminals in this case are members of a class of Koreans who are held in very low regard: those who are of mixed race. This is most a interesting look at Korea and a quick read.
September 26, 2015
This is really good. I liked the first two books in the series but was disappointed with number three (too unrealistic). The forth installment is back in business with a good mix of action, suspense, koreaness - and a lot of emotions.
The character development is agreeable. Even Earnie Bascom has learned a bit more Korean compared to the beginning of the series, while George Sueño is now basically fluent and is becoming more and more Korean for each book.
Just by chance I finished reading the book on the eve before Chuseok - made the experience even better!
The character development is agreeable. Even Earnie Bascom has learned a bit more Korean compared to the beginning of the series, while George Sueño is now basically fluent and is becoming more and more Korean for each book.
Just by chance I finished reading the book on the eve before Chuseok - made the experience even better!
July 13, 2012
I have really been enjoying the Sergeants Sueno/Bascom detective novels. This one started off with a bit less pizzaz than the other three I read but it ended with a bang. I really get into the unorthodox yet effective ways these two guys go about their business. And I especially like that Sueno really comes from his heart in how he deals with both foes and allies.
November 17, 2014
Such a sad, sad story of revenge. No one ends up a winner here at all. I really liked this one because it focused so much on the crimes, chasing down the suspects and resolving the story cleanly. There wasn't a lot of personal sidelines here which I kind of liked - not so much of Ernie meeting/pursuing women which I think is better.
August 26, 2015
I found this book very compelling. I started reading the Sueno/ Bascom books out of order and finished the first just before reading this one. There is a limited amount to write about GIs in Korea--they drink and visit prostitutes. The occasional look inside a Korean home and at the life of an average citizen is welcome. We got a peek at those things in this book.
February 27, 2016
The 4th Sueno & Bascom mystery. This time the two are searching for three persons, one a women with a big smile who rolled Sueno and stole his gun and identity papers, who held up a casino and murdered one of the employees -- with Sueno's gun! It's the beginning of a series of murders connected to family reverence. This is one good story. Sueno & Bascom at their best.
December 25, 2018
1st Battle Group 5th Cavalry, 1st Calvary Division - 1960
This brought back good and bad memories of my army tour in Korea. He immerses me in his books and in my misspent but youth.
Mr Limon, take me away again in the next book in the series!
This brought back good and bad memories of my army tour in Korea. He immerses me in his books and in my misspent but youth.
Mr Limon, take me away again in the next book in the series!
Want to read
December 6, 2011Recommended in the book, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair.
December 8, 2012
love this series. highly recommend.
December 31, 2018
RATING:3.0
November 22, 2019
Love the info on 1970's Korea. Characters are good. Pretty good story. A few implausibles but a good read.
February 13, 2021
Something happens to Sueno that could get him court-martialed. He was mugged and lost his gun and his credentials. Then his gun is used in an armed robbery where a Korean woman is murdered. When an old woman who was a black marketer is also murdered with his gun, Sueno is called to the Commanding General of all the American troops in Korea and told to solve this crime or else.
With Bascom they try to tract down the criminals who have Sueno's gun and prevent them from killing anyone else. They are able to figure out that one of the gang of three who are perpetuating these crimes is an AWOL soldier, they are able to tract him down thru his unit. Now they know who he is, they have an idea of where he would go to hide.
The two other gang members turn out to be a brother and sister whose mother was a prostitute who had both children as the result of relationships with GIs during the Korean War. It's now the 1970s and the children are grown up. If they can get a line on the siblings they will be able to round up the whole gang.
This novel in the series is one of the best so far and gives more background and depth to the main characters.
With Bascom they try to tract down the criminals who have Sueno's gun and prevent them from killing anyone else. They are able to figure out that one of the gang of three who are perpetuating these crimes is an AWOL soldier, they are able to tract him down thru his unit. Now they know who he is, they have an idea of where he would go to hide.
The two other gang members turn out to be a brother and sister whose mother was a prostitute who had both children as the result of relationships with GIs during the Korean War. It's now the 1970s and the children are grown up. If they can get a line on the siblings they will be able to round up the whole gang.
This novel in the series is one of the best so far and gives more background and depth to the main characters.
July 30, 2022
Once again Martin Limon takes us on another adventure with our 2 favorite Army detectives. Sergeants Sueno & Bascom are Criminal Investigative Detectives stationed in the 8th Army division in Seoul Korea in the early 1970's. They investigate in the daytime and scour the seedy GI bars of Itaewon every night. I have a special fascination with these books because I was stationed myself in the 8th Army in Korea at that same time and also worked 7 nights a week in those same GI bars in Itaewon. The only thing that bothered me was the amount of beer they drank every day. Ok... I realize that it's fiction, but if I drank that much "OB" beer day, I could not function at all.
This was the fourth book of the series and I believe the best so far. In this one, detective Sueno gets robbed of his ID, badge, and gun. Then the thieves start a crime spree of robbery, kidnapping, and murder. This book has plot turns that will keep you guessing. It's a real page turner that I finished in 4 days. I can't wait to order & read the next one.
This was the fourth book of the series and I believe the best so far. In this one, detective Sueno gets robbed of his ID, badge, and gun. Then the thieves start a crime spree of robbery, kidnapping, and murder. This book has plot turns that will keep you guessing. It's a real page turner that I finished in 4 days. I can't wait to order & read the next one.
March 14, 2024
The Door to Bitterness by Martin Limón is a cold work of detective fiction taking place in Seoul, South Korea two decades after the conclusion of the Korean War.
Fate — and a lust for booze and fair women — forces Sergeant George Sueño, a member of the American CID (criminal investigation division) to venture into the sour depths of the criminal underworld. After his gun is stolen and used to commit a string of seemingly nonsensical, Sueño is forced to take responsibility and track down the murderous thieves. But what he stumbles upon is a tragic reality of post-war Korea, where identity, honor, family, and survival are sources of immense turmoil for the beleaguered citizens of this proud and stoic culture. Limón paints a vivid yet dismal portrait of life in Korea, and the struggles its people face as a result of American military occupation. From his work writing, we learn that there are some things worse than death.
Fate — and a lust for booze and fair women — forces Sergeant George Sueño, a member of the American CID (criminal investigation division) to venture into the sour depths of the criminal underworld. After his gun is stolen and used to commit a string of seemingly nonsensical, Sueño is forced to take responsibility and track down the murderous thieves. But what he stumbles upon is a tragic reality of post-war Korea, where identity, honor, family, and survival are sources of immense turmoil for the beleaguered citizens of this proud and stoic culture. Limón paints a vivid yet dismal portrait of life in Korea, and the struggles its people face as a result of American military occupation. From his work writing, we learn that there are some things worse than death.
July 10, 2023
Sgt Sueno has the worst thing that can happen to a policeman, he has his weapon and and badge taken from him while he is drunk. So starts the the chase across Korea. Some of the military jargon might be hard for non vets understanding. Also the story brings to light the deep seated racism that Asians have against mixed child. Overall this is a good crime story. Recommended.
Read
January 2, 2021Pretty good yarn
January 15, 2022
Very compelling. Offers interesting insights to Korean culture and the long term adverse effects of occupying forces on a culture with strict norms. Well done!
February 21, 2023
I enjoyed the book a lot. The detectives are hard-boiled, and the depiction of Korea is well done. I have never been to Korea myself, but I have talked to a native Korean about the books and the culture. She said the basic reflections on the Korean sub-culture in the book are spot on.
If you like fast paced police drama with a lot of twists and turns, I recommend the series. However, it is not for the faint of heart. The book does depict gruesome acts of violence in detail.
If you like fast paced police drama with a lot of twists and turns, I recommend the series. However, it is not for the faint of heart. The book does depict gruesome acts of violence in detail.
June 14, 2016
This is the fourth book in this series set in South Korea in the 1970s. I read the first two in 2004, and the third in 2006. Then this one, the fourth in the series, I just finished. An interesting enough series and idea for a series, but there was always something slightly off, hence the long gaps between reads. And this time the "slightly off" aspect was in full force and no longer slightly off but completely off. The characters were hard to take and unlikeable. Both the killers and the lead military police. The military police, Sueno and Bascom, being the leads, with Sueno the narrator.
A hellish world patrolled, at least on the American side, by a bunch of drunks. And fainters. Well, one. I grew rapidly tired of Sueno constantly fainting, going into a dream state, and being quite . . . 'sorry' about the killers backgrounds.
So that's the lead character side. Plot-wise . . .. I've read a lot of mysteries in my time, so I'm not sure if it is notable that I knew 99% of what was happening before the lead detective, 100s of pages before the events unfolded. Well, maybe 88%, with 10% things I wouldn't know without more knowledge of Korea.
I do not recommend this book or this series to anyone.
A hellish world patrolled, at least on the American side, by a bunch of drunks. And fainters. Well, one. I grew rapidly tired of Sueno constantly fainting, going into a dream state, and being quite . . . 'sorry' about the killers backgrounds.
So that's the lead character side. Plot-wise . . .. I've read a lot of mysteries in my time, so I'm not sure if it is notable that I knew 99% of what was happening before the lead detective, 100s of pages before the events unfolded. Well, maybe 88%, with 10% things I wouldn't know without more knowledge of Korea.
I do not recommend this book or this series to anyone.
Want to read
March 10, 2019Synopsis: two GI cops in Seoul Korea are not only pursuing criminals, they’re chasing themselves. Homicidal thieves have Sueño’s badge and gun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews