The Ville Rat
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)
South Korea, 1970s: A young Korean woman dressed in a traditional chima-jeogori is found strangled to death on the frozen banks of the Sonyu River with only a carefully calligraphed poem in her sleeve. George Sueño and Ernie Bascom, sergeants in the US 8th Army CID, are called in by the formidable KNP detective Gil Kwon-up to investigate. George and Ernie's job is to liaise with Korean law enforcement on matters that may involve or implicate 8th Army American servicemen.
But as they learn about the case, George and Ernie realize this isn't their jurisdiction—the nearby village of Sonyu-ri is occupied by the US Army's 2nd Infantry Division, a disciplined and often brutal force that won't stand for outside officers questioning its men. All that George and Ernie are able to glean before being kicked out of town is that they are close to the truth—and that a mysterious smuggler, known locally as "the Ville Rat," holds the key to the woman's murder.
Luckily, the pair is officially assigned another investigation in the area, which allows them to continue nosing around for answers. They are to elucidate the circumstances of a shooting incident between a young African American private and his white supervising chief. Racial tensions run high, and George and Ernie must tread carefully to solve both cases. But they aren't exactly known for going out of their way to avoid stepping on US Army toes, and this is no exception.
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Martin Lim#n. (2015). The Ville Rat. Soho Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Martin Lim#n. 2015. The Ville Rat. Soho Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Martin Lim#n, The Ville Rat. Soho Press, 2015.
MLA Citation (style guide)Martin Lim#n. The Ville Rat. Soho Press, 2015.
| Library | Owned | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Digital Collection | 1 | 1 |
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- bioText: Martin Limón retired from military service after twenty years in the US Army, including ten years in Korea. He is the author of nine previous novels in the Sueño and Bascom series, including Jade Lady Burning, Slicky Boys, and The Iron Sickle, and the short story collection Nightmare Range. He lives near Seattle.
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- How much can murder buy on the black market in 1974 South Korea?
South Korea, 1970s: A young Korean woman dressed in a traditional chima-jeogori is found strangled to death on the frozen banks of the Sonyu River with only a carefully calligraphed poem in her sleeve. George Sueño and Ernie Bascom, sergeants in the US 8th Army CID, are called in by the formidable KNP detective Gil Kwon-up to investigate. George and Ernie's job is to liaise with Korean law enforcement on matters that may involve or implicate 8th Army American servicemen.
But as they learn about the case, George and Ernie realize this isn't their jurisdiction—the nearby village of Sonyu-ri is occupied by the US Army's 2nd Infantry Division, a disciplined and often brutal force that won't stand for outside officers questioning its men. All that George and Ernie are able to glean before being kicked out of town is that they are close to the truth—and that a mysterious smuggler, known locally as "the Ville Rat," holds the key to the woman's murder.
Luckily, the pair is officially assigned another investigation in the area, which allows them to continue nosing around for answers. They are to elucidate the circumstances of a shooting incident between a young African American private and his white supervising chief. Racial tensions run high, and George and Ernie must tread carefully to solve both cases. But they aren't exactly known for going out of their way to avoid stepping on US Army toes, and this is no exception. - seriesId
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- reviews
- premium: False
- source: The Wall Street Journal
- content: "Action-filled."
- premium: False
- source: The Seattle Times
- content: "The Ville Rat, the 11th in Limón's series, confirms the author's knack for creating sturdy plots, solid writing and well-rounded characters."
- premium: False
- source: The Arizona Republic
- content: "Propulsive...If you're not familiar with this superlative series, The Ville Rat will give you a taste of everything you've been missing. The books palpably recreate the tension that existed in the decades after the Korean Conflict as Vietnam raged--while offering a vivid picture of military milieu."
- premium: False
- source: Shelf Awareness
- content: "The Ville Rat, set 40 years ago, provides insight into tensions and conflicts--racial and otherwise--in the military and society as a whole that are still relevant today."
- premium: False
- source: Open Letters Monthly
- content: "The chemistry between intense Sueno and laconic Bascom is the clear reason to follow this series, but alongside that chemistry as a draw for these books is Limon's masterful evocation of military life."
- premium: False
- source: Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
- content: "Pulse-pounding . . . This police procedural, with its unusual locale, admirable protagonists, and well-developed plot, stands as a superior entry in a consistently impressive series."
- premium: False
- source: Booklist, Starred Review
- content: "Often praised for his knowledge of Korean society and culture and the massive footprint of the U.S. Army on Korea, Limón has an outstanding series going, and this one may be the best installment yet."
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- source: Kirkus Reviews
- content: "Sueño and Bascom's ninth appearance has vivid characters, and its searing portrait of the sins of our recent past bids fair to transcend the genre."
- premium: False
- source: Lee Child
- content: "Limón is one of the best military writers ever."
- premium: False
- source: Los Angeles Times
- content: "Amazingly vivid . . . [Limón's] wild men heroes are just as good company."
- premium: False
- source: The Seattle Times
- content: "As always, the author vividly contrasts adventures in the seamy side of Seoul's nightlife with a sensitive appreciation for Korea's ancient culture."
- premium: False
- source: The Boston Globe
- content: "Limón, who was stationed in Korea for the Army, writes with empathy for the Korean people as well for the young GIs dropped into a foreign culture."
- premium: False
- source: Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
- content: "This series is a must not only for procedural fans but also for anyone who enjoys crime fiction set in distinctive international locales."--Booklist, Starred Review "Excellent . . . A vivid view of Asia, from the Demilitarized Zone to the Yellow Sea, and an insightful look at the era."
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Starred review from August 10, 2015
Set in 1974, Limón’s pulse-pounding 10th mystery featuring sergeants George Sueño and Ernie Bascom (after 2014’s The Iron Sickle) takes the two agents of the 8th U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division to a crime scene a bit north of Seoul, where someone has strangled a young Korean woman, who worked as a kisaeng, or “entertainer,” and left her in the Sonyu River. The proximity of the corpse to a U.S. Army base suggests that an American is responsible, a possibility the military brass doesn’t want to countenance. The partners, who have a reputation for not “overlooking crimes that were considered embarrassing,” welcome the challenge. George and Ernie’s persistence soon leads to their recall to headquarters, forcing them to be creative in continuing their search for the truth. This police
procedural, with its unusual locale, admirable protagonists, and well-developed plot, stands as a superior entry in a consistently impressive series. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyons Literary.
- premium: True
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- content:
August 1, 2015
Two gritty Army CID agents investigate a murder with sensitive racial and social undercurrents. South Korea, 1974. George Sueno, who narrates in his usual punchy first-person, gets a call in the middle of the night and, with partner Ernie Bascom, meets the Korean homicide inspector they call Mr. Kill by the snow-covered banks of the Sonyu River. A body has been found; the victim is a beautiful young woman wearing a chima-jeogori-a traditional Korean dress of red silk-with a poem clutched in her hand. Suspecting the involvement of GIs, Mr. Kill hands the case off to the American duo. They piece together the identity of the victim, a "Korean business girl" who entertained American soldiers in bars like the Black Star Nightclub. Key to her murder is the Ville Rat, an elusive black market dealer. Obstacles to the investigation come via mistrustful locals and the Army itself. A third, pervasive strain of alienation exists between white and black GIs. As if to underscore this last issue, the duo is given the job of questioning black Pvt. Clinton Threets, who admits to shooting his superior, Sgt. Vincent Orgwell, after aggressive sexual advances. When finally George and Ernie catch up with Ville, he answers many of their questions but leaves a raft of new ones to unravel. Though a bit shaggy, Sueno and Bascom's ninth appearance (The Iron Sickle, 2014, etc.) has vivid characters, and its searing portrait of the sins of our recent past bids fair to transcend the genre.COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- premium: True
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Starred review from August 1, 2015
It's 1974, in South Korea. The country's economy is still reeling, and 50,000 U.S. troops edgily await the start of WWIII. Eighth Army criminal investigations agents George Sueno and Ernie Bascom are reunited after Ernie's two tours in Vietnam, and they're investigating the murder of a beautiful young Korean woman in a little village just outside the DMZ, the base of the Eighth's especially edgy Second Division. Sueno and Bascom are forced by MPs to retreat, but they're also assigned to investigate the wounding of a senior Second Division noncommissioned officer by a black GI that shines a light on a mysterious American, the titular Ville Rat, who seems to be supplying Colt 45 malt liquor to bars frequented by black soldiers. Often praised for his knowledge of Korean society and culture and the massive footprint of the U.S. army on Korea, Limon has an outstanding series going, and this one may be the best installment yet. To tease out solutions to the mysteries, Sueno and Bascom must access a fascinating collection of senior noncoms who control vital things like classified documents and the army's entire liquor inventory.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)
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South Korea, 1970s: A young Korean woman dressed in a traditional chima-jeogori is found strangled to death on the frozen banks of the Sonyu River with only a carefully calligraphed poem in her sleeve. George Sueño and Ernie Bascom, sergeants in the US 8th Army CID, are called in by the formidable KNP detective Gil Kwon-up to investigate. George and Ernie's job is to liaise with Korean law enforcement on matters that may involve or implicate 8th Army American servicemen.
But as they learn about the case, George and Ernie realize this isn't their jurisdiction—the nearby village of Sonyu-ri is occupied by the US Army's 2nd Infantry Division, a disciplined and often brutal force that won't stand for outside officers questioning its men. All that George and Ernie are able to glean before being kicked out of town is that they are close to the truth—and that a mysterious... - sortTitle
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