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Rating: 
Summary: Sueno and Bascomb in a made for TV movie
Review: If "Jade Lady Burning" was a film noir, then this one is the made for TV movie. While Limon's first novel was really quite cerebral and the action required only minimal suspension of disbelief, this one involves too many "perils of Pauline" scenes which detract from the plot's plausibility. Nevertheless, it is a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Sueno and Bascomb in a made for TV movie
Review: If "Jade Lady Burning" was a film noir, then this one is the made for TV movie. While Limon's first novel was really quite cerebral and the action required only minimal suspension of disbelief, this one involves too many "perils of Pauline" scenes which detract from the plot's plausibility. Nevertheless, it is a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: exhilarating Cold War military crime thriller
Review: In 1975, U.S. Army criminal investigation division agents Corporal George Sueno and Sergeant Ernie Bascom enjoy their duty assignment in Seoul, South Korean as they officially can make the rounds of the bars and whore joints catering to the Yanks. While doing their usual tour, a hooker Eun-hi informs "Geogie" that a virtuous woman wants to talk with him; if interested he is to go to the Kayagum Teahouse. Ernie persuades George to see what the woman wants. Miss Ku pays the duo to deliver a note to British soldier Cecil Whitcomb. Not long afterward, they learn that someone murdered Cecil at the rendezvous point provided in the note they personally hand carried to him.
Miffed for being played the suckers, East LA George and Detroit Ernie bully their way into the investigation because they have a score to settle. They quickly realize they need special local help, but not from the MPs or the Korean police. Instead they make contact with the underworld mob chief The Herbalist So head of the SLICKY BOYS. Working in tandem they begin to find more than they expected as an American military deserter apparently is killing anyone who interferes with his lucrative selling of military secrets to the Communist North.
This is an exhilarating Cold War military crime thriller that grips readers from the moment the dynamic twosome meet Eun-hi and see some easy money. The story line never lets up as the embarrassed George and humiliated Ernie make it their business to avenge the affront of being used. They make the tale as they provide readers with a fabulous joy ride through the underbelly of 1970s Seoul, catering to the young Americans.
Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Dialogue and atmosphere are truly authentic.
Review: Interesting characters. New geographical setting. Interesting plot. I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe I'm Biased...
Review: Maybe I am biased, but I loved this book. The first one was great too. Having spent 2 years as a U.S.Army Korean Linguist, I quickly identified with a the book and the characters. Limon's use of GI terminology is still right on after all these years. Some of my best times were spent "running the ville" or drinking it up in Itaewon. Limon presents the immature behavior of young GIs in korea with a sense of poignancy and senitment. Limon's portrayal of the characters in this book are as grey as they seemed in Korea. Good people doing not-so-good things. The GIs are partly to blame, and so are the Koreans, and this seems to be an issue that is never really dealt with by the brass over there. Limon tackles this issue in a non-judgemental way and tells things the way they are. It is a retrospective but unapologetic look at the way things are. The overall feeling is that Limon is simply regurgitating everything that he saw in the form of an entertaining mystery. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody with fond memories of Korea. Without sounding to much like a romantic, I would even recommend this book to GIs currently lost in Korea. Like a pat on the back, Limon reminds us that maybe it's not as bad as it seems after all. Kick back and have a little fun while you are there. Learn a little bit about the culture, language, people etc...
Rating:
Summary: Maybe I'm Biased...
Review: Maybe I am biased, but I loved this book. The first one was great too. Having spent 2 years as a U.S.Army Korean Linguist, I quickly identified with a the book and the characters. Limon's use of GI terminology is still right on after all these years. Some of my best times were spent "running the ville" or drinking it up in Itaewon. Limon presents the immature behavior of young GIs in korea with a sense of poignancy and senitment. Limon's portrayal of the characters in this book are as grey as they seemed in Korea. Good people doing not-so-good things. The GIs are partly to blame, and so are the Koreans, and this seems to be an issue that is never really dealt with by the brass over there. Limon tackles this issue in a non-judgemental way and tells things the way they are. It is a retrospective but unapologetic look at the way things are. The overall feeling is that Limon is simply regurgitating everything that he saw in the form of an entertaining mystery. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody with fond memories of Korea. Without sounding to much like a romantic, I would even recommend this book to GIs currently lost in Korea. Like a pat on the back, Limon reminds us that maybe it's not as bad as it seems after all. Kick back and have a little fun while you are there. Learn a little bit about the culture, language, people etc...
Rating:
Summary: Avoid the nome
Review: Now if you ask me, and plenty of folk weary of the whole slickie boy routine do now and again, this here book pretty much captures the feel of Seoul, particularly the feel of Seoul in the Itaewon/Yongsan area in or about 1975 when the entire neighborhood was infested with the nome, and about 80% of them were professional slickie boys. The nome is evil - avoid the nome.
Slickie boys have evolved., They still cluster around Itaewon, but now there is a subway station right there in the ville and that allows the slickie boys of the 21st century to actually commute in from south of the river and come hang out in the seedy dives of the city's underbelly just like their daddies and grandpappys did before them. Their mamas may be south of the river in suburbia now, but they started out in 588 like so many others of the day. I took mama to Seoul once and she didn't like the place... too aggressive, to rude, too much pushing and shoving and screaming. I guess that is why I like it so much... that sounds like fun to me (especially when you mix in soju and puddles of pink vomit at sunrise!)
Now the nome has decided to alter the romanization of all the place names so any round eye who knew the place back in the day will suddenly be perplexed and even comfistigated by the obvious misspellings that the nome has opted for ... but then again, the slickie boy mentality runs the nation and that, my friend, is that.
It is a unique situation, there are four distinct seasons, we can't understand, but most importantly there is a little poem that captures the essence of this here book and it comes from The City of Gum;
The kimchi is on the table
My socks are pristine white
The elevator doesn't go all the way to the top
Rating:
Summary: I was surprised...
Review: One of the more original books that I have read lately, it is nice to have characters that are not sugar-coated. Recommend
Rating:
Summary: Captures a world long gone
Review: While a mediocre mystery, Slicky Boys is first-rate sociology. No other author, journalist or academic has captured with such authenticity and even-handedness the world of a US Army base town in South Korea in the 1970s, when 19 year-old GIs were the biggest spenders in the country. Limon catalogs the prejudices, virtues and vices of both Americans and Koreans. More importantly, he carefully observes how their mutually-exploitative alliance plays itself out on a personal level.
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