When North Korean Inspector O returns from China, he finds
the impossible has happened in his home town of Pyongyang.
A bank robbery has occurred, and the government hierarchy
demands results from the Ministry of Security. Inspector O
knows he does not want to be stuck with this case. Too many
flags warn of danger. He encounters reluctant witnesses, a
missing body and unknown agencies blocking his
investigation.
When a mysterious man in a brown suit temporarily snatches
O for a brutal interrogation, O realizes he must solve the
dilemma or he will die. O knows the bank robbery is at the
peripheral of the puzzle. He pulls together the pieces and
prays for inspiration. Somehow, foreign assassination
plots, a Russian who poses as a phony salesman, a dead club
owner and a beautiful woman are all involved in this
entangled web of deception.
As a former intelligence officer with heavy ties to North
Korea, James Church meticulously maps out North
Korean life in this second Inspector O novel. His revealing
passages show the paranoia that engulfs the citizens as
they struggle to survive in a strict dictatorship where
familiar ritual feels safe. The subtle nuances and sparse
prose with its lack of detailed description make the
torture scenes more chilling and foreboding. HIDDEN MOON
provides ample plot and in-depth characterization making
this an exceptional read.
Inspector O returns from a mission abroad to find that
there has been a bank robbery--the first ever in Pyongyang-
-and his new police commander wants action. Set in North
Korea, this follow-up to "A Corpse in the Koryo" takes
readers into an unfamiliar, perplexing universe, seemingly
so alien that the rules are an enigma.