The Ville Rat

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. (Oct.)