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Sergeants Sueño and Bascom is a series of crime fiction novels written by Martin Limon. Set in the 1970s, the books follow the exploits of two military police officers that solve crimes and chase down murderers.
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Order of George Sueño and Ernie Bascom Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jade Lady Burning | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Slicky Boys | 1997 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Buddha's Money | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Door to Bitterness | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Wandering Ghost | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | G.I. Bones | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Mr. Kill | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | The Joy Brigade | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Nightmare Range | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The Iron Sickle | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | The Ville Rat | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Ping-Pong Heart | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | The Nine-Tailed Fox | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | The Line | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | GI Confidential | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | War Women | 2022 | Description / Buy |
The Sergeants Sueño and Bascom series is technically historical fiction. The novels take readers to South Korea.
The war ended two decades ago. However, the US still has a heavy military presence in the country and tensions are quite high.
Many a Korean would love nothing better than to pour their anger out on every American soldier they find drinking their booze and sleeping with their women.
But that is why Sergeants George Sueño and Ernie Bascom are here. The military police officers work for the CID. Their adventures begin in Jade Lady Burning, the first novel in the series which finds Pak-Ok-Suk dead.
The prostitute had an American boyfriend who had promised to marry her. And when she died, both Korean and American law enforcement determined that he was the most likely suspect.
When Sueño and Bascom are first assigned the case, they jump on it with considerable fervor. They are reluctant to believe that the soldier committed the crime.
But their superiors only have a mild interest in the case. In fact, they would rather see the whole situation buried, even if it means throwing the soldier in question under the bus.
US/Korean relations cannot weather the stress. However, Sueño and Bascom are determined to see justice served, even if it means butting heads with the people in power.
But this difficult case is merely the first. Even when Sueño and Bascom soundly resolve the murder, they must pull up their sleeves and face the wall of crime and corruption waiting down the line.
The Sueño and Bascom books are pretty dark. The author spends quite a while creating his setting and painting the picture of a politically charged South Korea that keeps fighting and failing to throw US meddling out of its government.
Sueño and Bascom are not necessarily great detectives, or at the very least they are not particularly professional.
The pair is sometimes a little reluctant to interfere in the goings on of their community. They would rather spend their days drinking and touring the Red Light district.
And more often than not, you will find them doing just that. Sueño and Bascom wield a lot of power. The chaotic nature of South Korea in the 1970s is such that they do not have to do anything they don’t want to.
And yet, when trouble hits a little too close to home and the pair finds a case that moves them, Sueño and Bascom won’t stop poking and prodding until justice is served.
More often than not, the protagonists have to contend with their own superiors to get things done. With Sueño as the brains and Bascom as the brawn, the heroes often get away with bending a few laws and defying their bosses because they are such a great team.
Sergeants Sueño and Bascom Awards
The Iron Sickle was a Washington State Book Award Finalist in 2015.
Best Sergeants Sueño and Bascom Books
These novels appeal to readers who love great crime fiction, political intrigue, complex mysteries, and well-written character dynamics, with some of the best books in the series including:
The Iron Sickle: An officer of the 8th US Army Claims Office was killed with an iron sickle one rainy morning. His secretary witnessed the deed but she did not see the culprit clearly enough to identify him.
Sueño and Bascom’s abilities make them the best team to investigate the case, and they cannot wait to do just that.
So they are quite shocked to learn that they have instead been assigned black market duty. None of that keeps the pair from poking around the Claims officer’s murder, a decision which reveals that the 8th Army is making no effort whatsoever to solve the case.
Ping-Pong Heart: Major Frederick M. Schulz accuses Miss Jo Kyong-Ja of stealing the equivalent of fifty dollars.
When Sueño and Bascom are assigned the case, they can’t bring themselves to care about it. But then Miss Jo is attacked and Frederick is murdered.
Now Sueño and Bascom know that there is so much more going on than meets the eye. They will soon face off against Lance Blood, the powerful commander of a battalion.
Other Book Series You May Like
Be sure to check out the Billy Boyle WWII Mysteries Series by James R. Benn. Billy Boyle is an Irish-American cop that had just made detective when WWII broke out. Now Boyle is Dwight D. Eisenhower’s personal investigator. Boyle must execute his duties in a world rocked by brutal conflict.
You may also like the “Matthew Hervey” Series by Allan Mallinson. Matthew Hervey is a gentleman and a soldier. As the war against Bonaparte reaches a fever pitch, Hervey, of the 6th Light Dragoons, is called upon to play the part of a hero in dire times.
What Is The Next Book in The George Sueño And Ernie Bascom Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The George Sueño And Ernie Bascom Series. The newest book is War Women and was released on October, 18th 2022.