James Church
James Church is the pseudonym of the author of five detective novels featuring a North Korean policeman, "Inspector O".
Church is identified on the back cover of his novels as "a former Western intelligence officer with decades of experience in Asia".[1] He grew up in the San Fernando Valley in the United States, and was over sixty years old in 2009.[2]
His "Inspector O" novels have been well-received, being noted by Asia specialists for offering "an unusually nuanced and detailed portrait" of North Korean society.[3] A Korea Society panel praised the first book in the series for its realism and its ability to convey "the suffocating atmosphere of a totalitarian state".[4] The Independent[5] and the Washington Post compared the protagonist to Arkady Renko, the Soviet chief inspector in Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park, for providing "a vivid window into a mysterious country".[3]
Works
The "Inspector O" series of books are published by Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press, in the United States.
- A Corpse in the Koryo. 2006. ISBN 978-0-312-35208-0.
- Hidden Moon. 2007. ISBN 978-0-312-35209-7.
- Bamboo and Blood. 2008. ISBN 978-0-312-37291-0.
- The Man with the Baltic Stare. 2010. ISBN 978-0-312-37292-7.
- A Drop of Chinese Blood. 2012. ISBN 9780312550639.
- The Gentleman from Japan. 2016. ISBN 978-0-312-61431-7.
References
- ↑ Bosch, Torie (2011-09-06). "Why Don't More North Koreans Defect? James Church's Inspector O detective series offers surprising insights.". Slate. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
- ↑ Demick, Barbara (2009-05-02). "A novel look at North Korea". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
- 1 2 Kessler, Glenn l (2006-12-27). "The Book on North Korea: Thriller Provides Rare Glimpse of Closed Nation". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
- ↑ "A Corpse in the Koryo: A North Korean Murder Mystery". Korea Society. 2007-05-08. Archived from the original on August 2, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
- ↑ Cornwell, Rupert (2007-02-17). "State of suspense: Unlocking the enigma of North Korea". The Independent. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
External links
- James Church's page on his publisher's website