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.

Book Summary

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.