The Joy Brigade

In this pulse-racing ninth adventure, Sergeant George Sueno heads north of Korea's DMZ on a mission to prevent war between the Communist North and the American-allied South.

Seoul, early 1970s: US Army Sergeant George Sueno is on a mission of extreme importance to the South Korean government, as well as the US Army. Kim Il-Sung has vowed to reunite North and South Korea into one country before he hands control of the government over to his son, which means North Korea is planning to cross the DMZ and overpower the American-allied South Korean government. Sueno's mission is to prevent this by sneaking into North Korea and obtaining an ancient map detailing the network of secret tunnels that run underneath the DMZ. To do so, he will have to go undercover and infiltrate the North Korean Communist inner sanctum.

Aware of the often dubious nature of the US Military's tactics, Sueno is skeptical about his assignment. But he has other things on his mind. The keeper of the map is Doc Yong, a former lover of Sueno's who was forced to flee South Korea the year before—and she has a son. Before they can be happily reunited, the plan falls to pieces, and Sueno is captured. Can he rely on the enigmatic Hero Kang, his sole contact in the hostile country? Will the lovely Rhee Mi-Sook, the leader of the North Korean secret police, be too much to handle? And who are the mysterious group of women known as the Joy Brigade?

Martin Limon retired from military service after twenty years in the US Army, including ten years in Korea. He is the author of eight books in the Sergeant George Sueno series: Jade Lady Burning, Slicky Boys, Buddha's Money, The Door to Bitterness, The Wandering Ghost, GI Bones, Mr. Kill and The Joy Brigade. He lives near Seattle.