Korea Blue

By Thomas Utts

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451169700
• ISBN13: 9780451169709
• Release Date: June 1991
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Not all is calm in the Land of the Morning Calm

"Korea Blue" merits another review. First of all, this book is a good murder-mystery. Somebody could and should make a good B-movie based on this book. Secondly, for those ex-military who've served in Korea, this book offers a pleasant journey back to the good old days. The hero, Mike Hunter, is a pilot - so, of course, he's smart and he knows his way around in the world. He's about 30, tough, good-looking, popular with the women, and quite skilled in Tae Kwon Do (one of the oriental martial arts) - which is very good, because Mike frequently has to defend himself and he has to beat up a lot of people. He's also familiar with hand guns and feels comfortable carrying them. Mike Hunter finagles an assignment to Osan AFB, Korea upon learning that Capt. Paul Crandell, his good friend and former "backseater" (when they flew in F-105 Wild Weasels together in Vietnam) has died under mysterious circumstances in Osan. Once in Korea, Mike gets right to work investigating and solving the case. I find the story sufficiently credible and quite entertaining. Those who've served at Osan AFB will particularly enjoy following Hunter as he traipses around Chicol Village (the "V") - which I thought was "Chico" - Spanish for "little" -located outside the main gate, visiting some of the clubs (like the 5-Spot, the Stereo, the Playboy, the Paradise, etc.) in search of people, who can give him the information he requires. Early on, he meets Sumi, a young, pretty "business girl", who can help him with his investigation and fulfill his need for "female companionship", as well. While meandering and talking to the local Koreans, Mike likes to employ some of the Korean words and local jargon, that he still remembers from an earlier TDY at Osan in 1968 - the year that the USS Pueblo was attacked and captured by the North Koreans. I recognized some of these words and expressions, myself, although my own tour there was long ago (1963) - for example: yobo (sweetheart), skoshi (tiny), hooch (home or off-base pad), mama-san and papa-san (san shows respect), no sweaty-da (no problem), cutta chogi (hurry up), oop so (all gone), komop sumneda (hello), benjo ditch (an open, usually water-filled irrigation ditch adjacent to rice paddies) and A-frame (a device used by Korean laborers to carry big, heavy loads). Mike naturally has to spend some of his time eating and drinking, so he also explains for the reader some of the more popular Korean offerings in this area - like OB (beer made by Korea's Oriental Brewery), mech ju, so ju, and makalee (all three are rice wines), and the very popular kimchee (a foul smelling, spicy, fermented cabbage dish that Koreans love like we love potatoes). In conclusion, if you like well constructed murder-mysteries with happy endings, or stories that take you back in time to exotic places you once roamed in your youth, then this is a book for you.

OUTSTANDING

As a military member with seven tours in Korea I find the setting true to life. It will bring back memories to many vets of a Korea before 1988.Only a person who had been there could write in such detail.