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Sergeants Sueño and Bascom #3
Buddha's Money
This grisly, terrifying thriller follows CID Agents George Sueño and Ernie Bascom across the Korean Peninsula in their search for a lost artifact
South Korea, 1970 Retired Army officer Herman Burkowicz has quite a lucrative setup smuggling rare Korean artifacts. But then his nine-year-old foster daughter, Mi-ja, is abducted, and her kidnappers demand a ransom Burkowicz doesn’t a priceless jade skull from the age of Genghis Khan. Sueño and Bascom—more accustomed to chasing felons and black marketeers in the back alleys of Itaewon than ancient treasures—go in over their heads as they agree to search for the skull, a journey that will lead them to a crime that threatens the fragile peace between South Korea and the US Army units living on its Korean soil.
South Korea, 1970 Retired Army officer Herman Burkowicz has quite a lucrative setup smuggling rare Korean artifacts. But then his nine-year-old foster daughter, Mi-ja, is abducted, and her kidnappers demand a ransom Burkowicz doesn’t a priceless jade skull from the age of Genghis Khan. Sueño and Bascom—more accustomed to chasing felons and black marketeers in the back alleys of Itaewon than ancient treasures—go in over their heads as they agree to search for the skull, a journey that will lead them to a crime that threatens the fragile peace between South Korea and the US Army units living on its Korean soil.
404 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
13 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Martin Limón
46 books96 followersMartin Limon retired from U.S. military service after 20 years in the Army, including a total of ten years in Korea. He and his wife live in Seattle. He is the author of Jade Lady Burning, which was a New York Times Notable Book, Slicky Boys and Buddha's Money.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 26, 2017
Whotta read! "Grisly" is apropos, but it was in context with the theme of the plot.
It was ironic in that I had just placed an order through Better World Books for a copy when I was shelving "Slicky Boys" that I found a copy of this one that I already owned! I do not know if it made the move with me from my parents' house to Chez Woody nearly nine years ago or if I bought it & shelved it, wanting to read the series in order.
I could have ready it more quickly, but because book #4 is still in transit to me, I slowed my pace to savor the plot & the dialogue. I have read some comments in which Martin Limon is not their cuppa tea due to the reliance on having the characters be with the US Army's CID & the allusions are lost on them. Not me! I am a US Navy retiree & I definitely identify with Ernie Bascomb. I understand the interactions with the brass & having visited Korea, the setting rings true. I really want to touch base with Mr. Limon at some point.
In this entry, the boys are called in to investigate the kidnapping & ransom of a native girl who had been adopted by a retired "lifer" named Herman the German & his common-law native wife.
A "lifer" is one who puts in a full 20-year career to pull "a poor man's pension", but when the time to pull the plug comes, finds themselves at loose ends. I was "a Careerist", one who serves until retirement, but with definite goals for being a civilian. I knew lots of Hermans & felt kinda sorry for them since their transition to civilian life was difficult & many died shortly after retirement, which is part of the reason that you can retire at just 20 years - it takes a heavy toll & the actuarial tables show that statistically, you do not have longevity past retirement.
Our heroes are forced to traipse around the country in search of an objet d'art that is to serve as the ransom payment. They encounter Buddhist monks and nuns of various sects & have yet another thrilling, harrowing adventure.
Book #4 cannot arrive quickly enough!
It was ironic in that I had just placed an order through Better World Books for a copy when I was shelving "Slicky Boys" that I found a copy of this one that I already owned! I do not know if it made the move with me from my parents' house to Chez Woody nearly nine years ago or if I bought it & shelved it, wanting to read the series in order.
I could have ready it more quickly, but because book #4 is still in transit to me, I slowed my pace to savor the plot & the dialogue. I have read some comments in which Martin Limon is not their cuppa tea due to the reliance on having the characters be with the US Army's CID & the allusions are lost on them. Not me! I am a US Navy retiree & I definitely identify with Ernie Bascomb. I understand the interactions with the brass & having visited Korea, the setting rings true. I really want to touch base with Mr. Limon at some point.
In this entry, the boys are called in to investigate the kidnapping & ransom of a native girl who had been adopted by a retired "lifer" named Herman the German & his common-law native wife.
A "lifer" is one who puts in a full 20-year career to pull "a poor man's pension", but when the time to pull the plug comes, finds themselves at loose ends. I was "a Careerist", one who serves until retirement, but with definite goals for being a civilian. I knew lots of Hermans & felt kinda sorry for them since their transition to civilian life was difficult & many died shortly after retirement, which is part of the reason that you can retire at just 20 years - it takes a heavy toll & the actuarial tables show that statistically, you do not have longevity past retirement.
Our heroes are forced to traipse around the country in search of an objet d'art that is to serve as the ransom payment. They encounter Buddhist monks and nuns of various sects & have yet another thrilling, harrowing adventure.
Book #4 cannot arrive quickly enough!
May 17, 2018
I like learning about life in Korea from the perspective of George Sueno. I think this is my favorite part of Limon's books. I kind of want more of that in this book. Like "Slicky Boys" the story is very action focused (I lost count of how many fist fights Sueno and Bascom got into). If you want a story that feels like Indiana Jones in 1970s Korea (complete with a mystical jade skull), than this book is for you. But my preference was for Limon to slow down at times to highlight the background. I wanted to know more about the culture of Army retirees (like the character Herman the German) who stay in Korea after having served, and about the tension in South Korea that led to those intense and dramatic demonstrations where students and soldiers square of in the streets of Seoul. Still, despite missing these elements, it was an enjoyable read.
May 19, 2016
PROTAGONISTS: Sgts. George Sueno and Ernie Bascom, CID agents
SETTING: South Korea
SERIES: #3 of 12
RATING: 2.75
WHY: George Sueno and Ernie Bascom are investigators for the Eighth army with most of their activity taking place in Itaewon, where soldiers spend their off time. They interrupt the assault of a Buddhist nun by a GI, which causes national upheaval. But their main case involves the kidnapping of a the daughter of a retired Army officer, "Herman the German". The ransom was a valuable old jade skull. The Korean history and culture are well rendered, but I had some problems with this book. First, it was hard to read about the brutality towards the little girl and various rapes. The character of Ernie Bascom was really one-dimensional. Basically, all he does is chew gum, pick up women and violently erupt once in a while.
SETTING: South Korea
SERIES: #3 of 12
RATING: 2.75
WHY: George Sueno and Ernie Bascom are investigators for the Eighth army with most of their activity taking place in Itaewon, where soldiers spend their off time. They interrupt the assault of a Buddhist nun by a GI, which causes national upheaval. But their main case involves the kidnapping of a the daughter of a retired Army officer, "Herman the German". The ransom was a valuable old jade skull. The Korean history and culture are well rendered, but I had some problems with this book. First, it was hard to read about the brutality towards the little girl and various rapes. The character of Ernie Bascom was really one-dimensional. Basically, all he does is chew gum, pick up women and violently erupt once in a while.
November 25, 2013
I can definitely say that there we some things about this book that truly horrified me and I don't usually get along well with being horrified. This installment deals with how Sueno and Bascom are used/played by some evil people and in the long run, while they tried hard to do the right thing - no one ends up any better off and so many end up injured or dead. But it's a strong, well crafted story. I'm surprised Limon isn't one of those authors that are more celebrated but perhaps it's because he does do some not very nice, un-mainstream things that can leave the reader drained and emotionally scarred.
May 11, 2019
Another very long winded plot. A little girl is kidnapped. This leads to S and B trying to find a long lost jade skull that leads to Genghis Khan's grave!
I'm steadily going through the Sueno and Bascom series. Unfortunately, there are only 14 books plus a book of short stories. I started in the middle, then started reading them somewhat in order. I really like this series because they are easy to read and follow and easy to get into. It's best to read them in order if you are starting new.
The setting is 1970's South Korea and the protagonists are two 8th Army CID detectives. Bascom is a bit like Michael Connelly's Bosch in that he doesn't care for protocol and is more likely to antagonize the people he comes in contact with rather than acting like a normal person and that includes his superiors. Sueno is somewhat the same but more level headed. Both are good CID detectives who don't have time for BS and try to solve the crimes they are tasked to instead of slacking off. Another selling point for them is that they try to relate to the native Koreans as people rather than 2nd class citizens to abuse like some other Americans. Limon does a great job of making the characters real (including the bit parts, the GI's and the Koreans). That's the character study part that I like.
The other good part is the setting. Limon was actually serving in Korea and gives a really good depiction of it from the GI point of view. It's like going back in time with the US Army. Not all of it is good; there's a lot of corruption, poverty, booze and sex, yea, some of it actually reads like The Virgin Soldiers (Leslie Thomas). He makes the country and the people come to life.
The army police procedural part is only so-so. There isn't a lot of excitement in the cases. The detectives do their due diligence, do their footwork and solve the crimes. There is mystery but somehow Limon just doesn't get a lot of excitement across. The interest I get from reading the books is from the character development; I care what happens to the people in the story more than I do about the crimes.
That's the basic review. I can't add a lot about this book itself, not that it matters much to me. I find all the stories fairly uniform and as I go through the series I feel like I'm binge watching a TV show - I finish one episode and move along to the next. They are all different stories but in the same format. Overall, I really like the series and highly recommend them.
I'm steadily going through the Sueno and Bascom series. Unfortunately, there are only 14 books plus a book of short stories. I started in the middle, then started reading them somewhat in order. I really like this series because they are easy to read and follow and easy to get into. It's best to read them in order if you are starting new.
The setting is 1970's South Korea and the protagonists are two 8th Army CID detectives. Bascom is a bit like Michael Connelly's Bosch in that he doesn't care for protocol and is more likely to antagonize the people he comes in contact with rather than acting like a normal person and that includes his superiors. Sueno is somewhat the same but more level headed. Both are good CID detectives who don't have time for BS and try to solve the crimes they are tasked to instead of slacking off. Another selling point for them is that they try to relate to the native Koreans as people rather than 2nd class citizens to abuse like some other Americans. Limon does a great job of making the characters real (including the bit parts, the GI's and the Koreans). That's the character study part that I like.
The other good part is the setting. Limon was actually serving in Korea and gives a really good depiction of it from the GI point of view. It's like going back in time with the US Army. Not all of it is good; there's a lot of corruption, poverty, booze and sex, yea, some of it actually reads like The Virgin Soldiers (Leslie Thomas). He makes the country and the people come to life.
The army police procedural part is only so-so. There isn't a lot of excitement in the cases. The detectives do their due diligence, do their footwork and solve the crimes. There is mystery but somehow Limon just doesn't get a lot of excitement across. The interest I get from reading the books is from the character development; I care what happens to the people in the story more than I do about the crimes.
That's the basic review. I can't add a lot about this book itself, not that it matters much to me. I find all the stories fairly uniform and as I go through the series I feel like I'm binge watching a TV show - I finish one episode and move along to the next. They are all different stories but in the same format. Overall, I really like the series and highly recommend them.
August 14, 2019
Review from Asia Thrills - https://asiathrills.com/buddhas-money...
Military cops George Sueño and Ernie Bascom meet Indiana Jones, or so it seems, in this over-the-top adventure, the third in Martin Limón’s great series set in 1970s Korea.
An attack on a Buddhist nun, along with the disappearance of the daughter of a retired US serviceman, set the pair off on a hunt for a jade skull that shows a map to the lost treasures of Genghis Khan.
They are not the only ones looking. Also involved are some bad Buddhists from Mongolia, some good Buddhists and a mysterious woman named Lady Ahn.
It seems the skull is being guarded by monks (and by a giant sloth!) on a distant island. Many fights, some rather horrific violence, chases and other adventures ensue. And as usual the whole book is dripping with the dissolute atmosphere of Itaewon, “the greatest GI village in the world.”
This book offers action-packed excitement, and will satisfy Limón’s many fans (which include me). But it is still a little too far-fetched, and not one of his best.
Military cops George Sueño and Ernie Bascom meet Indiana Jones, or so it seems, in this over-the-top adventure, the third in Martin Limón’s great series set in 1970s Korea.
An attack on a Buddhist nun, along with the disappearance of the daughter of a retired US serviceman, set the pair off on a hunt for a jade skull that shows a map to the lost treasures of Genghis Khan.
They are not the only ones looking. Also involved are some bad Buddhists from Mongolia, some good Buddhists and a mysterious woman named Lady Ahn.
It seems the skull is being guarded by monks (and by a giant sloth!) on a distant island. Many fights, some rather horrific violence, chases and other adventures ensue. And as usual the whole book is dripping with the dissolute atmosphere of Itaewon, “the greatest GI village in the world.”
This book offers action-packed excitement, and will satisfy Limón’s many fans (which include me). But it is still a little too far-fetched, and not one of his best.
June 17, 2020
Authentic Tale of GIs in Korea
This must have taken place in the late 70s; maybe early 19080-81. The author accurately characterizes Itaewon, to include the clubs. The demonstrations during that period were accurately described as well. I’m not sure about the White Horse unit being involved in squashing the demonstrations, but it would not surprise given the fact that the President of South Korea was a former ROK Army General. Finally, all of the Korean language translations were very accurate. I spent many years in Korea and intensely studied the language, so I really enjoyed this book. It brought back a lot of memories. Most importantly, for me, it was all totally believable, with a couple of exceptions, which is indeed rare.
This must have taken place in the late 70s; maybe early 19080-81. The author accurately characterizes Itaewon, to include the clubs. The demonstrations during that period were accurately described as well. I’m not sure about the White Horse unit being involved in squashing the demonstrations, but it would not surprise given the fact that the President of South Korea was a former ROK Army General. Finally, all of the Korean language translations were very accurate. I spent many years in Korea and intensely studied the language, so I really enjoyed this book. It brought back a lot of memories. Most importantly, for me, it was all totally believable, with a couple of exceptions, which is indeed rare.
February 1, 2023
I enjoy this series so far. I read the first two books and enjoyed this one as well. It was a bit grislier than the earlier ones. I found the writing to be smoother and the interactions with characters to be very natural and the plot to be riveting. I found the ending a bit weak, so I gave it only 4 stars instead of 5. It could almost have been finished a chapter or two earlier. It will not stop me from reading more of his books.
If you are looking for hardboiled detective series in an exotic setting, I recommend this series.
If you are looking for hardboiled detective series in an exotic setting, I recommend this series.
July 20, 2022
This is the third book in this author's series. I had fun reading his first 2 books, so I immediately started on his third. He takes the same US Army 8th Army CID agents in Korea into this fast moving thriller. The books has a lot of interesting and unexpected twists & turns. It was a fast moving story, but unfortunately, to me, has a weak ending. Although I was not totally happy with the ending, I will start reading his 4th book "The Door To Bitterness" very soon.
September 1, 2023
I like Martin's book but in this one he jumps the shark. I agree with other readers that the torture of the young girl is brutal but in my experience it's a possibility. Where I can't believe is the princess angle and a GI and to have the bad guys running loose in Korea. I hope the next book will be more believable. Questionable recommendation.
March 6, 2018
Limon's intriguing stories are set in South Korea in 1970's. Our hero's are CID agents with the 8th Army. South Korea is culturally vivid and populated with fascinating characters. Murder and mayhem mostly mitigated with camaraderie and humor.
March 12, 2018
I liked the first two books, but didn't care for this one. Too close to fantasy for me. Unbelievable coincidences. I'll read the next, but if as divorced from reality as this I wouldn't go further.
March 29, 2020
Thought I'd never finish this book
Book moved slow and I had to push through it. Was the first time that I have been disappointed by his books. Will take a break from his work.
Book moved slow and I had to push through it. Was the first time that I have been disappointed by his books. Will take a break from his work.
March 10, 2022
Very very good addition to the series! My favorite so far! Love me some Suenos!
January 5, 2023
I read the first two books in this series quite some time ago. Maybe 2010 or 2011? Either way, it's a fun series. This one is quite funny, but also pretty suspenseful, and fairly dark at points.
November 17, 2016
Sueno & Bascom #3: “Buddha’s Money” by Martin Limon. While working the Itaewon red light district in Seoul looking for black market activity, CID agents Sergeants Sueno & Bascom are contacted by business girl (prostitute) Sooki, who tells them a nun has been attacked. She leads them to an alley where they hear a fight in progress and stop a black American soldier from beating a Korean nun. The American escapes, and the boys take the nun to the KNP police station, but locals think they are the ones that beat the nun up. There is a big problem now with locals angry at all American soldiers. While at the police station, a retired sergeant grabs them, and reports his adopted Korean daughter has been kidnapped. This leads them to discover there is more going on than meets the eye. The attack on the nun and the kidnapping has something to do with Lady Ahn and an antique skull that once belonged to the Dragon Throne of China, and her ancestors. The skull was used by Kublai Khan as a drinking vessel, and has a map to the burial place where much of his treasure was hidden. Buddhist monks are also after the skull. The writing is smooth, the plot is good, and the characterization is topnotch. The author knows Korea. It is fun reading about places that I once knew, and hearing Korean words I once knew. My main problem with the series is the main characters. They are supposed to be Army CID agents, but are nothing like the many CID agents I knew in my twenty-year career in the military police. Sueno & Bascom act more like private detectives than military investigators, doing what they want when they want. They merely report to a 1st Sergeant, basically when they want. In reality, the CID office consists of agents under the command of a warrant officer. Jobs are assigned, and they work hand in hand with their superiors and local police, when necessary, fellow agents, and the MPs. Something that really turned me off in this story is the office Staff Sergeant. Evidently he has the combination to the safe, but gets so drunk someone gets the combination from him and breaks into the office and steals something from the safe. The next day it was like, well, gee, these things happen. No, they don’t! If that SSGT had a drinking problem he would not have been the one in charge of the safe. As it was he would have lost a stripe over such lack of responsibility, but nothing is even said to him about his dereliction of duty. This is the Army, and the CID is better trained and organized than any of these characters are in this series. I love the setting, and the idea of CID agents as the main leads. I can even accept Sueno & Bascom as Army goof-offs who get involved in mischief – but not as CID agents. Another problem is the man in charge of the armory giving them unregistered weapons and ammunition when they want them. That doesn’t happen in the MP or CID weapons armory. All weapons and ammunitions are strictly accounted for. All of this makes for a good story, and the setting is honest. If Sueno and Bascom were anything but CID agents, it would have worked for me.
August 5, 2010
I really enjoyed this one, the third in the series. It's unbelievable but at the same time a page turner. Our two CID agents,Bascom and Sueno, are involved in a life and death race against time to find a jade skull and deliver it to some violent Buddhist kidnappers of a young Korean girl. It's like Indiana Jones meets a Christopher Moore book at times. It's flip, funny, and suspenseful with violence and evil thrown in. We escape Seoul to Suwon, Taejon, and some off shore islands. There are the usual drinking binges, assortment of bar girls, and Sueno meets perhaps the love of his life, all with a Korean student demonstration thrown in. Don't know how Limon will top this one with book four but I'm ready for the next one.
April 1, 2012
This is the third in a series about two unconventional army CID agents in 1970s (?) Korea. Each book seems to be better than the one before, so I will continue reading more. The complex story is woven in a way that I didn't want to put the book down. Plus, I kept getting surprised by the turn of events and the rolls of all the characters. There were some brutal scenes, so this one is not for the faint of heart.
March 10, 2012
The action is set in Seoul, South Korea in the '90s. Two Army CID officers get caught up/ set up in a scam to still a Buddhist relic. With a little girl's life at stake, it's a race against time - and they lose. But the story isn't over. Lots of action, political unrest, Royal arrogance, religious pride and the inscrutable ways of the Orient all combine to make a fairly readable action/mystery.
January 30, 2017
The setting is interesting and quite unique. This is definitely the weakest of the three I have read in the series. The violence is highly unpleasant and feels excessive. The characters feel more street level rather than dealing with such large and over the top threats.
I will read more books by this author but feel this was not up to his usual standard.
I will read more books by this author but feel this was not up to his usual standard.
October 15, 2014
wooden characters, missing sense of fun, brutal storyline involving ten year old girl--much less enjoyment than other titles in this series
December 29, 2012
as a military brat it brought back memories of the
sometimes hilarious vernacular of asian outposts.
that was the best part for me.
sometimes hilarious vernacular of asian outposts.
that was the best part for me.
December 29, 2015
My third Sueno and Bascom novel in a short time and the least satisfying of the lot. Too bleak and too sad.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews