James Church

James Church is the pseudonym of the author of five detective novels featuring a North Korean policeman, "Inspector O".

For the Medal of Honor recipient, see James Robb Church. For the inventor of the snow sampler, see James E. Church.

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 name and identity are known in the community of North Korea watchers.[3]

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.[4] 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".[5] The Independent[6] 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".[4]

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.
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See also

References
  1. 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.
  2. Demick, Barbara (2009-05-02). "A novel look at North Korea". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  3. "In North Korea, a hard-boiled (and fictional) cop keeps watch". The Korea Herald. AP. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  4. Kessler, Glenn l (2006-12-27). "The Book on North Korea: Thriller Provides Rare Glimpse of Closed Nation". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  5. "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.
  6. Cornwell, Rupert (2007-02-17). "State of suspense: Unlocking the enigma of North Korea". The Independent. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
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