Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Corpse in the Koryo | 2006 | James Church | Buy |
| 2 | Hidden Moon | 2007 | James Church | Buy |
| 3 | Bamboo and Blood | 2008 | James Church | Buy |
| 4 | The Man with the Baltic Stare | 2010 | James Church | Buy |
| 5 | A Drop of Chinese Blood | 2012 | James Church | Buy |
| 6 | The Gentleman from Japan | 2016 | James Church | Buy |
The Inspector O series by James Church is set in North Korea and follows a detective who would rather spend his time in his woodworking shop than deal with the political machinations of Pyongyang. Written by a former Western intelligence officer under a pseudonym, the books bring an unusual level of insider knowledge to their portrayal of North Korean life.
Each novel gives Inspector O a new case, but the real tension comes from the political games swirling around him. O has to solve crimes while keeping his head down in a society where saying the wrong thing to the wrong person can be fatal. The atmosphere is cold, guarded, and often darkly funny.
The series starts with A Corpse in the Koryo (2006) and runs through The Gentleman from Japan (2016). Fans of literary spy fiction and readers curious about North Korea will find these books unlike anything else on the shelf.