The book entwines two cases. One is a string of bank robberies apparently committed by U.S. soldiers. Sueño and Bascom want it, but their superiors won’t have it, assigning two brown-noses who will lead the investigation away from Army blame. Instead, they are assigned to look into a general who procured prostitutes for a special meeting near the DMZ. By pushing their way onto one case, when the next robbery takes the life of a teller and following the leads to their assigned one, they get a target placed on both of their backs and wade into what could be an international incident of major consequence.
Limón strikes a great balance between character and story. He hooks us right in at the beginning with the description of the first robbery. The story is able to bring out Sueño and Bascom’s nature as they clash with Army protocols and bureaucracy and work to get information. They also team up with Katie Byrd Worthinington, an American reporter and ire of the brass. She adds to the humor and banter between the two. As they uncover more information, they find themselves up against two of their most dangerous antagonists they’ve come across and coming to a reveal I couldn’t have predicted.
G.I. Confidential is one of the best in a series that gets better and better. You feel close to our two heroes, the themes are bigger and more complex, and even with all that, Limón brings it all in with a tight, well paced tale. I’m already looking forward to the next one.
You can purchase G.I. Confidential from BookPeople in-store and online now.
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