Excerpt from Star of the North by D.B. John, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Orders were to determine whether the two missing persons last sighted at 14:30 on June 17 had departed Baengnyeong Island prior to their disappearance. Respectfully submitted by Inspector Ko Eun-tek:

1. Security video images procured from the Baengnyeong Island Ferry Terminal establish to a high degree of certainty that no one resembling the missing persons boarded the ferry during any of its departures within the relevant time. Conclusion: the missing persons did not leave the island via the ferry.

2. The coast guard reported no other shipping in the area at the time of the missing persons' last sighting. Due to the island's proximity to North Korea, marine traffic is highly restricted. Conclusion: the missing persons did not depart the island by any other boat.

3. A local resident discovered yesterday, next to the remains of a campfire on Condol Beach, a guitar, footwear, items of clothing, a camera, and wallets containing cash, return ferry tickets, IDs, and library cards belonging to the missing persons. IDs for both persons match the personal details supplied by Sangmyung University. They belonged to:

Park Jae-hoon, male, 19, permanent resident of the Doksan District of Seoul, whose mother lives on Baengnyeong Island.

Williams Soo-min, female, 18, United States citizen, who arrived in the country in March to enroll as an undergraduate.

   4. At 07:00 today the coast guard commenced an air-sea helicopter search operation over a range of 5 nautical miles. No trace of the missing persons was found. Conclusion: both persons drowned by misadventure while swimming. The sea was calm but currents have been unusually strong, according to the coast guard. The bodies may by now have been carried some considerable distance.

With your agreement, we will now suspend the helicopter search, and humbly recommend that the missing persons' families be informed.

Excerpted from Star of the North by D. B. John. Copyright © 2018 by D.B. John. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.