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TSU KIM

kim_tsu_bk_dh collins_chris_bk_sd collins_chris_bk_sc collins_chris_nv_re collins_chris_bk_cb
 
Full Name: Tsu Kim
Nationality: South Korean
Organization: NIS
Occupation Agent

Creator: John Hopton, David Berens
Time Span: 2019 - 2021

ABOUT THE SERIES

Tsu Kim is an agent with the NIS.

That acronym stands for the National Intelligence Service, the key espionage organization of the South Korean government. When we first meet her in her solo adventure (so far), she has "recently finished her training and passed with high distinction" and was anticipating being assigned her first mission which she expected would take her away from her home and likely country for some time.

Kim's immediate supervisor was a man named Park with whom she has an interesting relationship in that some days he can be very pleasant to be around while others, more common, he can be a bear. It will be that connection which will affect her career quite a bit later on.

It will be from Park that we learned Kin "aced" her training, scoring the "best of all new recruits on the psychometric testing" and "held out longest in several of the endurance tests". What this showed him and what we will witness in her actions during her missions is that Kim really hates to lose and the idea of quitting just never enters her mind. This tenacity will push her through some pretty nasty situations.

That determinedness will also see her career take a major veer after that initial mission. Her unwillingness to walk away from a job unfinished, leaving a young girl in considerable peril, despite being ordered by the top brass, will get her officially fired from the NIS. In truth, she will be assigned a partner and start work as an unofficial operative doing off-book work for Park.

Kim is the daughter of a Japanese woman and a Korean father. She was born in Japan but moved to South Korea when she was young. While she wanted for some time to work for the NIS, she still feels a tad torn between her birth country and her adopted one. When asked where she was from, she wistfully replied, "I wish I could say I was from somewhere, but I don't really feel like I am."

Good Line:
Tsu Kim muses on the difference in beating intel out of someone or seducing it: "An important part of her job was getting information from people. Hurting people was effective, but it was also bad for the soul. Charming people wasn't easygoing on the soul either, but at least it varied things up a little."

BOOKS

Number of Books:4
First Appearance:2019
Last Appearance:2021

The reading order for this character is a bit wonky but since the series is worth reading, it is important to follow.

Tsu Kim was originally a vital co-star in the Chris Collins adventures, showing up first in the first book and then in its prequel, the novella listed below. Then one of the authors gave us her "origin" story for which I am grateful.

So, my recommended reading order is:

Tsu: Desert Heat

Rogue Enemy

Capital Break

Shanghai Crossfire

Sahara Dawn


1 Tsu: Desert Heat Tsu: Desert Heat
Written by John Hopton, David Berens
Copyright: 2019

A solo adventure prequel to the first three Chris Collins adventures.
Tsu Kim had completed her training with the NIS and was eager for an assignment. When a Korean scientist and his daughter are kidnapped in Istanbul, Kim is certain she will be given the mission of locating them but then her boss decided against it. Kim takes it upon herself to head there to handle it anyways.
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2 Capitol Break Capitol Break
Written by John Hopton, David Berens
Copyright: 2019

Book 1 in the Chris Collins series.
Chris Collins see a thumb drive being passed between a powerful Senator and a known hit man. He manages to get the thumb drive but they know he knows. That is when Collins' world crashes as he is suddenly suspected in beating up a call girl and instead of hunting down a rotten Senator, he is the hunted man.
Meanwhile Tsu Kim is out to find who killer her partner and get revenge.
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3 Shanghai Crossfire Shanghai Crossfire
Written by John Hopton, David Berens
Copyright: 2019

Book 2 in the Chris Collins series.
When Chris Collins and his friend, ex-operative Tsu, are relaxing while sailing in the Caribbean, someone takes a series of shots at them. Finding out who is after them will result in Collins going after his former boss at the CIA and Tsu heading to Mexico to take on a cartel.
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4 Sahara Dawn Sahara Dawn
Written by John Hopton, David Berens
Copyright: 2021

Book 3 in the Chris Collins series.
Chris Collins and his friend, ex-operative Tsu, are chilling out in a hotel suite in Rio when he is pulled from that enjoyable setting to a much less so one first in the Amazon and later in a trip to Africa to stop a dictator who had gotten his hands on a shipment of nuclear weapons.
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NOVELLAS AND SHORT STORIES

Number of Stories:1
First Appearance:2019
Last Appearance:2019

1 Rogue Enemy Rogue Enemy
Written by John Hopton, David Berens
Copyright: 2019

A prequel to the first Chris Collins adventure, Capitol Break.
At the CIA, Chris Collins was on a roll in his job as Deputy Director. He had just put away two crooked politicians in the pocket of a Mexican cartel and things were looking fine. Then the cartel strikes back by destroying his reputation and his world collapses. Showing up to lend a very vital hand is Tsu Kim.
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MY COMMENTS

When I first read the Chris Collins series, I liked the main character, Collins, but I was fascinated by the co-star, Tsu Kim, and I commented in my write-up on that series that I felt she deserved her own series.

While I am certain neither of the authors in the Collins series ever heard of me let alone saw my comment and decided to draft such a book, I was pleased to find a Tsu Kim book came out and she therefore qualified for her own, well-deserved series page.

I definitely enjoyed her relationship with Collins and hope it continues but I am sure that are more stories about her by herself worth hearing (hint! hint!).

GRADE

My Grade: B+

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