Loved it, so huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review an advance copy.
Whilst parts of this are more than a little far fetched, that is not really that unusual in a work such as this.
It is however obvious that the author has in parts drawn on his experiences of visiting North Korea.
Definitely has the potential to be made into a film, and no hesitation in awarding five stars and recommending this publication. Look forward to the author's next publication.

D.B.John’s novel Star of the North based for the large part in North Korea, gives the reader an insight of life for those at the top and more interestingly; those at the bottom enduring abject poverty and mind numbing indoctrination. I wondered if the descriptions (which were appalling) were over egged but reading the author’s note after the epilogue made me reconsider. Some sections bore striking similarity to descriptions of life in a concentration camp during WW2. However, we mustn’t lose sight of this novel being a thriller. For me it was a little slow at the start but when it got going it was unstoppable. Just when you thought life couldn’t get any harder for the Korean characters, it did! Whilst a work of fiction it left me feeling very sorry for the ordinary folk of North Korea where dissent is a death sentence.

This is a superb piece of writing. It shows a deep understanding of political regimes in more countries than just North Korea and their effects on its citizens. The author shows an amazing knowledge of the internal workings of the North Korean regime and manages to personalise them . The lead characters are well drawn showing their aspirations and lifelong angsts with great perceptiveness. The story keeps the reader enthralled to the excellent climax. Above all, there must be few accounts like this of life in this communist state.

Wonderful tale of the closed society of North Korea starting with the abduction of an American and her boyfriend from a beach and her sisters disbelief of her death by drowning. Glorious characters abound, extreme scenes of violence and torture, vivid descriptions of prison camp life all combine in this fascinating story of a corrupt regime. Marvellous!

I just loved this incredible read which I keep thinking about. It's one of my books of the year.

Two teenagers are snatched on a South Korean beach never to be seen again. Jenna can't forget her sister Soo-min and vows to find out what happened to her. She gets on with her life and becomes a Professor at a University but she never stops looking for her twin. The CIA get wind of this and she trains to become one of their operatives (which again makes fascinating reading). She goes for an official trip in North Korea and a second time undercover to try and save someone's life. There are two other stories intertwined with Jenna's. A North Korean woman, Mrs Moon whose life changes the day she finds the balloon from the village down below and a high ranking official. It gives us glimpses into a very different world. I'll be telling everyone to read this amazing book.

Epic thriller. I've not been this excited and enthralled with a thriller for a while. Not as brilliantly fascinating as this one. The setting is the most secretive regime in the world and this author has been there and crafted a stranger than fiction story which is as thrilling to read as I imagine it was to write. The level of research mentioned at the end of the book is quite something - hats off to the author in many ways!

As well as an explosive plot, complex characters real and fictional, political intrigue is high and the entire package is outstanding.

The setting of course really captures the imagination as its’s a country,people and regime the world knows little about. What we do know might not be true - secrecy breeds all kind of rumours.


This is what I would call a unique reading experience - on many levels. Much of the plot has been gleaned from intelligence operations and it certainly reads realistically! I was sitting on the edge of my seat half the time. It’s a mesmerising reading experience. Ooh there’s so much I want to shout about but it’ll give the plot away. You have to discover this for yourself.


I’ll need time to recover before the next book but I will be at the front of the queue!

The story is based on following the fortunes of three characters. One is an American Afro Korean woman who pines for her twin sister who mysteriously disappears with her boy friend from a beach while an undergraduate in South Korea. When she is recruited by the CIA as a Korean expert she uses the opportunity to search for her sister. She meets up with the leader of a Korean mission to the USA who provides the other strand of the story. Seemingly unrelated is the story of a poor old lady, a farmer’s wife who is struggling to survive with the dregs of society. What they have to suffer and endure provides an exposé of a regime ruled by a God like leader who demands absolute loyalty from all in meeting his wishes. A well researched tale based on actual events and situations with detailed references.

Enlightening and Mesmerising.

Star of The North is quite simply a book like no other. Timely and terrifyingly close to reality It really packs a punch. Real life was completely pushed aside as I entered the intriguing yet harrowing world of North Korea. The three key narratives intertwine seamlessly to create a rip-roaring thriller that has it all.
Courage reigns over oppression from richly plotted characters whose light dazzles from each and every page. I do not remember a book that evoked so many different feelings all at the same time, sorrow in bucketfuls, heart-stopping moments as adrenaline coursed through my veins yet overall a sense of elation that the words flowed so effortlessly in what is a powerfully told story.

I leave this book honoured to have been an early reader of something really quite special. I am richer in thought yet feel a sense of loss that my journey within its pages is over.

Thank you so much to the Publisher, Harvill Secker, for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The USA and North Korea are on the brink of war...No **** Sherlock!! To say this is a book of and for the moment is to say gin goes well with tonic.
D B John has this spot on. Including the fear factor that one of these missiles will be weaponised.
The description of daily life for the majority of the population of North Korea is painful. Many people will never believe this can be the truth in the 21st century. The same people who will never believe that poverty exists in their own country...but it does.
There is a big blob of wishful thinking running through John's writing. There has to be to make it a novel and not a true memoir. If there is any hope left in this political Pandora's Box he tries hard to bring it out.
I read this as I watched the 2018 Winter Olympics from Pyongychang in South Korea and at least a little hope seeped out.

This has to be one of the best books of its kind that I have read in a long time.I couldn't put it down and the issues it raises will stay in my mind for a long time to come.
The main plot is the disappearance of a Korean-American girl in South Korea twelve years previously and her twin sister's quest to discover what happened to her.However ,there are two more strands to the story,both set in North Korea ,and the author skilfully weaves all three together in a way that will stay in the reader's mind for a long time.The author has visited North Korea and clearly has done extensive research about the country,throwing light on this dark place, and exposing many of the awful things that happen there. The character of Cho is particularly strong,and although it's sometimes hard to read ,the book is so well written and constructed that you have to continue reading to,find out what happens to him.
The ending is explosive and satisfying,and I can honestly say it is one the best books I have read in a very long time, and can highly recommend it.I look forward to the author's next book!