In the latest thrilling novel in the Ava Lee series, Ava launches an investigation into a fraudulent investment scheme that sends her around the globe on the trail of illegal diamonds, drug smuggling, and offshore banking. Ava and Pang Fai are in Toronto to attend a party at the home of Ava’s mother, Jennie Lee. When Ava’s best friend, Mimi, fails to appear, Ava goes looking for her. She finds Mimi at home, distraught over the death of her father, who has taken his own life after losing the family’s savings in a fraudulent investment scheme. Moved to avenge this tragedy and recover the stolen money, Ava launches an investigation that takes her to cities on three continents. As she tracks the money, Ava is thrust into the underworld of illegal diamond trading, international drug smuggling, and the world’s most secretive offshore banking haven. Along the way, a number of Ava’s old friends offer their assistance―from her business partner, May Ling Wong, to her ge ge , the Mountain Master of Shanghai, Xu. Most poignant of all, Ava is visited in her dreams by Uncle, who offers her much-needed guidance as she confronts a new face of power and corruption. PRAISE FOR THE AVA LEE SERIES AND IAN HAMILTON “Whip smart, kick-butt heroine, mixed into a perfect combination of adventure and exotic location. Can’t wait to see where Ava is off to next.” ― Taylor Stevens, author of the Vanessa Michael Monroe Series “The only thing scarier than being ripped off for a few million bucks is being the guy who took it and having Ava Lee on your tail. If Hamilton’s kick-ass accountant has your number, it’s up.” ― Linwood Barclay “A heck of a fun series, sharing Ian Fleming’s penchant for intrigue and affinity for the finer things in life and featuring Ava Lee ― a remarkable hero, a twenty-first century James Bond with real depth beneath her tough- as-nails exterior. Five stars and first class!” ― Owen Laukkanen, author of The Professionals “Ava Lee, that wily, wonderful hunter of nasty business brutes, is back in her best adventure ever . . . if you haven’t yet discovered Ava Lee, start here.” ― Globe and Mail “Slick, fast-moving escapism reminiscent of Ian Fleming.” ― Booklist “A hugely original creation.” ― Irish Independent “Another action-packed entry in a solid series.” ― Booklist “Crackling with suspense, intrigue, and danger, your fingers will be smoking from turning these pages. Don’t ever, ever, mess with Ava Lee. She’s not your average accountant.” ― Terry Fallis, author of The Best Laid Plans PRAISE FOR THE WATER RAT OF WANCHAI Winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel “Ian Hamilton’s The Water Rat of Wanchai is a smart, action-packed thriller of the first order, and Ava Lee, a gay Asian-Canadian forensics accountant with a razor-sharp mind and highly developed martial arts skills, is a protagonist to be reckoned with. We were impressed by Hamilton’s tight plotting; his well-rendered settings, from the glitz of Bangkok to the grit of Guyana; and his ability to portray a wide range of sharply individualized characters in clean but sophisticated prose.” ― Judges’ Citation, Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel “Ava Lee is tough, fearless, quirky, and resourceful, and she has more ― well, you know ― than a dozen male detectives I can think of . . . Hamilton has created a true original in Ava Lee.” ― Linwood Barclay, author of No Time for Goodbye “If the other novels [in the series] are half as good as this debut by Ian Hamilton, then readers are going to celebrate. Hamilton has created a marvellous character in Ava Lee . . . This is a terrific story that’s certain to be on the Arthur Ellis Best First Novel list.” ― Globe and Mail “[Ava Lee’s] lethal knowledge . . . torques up her sex appeal to the approximate level of a female lead in a Quentin Tarantino film.” ― National Post “The heroine in The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton sounds too good to be true, but the heroics work better that way . . . formidable . . . The story breezes along with something close to total clarity . . . Ava is unbeatable at just about everything. Just wait for her to roll out her bak mei against the bad guys. She’s perfect. She’s fast.” ― Toronto Star “Imagine a book about a forensic accountant that has tension, suspense, and action . . . When the central character looks like Lucy Liu, kicks like Jackie Chan, and has a travel budget like Donald Trump, the story is anything but boring. The Water Rat of Wanchai is such a beast . . . I look forward to the next one, The Disciple of Las Vegas.” ― Montreal Gazette “[A] tomb-raiding Dragon Lady Lisbeth, sans tattoo and face metal.” ― Winnipeg Free Press “An enjoyable romp with a feisty, ingenious heroine whose lethal martial arts skills are as formidable as her keen mind.” ― Publishers Weekly “Readers will discern in Ava undertones of Lisbeth Salander, the ferocious protagonist of the late Stieg Larsson’s crime novels