Ava is unbeatable at just about everything.
Just wait for her to roll out her bak mei against the bad guys. -- Toronto Star
Welcome to the official website for Ian Hamilton, author of the Ava Lee novels! We hope you enjoy learning more about the books and our feisty heroine Ava Lee. Be sure to check out the latest buzz, author events, and join us on Facebook.”
Reviews of The Water Rat of Wanchai, the first book in the Ava Lee series
“Ian Hamilton makes the global search for hidden money as thrilling as James Bond fleeing down a snowy slope on one ski. Ava Lee is tough, fearless, quirky, and resourceful, and she has more – well, you know – than half a dozen male detectives I can think of. Ian Hamilton knows his stuff, and he has created a true original in Ava Lee.”
– Linwood Barclay, author of No Time for Goodbye.
“This is a terrific story that’s certain to be on the Arthur Ellis Best First Novel list this year. Even better news is that the next three novels in the series are already written and ready to print. Ava Lee is going to be chasing the accounts for a long, long time.”
– Margaret Cannon, The Globe and Mail
“Ian Hamilton has a gift for language . . . A note of warning: this book will make you crave dim sum.”
– Literary Treats Blog by Jaclyn.
“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
“In the age of Lisbeth Salander, it’s not hard to see why Hamilton’s jet-setting heroine is so appealing.”
– National Post
“The Water Rat of Wanchai has introduced me to an intelligent, feisty and impeccably polite woman who is sure to have my attention with each subsequent adventure in the Ava Lee series. [...] It is sure to become a beloved blockbuster.” – Janet from Reading for the Joy of It
“The Water Rat of Wanchai is a brisk, entertaining read. [...] The action is explosive . . . [Ava Lee] quickly captivates the reader. [...] [Ian] Hamilton leaves the reader wanting more . . .” – Vicki from Bookgaga
“I absolutely could not put this book down. [...] I am anxiously awaiting the next two in the series.” – Marci from Serendipitous Readings
 February 2011 |
 July 2011 |
 January 2012 |
 Fall 2012 |
It was a life-threatening health scare that prompted Ian Hamilton to write his first in the series of captivating Ava Lee novels. Just two days out of hospital and recovering from surgery, Ian sat down at his computer. The name ‘Ava Lee’ came to him and the first chapter was quickly written. A few short weeks later, the first Ava Lee novel was completed.
Ian is not a stranger to the literary world. He began his career as a journalist and wrote a non-fiction book in 1968, The Children’s Crusade, which was a Canadian Book-of-the-Month selection. He has written for several magazines and newspapers in Canada and the U.S., including Maclean’s, Boston Magazine, Saturday Night, the Regina Leader-Post, the Calgary Albertan, and the Calgary Herald. He has been a senior executive with the federal government, and as worked internationally as a diplomat and businessman. Although there are 40 years between books, Ian never lost his passion for writing.
The years he spent travelling the world on business, spending countless hours on planes and hotels, became important influences on his writing, providing personal insights into the world of business and into the many people, places and cultures Ava Lee encounters.
His inspiration for the Ava Lee series did not end when the first book was complete. About half way through writing the first book, an idea for the second book came to Ian and he built it into the plot of the first. He began writing the second book the day after the first book was finished. The same is true for the third and fourth books. Within eight months, all four books were complete. Ian secured a four-book deal from his publisher before the last two books were even read by the publisher. International rights have been sold into the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Germany and worldwide Spanish and French rights.
Ian is currently working on the continuation of the Ava Lee series and has already completed books 5 and 6.
Ian lives in Burlington, Ontario with his wife Lorraine. He has four children and seven grandchildren.
Time
Saturday, May 5, 2012
2:00 p.m.
Location
Deer Creek Golf Club
2700 Audley Rd N
Ajax, ON L1S 4S7
(905) 427-7737
More Information
Ian Hamilton conduct a workshop on how to construct a series.
Time
Tuesday, May 10, 2012
7:00 p.m.
Location
Ben McNally Books
366 Bay Street
Toronto, ON M5H 4B2
Tel. 416-361-0032
More Information
Ian Hamilton will be signing books and participating in the Get Caught Reading fundraiser in support of Royal St. George’s College.
Time
Monday, May 28, 2012
7 p.m.
Location
Burlington Golf and Country Club
422 North Shore Boulevard East
Burlington, Ontario L7T 3Z9
905-634-7726
More Information
Ian Hamilton will be a guest speaker at the Canadian Federation of University Women’s annual dinner.
Methodical. Resourceful. Courageous. Determined. Strong. Confident.
Ava Lee is a young Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant who specializes in recovering massive debts that aren’t likely to be recovered through traditional methods.
In the first book of the Ava Lee series, The Water Rate of Wanchai, her character takes shape through learning about her traditional Chinese upbringing, her family dynamic and the people that are most important to Ava.
Partnering with “Uncle”, who lives in Hong Kong , they have a diverse client base that is mainly Asian. They approach their business with the understanding that “organized corruption is always superior to corruption with no rules.” Since dealing with corruption is the heart of their business, they prefer to conduct their work in countries with organized corruption.
Independent, intelligent, and creative in her methods, Ava does whatever needs doing to get the job done. Ava’s motto is: “people always do the right thing for the wrong reason.” Her challenge is to always find that wrong reason. Even though she’s petite, it’s a serious mistake to underestimate her physical abilities. She is well trained in martial arts and uses her abilities to get her out of dangerous circumstances. She is also accustomed to working alone, to the point of obsession, which becomes interesting when she is forced to negotiate with powerful and unfamiliar alliances to get the job done.
An Ava Lee Novel
Ian Hamilton
Release date: February, 2011
Ava Lee is a young Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant who specializes in recovering massive debts. Ava works for an elderly Hong Kong-based “Uncle,” who may or may not have ties to the Triads. At 5’3″ and 115 lbs., she hardly seems a threat. But her razor-sharp intelligence and unorthodox rules of engagement allow her to succeed where traditional methods have failed.
In The Water Rat of Wanchai Ava is persuaded by an old friend of Uncle’s to help his nephew who is owed $5 million from a seafood company. The nephew’s Hong Kong business financed purchase orders for a company that was producing cooked shrimp for a major U.S. retailer. The deal went sideways. The money disappeared.
On a journey that takes her from Toronto to Seattle to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Guyana, and the British Virgin Islands, Ava encounters everything from the Thai katoey culture to corrupt but helpful law enforcers. But it’s in Guyana where she meets her match: Captain Robbins, a huge hulk of a man and godfather-like figure who controls the police, politicians, and criminals alike. In exchange for his help, he decides he wants of piece of Ava’s $5 million action and will do whatever it takes to get his fair share …
In the first of what promises to be a massively successful series, Ian Hamilton introduces the reader to one of crime fiction’s most unique and compelling heroines, and uncovers the dark machinations of the global shadow economy.
Read an excerpt from The Water Rat of Wanchai
Available in fine bookstores across Canada and as an ebook through Kobo and iBooks. Starting in July, also available on Kindle. House of Anansi Press, Amazon, and Chapters
An Ava Lee Novel
Ian Hamilton
Release date : June, 2011
The second novel in the Ava Lee series launched under Anansi’s new crime fiction imprint, Spiderline
In The Disciple of Las Vegas, Uncle and Ava are hired by Tommy Ordonez, the richest man in the Philippines, to recover $50 million in a land swindle that took place in Canada and involves his brother. The Filipino billionaire’s reputation is on the line, and his family is on the brink of disaster.
Ava tracks the missing funds from Canada to San Francisco to accounts in Costa Rica owned by the Moneida, a First Nations band that owns and operates The River, an online poker web site. Ava uncovers an illegal online gambling ring, and follows the trail to Las Vegas. There, she confronts one of the greatest poker players in the world, David “The Disciple” Douglas, and his partner, Jeremy Ashton. Meanwhile, Jackie Leung, an old target of Uncle’s and Ava’s, has made it rich. He wants revenge, and he’s going after Ava to get it.
Will Ava save Ordonez’s family and reputation? Or will Jackie Leung get to her first?
Read an excerpt from The Disciple of Las Vegas
Available in fine bookstores across Canada and as an ebook through Kobo and iBooks. Also available on Kindle. House of Anansi Press, Amazon, and Chapters
An Ava Lee Novel
Ian Hamilton
Release date : February, 2012
In The Wild Beasts of Wuhan, Uncle and Ava are summoned by Wong Changing, “The Emperor of Hubei” and one of the most powerful men in China, when he discovers that the Fauvist paintings he recently acquired are in fact forgeries. Ava uncovers a ring of fraudulent art dealers and follows their twisted trail to Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Dublin, London, and New York. But the job is further complicated by Wong’s second wife, the cunning and seductive May Ling, who threatens to interfere in Ava’s investigation. Will Ava find the perpetrators and get the Wongs” money back? Or will May Ling get to them first…
Now available in fine bookstores across Canada and as an ebook through Kobo, iBooks, eBooks and Kindle. Also available now for order at Amazon.ca and Chapters/Indigo online.
An Ava Lee Novel
Ian Hamilton
Release date : Fall 2012
In The Red Pole of Macau, Ava’s half-brother Michael is desperate to pull out of a multi-million-dollar real estate deal in the territory of Macau. The developers are threatening to halt construction unless Michael and his business partner put up another $80 million; the bank is looking for repayment on their loan; and her father is prepared to sell everything to protect his first-born son. When Ava enlists Uncle for help, she discovers his health is failing and is forced to turn to a former client, the cunning and seductive May Ling Wong. As Ava follows the money trail, she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into Hong Kong’s dark and deadly world of organized crime. Will Ava protect her family’s future? Or will this job lead to a violent end…
 The Deadly Touch of the Tigress United Kingdom |
Die Wasserratte von Wanchai
Germany |
Dutch Cover
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Book Clubs
Ian loves book clubs! Please contact him if you would like him to attend a GTA area book club to talk about The Water Rat of Wanchai, The Disciple of Las Vegas and The Wild Beasts of Wuhan (all currently available in Canada) to discuss the characters and the writing and editing process. He can also give you a sneak peak reading from the fourth book in the Ava Lee series: The Red Pole of Macau which is due to hit the market in Canada in the Fall of 2012. If you are outside the GTA, Ian would be happy to attend your book club by phone!