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 Rat 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.