by Ian Hamilton
— Literaturkurier
PRAISE FOR THE DISCIPLE OF LAS VEGAS
FINALIST, BARRY AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL TRADE PAPERBACK
“I started to read The Disciple of Las Vegas at around ten at night. And I did something I have only done with two other books (Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Douglas Coupland’s Player One): I read the novel in one sitting. Ava Lee is too cool. She wonderfully straddles two worlds and two identities. She does some dastardly things and still remains our hero thanks to the charm Ian Hamilton has given her on the printed page. It would take a female George Clooney to portray her in a film. The action and plot move quickly and with power. Wow. A punch to the ear, indeed.”
— J. J. Lee, author of The Measure of a Man
“I loved The Water Rat of Wanchai, the first novel featuring Ava Lee. Now, Ava and Uncle make a return that’s even better . . . Simply irresistible.”
— Margaret Cannon, Globe and Mail
“This is slick, fast-moving escapism reminiscent of Ian Fleming, with more to come in what shapes up as a high-energy, high-concept series.”
— Booklist
“Fast paced . . . Enough personal depth to lift this thriller above solely action-oriented fare.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Lee is a hugely original creation, and Hamilton packs his adventure with interesting facts and plenty of action.”
— Irish Independent
“Hamilton makes each page crackle with the kind of energy that could easily jump to the movie screen . . . This riveting read will keep you up late at night.”
— Penthouse
“Hamilton gives his reader plenty to think about . . . Entertaining.”
— Kitchener-Waterloo Record
PRAISE FOR THE WILD BEASTS OF WUHAN
LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST: LSEBIAN MYSTERY
“Smart and savvy Ava Lee, Toronto forensic accountant, returns in this slick mystery set in the rarefied world of high art . . . [A] great caper tale. Hamilton has great fun chasing villains and tossing clues about. The Wild Beasts of Wuhan is the best Ava Lee novel yet, and promises more and better to come.”
— Margaret Cannon, Globe and Mail
“One of my favourite new mystery series, perfect escapism.”
— National Post
“You haven’t seen cold and calculating until you’ve double-crossed this number cruncher. Another strong entry from Arthur Ellis Award–winner Hamilton.”
— Booklist
“An intelligent kick-ass heroine anchors Canadian author Hamilton’s excellent third novel featuring forensic accountant Ava Lee . . . Clearly conversant with the art world, Hamilton makes the intricacies of forgery as interesting as a Ponzi scheme.”
— Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
“A lively series about Ava Lee, a sexy forensic financial investigator.”
— Tampa Bay Times
“This book is miles from the ordinary. The main character, Ava Lee is ‘the whole package.’”
— Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A strong heroine is challenged to discover the details of an intercontinental art scheme. Although Hamilton’s star Ava Lee is technically a forensic accountant, she’s more badass private investigator than desk jockey.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“As a mystery lover, I’m devouring each book as it comes out . . . What I love in the novels: The constant travel, the high-stakes negotiation, and Ava’s willingness to go into battle against formidable opponents, using only her martial arts skills to defend herself . . . If you want a great read and an education in high-level business dealings, Ian Hamilton is an author to watch.”
— Toronto Star
“Fast-paced and very entertaining.”
— Montreal Gazette
“Ava Lee is definitely a winner.”
— Saskatoon Star Phoenix
“The Wild Beasts of Wuhan is an entertaining dip into potentially fatal worlds of artistic skulduggery.”
— Sudbury Star
“Hamilton uses Ava’s investigations as comprehensive and intriguing mechanisms for plot and character development.”
— Quill & Quire
PRAISE FOR THE RED POLE OF MACAU
“Ava Lee returns as one of crime fiction’s most intriguing characters. The Red Pole of Macau is the best page-turner of the season from the hottest writer in the business!”
— John Lawrence Reynolds, author of Beach Strip
“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
“The best in the series so far.”
— London Free Press
“Ava [Lee] is a character we all could use at one time or another. Failing that, we follow her in her best adventure yet.”
— Hamilton Spectator
“A romp of a story with a terrific heroine.”
— Saskatoon Star Phoenix
“Fast-paced . . . The action unfolds like a well-oiled action flick.”
— Kitchener-Waterloo Record
“A change of pace for our girl [Ava Lee] . . . Suspenseful.”
— Toronto Star
“Hamilton packs tremendous potential in his heroine . . . A refreshingly relevant series. This reader will happily pay House of Anansi for the fifth instalment.”
— Canadian Literature
PRAISE FOR THE SCOTTISH BANKER OF SURABAYA
“Hamilton deepens Ava’s character, and imbues her with greater mettle and emotional fire, to the extent that book five is his best, most memorable, to date.”
— National Post
“In today’s crowded mystery market, it’s no easy feat coming up with a protagonist who stands out from the pack. But local novelist Ian Hamilton has made a great job of it with his Ava Lee books. Young, stylish, Chinese Canadian, lesbian, and a brilliant forensic accountant, Ava is as complex a character as you could want . . . [A] highly addictive series . . . Hamilton knows how to keep the pages turning. He eases us into the seemingly tame world of white-collar crime, then raises the stakes, bringing the action to its peak with an intensity and violence that’s stomach churning. His Ava Lee is a winner and a welcome addition to the world of strong female avengers.”
— NOW Magazine
“Most of [the series’s] success rests in Hamilton’s tight plotting, attention to detail, and complex powerhouse of a heroine: strong but vulnerable, capable but not impervious . . . With their tight plotting and crackerjack heroine, Hamilton’s novels are the sort of crowd-pleasing, narrative-focused fiction we find all too rarely in this country.”
— Quill & Quire
“Ava is such a cool character, intelligent, Chinese-Canadian, unconventional, and original . . . Irresistible.”
— Owen Sound Sun Times
PRAISE FOR THE TWO SISTERS OF BORNEO
CANADIAN BESTSELLER
“There are plenty of surprises waiting for Ava, and for the reader, all uncovered with great satisfaction.”
— National Post
“Ian Hamilton’s great new Ava Lee mystery has the same wow factor as its five predecessors. The plot is complex and fast-paced, the writing tight, and its protagonist is one of the most interesting female avengers to come along in a while.”
— NOW Magazine (NNNN)
“Ava may be the most chic figure in crime fiction . . . The appeal of the Ava Lee series owes much to her brand name lifestyle; it stirs pleasantly giddy emotions to encounter such a devotedly elegant heroine. But, better still, the detailing of financial shenanigans is done in such clear language that even readers who have trouble balancing their bank books can appreciate the way conmen set out to fleece unsuspecting victims.”
— Toronto Star
“Hamilton has a unique gift for concocting sizzling thrillers out of financial misdoing.”
— Edmonton Journal
“Hamilton has this formula down to an art but he manages to avoid cliché and his ability to evoke a place keeps the series fresh.”
— Globe and Mail
“The series as a whole is as good as the modern thriller genre gets.”
— The Cord
