Meet Ava Lee -- the smartest, most stylish heroine in crime fiction
since Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salandar -- in the first installment of
the wildly popular Ava Lee novels.
Ava Lee is a young Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant, who specializes
in recovering massive debts and works for an elderly Hong Kong-based
"Uncle," who may or may not have ties to the triads. At 115 lbs., she
hardly seems a threat. But her razor-sharp intelligence and unorthodox
rules of engagements allow her to succeed where traditional methods have
failed.
In The Water Rat of Wanchai Ava is persuaded to help an old friend of
Uncle's, whose nephew is owed $5 million from a seafood 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 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 godfather-like figure who
controls the police, politicians, and criminals alike. In exchange for
his help, Robbins decides he wants a piece of Ava's $5 million action
and will do whatever it takes to get his fair share...