Read the review in the G&M and bought the book based on it. Lots of good descripions of locales but I found the main character to be less than believable and the outcome was never in doubt. I manged to get through the whole thing but found I had to suspend my disbelief a little less than was possible. Would I read another by this author? Not a chance. There are lots more good Canadian authors to try out.

When I first received this book, I skimmed the back and saw forensic accountant and shipping firm and promptly put it on my bookshelf. Months later I noted that author Ian Hamilton would be at my local store. I was curious what the fuss was about. Time to get the book off the shelf and start reading. Five pages into the book, the start of chapter two, I knew I would have trouble putting this book down. If I were to designed the perfect accounting action hero, it would have to be Ava Lee. Not only is she a crack accountant, she is a master of several martial arts, in fact, she totally rocks. While she is located in Toronto, Ontario, her senior and only partner, Uncle, lives in Hong Kong, where much of their business originates. I have been raving about this imaginary woman for weeks now. She is so calm, cool and calculating, and.... Mr. Hamilton certainly knows how to spin a tale and keep me guessing. Each time I thought that Ava was going to wind up the case in the next few pages, some unexpected twist would happen and the story would take a ninety degree turn. It was interesting to follow Ava around the globe as she chased the money. The descriptions of the locations, some exotic and others down right dangerous, were vivid. I could almost smell the ocean lapping at the sea wall in Guyana. I would never have thought that forensic accounting could be this exciting and dangerous at the same time. This book is on the top of my recommended reading list.

An Ava Lee novel, book1 in the series I didn’t know forensic accounting could be so exciting….After reading this book I will never see numbers the same way… This story is one that is immediately engaging, quite original in nature and fun to read. I couldn’t zip through the pages fast enough, a fascinating tale to the end. Ava Lee, a young Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant specializes in recovering massive debts, at 5’3”, 115lbs she may not seem to be a threat but her sharpness and unorthodox way of operating have guaranteed her success where others have failed. She works out of Toronto for a Hong Kong based company run by a mysterious man known as “Uncle”. They are hired on a commission bases by people who suspect they have been defrauded and hope to recover some of their missing funds. In “The Water Rat of Wanchai”, Ava accepts to track down the $5 million owed to one of “Uncle’s” relatives. His nephew financed a major order of cooked shrimp for a large U.S. retailer, after the money was paid out; the retailer reneged on his responsibility to repay the debt. The first part of the book may be a bit slow and the narrative slightly devoted to everyday life however I enjoyed Ava’s travelogue to Seattle, Hong-Kong, Thailand, and British Guyana on the trail of the missing money. Her encounters bring her deep into a culture of fast deals, corrupt law enforcers and the way of life of the Thai katoeys. The storyline has sufficient detail to capture the essence of each port of call to make it exciting and captivating without side tracking the main plot. The second half of the book picks up a notch when we learn Ava is not your ordinary accountant she can also hold her own with tough kung-fu moves in a world where physical intimidation rules. The action is explosive even brutal at times, the suspense is well constructed and stimulating. Ava, the protagonist, is not only smart, tough, feisty and impeccably polite but also a tough b--ch when the going gets rough; she has definitely the DNA of a tiger, a cold blooded heroine fit for the big screen. This a great book and I am looking forward to reading more of Ava Lee’s action packed adventures.

I bought the Water Rat of Wanchai for my daughter, and then made the mistake of opening it and starting to read---------once I started I couldn't stop. What a page turner it is. Now my daughter is half way through my thumbed version. Ava Lee is just terrific.

I loved this book. So fantastic to have a lead character who is a Chinese-Canadian young woman with smarts and verve and sheer, sheer guts. I don't know how Ian Hamilton knows all this stuff, but he sure seems to. It was like reading about my own mother when he was writing about Ava's. Ava Lee is a great role model and just not for young Chinese-Canadian women, but all young women who can stand on their own two feet and out-think just about anyone, and then when push comes to shove also ----- kick their butt!!!!!!!!!!! Go Ava. I loved this.

I had the opportunity to read this before its official release and could not put it down. The author takes you on a thrilling and unique journey. Once you put the book down you will want to call your travel agent. Cannot wait for the rest of the series to be released.