The Red Pole of Macau

September 30, 2013
In Hamilton’s subpar fourth Ava Lee novel (after 2013’s The Wild Beasts of Wuhan), Ava’s eldest half-brother, Michael, who lives in Hong Kong, and his business partner, Simon To, have sunk a mostly borrowed $20 million into a Macau shopping center project that seems increasingly like a scam—and the developers are trying to strong-arm them into investing even more. Unless Ava can manage to extricate them, the financial security of her entire extended family could be at risk. Then Simon gets kidnapped. Petite Chinese-Canadian Ava shifts seamlessly from number cruncher to ninja, meticulously planning a rescue operation with the help of the extensive shadow network of Uncle, her once-Triad-linked business partner. Diluting the suspense somewhat is the distracting injection of Chinese power broker/cypher May Ling Wong from the previous book, as well as far too much description of cuisine and couture. Hopefully, Ava will return to form in her next outing. Agent: Gillian Fizet, House of Anansi (Canada).

Starred review from December 1, 2013

Canadian author Hamilton's third Ava Lee novel (after The Wild Beasts of Wuhan) has Ava traveling to China to rescue her distant half brother and his partner from financial disaster that could in turn risk her extended family's fortune. Ava is up against the "Red Pole of Macau," the enforcer for a powerful gang in the former Portuguese colony. Relying on her mentor, "Uncle," she also enlists the help of a former client, the cunning May Ling Wong. More cerebral and dependent on interrelationships than in the earlier books, Ava, a forensic accountant with martial arts skills, is sharp, clever, and cultured. Strong and independent, she also has a vulnerable side; she prays to St. Jude, the patron of lost causes, as she sets out to rescue her brother's kidnapped partner. Ava plans her approach down to the smallest detail, envisioning every possible scenario. Her dedication pays off in an edge-of-your-seat rescue attempt, with less violence than her previous adventures. VERDICT Hamilton delivers a fantastic read once again. Recommended for mystery and crime thriller fans.--Susan Carr, Edwardsville P.L., IL

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2013
When her half-brother asks for help, family takes priority for Toronto forensic accountant Ava Lee, whose business is finding money that has strayed. A bad investment of millions of dollars by Hong Kong businessman Michael Lee, Ava's half-brother and his partner, Simon To, in a Macau shopping center reputedly being developed by Kao Lokan enforcer, or red pole, in the triadthreatens the financial security of the entire family of Marcus Lee, with his three wives and eight children. With the development substantially delayed, Lok refuses to repay the investment, instead demanding more money. When Lok and his henchman kidnap Simon, problem-solver Ava has to act, calling on her elderly Hong Kong partner, Uncle Chow, a former triad leader who lacks his former power, and reluctantly enlisting the help of former client May Ling Wong. But even personal contacts and ready cash can't eliminate all the snags in Ava's bold and dangerous plan. Asian locales and action increasing to a deadly climax add to the appeal of this fourth (after The Wild Beasts of Wuhan, 2013) in Hamilton's surefire series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)