In the latest installment of the Ava Lee novels, Ava must infiltrate the seedy world of the Chinese film industry to protect the woman she loves.

Ava travels to Beijing for the premiere of Mao’s Daughter, the latest film starring her secret lover, Pang Fai. After the screening, a distraught Fai tells Ava that she is being blackmailed by senior officials of the China Movie Syndicate, who seek sexual favours in return for their continued support of Fai’s career and films. When Fai resists, the threats become increasingly menacing and include the release of scandalous videos of the young Fai that could end her career entirely.

Working alongside Fai and several of her friends, Ava delves deep into the dark side of the Chinese film industry in an attempt to liberate her lover from the grasp of the Syndicate. But can Ava save Fai from her memories?

Ian Hamilton is the author of seven novels in the Ava Lee series: The Dragon Head of Hong Kong: The Ava Lee Prequel, The Water Rat of Wanchai, The Disciple of Las Vegas, The Wild Beasts of Wuhan, The Red Pole of Macau, The Scottish Banker of Surabaya, and The Two Sisters of Borneo. The Water Rat of Wanchai was the winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel, an Amazon.ca Top 100 Book of the Year, an Amazon.ca Top 100 Editors’ Pick, an Amazon.ca Canadian Pick, an Amazon.ca Mysteries and Thrillers Pick, a Toronto Star Top 5 Fiction Book of the Year, and a Quill & Quire Top 5 Fiction Book of the Year.

Ian Hamilton's profile page

This time, [Ava’s] crusade is personal, and so is her outrage.

London Free Press

Told in his typical punchy and forthright style, Hamilton’s latest thriller is a rapid-fire read that leaves the reader breathless and eagerly anticipating the next installment . . . This is a series of books that just seems to get better and better.

The Mind Reels

In The Goddess of Yantai … Ava’s personal and professional lives collide in a manner that shakes the usually unflappable character.

Quill & Quire

I wanted to just rip through this book … If you love great writing, an intense pace, and a bit of a thrill, then [the Ava Lee novels] are perfect for you.

Reading on the Run

Ava at her most intimate and vulnerable.

Toronto Star

Action packed and thrilling.

Words of Mystery