Ava is called upon to protect her family’s future in the latest installment of the acclaimed Ava Lee novels.

Ava’s half-brother Michael is desperate to pull out of a multi-million-dollar real-estate deal in the territory of Macau. The developers are threatening to halt construction unless Michael and his business partner put up another $80 million; the bank is looking for repayment on their loan; and her father is prepared to sell everything to protect his first-born son.

When Uncle is unable to help, Ava is forced to turn to a former client, the cunning and seductive May Ling Wong. As Ava untangles the twisted money trail, she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into Hong Kong’s dark and deadly world of organized crime.

Will Ava protect her family’s future? Or will this job lead to a violent end…

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

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

... a change of pace for our girl [Ava Lee] ... suspenseful ...

Toronto Star

... fast and entertaining ... the action unfolds like a well-oiled action-flick.

Guelph Mercury

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

Ian Hamilton's cool and stylish heroine kicks it up a notch in this action-packed thrill ride. Crackling with suspense, intrigue, and danger, your fingers will be smoking from turning these pages. Don't ever, ever, mess with Ava Lee. She's not your average accountant.

Terry Faliis

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

The best in the series so far.

London Free Press