The Dragon Head of Hong Kong: The Ava Lee Prequel

Ava Lee #0.5

by Ian Hamilton

The prequel to the wildly popular Ava Lee series.

Young Ava Lee is a forensic accounting who has just opened her own private firm. One of her clients, Hedrick Lo, has been swindled of more than a million dollars by a Chinese importer named Johnny Kung. Desperate, Lo persuades Ava to find and retrieve the monies owed. Ava goes to Hong Kong, where she plunges into the dangerous underground collection business and meets a man who will forever change her life . . .

Genres: Mystery, Canada, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Asia

147 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2013

About the author

Ian Hamilton has been a journalist, a senior executive with the federal government, a diplomat, and a businessman with international links. He has written for several magazines and newspapers in Canada and the U.S., including Maclean's, Boston Magazine, Saturday Night, Regina Leader Post, Calgary Albertan, and the Calgary Herald. His nonfiction book, The Children's Crusade, was a Canadian Book of the Month Club selection.

Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q:
“Thank you, but I have never had a large capacity for grief. I prefer looking ahead to looking back. Swimming to Hong Kong limited my soul as well as my body. So trying new things, even at my age, holds no fear for me. I suspect you have the same spirit of independence and adventure.”
(c)
This is rather an uncharacteristic thing for a person of Chinese descent to say. The Chinese language has a propensity to place future behind and past before you. It is so because you have already lived the past you know what it holds therefore it's before your mind's eye. And what the future holds you can never tell before you have actually lived it therefore it is behind you back, unseen as of yet.
This excerpt betrays that the book was written by someone of Western culture not Chinese.

Q:
“I can’t remember the last time I drank a bottle of wine by myself,” she said.“And I cannot remember the last time I offered someone a job and they turned me down and then gave me two hundred thousand dollars,” he said with a smile.
(c)

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 to 3.5* How did Ava meet Uncle? This is the book detailing that. It's a short prequel and Ava has yet to develop into her later bad-ass self. Personally, I probably would not appreciate this story if I wasn't already a fan of the series.

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ava is cool! This where it all starts!

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was my first foray into Canadian author Ian Hamilton's Ava Lee series. I had seen this series around the book nerd universe, but it wasn't until I heard Hamilton speak with charm and wit at the Eden Mills Writers Festival last month, that I felt compelled to pick up this series. I actually bought the 14th book at the festival but sadly he had left before I could get him to sign it!

At the event he explained that he had wanted to write a book, so his wife told him to write about something he knew about. So, this Caucasian Canadian CIS man decided to write a series around a Asian-Canadian lesbian forensic accountant. Naturally.

This is the prequel to the Ava Lee series which to date has 14 books, and I liked the idea of starting at the very beginning. It is an easy, straightforward story (and only 150 pages), but a bit quieter of a read than I was expecting.

I look forward to reading the first book in this series (which I already have in my greedy little hands) to get to know Ava's character better, to see her relationship with Uncle progress and I eagerly look forward to seeing Ava kick some butt - on the streets and on spreadsheets.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great start to what looks to be a good series. Within a short, reasonably straightforward plot, we are introduced to Ava Lee, Canadian forensic accountant; a young woman who should not be underestimated.

I look forward to continuing with the series.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 0.5, the Ava Lee prequel

The same as every other book in the Ava Lee Series this novella also has a life of its own. The storyline answers the question every fans of this series may have been asking: How Ava and Uncle first connected and answers our curiosity concerning Ava’s early life.

Although this is the shortest of all the books so far, the length does not diminish the strength of the story. The plot is what drives the story and its simplicity shines through its characters.
In this story, Ava right out of school has opened her own private firm when one client who has been swindled needs her help. That brings her to Hong Kong, is plunges into a dangerous game and meets Uncle, the man that will for ever be her saviour.

This is a fast read, with simple language and one totally captivating. This series is fun and I highly recommend it for those who enjoy mysteries out of the ordinary featuring a 115 lbs Chinese-Canadian kick-ass forensic accountant with ties to an elderly Hong Kong man who may be close to the Triads.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read and strangely similar to The Ninja Daughter which I just happened to read just prior to this one. What are the odds that I pick two books about kick-butt Asian females solving problems?

This book is clearly an introductory book meant to provide backstory to these characters. It's a quick read, a fairly simple plot, but a nice way to get into the series and the characters. It came included with the kindle edition of the first full book (The Water Rat of Wanchai), so I figured I might as well start with the prequel even though I believe the Water Rat was published first.

I think I'm going to like Ava.

[Cynthia]

THIS WAS A QUICK LITTLE READ - LIKED THE CHARACTERS, ESPECIALLY AVA .... WILL READ THE REST OF THE SERIES (ALL 15) LOL

[Caridad · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy I found this author

I was looking for a different mystery/crime series to star and found Ian Hamilton’s Ava Lee series. This was a great introduction to Ava Lee. I like her character in that she is an forensic accountant (such a mild profession for a crime hero) with ingenuity.
I have read two books in the series so far and I’m glad I found this series.
Highly recommend it for anyone who likes Asian books and very capable female character (who kicks butt in an adult way).
Recommend and will continue to read series.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a a novella sized prequel story explaining how Ava came to work with Uncle. Essentially a shorter version of the novels but with Ava not wealthy enough to afford the Cartier Watch or Prada purse yet and a much faster resolution to the adventure.
I've read quite a few origin stories and this is one of the better ones, it sticks to the style of the original books and really feels like its own story and not just a quick add on the series to satisfy the fans or the publisher.

[Dave Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the 'origins' story for the Ava & Uncle relationship. It is short, but answers the 'how it all started' question which I found myself asking. It doesn't have the excitement and tension of other Ava Lee stories, but is enjoyable. A must read for all Ava Lee fans.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful start to the Ava Lee series. What a pleasurable read!! So well written!! Kudos Ian, I really look forward to reading your whole series!!

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ava before all the brand name dropping.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This prequel to the first full size book featuring Ava Lee turned out to be a very interesting intro to Ava and her world!
I'm looking forward to reading more of her exploits in future!

[Muhammad Gibran · Rating 4 out of 5]

a short novel but its good. can answer some question about ava and uncle.

[Zeb Kantrowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who has read Ian Hamilton, this story (it's a novella) explains how Ava got involved with Uncle, and how they started their business. Ava had just opened her own accounting firm and got involved in a collection problem for the son of one of her mother's maj jong player friends. Though she is not a detective/cop, she is a trained forensic accountant, and can find where the moneys buried.

The son had been buying chicken feet (a Chinese delicacy) and shipping them to China. Things went fine to begin with but after a while he couldn't get his buyer to pay for the food. First the man said there was problems with the food and then complained of troubles with customs. The son had a contract to buy the chicken feet so he had to keep shipping this perishable food. After a few months he was owed over $1 million US.

Ava is able to track the money to from Hong Kong to Shenzhen just over the border. It turns out that the guy she's tracing has other people looking for him. So Ava decides they should work together and that's how she meets Uncle. Uncle's men kidnap the man and convince him to pay, and they settle for $400k. This covers most of Uncle's clients loss but that means $200k for each of their clients.

Ava is sure their is more money somewhere when she finds invoices for over $1.2 million US, in the buyers records. She manages to trace the money and then transfer the whole amount to her account in Canada. The Uncle is impressed by what she has done and offers her a job, but Ava wants to be independent and so they work out a "partnership".

The story is not as important as learning how she began her new business with Uncle as her partner.

[Jo-anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being late to the Ava Lee series of Hamilton, I obtained a library copy that included the 1st novel with this prequel. Ava has captured my interest. Who doesn’t admire a beautiful, intelligent, interesting woman who is strong, but kind, and able to defend herself against thugs! I love the Toronto Hong Kong connection and am poised ready to start the next in the series. Let the adventures continue. I might need some takeout Chinese food to accompany this next book. The hotpot had my mouth watering.

[Lucile Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

84. The Dragon Head of Hong Kong by Ian Hamilton
This novella is a prequel to the Ana Lee series of books. Some of my friends don’t like the accounting details, but I worked for a forensic accountant and we were dealing with real mysteries (How did that guy have eight mortgages on a 34 unit apartment in Colorado?) Ana Lee is no nonsense, strong, and efficient. She has a mother in suburban Toronto and a father in Hong Kong. And I will be reading more of her.

[G Flood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always wonder how Ava met Uncle and here I got my answer. It's nostalgic to go back in time and read this novella on Ava's story after reading 7 books in her series but it's also interesting to see a less experienced Ava. Every heroine has to start somewhere. I highly recommend this series by Ian Hamilton. Fast paced, action packed entertainment that will keep you intrigued til the very last page.

[Wendy Hearder-moan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read this book a few days ago while on an overnight flight...just the right length of book for that occasion. I enjoyed this prequel to the series and thought that, for the most part, Hamilton did a good job of “regressing” Ava to where she was before she got involved with Uncle and his “career”. An exception to this was the way Ava seemed to know instinctively about selectively over-tipping/bribing people.

[Janice Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is a prequel to the 12 previous Ava Lee novels by Ian Hamilton. It reveals how the young, Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant met her future business partner, Chow Tung (Uncle) in Hong Kong. Ava is not the wealthy, sophisticated and somewhat fearless world traveller that she is in the novels, so there still seems to be a bit of a gap between this novella and the first Ava Lee adventure, The Water Rat of Wanchai.

[Tasula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book describes how Canadian forensic accountant Ava Lee met Uncle Chow Tong in Hong Kong; how she collaborated with two of his employees to recover money stolen from her client and his client. It also introduces some of the characters that appear in the series: Andy and Carlo (Uncle's muscle for hire), Sonny (Uncle's driver), Jennie (Ava's mom), Marcus Lee (Ava's dad). And throughout we are treated to descriptions of what sounds like delicious food (a vicarious thrill).

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is "The prequel to the wildly popular Ava Lee series" and since I was interested in perhaps starting "the wildly popular Ava Lee series" I thought I should start here.

Like most "wildly popular" things ... they don't always please all of the people all of the time. I was pretty sure w/in the first 50 pages that Ava Lee and her shenanigans, written by just ho-hum writer Ian Hamilton, were not my bag. Certainly not with my TBR list growing and growing. But since this was a short book - 147 pages, I think? - and really easy to read, I banged it out and called it a day.

Bye, Ava Lee. We hardly knew ye.

[Jules Goud · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of Fantasy novels, so I was looking for something different. My Aunt recommended this series!

I quite enjoyed this book. I haven't read any of the other Ava Lee series but this one certainly had me interested in what comes next! Ava Lee is a kickass character and Canadian, so I'm very interested in reading more of her adventures.

[The Bamboo Traveler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really love this series of books. Who would have ever thought that forensic accounting could be so thrilling!?

This is the story of how Eva Lee went from an ordinary accountant to become the bad-a$$ that she is in the other books in the series. It tells the story of how she met Uncle and started working for him.

A really fun book that is hard to put down. The writing is also really good!

[Jean Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read being the prequel to the series and I really enjoyed it. The heroine is her own woman and quite feisty and it tells me more about modern Chinese life. Very different to Van Gulik's Judge Dee tales. Looking forward to reading Water Rat of Wanchai next.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very promising start to a series about a Chinese Canadian forensic accountant and her Hong Kong based business partner. Having visited Hong Kong 🇭🇰 a couple of years ago I was delighted to read part of this prequel was set in the same area I stayed - Mong Kok.

[Dogsandbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot is fine but the author doesn't know how modern day Hong Kong actually is and it's culture. Reads like a foreigner trying to write about something they don't know about at all. Some creepy and inaccurate lines when read from the POV of a POC.

[Sheila · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simplistic.Felt I was reading an elementary school book with the writing style. . Ava transferred money to her own account just like that? No questions from her bank? Everything fell too neatly into place. Underwhelmed.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short novella that is the prequel to the Ava Lee series. Gives context and background to how she got into forensic accounting and met Uncle. Interesting characters. Really enjoyed this.