The Disciple of Las Vegas: An Ava Lee Novel

Hamilton’s fast-paced first novel introduces tough Toronto forensic accountant Ava Lee, who receives a new assignment from her partner, “Uncle” Chow Tung, for the Philippines’ richest man, Tommy Ordonez. As she begins investigating a real estate deal involving Tommy’s brother, Philip Chew, from which more than $50 million is missing, Uncle alerts her that corrupt toy manufacturer Jackie Leung has put out a contract on her life. Ava learns that the real estate deal was a cover for online gambling debts that a key character lost to crooked fellow players. To recover the money, she must travel from Canada to Las Vegas and finally to London, relying on her martial arts skills when things get ugly. High-end travel, cuisine, and product placement add glitz, while Ava’s circle of mostly offstage friends and family lend enough personal depth to lift this thriller above solely action-oriented fare. Agent: Bruce Westwood and Carolyn Forde, Westwood Creative Artists. (Feb.)