The second book in the gripping Ava Lee spin-off series features fan-favourite Uncle Chow Tung and his ascendancy to the head of the Triad gang in Fanling.

1980: A pivotal year in modern Chinese history as Premier Deng Xiaoping begins what he intends to be the transformation of China into an economic superpower. The most visible evidence of Deng’s policy is the creation of Special Economic Zones, and one has been set up in Shenzhen, next door to Hong Kong and on Fanling’s doorstep. Among Triad leaders, Uncle is the only one who recognizes that Deng’s intentions could have profound repercussions on their organizations. To protect his gang and their interests, he acts to not only minimize the danger, but to turn events to his advantage.

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

Hamilton does a masterly job capturing the sights, smells, and sounds of Hong Kong as he charts Chow’s struggle to survive.

Publisher's Weekly

A welcome origin story about the man who helped shape Ava Lee.

Booklist

[Ian Hamilton is] a lively writer with an attentive eye for the details of complicated suspense.

London Free Press

[Uncle’s] rise through the ranks of the Hong Kong Triads makes for fascinating reading … Those fresh to Hamilton’s work or simply looking for something familiar but different, meanwhile, will find much to like in the author’s new series.

Quill & Quire