Fate

Written by Ian Hamilton

Narrated by Michael Braun

The first book in a gripping new Ava Lee spinoff series featuring fan-favourite Uncle Chow Tung and his
rise to power in the triads
Hong Kong, 1969. The Dragon Head of the Fanling triads has died, and there is a struggle to replace him among
senior members of the organization. Sensing opportunity, neighbouring gangs begin to make threatening moves, and
it becomes obvious to the Fanling traids that they need a leader who can fend off the threats, unite the membership,
and maintain their prosperity. There are several candidates. The least conspicuous is the White Paper Fan, their young
administrator. His name is Chow Tung, but many of those who work with him already refer to him as “Uncle” …

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980063322

Ian Hamilton

IAN HAMILTON is the acclaimed author of sixteen books in the Ava Lee series, four in the Lost Decades of Uncle Chow Tung series, and the standalone novel Bonnie Jack. National bestsellers, his books have been shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Award (formerly the Arthur Ellis Award), the Barry Award, and the Lambda Literary Prize. BBC Culture named him one of the ten mystery/crime writers who should be on your bookshelf. The Ava Lee series is being adapted for television. 

Reviews for Fate

[alanteder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

叔叔 (shūshu) Uncle BeginsReview of the House of Anansi Spiderline 2019 paperbackFate is the first volume of a projected Uncle Chow prequel trilogy which takes place in the decades before Uncle met forensic accountant Ava Lee in The Dragon Head of Hong Kong. Various parts of Uncle's past are filled in with back story here including his escape from Communist China in 1959 through to his initial rise in smaller Triad organization in the New Territories zone of Hong Kong in 1969. Author Ian Hamilton has evidently already sketched out the rough plan of the trilogy as House of Anansi/Spiderline includes the initial chapter of volume 2 Foresight (expected release January 2020) in this current volume and even teases the covers for it and volume 3 Fortune (expected release January 2021) as well. The Ava Lee novels have made a steady progression from the early debt collection years to Ava's more recent conflicts with corporate entities in the worlds of fashion and film. That has also meant a gradual slide into a façade of respectability. The Uncle prequels promise a return to the conflict of the streets and Fate satisfies very well in showing how Uncle gradually built up the loyalty and respect of his peers in the Triads. I have no idea what research Ian Hamilton did for this book, but the atmosphere, the habits, the rituals etc. feel completely authentic (as they do in the Ava Lee books as well). The only downside here is that only 3 books seem to be currently planned. Hopefully that may yet change.

[eyes92c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Uncle Chow--the rise of a mega force!How could I resist another series by the creator of Ava Lee, the forensic accountant, and one of my favorite, contemporary mystery characters?What I didn't realize was that I'd be so fascinated by Uncle Chow Tung's story.We first meet him in the Ava Lee novels and always there's been something different about him. And this series explains it. How the young man from communist China becomes a leading triad figure. Set in the 1970's in Hong Kong, Chow Tung is the accountant (the White Fan) for the Fanling Triad. The tension builds when the Dragon Head of the Fanling Triad is killed in a hit and run accident. A new Mountain Master is to be appointed. Chow calls for an election as per the triad's rules. He sees the next in line as weak and ineffectual and is concerned. So we have an internal power struggle, with other triad's poised for action and the mystery of who is behind the death of the Dragon Head.Hamilton's description of the triad rituals is fascinating. The rules and regulations and ways of doing things have a strict order and coherence.Uncle (as even now Chow is called) is shown as a thoughtful and precise man who uses his intelligence to bring about calm, and focused on increasing the triad interests.I found Chows talks with his dead loved one poignant and instructive into who Chow is.A fascinating journey into the rise of the man known as Uncle that will continues with the looked for next in the series.I'm hooked!A House of Anansi Press ARC via NetGalley

[brianewilliams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Fate" is an introduction to the man who is known simply as Uncle in the Ava Lee crime novels by the same author. In June 1959, Uncle was known as Chow Tung when he and his fiance Lin Gui-San gathered together a small group of other young Chinese to escape from the People's Republic of China mainland to British Hong Kong. They needed to swim across a 4 km wide channel of polluted water beset with adverse weather and other dangers. Most of the group survived the ordeal and reached Hong Kong, but Gui-San did not. With the result that Chow arrives in Hong Kong without any family and his fellow surviving escapees are his sole support.Ten years later, Uncle is well-established as a leader in the Fanling triad gang. As a substitute for his mainland family killed in Mao's disastrous Great Leap Forward and the loss of Gui-San, Uncle adopted the gang as his family and advanced through its ranks. By 1969 he is their de facto chief financial officer, with the title: "White Paper Fan". Uncle has a progressive agenda to modernize and legitimize the triad's business to lower its profile in the eyes of the police. The sudden death of Gao, the triad leader, or "Mountain Master ", under suspicious circumstances on the day of an important business meeting to decide on whether to accept Uncle's plan for a new business venture triggers a struggle to succeed Gao. In the recent past, the Deputy Mountain Master has been automatically appointed to the head job. This convention has been followed even though there is an election process in which each gang member casts a vote to elect the gang's Mountain Master. Uncle convinces the gang leaders to hold an election for Gao's replacement. What follows is a fierce behind-the-scenes competition for the top job. Things are further complicated when rumours circulate that a neighbouring triad wants to take over the Fanling triad. The story moves briskly as the election date nears and the other gang makes its move on the Fanling gang. Uncle and his allies take a leading role in the pushback.One of the strengths of the book is the portrayal of the triad gang and its culture. While it is a criminal organization, the triad has a strict code of conduct which is rigidly applied. Those wanting to succeed Gao are desperately afraid of offending their colleagues; a losing candidate will be ostracized (or worse) by the successful winner and his supporters. A great sense of the triad way-of-life makes this a good story. Uncle's character is well-developed too, and he is an attractive protagonist, despite being a criminal gang leader. It is an impressive debut for these reasons and is an enjoyable read with no significant drawbacks. It's easy to highly recommend it. I received my review copy from the House of Anansi Press via Netgalley. The comments are my own.