The Wild Beasts of Wuhan: An Ava Lee Novel

Written by Ian Hamilton

Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda

"Formidable...Ava Lee is unbeatable at just about everything....She's perfect."—Toronto Star

Meet Ava Lee, alluring but deadly, with a mind like a steel trap, as she chases millions of dollars and dangerous criminals around the globe in this exotic and fast-paced new crime series by Ian Hamilton.

In The Wild Beasts of Wuhan, Wong Changxing, a rich Chinese powerbroker, has just been bilked out of $100 million in an elaborate art forgery con. His one hope of recovering the money, and of saving face, is Ava Lee—a forensic accountant with a talent for tracking down untraceable funds. With the help of her mentor, the Triad-connected Uncle, Ava traces the provenance of the meticulously forged paintings to Denmark, the Faroe Islands, New York, and London. As she infiltrates one of the most prestigious auction houses in the world, she uncovers a massive web of corruption, where high art and high-stakes fraud threaten more than just her client's business—this is one scam that could get her killed. Ava Lee is one of the most scintillating, unique heroines to come along in years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jun 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781427235312

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 The Wild Beasts of Wuhan

[alanteder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my 4th in the Ava Lee series in less than one month. That tells you all you need to know about how compelling this series is. Ava Lee is like no forensic accountant you have ever met. She is the James Bond, Reacher and/or Lisbeth Salander (pick your favourite ruthless/relentless hero/heroine) of forensic accounting.This time the case involves Ava chasing down the dealers and painters behind a forged collection of Fauvist (i.e. French name for the "Wild Beast" painters such as Matisse, Derain, etc. ) paintings sold to a billionaire art collector in Wuhan province in China. Ava is off to Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Dublin, London and New York and back as she pursues the scammers. But the collector and his 2nd wife have more in mind than just retrieving their money, putting Ava in a tight spot between her clients and her mentor/partner 'Uncle'.If you are as late catching on to this series as I am then I envy you, because you have 7 thrill rides yet to experience (probably an 8th by the time you finish the 7th as, thankfully, author Ian Hamilton is quite prolific).Bonus points for the introduction to Jóhanna av Steinum sweaters and to the Faroe Islands knitwear industry in general :D

[amobogio · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quick read, best of the series to date. Ava Lee steps into the world of art forgery which takes her from Hong Kong to New York via the Faroe Islands. She does her usual forensic accountant detective work in support of clients that are less moral, and certainly less likable than the fraudulent artists and art dealers she is tracking. Along the way she shops, drinks at least eight cups of Starbucks Via instant coffee, beats up some Russian sailors and cheats on her girlfriend. Only the last of these actions helps to build a sense of a developing character, and it might not seem like much, but it helps to create a more interesting heroine, someone who isn't as perfect as the 5 star hotels she frequents.