The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton (Spiderline/House of Anansi Press)
The first title published by House of Anansi Press’s crime-fiction imprint, Spiderline, introduces an unlikely heroine in Ava Lee, a Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant and martial arts devotee. There are shades of Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander in Lee, although the latter stands out for her privileged upbringing (she is the daughter of a successful Toronto businessman) and dispassionate approach to getting the job done.
With his globetrotting protagonist, Hamilton has crafted genre fiction that feels at once familiar and exotic. The novel, Hamilton’s first, is a great introduction to the Ava Lee series (the second volume of which, The Disciple of Las Vegas, was also published this year) and sets an impressive standard for smart crime fiction at Anansi.
