Ava Lee is a Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant who chases massive bad debts for a living.

Hamilton is best known for his series of detective novels featuring forensic accountant Ava Lee, which are based in part on his experiences in various countries around the world, particularly in southeast Asia.

[4] As of 2012, the first book in the series, The Water Rat of Wanchai, was in the process of being adapted for film, with the screenplay written by Karen Walton.

[9] The Disciple of Las Vegas was short listed for the Barry Award[10] as the best original paperback published in the United States in 2014.

All of the Ava Lee books have been optioned for film, and a TV series is currently in development for a joint Canadian/American network partnership.