#ava li

Ever wondered which of these five queer super-spies you are?! 

Okay, Halloween was GREAT! I know I'm very late to posting my Halloween costume pics, but there have been so many movie nights this week! I don’t really have any pictures of me alone— too busy watching Halloween movies for the first time ever 😅

I’ve been watching so much Netflix this week! This semester has been crazy, but me and @rensteclaire have been taking some time to relax and just hang out, too. Which has meant lots of movie nights!

The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton is a 317 page action mystery novel. The first in the Ava Li-series. I've gotten this book of my favorite cheap book website and the reason I even got it is because of the tag line: Ava Li; Kill Bill meets Lisbeth Salander.

Ava Li is a Chinese Canadian forensic accountant. When 5 million dollars of a large Asian firm goes missing she is called up by 'uncle' to find the money. Traveling to Hongkong, she meets the CEO and goes to investigate in the most exotic locations; Taiwan, Guyana, Britsh Virgin Isles. Will she find the money, or will she swim with the shrimp?

I rate this book 4.5/5 stars, because while I really liked it, and I would reread it, perhaps continue on with the series, I do have some problems with it.

I really enjoy my time with this book, it really sucks me in and doesn't let me go for a while. Since I don't read that much mysteries, I really like it. Yet to me the stakes don't seem that high. It doesn't seem urgent to Ava Li that she needs the money that she'll be paid with. Even then she spends Uncle's money left and right without as much as a second thought. On the back is says that the trail leads from the Virgin Isles to Guyana, which is not true; it's the other way around. Btw, I've yet to understand how that Dutch title (Dance of the Tiger) comes into play, the English one I kinda understand. Even with the tagline she is set up to be this bad ass woman, who doesn't need no ones help, but that annoys me about her. She can do everything and anything and her plans are right the first time and water tight. In the book it's stated that she dislikes brands like, Louis Vuitton and Coco Chanel, and would never set foot into a store, yet the back says she has a weakness for it. I mean; have they even read the book? Early on it's stated that Ava is a Lesbian which I do really appreciate, but I must say her connection with Jeff in Guyana is so darn cute. If she was straight I would've shipped them. I do really like Uncle, he's like the concerned parent she never had, but is also like; I'm letting you do your thing, but if you want I'll have your back. On the back it's said that Uncle is connected to the Chinese mob, but I've yet to see that said in the book.

I get seriously frustrated thinking about the synopsis. It's the details given that count, and here they just jumble words onto the back. So that is one thing that could've been improved. Another is Ava's character. I under stand that they wanted a more experienced character, but I feel there is no room for improvement. She's a static character.