Happy Reading

Toni's bookshelf: read

The Godfather of Kathmandu (Sonchai Jitpleecheep, #4)
Ape House
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Operation Napoleon
Walking Dead
The Sentimentalists
The Heretic Queen
The Midnight House
Cross Fire
Peony in Love
Absurdistan
Nefertiti
Finding Nouf: A Novel
City of Veils: A Novel
First Daughter
A Place of Hiding
Amagansett
Peter Pan


Toni Osborne's favorite books »
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Saturday, June 8, 2013

"The Scottish Banker of Surabaya", by Ian Hamilton

Book 5, in the Ava Lee series

Although I had missed the two previous entries (which are on my back list) this latest installment had enough of chunk of back-story and fill in plot points and character relationships that I fitted right in and never felt lost, therefore, it was easy to pick up the pace and plunge into one of the stronger entries Mr. Hamilton has written so far….. I really need to catch up though….this is such an addictive series.

Eva Lee is a complex character, a young, stylish Chinese Canadian, a brilliant forensic accountant and a very engaging protagonist who stands out from the pack. Recovering from a gunshot wound acquired during her last job she is at a crossroad deciding her future when her mother ask her to help a friend who has been victimized along with others in the Toronto Chinese community in what seems to be a Ponzi scheme. To please her mother she accepts and begins her investigation. The trail leads her to a bank in Indonesia that is run by a Scot and a front for money-laundering operation for Italians mobsters.

The tight plot is detailed and full of international intrigue, one that is so suspenseful easy to get immersed into and lose track of time. Eva’s identity, her sexuality, her loves and challenges bring such human emotions into story especially her love for “Uncle” and the people she works with. The narration is focused on action and is definitely super-fun and a reader’s delight (IMO). Eva continues to develop and brings deferent twists with each installment.

Mr. Hamilton has once again gifted us with a compelling story filled with vivid description. Highly Recommended.

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