Book Review

By Derryll White

Hamilton, Ian (2012). The Red Pole of Macau.

We sell Ian Hamilton’s novels at Lotus Books and I had never looked inside one, even though he writes in the mystery genre. So when a pleasant and smart young woman told me I should read him, I thought “Better listen to the customers.”

This is the fourth novel in the author’s ‘Ava Lee’ series. Hamilton is a Canadian writer, published by a Canadian publishing house, and those facts alone probably should have led me to try him long before now.

I found this book difficult at first; hard to get into and with a lot of urban geography that just didn’t interest me. I am Kootenay raised and value space and clean air. Hong Kong just isn’t my kind of city.

As I continued to read, however, I began to realize that Hamilton’s main character – Ava Lee – was showing me a culture I had no inkling of. She is rooted in Toronto and I became fascinated with the primacy of family in Chinese life. Time and again Ava Lee put forward the premise that one must do anything to protect and uphold the family unit. That was certainly a principle I could identify with.

Hamilton does a very good job of communicating how women respond to high levels of stress. It is different from men, more planned and calculated to, in the end, make it manageable. I found this different take on the complexities of women fascinating, and refreshing. His heroine is small, so he makes up for this with discipline, flexibility and speed. Oh, and courage!

In the end I thought Ian Hamilton showed real craft in constructing the story. It was certainly alien territory for me and the descriptions of Hong Kong and Macau were fascinating. Will I read another one? Probably, but not for a while. I can certainly see where this story would be compelling to people hooked on exotic climes, action and criminal intent. I, however, look for more social comment, for some reflection on the world we live in and how we inhabit it. That was not there.

Excerpts from the novel:

MEN – “He’s not much of a liar and he has to handle communication with Lok. I decided it would be better if he really believed we were going to pay.”

“Sounds like he needs his hand held.”

“Sometimes.”

“Typical, I mean, typical for a man.”

HONG KONG CUISINE – “We’re going to have the double boiled fish maw soup, a stewed whole abalone – make it the Yoshihama – and a steamed pink garoupu. Ava, can you handle live shrimp?”

– Derryll White once wrote books but now chooses to read and write about them.  When not reading he writes history for the web at www.basininstitute.org.
Lotus Books is pleased to sponsor book reviews by Derryll White.  If you are interested in a book that Derryll has reviewed you can shop online at https://lotusbooks.ca/, call us at 250-426-3415 or please visit us at 33 10th Ave. S. Cranbrook, and we would be happy to help you find a great read.

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