The Iman of Tawi-Tawi by Ian Hamilton

(20. - 1159.) The Iman of Tawi-Tawi by Ian Hamilton - Ava Lee is called by Uncle Chang from the Philippines. An old friend of Uncle Chow Tung, he asks a favour of Ava. It is a deft approach to get her to help him with a delicate situation. Ava is out of the debt collection business and is now a wealthy woman. Offering her money would have failed. Proposing a favour is intriguing. Much of Uncle Chow’s success was built upon exchanging favours. Uncle Chang has great guanxi, influence. Only in her 30’s Ava is building personal relationships with the wealthy and powerful of the world. She has become a woman of influence.

Uncle Chang is cryptic. He wants her to come to the Philippines to look into Zakat College, an Islamic institution, on Tawi-Tawi in the southern region of Mindanao. No specifics will be available unless she comes.

Ava flies to Manila where she meets Senator Miguel Ramirez. In the complex politics of the Philippines issues a long insurgency of Muslims in Mindanao has largely been resolved by the government making a deal with the Muslim Brotherhood that gives considerable autonomy to the region. The arrangement is fragile. Many politicians and the military are ready to blow up the agreement if they can find a suitable pretext.

Ramierz has heard rumours the College is at the heart of a plan that would de-stablise the area. 

The Brotherhood wants to preserve the peace which is aiding the very poor area to gain jobs and development.

When Ava meets with two young men who work at the College she receives disturbing news that could wreak havoc across the world.

The information sets Ava criss-crossing Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Australia. 

Security services in Canada, the U.S., Jordan and Lebanon are soon engaged on a quest to find out the truth concerning the students and the iman who is educating them at Zakat College.

The book was so different from recent books in the series which were driven by business interests and intrigues. There is no money to be made but if Ava is successful there will be huge favours owed her.

I did struggle a bit with why Ava was called upon by Uncle Chang. The information could have been obtained just as easily by someone actually in Tawi-Tawi. Once basic information is acquired Ava's international skills and contacts come to the fore.

I did regret that Ava’s accounting skills played no role. The most interesting books in the series have her understanding of finance and accounting playing a major role.

Ava’s personal life has little role. The Iman of Tawi-Tawi is a classic with Hamilton setting a brisk pace against calamity albeit, without bodies until 298 pages into the book.

The book was an extended novella. The unravling of the scheme proceeded very quickly leaving little room for human interactions. I was reminded of the Spenser novels of Robert B. Parker where dialogue dominated, the action was steady and the pages easily turned.

While The Iman of Tawi-Tawi challenges Ava’s psyche I hope the next book actually challenges her intellect and moves her life forward.

****

Hamilton, Ian - (2012) - The Water Rat of Wanchai; (2013) - The Disciple of Las Vegas; (2014) - The Wild Beasts of Wuhan; (2014) - The Red Pole of Macau; (2016) - The Scottish Banker of Surabaya; (2018) - The Two Sisters of Borneo; (2019) - The King of Shanghai; (2020) - The Princeling of Nanjing; (2020) - Fate; (2020) - Foresight; (2021) - Fortune; (2022) - Finale; (2022) - Body Counts in Fictional Gang Wars (Ian Hamilton, John Grisham and Don Winslow); (2023) - The Couturier of Milan