Scion of industry

Vestige of colonialism

Just who was Veronica Hawkins?

When Martina Torres arrives in the glamorous and vibrant metropolis of Hong Kong, newly married to her high school sweetheart, the world seems to be her oyster. But looks can be deceiving. Adrift in a foreign city, with no job and no friends, Martina chafes in her new role as Expat Wife.

But her luck changes when she meets Veronica Hawkins. Beautiful, sophisticated, and very, very rich, Veronica is the epitome of Old Hong Kong–the last surviving member of a British mercantile dynasty that built the city during its colonial heyday. Martina can hardly believe her fortune when she’s taken under Veronica’s wing and into her confidence, with Veronica helping her to find a new apartment, a new career, and most importantly, a new self.

Veronica transforms Martina’s life and then, shockingly, she dies. She disappears over the side of a yacht during a party attended by Hong Kong’s most influential people — yet somehow there are no witnesses.

Was it murder? Suicide? A terrible accident? What really happened to Veronica Hawkins?

Somebody knows but nobody’s telling.

Kristina Perez is a half-Argentine, half-Norwegian native New Yorker. She holds a PhD in Medieval Literature from the University of Cambridge and has taught at the National University of Singapore and the University of Hong Kong. As a journalist, she’s written for many international news outlets covering primarily travel, culture, and fine art. She has penned several novels for young adults and is now a London-based literary agent.