Alexis and Austin both work at a hospital in New York City, but in different departments. So it's interesting that they meet in the Emergency Room where Alexis works when Austin is injured at a bar. Their romance is quick and the next thing you know, they are on a bike tour in Vietnam to visit the places where Austin's father fought and his uncle died. But when Austin is killed in an accident, it brings up a lot of questions for Alexis about the real reason they were in Vietnam. Alexis is determined to find out what happened to Austin, but will she loose her own life in the process?

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I had no idea the turns this book would take. From the outside, Austin seems like your typical guy who likes to bike. But there is a secret he is hiding, one that no one about. This secret can kill hundreds, thousands, even millions of people, especially if it gets into the wrong hands. Alexis is a strong determined person, refusing to let Austin's death go without further investigation. It leads to a cross continent search for the truth and a way to end something tragic.

I really enjoy Chris Bohjalian's books. They take you on a journey that you aren't expecting. I wasn't sure where this story was going to go, but I enjoyed the ride. It goes to show you that you have to be careful out here with the people you are dating.

I was impressed with the Vietnamese scenery and the characters and investigation on the Vietnamese side. Main character was hard to connect with and found myself looking more for stories surrounding characters other than her. There wasn't as much as a mystery as I expected from this author as you knew what was going on the whole time, but the unraveling so the characters knew was well written.

Published by Doubleday on March 17, 2020

The Red Lotus is the name of a plague that has been weaponized as a bioweapon. It is a bit chilling to read about a plague in the midst of a pandemic, but the pandemic discussion is prescient. Says one character: “Got to be ready for the next pandemic. Got to have new antibiotics. Got to know what we’re up against. I mean, it’s coming, and New York City is the perfect place for a catastrophe. We have lots of people living in very close quarters.” Chris Bohjalian got that right.

The Red Lotus plague is carried by rats, although the weaponized version can spread from person to person. We learn quite a bit more than I needed to know about the rat world. Whether Vietnamese rats, having been exposed to Agent Orange, have evolved to be tougher than New York rats, which have been exposed to New Yorkers, is a question that preoccupies some of the characters. Saying much more about the nature of the plague might reveal spoilers. Instead, let’s look at how the plot sets up.

Alexis Remnick is an ER doctor who has a history of teenage angst that involved cutting herself. Now she blocks the pain by cutting her patients and sewing them back together, a task that helps her tend to herself by tending to others. Alexis met Austin Harper when he came to the ER for treatment of a gunshot wound, having been shot for apparently random reasons while playing darts in a bar. One thing leads to another and before long, Alexis and Austin are going bicycling in Vietnam, where Austin feels the need to pay his respects to relatives who were wounded or killed during the war.

Austin disappears in Vietnam. When his body is found, the police conclude that he was the victim of a hit-and-run while biking by himself. Alexis identifies his body in the morgue, but she also inspects it from a physician’s perspective, taking note of a puncture wound in his hand that isn’t consistent with a bicycling accident.

Back in America, Alexis meets with Austin’s parents and learns that the story he told about the war experiences of his relatives was bogus. Alexis hires a private investigator named Ken Sarafian to help her uncover the truth about Austin's death. A Vietnamese cop, an FBI agent stationed in southeast Asia, and friends of Alexis all play varying roles in helping Alexis understand what Austin was up to in Vietnam. Not surprisingly, it had something to do with rats. Intermixed with those chapters are chapters that follow the bad guys who had something to do with Austin’s death, or with rats, or both.

For the most part, characterization is strong. I’m not sure I quite bought Alexis’ need as an adult to get out her X-Acto knife and ponder the merits of once again being “the captain of her own pain” by cutting herself. Maybe old habits die hard, but it struck me as a contrivance in an adult who has made something of herself. Alexis is a smart, resourceful, and likeable character who would have earned just as much sympathy without the cutting.

While I didn’t entirely buy into the plot — Austin’s motivation for his actions is less than satisfying — I was carried along by Bohjalian’s smooth prose. The story is engaging because it requires some concentration to keep track of all the moving pieces. All of the pieces come together in an ending that isn’t particularly surprising until the epilog comes along. If for no other reason than its timely reminder that the United States should always be prepared for a pandemic, The Red Lotus is a thriller that merits attention.

RECOMMENDED

I loved this book and have read everything by this author. Per usual, I was sucked in immediately and thoroughly enjoyed the vivid and descriptive settings, the relatable and interesting characters and the intricate plot of this thriller. It's also very moving with friendships and connections with others. A perfect slow burn!

This book took me for a ride. Ride from one destination to another. Vietnam was part of the story and the plot was interesting enough for me to enjoy it so much, I decided to read more books by this author.
Fast paced, interesting and of course mysterious. The ending was well worth to wait for too!

An idylic vacation with her boyfriend turns into a nightmare. ER doctor Alexis learns her missing boyfriend is dead but she doesn't believe it was an accident. Bohajalian's new book incorporates everyday people pulled into horrific experiences. It took some time in the eary part of the book to get over the yuck factor with the info about rats, but after that passed the book is an enjoyable page turner. Not so sure about a casual romantic interest upending her life to find out the truth, but Alexis could be construded as a tad inpulsive. The best part is, finally, there is a good, believable ending to one of the author's books! Enjoy!

This book took a while for me to get into. I almost put it down but then kept seeing so many great reviews for it. Almost half way through and I felt like I had finally hit the magic stop and I couldn't put it down. Once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down and really enjoyed it. I hate that it took me longer to get into it.

I have heard great things about this author, so I was excited to see they had a new book. Unfortunately, I just could not get in to this one and had to DNF about 50% of the way through. It was just too slow paced for me right now and did not keep my interest at all. I do think other people who enjoy his writing will enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

What could be a better escape than a bicycle trip in Vietnam, with the man you love? Alexis is used to dealing with high stress situations. An emergency room doctor she falls in love with a patient, Austin, who comes to her hospital with a gunshot wound that he claims was the result of him being an innocent bystander. So, why, then does he end up missing in Vietnam after a solitary bike ride, leaving only one small clue. Alexis is left to figure out not only what happened to Austin, but also who he really was and, how to deal with her broken heart. This is a riveting read, and shows the talent of this writer!

I am a new reader of Chris Bohjalian but was excited to read his book because he comes highly recommended. I am sad to say I'm not a fan. I felt like the story took too long to get started, I kept waiting for the hook but was struggling through each chapter. I also felt the story could've been shorter, it was stretched out too long. In general I didn't find a connection with the characters and wasn't invested. Bummed because I wanted to like it.

I’m a big fan of Chris Bohjalian‘s books so I picked up THE RED LOTUS without knowing anything about it. It’s the story of emergency room physician Alexis. She travels to Vietnam with her boyfriend Austin for a biking vacation. He takes off on his own to visit the places his father and uncle served during the Vietnam War. Alexis becomes upset when he doesn’t return and sets out to find him. What she finds doesn’t make sense and she becomes determined to discover just what happened.

I don’t want to say too much but this was a very timely book and I really enjoyed it. Rats are featured quite a bit and there are a few gut-churning moments but they didn’t keep me from reading as quickly as I could. I thought both the characters and the story were well done.

In-depth research and exquisite detail along with an incredibly timely plot made this one a winner for me! The audiobook was outstanding.

I absolutely loved 'The Flight Attendant' and was thrilled that this book was filled with the same painstaking detail and intelligence. Alexis was a well-rounded character and very believable, a young ER doctor who finds herself alone in Vietnam when her boyfriend disappears on a biking tripo.

The author describes Vietnam with great beauty and care and the country sounds magnificent. I switched between the ebook and the audiobook and i will say I really enjoyed hearing the lovely pronunciations of the various cities and locales. Bohjalian also gives context and history of the Vietnam War which was very illuminating.

How are all the differing characters and threads related? The author does a great job of connecting the dots between Alexis's missing boyfriend Austin, the hospital where she works and the other main characters, who are all an integral part of the story. I am being vague because this book had a spectacular conclusion that was very intense! There are some really gruesome details in this book but I can't think of a more timely book right now than one that deals with a pathogen and the rapid illnesses it can cause.

The reviews seem to be all over the place on this one but I found it to be enthralling and captivating. The edge-of-your-seat plot is thrilling! Bohjalian is one of the best suspense writers today and 'The Red Lotus' was an incredibly relevant and engaging book for me. Bonus: this is one of the few books that my husband and I can both enjoy!

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian is a tense atmospheric thriller that could be the subtext to many of the headlines that fill our pandemic obsessed media.

Summary -

"...So you didn't visit the National University?'
'I did not.'
'Well, even if you had, they're dead, you know. The scientists.'
Austin knew this. He waited. Remained silent.
'No, we didn't kill them. Natural causes. Their...research.'
In his mind, he saw the swelling and the bleeding and the sores, the respiratory failure, but still he said nothing. He didn't dare..."

When Alexis first met Austin, it was not in a bar or at a party, but in the emergency room where she worked. He had been shot in the arm in a bar. Turns out that Austin worked at the Hospital as well. He worked at raising money for the Hospital. The romance was fast and passionate and six months later Alexis thought she was in love. She decided to go to Vietnam with Austin on a bike tour. He was obsessed with cycling and said he wanted to visit Vietnam to pay his respects to where his uncle had died during the war and where his father had been wounded. Then in Vietnam, Austin goes missing and Alexis is left to deal with the tragedy as he is later found dead. It is ruled an accident but Alexis finds too many unexplained details. From the hole in his hand, to the lies about why he was in Vietnam and then there are all the references to rats. Just what was Austin doing in Vietnam.

Douglas leads a double life. To many he is a free lance travel writer. To others he is an obscure character who deals in the research and creation of pathogens. Who he is and who he works for is a mystery, but what is known is that Douglas entrusted Austin with gaining him access to a pathogen that could be carried by rats and released in a dense population. A disease that could decimate a city and even a country. A disease he could sale to the highest bidder. But Austin betrayed him and now, Douglas must determine just what Austin did and who he met with in Vietnam. And just what threat is now being posed by Austin's girlfriend, Alexis. And just how he would have to deal with her.

Review -

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian is a really good read. It is heavily character driven and the disease is secondary to the people involved in the story. This is not a Michael Crichton novel, there will not be chapters and chapters devoted to the science behind the disease and the carriers and the effect overall. Instead the story is about the people and the situations and their ability to survive and react to a world around them that has just been upended.

Bohjalian is great at putting regular people into irregular circumstances and never losing the human perspective to the whole tale. But it is in this area that I find some issues with the story itself. Not with the whole pathogen part. Not with the lies and greed of Austin. Not with the sinister and dark dealings that is Douglas. My suspension of belief comes with the main character, Alexis.

I find it hard to fathom that she would dig through all of Austin's life and go as far as she did to uncover the truth behind Austin and his dealings. She questions his death and when she finds out that he lied to her on multiple levels she continues to dig into his life. Going so far as to demand access to his work computer and his emails from his boss. As far as breaking into his apartment to dig around. Hiring a private detective and then questioning his parents, who she had never previously met, and basically telling them - I'm hiring a private detective to dig up dirt on your son who just died and whose body you are here to collect, because he lied to me about why he was in Vietnam and how his father was shot and how his uncle died and he bought a dress that is meant for another woman and I'm grieving too...can I get a hug? This is from a woman who met him less than six months prior whose relationship with him was obviously not that serious, since she had never met his parents or the people he worked with until after his death.

But dig she does and does a damn good job of it.

The Red Lotus is a good novel that builds tension until the very satisfying end.

A good read.

This book totally turned into not at all what I expected (I thought it was going to be a straight up kidnapping or murder mystery), but it was so great and I was glued to it to finish it to see how it ended. My only complaint that kept me from giving it 5 stars is that the ending was so abrupt and almost a little ambiguous bc it ended so quickly, it almost felt a tiny bit unfinished. But because it was so intriguing and compelling, it was still great.

Read a book about a pandemic during a pandemic they said. it will be fine they said. And they were right. Losing myself in the words of Bohjalian made me empathize with others in this situation. Upsetting at times, Bohjalian has a talent to pull the reader back. Its ok to be uncomfortable while reading. he is a go to author for me- absolutely

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher, and Chris Bohjalin for this ARC. I love this author, he is always one to surprise me with his books, mystery, suspense, historical, and always great reads..I never know which one I’ll get when I read his works. That’s a good thing ! The Red Lotus was historical and mystery. I wasn’t sure I would finish this book as I’m opposed to animal testing but seeing it was this author and most likely true that this had already occurred in the past, I kept on. I’m glad I did. It was informative and enlightening as well as a great mystery read.

Alexis met her boyfriend, Austin, when he showed up in her ER with a bullet wound. They have been dating for a while when Austin wants to take Alexia on vacation to Vietnam. Austin is an enthusiastic bike rider, so the trip has more than one purpose. To take a bicycling tour of the Vietnam countryside, and pay respects to his father and uncle who both fought in the Vietnam war. His uncle even died during the war. And because of the emotional aspect, Austin went off on a solo ride, leaving Alexis behind. But when Austin doesn't return, Alexis starts to think that their dream vacation has turned into a nightmare. And she is right. It turns out that Auston was there for more than just a bicycle tour. As Alexis enlists the help of a Private Investigator, she realizes that she doesn't really know her boyfriend at all.

If you follow the author, Chris Bohjalian, on social media, you know that he is an avid bicyclist and it is clear that he translated that passion into his latest novel. I really felt bad for Alexis. She was finally winning the war against her own demons and her world is turned upside down after the trip to Vietnam. With every revelation, I was afraid that she was going to fall back into her old ways of self-harm. As things unfold, you discover that Austin was involved with some pretty scary shit. Like pandemic levels of scary. Which is too close to the truth we are living right now. Things turned out okay for Alexis, but not for everybody around her. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.

Bottom Line - I adore Chris Bohjalian and the novels that he writes. His books are gripping and at times dark, but always good.

Details:

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian
On Instagram
Pages: 400
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: 3/17/2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.

I went into this one not knowing much about the storyline, but even then this story took such a turn that I wasn’t expecting at all.

The beginning chapters jump right into action with the abduction of Austin while he’s biking in Vietnam. His girlfriend Alexis, an ER doctor, is also in Vietnam on vacation with him and is the one to report him missing. When Austin’s body is found, it is initially thought to have been some kind of accident, but when Alexis notices strange markings on his hand she thinks foul play was involved. Alexis is on a quest to find answers, never expecting that finding answers will put her in danger.

This book took me a while to get into and while it moved at a slow pace throughout, it held my interest and I’m glad I didn’t give up on it. The storyline was a tough one to read during a pandemic, but you’ll have to pick this one up for yourself to understand why. This was a book packed with surprises and a compelling mystery. Thank you Netgalley and Doubleday Books for this copy.

Another solid novel by Bohjalian. Maybe not the best book to read during a golabal pandemic, but still an interesting, riveting, fast-paced thriller!

I was not able to finish this title. I'm not sure if it's the quarantine or my mood, but I just could not get into this book. I will try to read it again in the future.