A mysterious disappearance while cycling in Vietnam. An ER doctor who doesn't know what to believe. An intercontinental thriller. Don't read the synopsis for this one- just read the book. This was my first book to read by prolific write Chris Bohjalian but I would definitely read any of his now (one of his previous books, The Flight Attendant, will soon be a miniseries with Kaley Cuoco.)
This book also reminded me a little of I Am Pilgrim (a book I loved.) Definitely worth a read- it's well written and interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free, advance copy.

The first time Alexis saw Austin, it was a Saturday night. Not in a bar, but in the emergency room where Alexis sutured a bullet wound in Austin's arm. Six months later, on the brink of falling in love, they travel to Vietnam on a bike tour so that Austin can show her his passion for cycling and he can pay his respects to the place where his father and uncle fought in the war.

And so the book begins. But when Austin gets killed in Viet Nam it is not always what it seems. Alexis is bent on finding out if it was an accident or murder. Digging deeper she puts her own life in danger.

I loved this book and all its intrigue because you didnt really know who to trust. On the other hand I grew up during the war there and it brought back too many memories. Its a beautiful country now and Bohjalian describes it wonderfully. Place on your TBR list release date March 17, 2020. #fourstars #NetGalley

Chris bohjalian always manages to keep me on the edge of my seat. This book was no exception. In this book we follow Alexis Remnick. Her boyfriend goes missing during a vacation in Vietnam and she is left to solve the mystery of his disappearance. Little does she know the answers might be closer to home than she thought.

I couldn't wait to pick this up whenever I was forced to put it down. Given everything that is going on with world health crises this was pretty timely. I can't wait to see what Chris Bohjalian writes next.

Chris Bohjalian never fails to intrigue and entertain his readers, and this book is no exception. The scenic beauty of Vietnam is what Alexis believes she is off to explore with her boyfriend, Austin. They enjoy beautiful bike rides with their group; but, one day, Austin goes for a ride by himself and never returns. As an ER doctor, Alexis has been trained to search for answers and never give up. She discovers that Austin may have been less than truthful about why he wanted to come to Vietnam, and the truth may have a deadly impact on the world. This is a fast-paced, exciting book with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.
Thank you to NetGalley, Chris Bohjalian, and Doubleday Books for the digital ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Alexis is an ER doctor and one night while treating Austin for a gunshot wound, develop a connection and start dating. Six months later she accompanies him on a bicycling trip to Vietnam where he disappears one afternoon and subsequently found dead. She suspects he has been murdered and goes home and hires a PI.

The story was so vague. I never had an idea of where it was going and what the conspiracy was until pretty much the end and by then I just didn't care. Alexis should have been interesting or at least someone I would root for but I didn't understand why she would care so much for a guy she had only dated for a few months and they had no plans for their future. Yeah I'd be devastated if it happened but pass the info along to his parents and then let them pursue it if they thought he was murdered. Alexis was a cutter too but it wasn't explained why. The scenes with her "kit" and preparing to cut herself just seemed like filler. None of the other characters were defined and just drifted in and out of the story. I think the character I liked the most was the PI and he seemed more fleshed out than the Alexis character.

I learned more about rats than I ever wanted to know. Unfortunately I don't think I would recommend this book. I had read another book by this author and enjoyed it but I just wanted this one to be over.

3.5 stars

This would normally be the type of book I’d like but I’m not sure if it was the ambiguity of the “big bad” or the timing given the real world events right now, but this one didn’t fully deliver for me.

What I liked... Alexis was strong and had agency, Ken was endearing and intuitive, the setting and backstory of Vietnam was different, and the ending had a solid payout.

What I didn’t like... the vague villain’s plot, the pacing, all the rats, and the unfortunate timing of me reading this book in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak😂

After reading the synopsis I thought I was going to really love this one. However, it fell completely flat for me. Sadly, I struggled trying to stay engaged and focused with this one. It’s a DNF for me unfortunately. I was waiting for it to grab me and it never did. I’ve hear great things about the author, Chris Bohjalian, so I will try other books by him. This one just wasn’t for me. I really wanted to love this one.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

What incredible timing…the news today is full of the coronavirus (COVID-19) which allegedly originated with animals and came from Asia and everywhere I look, people are wearing masks, more or less freaking out, and are generally TENSE as we see the initial outbreak begin to expand, revealing how completely unprepared we are in this country to fight a pandemic. And, voila! I get to spend the weekend reading The Red Lotus, Chris Bohjalian’s latest, which happens to involve a horrible pathogen from Asia, spread by rats. Good times!

The story initially seems to be a straightforward mysterious disappearance. When emergency room physician Alexis Remnick’s boyfriend Austin Harper invites her to go on a bike tour vacation to Vietnam, it seems like a great time…until Austin disappears on a solo ride. Ostensibly, his reason for this trip is so Austin can show Alexis his passion for cycling while at the same time paying his respects to the place “…near where his father had been wounded and his uncle had died in what the Americans called the Vietnam War and the Vietnamese called the American War.”

Alexis struggles to understand it all, both the puzzling loss of the man she was just beginning to realize she loved, and the bizarre facts she learns from the FBI, who tell her that the things Austin had told her were basically all lies. Add to that Austin’s not-too-friendly parents, and the weird actions of some of her colleagues at the hospital where both Alexis and Austin worked, and it all gets very weird very fast. Alexis tries to uncover the truth about where Austin was going when he vanished, the real reason he brought her to Vietnam, and how much danger she is really in.

The story shifts perspective between one of the bad guys (not clear at first who it is) and the various characters involved in trying to unravel the truth before things all turn to hell. It seems people have been “…injecting their plague-resistant gene into the rats who ruled the subways…” and are looking to sell this newly developed biological weapon to any rogue country who is willing to pay.

It’s terrifying, entirely believable, and extremely well written. I’m not sure what several early reviewers were talking about when they said it was a slow burn…I couldn’t put it down. Thank you Doubleday and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for this honest review – Five stars.

Reading this book during the coronavirus pandemic enhanced its scare factor. But what a great read! Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an advance copy.
Alexis Remnick and Austin Harper met in the ER. She was the doctor who removed a bullet from his shoulder after a freak shootout in a bar.
Fast forward seven months when the dating couple takes a bike tour together in Vietnam. One day Austin goes off on his own, supposedly to visit the site where his uncle was killed and his father wounded in the Vietnam war. When he doesn't return, a search party is sent. All they find along his planned route are some energy capsules like the ones he always carries. The next day, his broken body is found; he's the apparent victim of a hit-and-run driver.
Devastated, Alexis returns to New York alone. But certain things don't add up. When she identifies Austin's body, she notices a puncture wound to his hand that cannot be explained by the accident. His story about his father's military service is false. And he's carrying a new dress that is not her size.
She hires a private detective to help her find out what really happened. Who was this man she thought she'd been falling in love with?
What they uncover is truly frightening...

The Red Lotus Review
It was disconcerting to be reading a book about a possible pandemic while we’re concerned about the Coronavirus. It was frighteningly believable how easy a possible a pandemic could happen.

In The Red Lotus the main protagonist is a very likable character, Alexis, who is drawn into intrigue due to her lying boyfriend. He might have been trying to sell a virus. How involved was she? It’s a tense, thriller to the end.

A bicycle trip takes Alexis, an ER doctor and her medical researcher boyfriend Austin to Vietnam. While both of them enjoy biking and the scenery, the trip is personal for Austin. His father was wounded and his uncle died in the very jungle they would bike through within the safety of the group.

Due to weather, things change a bit and Austin decides to go off on his own to complete the pilgrimage and closure he came for. When he doesn’t return, the local police are called in. His body is found, apparently the victim of a hit and run accident. But was it? Alexis has a feeling it was murder, but how can a doctor back in the states investigate a possible murder in a faraway country?

Soon she finds evidence that Austin has been lying to her. Even though their entire relationship was built upon these newfound lies, she is determined to find the truth and his murderer. Digging where someone doesn’t want you to find anything can be deadly, but Alexis and a PI she retains won’t stop until the answers they seek are revealed.

From the opening pages of this novel to the last, Bohjalian skillfully keeps the readers breathless with fear and the expectation of evil just around the corner for Alexis. She has her own demons to deal with as well as roadblocks by officials and Austin’s family throughout the book.

The reader is swept into the beauty of Vietnam’s jungles and the grittiness of the ER. The author paints us the picture of both with his words, juxtaposing the good and bad of both places throughout the novel.

I found this fast-paced mystery absorbingly interesting and was immediately hooked on the plot and characters. This is the first book I’ve read by New York Times Best Selling Author Chris Bohjalian, but not the last. Looking over his list of best-sellers it will be difficult to choose which one to read next.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2020 Laura Hartman

Alexis and Austin meet in an emergency room ward, and from there their relationship is cinched. Months later, they travel to Vietnam to discover the country’s raw beauty and complicated history. Until Austin vanishes, and Alexis is left alone in a place she doesn’t know, questioning Austin’s safety and her own.
If you enjoy Chris Bohjalian's novels, The Red Lotus will be no exception.

In light of the current coronavirus crisis, the subject of this book is highly relevant. Unfortunately the pace of the story is slow, and I found that the writing was uneven. The parts dealing with the story from the point of view of Alexis were more descriptive and emotional while the sections on Douglas seemed formulaic. The ending was somewhat as I had expected but I did feel there were a few loose ends that were not tied up.

I had high hopes for this one but unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. I alternated between fully engaged and fully bored throughout this whole book. I never really got invested in the characters, which is why I think I didn’t love it. This was a slow burn until the final epic showdown. The middle lagged and the ending was wrapped up very quickly. This was a medical thriller with an exotic location. As always, the author depicts a setting in exquisite detail. I enjoyed the twists and the plot is unique. Thank you to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

This book is what I like to call a “smart thriller”. The topic at hand is well researched and attempts to explain something that we often fear but don’t know a ton about. The build-up was slow and quite honestly, I wasn’t sure it would keep my interest but I hung in there and I’m so glad I did. Things picked up around 30% and then it was another unputdownable story for me. The protagonist is relatable and not some whiny immature young woman. This was my first Bohjalian book and I hear this is a departure for him so I must say I’m impressed. The synopsis is very vague for a reason. I think readers will appreciate knowing that the pacing is not that of a high-speed care chase but more of a marathon where you’re exhausted but satisfied you put in the work.

Great book, but a little slow. The ending was the best and most interesting part. The last 4 chapters or so were where it picked up the pace and got really intriguing. Before that, it really dragged a bit and much of what was happening was obvious. It was actually a bit annoying trying to understand why the characters were having so much trouble figuring out what was going on.

But the premise itself was really great. The idea of what could happen if this ever really happened was terrifying and fascinating at the same time.

The Red Lotus started off very enthusiastic had trouble with the last quarter of the book. It got repetitive and bogged down a little. It almost seems like Mr Bohjalian lost interest in the book and just ended it.

The interesting characters of the book were Alexis (ER doctor), Dina ( Alexis’ mother) and the PI Ken Saraphian. The other characters were very predictable and flat.

The Red Lotus was a very fast read and interesting but not dynamic.
#TheRedLotus #netgalley

Loved the setting in SE Asia and the basic plot. The characters in this one were more difficult for me to love. As always, Mr. Bohjalian's word use and descriptions were superb.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC to read and review.

Why would someone want to do what Austin does? Not talking about the biking....
This book was ok for me. It would go really slow, then pick up speed and then go slow again. Most of it was slow.
I don't blame Alexis for not picking up on her boyfriend's (of 6 months) nefarious activities.... He was very good at playing the good guy.
I learned a lot more about rats than I wanted to know through this.

This was my first book by this author and I couldn’t put it down.
Written so beautifully, the words just flew off the page.
I enjoyed it very much