From the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant comes a twisting story of love and deceit: an American man vanishes on a rural road in Vietnam, and his girlfriend follows a path that leads her home to the very hospital where they met. Alexis and Austin don’t have a typical “meet cute”—their first encounter involves Alexis, an emergency room doctor, suturing a bullet wound in … doctor, suturing a bullet wound in Austin’s arm. Six months later, they’re on a romantic getaway in Vietnam: a bike tour on which Austin can show Alexis his passion for cycling, and can pay his respects to the place where his father and uncle fought in the war. But then Austin fails to return from a solo ride. Alexis’s boyfriend has vanished, the only clue left behind a bright yellow energy gel dropped on the road.
As Alexis grapples with this bewildering loss, she starts to uncover a series of strange lies that force her to wonder: Where did Austin go? Why did he really bring her to Vietnam? And how much danger has he left her in? Set amidst the adrenaline-fueled world of the emergency room, The Red Lotus is a global thriller about those who dedicate their lives to saving people—and those who peddle death to the highest bidder.
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Chris Bohjalian is an automatic buy for me, but THE RED LOTUS is the first of his novels I’ve purchased as an audiobook. What a brilliant decision, because the narrator’s pitch perfect voice fully immersed me in the crisp prose and the relentless tension that follows the story from a boutique hotel in Vietnam to a teaching hospital in New York.
Had I known more about the premise, I might have wrongly assumed THE RED LOTUS, with a thread that links pathogens and rats, wasn’t for me. It’s a huge tribute to the author that I didn’t freak out at the first mention of the plague. Or biowarfare. Once I realized where the plot was heading, I was too caught up in the characters and the Vietnamese settings to unplug.
The heroine, Alexis, is a remarkable woman: dogged, smart, courageous, and haunted by a personal demon that could, at any moment, re-surface with devastating effect. I loved her layers: her battles with grief and anger; her reactions as she discovers her boyfriend has created a false narrative of their idyllic vacation; her determination to find answers about his disappearance using skills mastered as an ER doctor.
Even the secondary characters are more complex than you might expect. For example, I pegged Alexis’ mother as a certain type of person—abrasive and driven. But those characteristics led her to do something incredible, and she light up for me as the best kind of parent. The bad guy is creepy and twisted, and despite two graphic scenes, I loved being in his perspective.
THE RED LOTUS is disturbing, gripping, and timely; a thriller with shocking reveals that continue until the final pages. And yet it’s about humanity: love and family, truth and deceit, terror and greed.
I wondered what it would be like to read a book about a pandemic while living in a pandemic, and I can tell you this: if you make that decision, Bohjalian is the one to pull you through it. Almost.
But of course I’m not going to tell you the almost, or where you will find yourself wallowing in fear. But you will.
I’ve read, and I own, every one of this author’s books, most of them hand signed. I admire him greatly, not just for his writing. He is a truly generous, gracious man.
I strongly recommend this book!
Is life crazier than fiction? I’m not sure anymore. It’s scary that our worst fears might actually become reality. I think that’s why I could just read this book with my usual ease. The author is wonderfully talented and eloquent with his use of words. I know whenever I open one of his books I will be impressed by the extent of his research and imagination.
Alexis Remnick is an Emergency Room physician who is used to the fast paced environment and complexity of issues which roll through the doors. She never expected to make a connection with a patient, Austin Harper, who came in one night after being shot in a local bar. It seems he was playing darts and a random person waving a gun caused the chaos in the bar. While Alexis is treating his wound she discovers he works for the hospital in administration.
Although they both lead busy lives they manage to embark on a relationship. Alexis maintains a connection with her investment banker mother, Dina Remnick, who works in Manhattan. She learns that Austin’s parents live in Lenox, MA where his mother is a retired middle school principal and his father an injured Vietnam veteran. Feeling that their relationship is heading in a positive direction after months of dating Alexis agrees to accompany him on a cycling tour in Vietnam.
Austin is an extreme cyclist who often travels to experience their adventures. He had been to Vietnam before and this trip he intends to pay respects to his uncle and father who fought in Vietnam. He breaks off from the group to find the area of combat by himself. No one worried initially since he is an experienced cyclist who always travels with water and his Psyche gels for energy on long trips.
Fear spreads amongst the cycle tour group when Austin never returns. A search party is employed in hopes of locating him worried that he might have encountered danger along the way. Eventually, the US embassy becomes involved and the case becomes more complicated.
Alexis returns to the US with so many unanswered questions. When she discovers that Austin lies about his intention for going to Vietnam, Alexis begins to wonder how well she really knows this man. Her investigation leads her to many unexpected places where she uncovers confusing and dangerous information.
This is a wild adventure which is interjected with the comments of someone who seems to hold the answers and is willing to do anything to protect that information. Chris Bohjalian doesn’t disappoint with this novel.
Up-all-night reading (or listening–I listened to the audiobook while hiking and biking). Love love loved the Vietnam panorama.
Excellent writing, interesting characters, exotic settings, and gripping plot. What more can a reader ask for?
I have never read anything by Chris Bohjalian before this book. But when I found out that I won this book I looked him up and heard a lot of mixed reviews. But for the most part people thought he was a good. So, I looked forward to reading this book when it arrived. But I found myself having trouble staying interested in this book. It wasn’t a horrible book. I finished it. I was just expecting more I guess because of the reviews I read from his other books. So maybe I set my expectations too high. But I will not give up!! I think I will try another book from him and see if I like it better. Happy reading everyone!
I thought it was really good. One of the best I’ve read in a while. Lots of twists in this one.
Another intriguing mystery/thriller from Chris Bohjalian – this one with a string international bent and a plot that could be pulled from pandemic headlines. If you enjoyed The Guest Room and The Flight Attendant, you’ll love The Red Lotus.
Chris Bohjalian has written another riveting story of suspense .The author takes us to Hue in Vietnam where a couple is taking a bicycle tour among the countries magnificent temples and astounding terrain.When a young man on the tour disappears and is found murdered his girlfriend attempts to solve questions concerning his untimely fate.Art sometimes can imitate life and what this young woman discovers nearly kills her as well .It is not far fetched to imagine how such a story could happen .This is the most frightening aspect of all to know how easily our worst nightmares can jump to reality !
Rather confusing. I thought perhaps it was me, but after reading several reviews saw many people were also confused about the main character. A very interesting topic that could have been so much better. I love this author and expected more.
May not be the author’s finest but it is a great read with more twist and turns than a country road. Don’t miss it
I have enjoyed Chris Bojalian’s books for years . His subjects are always a surprise and he doesn’t repeat a safe formula.
The Red Lotus start innocently with a biker in Viet Nam ….turns into an exciting mystery with evil forces. The subject is timely and current during these uncertain times. Read it and you’ll enjoy the spell binding ride.
Joni
Love this author. Very interesting to read, especially while we are in the middle of covid virus.
Alexis met her boyfriend, Austin, under unusual circumstances: as an ER doctor suturing his arm after he’d been shot. Some months later they take a bike trip across Vietnam and while there, Austin disappears while on a solo ride to visit the sites where his father and uncle fought. In the search for him, they discover that his relatives hadn’t fought in these locations at all. Alexis is left to wonder why Austin lied to her, why did they really visit Vietnam, how much did she really know about Austin? The rest of the book is the unspooling of that story, providing us answers which prove to be frightening.
I rather liked Alexis as a main character, and the fact that she was an ER physician. I work as a medical transcriptionist myself, so I enjoyed reading some of her ER tales. She was fairly well rounded as a main character, with many virtues. I thought she could’ve had some more flaws, maybe? Her biggest flaw was her naivete, which I have trouble believing of an NYC ER physician. They see too much trauma, too many crazy stories, and too much of people at their worst to not know trouble when they see it. The minor characters were each unique, but could’ve been better fleshed out.
I found the story gripping. There were no points where I skimmed to make the reading go faster or chose to put the book down because it was boring me. The premise of what Austin was really doing felt highly unlikely, but certainly possible, and thus it worked. Some of the facts provided in the story were absolutely chilling, and I don’t doubt their accuracy.
The author’s choice to use Vietnam and NYC as settings was what I felt to be absolutely the right choice. Read the book and you will see why.
I would highly recommend this to those who enjoy a good mystery.
An emergency physician’s boyfriend disappears during a bicycling tour in Vietnam. Thus begins a tale of treachery, danger, and death in a plot with as many twists and turns as that winding road through the Vietnamese mountains. Driven to learn the truth about her lover’s plight and apparent deceit, ER doc Alexis encounters a varied cast of players–many of whom she dubs as “doubtfuls,” unsure if friends or foes. She dissects through multiple layers of conspiracy that lead her to a horrendous reality that risks her life, that of a trusted partner, and an entire population.
Love this fantastic modern thriller. Told with intriguing details and great characters. I love his original take and the plot is full of twists and the best stakes.
This story had some much intrigue that it kept me riveted until the very end. Just when you thought the story ended here comes the epilogue that smacks you in the face. To me, The Red Lotus was even better than The Flight Attendant. It’s fast paced and the storyline is one we are all going through now!
This book is an amazing 5 star read that kept me turning the pages. Bohjalian is a master story teller that writes with incredible passion and a thrill that will capture your attention. An ER doctor travels to Vietnam with her boyfriend on a biking tour and he goes missing under questionable circumstances. This was a timely read especially in the pandemic that once I started was very hard to put down. I enjoyed the writing style and the way the writer delivers an exciting read. I am going to look at the author’s previous works as this was a fun read I really enjoyed. This was really well done.
Didn’t like as much as the Flight Attendant
Bohjalian does it again. Even as we live through our own pandemic (covid-19) this is a story you need to read. Two people meet in a hospital ER. One a doctor the other a victim. As the story unfolds we learn how their lives become entwined by love, by Vietnam, by greed, and by rats. Bohjalian give us a superbly written roller coaster ride of what just might happen if we humans aren’t careful.