The Red Lotus

January 20, 2020
A bicycling tour of Vietnam takes a dark turn when Manhattan ER doctor Alexis Remnick’s boyfriend, Austin Harper, disappears in this intricately plotted thriller from Bohjalian (The Flight Attendant). Austin, an experienced cyclist, fails to return to the couple’s hotel after a long solo ride, during which he planned to pay his respects to his father and uncle, who were American soldiers in the Vietnam War. His uncle was killed, and his father was wounded. As the hours pass, Alexis, worried for Austin’s safety, contacts the authorities, and learns that Austin lied about his father and uncle. When Austin’s body is found, it’s suspected that he was a victim of a hit and run. But after identifying his body, Alexis has reason to suspect foul play. Back home, Alexis hires a PI to unearth the truth behind Austin’s lies. Austin may have been enmeshed in a scheme with global implications, and Alexis is drawn into a diabolical plot reminiscent of a Robin Cook thriller. Each character, including secondary players, is carefully drawn, and Bohjalian keeps the tension high all the way to the surprising finale. Bohjalian’s many fans and newcomers alike will be satisfied. Author tour.

In these days of COVID-19, listening to a novel about a potential pandemic that originates in Asia may make fiction just a little too real. Nonetheless, narrator Rebecca Lowman succeeds in voicing the many American and Vietnamese characters in this suspense novel. She is particularly effective at portraying Alexis, who is visiting Vietnam with her new boyfriend, who wants to pay his respects to family members who fought there. When Austin disappears, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. Listeners may find it challenging to follow the "confidential interviews" interspersed throughout the story. And descriptions of rats and their habits may be disturbing. For the less squeamish, this audiobook provides an intense plot and an illuminating story of what war leaves behind. E.Q. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine