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.

Talk about timeliness. The plot of this book is not only a thriller during any time period but is especially significant today. Bohjalian always writes books that are compelling and this one certainly fits that criteria. The action is fast=paced and global. The romance between the main characters as they travel together is appealing initially and then, takes on a life of its own.
The details of what life must be for an emergency doctor seems so realistic. The complex relationship between mother and daughter so interesting. You won't be able to stop reading!

I zipped right through The Red Lotus after a bit of a slow start. It has a well thought out suspenseful plot and seemed to be well-researched. The information about Vietnam was interesting and the subject of pandemics and biological weapons was, unfortunately, timely, It was a little bit too third person for me to feel really connected to the characters, almost like a journalist was reporting what each person was thinking and feeling.
Final verdict: a good read.

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.

I thought this book was just ok. As one reviewer commented, I also found myself skimming parts because I wanted to read something else. Unlike most of the author's other books, this was not fast paced enough for me.

I had a hard time believing a girlfriend of 6.5 months would be so invested (nosey, and rude to loved ones) about what happened to her boyfriend. This story line was too farfetched and unfortunately kept me from becoming immersed. The other parts of the book, biological weapons, was believable, as was how pandemics start. I read this during the Coronavirus lockdown - very timely.

Genius level book. Had me hooked from page 1. Simply could not put down. Everything one expects in a thriller. So glad I had this book during Caronavirus.

This was a fast, entertaining read with a pandemic virus theme that eerily parallels what is occurring in present day society. Chris Bohjalian is an interesting writer to me because he writes quite a variety of books, ranging from historical fiction to suspense/thrillers, all fast-moving and very well-written. I found this to be very similar to his previous book the Flight Attendant. Fans will not be disappointed!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Doubleday and Chris Bohjalian for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Mr. Bohjalian’s novels are always well written and timely but even he couldn’t have planned the release of his novel with the current pandemic. Alexis was an interesting character and how she started to peel back the layers of her boyfriend’s life after he passed was both good and bad. There are so many threads tying everything together that you know it was intricately written.

Another great book from Chris Bohjalian. I’ve read other books by this author this one was just as good as those. I really enjoyed the story and the characters were well thought out.

This book hit a little close to home with regard to the current pandemic...but it was a quick read with international intrigue and mystery. Less a love story, the book followed the main character as she uncovered information on her boyfriend of six months after their "vacation" to Vietnam.

Interesting, captured my attention, frighteningly apropos for the times...

I have always felt the Chris Bohjalian is one of the masters of character development. His stories provide an in depth look into the minds of his protagonists. This story is a perfect example.

Here, we have Alexis. She's a doctor in an ER. In fact, she met her current boyfriend when he came into her ER as the victim of a shooting. She hits it off with Austin and several months into their relationship, they take a bicycling trip to Vietnam. Austin says he wants to do one particular outing by himself. He never returns and is eventually found dead along side the road. The local authorities want to brush it off as an accident, but Alexis is not so sure.

Here is where the character development really comes into play. Why should Alexis even care about how Austin died? Initial clues suggest that he was not quite as clean cut as Alexis thought. Several people tell Alexis to just let it go. Move on. Get over it. But because of who she is, how she thinks and the analytical part of her brain, she just can't. Piece by piece she is determined to find out what happened to Austin.

I call this book a slow burn. There is a gradual presentation of clues. From beginning to end I was along for the ride with Alexis. While I have liked most of the books from this author, I think this is one that shows him at his best.

ARC from Doubleday and Netgalley.

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the early digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Trigger warnings: Self harm, murder, torture, a pandemic, rats are harmed and possibly killed (I can't remember), a few war scenes, loss/grieving of a loved one.

I didn't know anything about this book before I picked it up. I saw the cover and immediately requested it on NetGalley. I've also heard of the author before, but I've never heard anything about his novels. I have to say, this is weird, but it didn't disappoint.

Alexis is an ER nurse who has to help Austin with his bullet wound one night. He claims he was shot in a bar, and that's all the information he gives her. Six months later, they are dating and traveling to Vietnam together to participate in a bike tour. He tells Alexis that it's his way of paying homage to his father who was wounded at war, and his uncle who was killed in action. When Austin leaves on a solo bike excursion, Alexis waits patiently for him to return, but he never does. This is when chaos ensues, but I don't want to spoil what happens since it's not in the synopsis. It's all part of the surprise. It involves rats and a virus. That's where I draw the line.

There are a lot of different characters in this one. You don't really know who to trust, which is one thing I really enjoyed about this book. It increased the tension and mystery that's at play throughout the novel. A lot of passive-aggressive behavior thrown around.

I think my favorite characters are Ken Sarafian and Alexis. Ken is an investigator and helps Alexis figure out what is going on. He and his wife end up being genuine human beings in a sea of monsters. They bring light to the novel, and if you read this, then you'll know that it's definitely necessary.
Alexis is smart and determined. Even though she's lied to A LOT throughout the book, she stays level-headed. It's definitely a bizarre situation she winds up in.

The writing is really good, but my one critique is how repetitive it can get. I can understand why, but I don't think it was all that necessary. Either way, I will be picking up other books by this author. I was hesitant about this after I got the gist of the story, but it picked up as I proceeded.
I would recommend it if you enjoy odd books that hit you out of nowhere. I've never read anything like this, and it was actually quite refreshing. Go pick it up if you're interested!

Chris Bohjalian has done it again. During this time of the pandemic, I didn't even mind reading about a different pandemic. He kept me guessing and turning the pages until the very end!

Alexis and Austin met in an ER. He’d been shot in the arm, a bystander to a fight in the bar where he was playing darts with a friend. She was the ER doctor who stitched him up, and discovered that he worked at the same New York university hospital, only in the section of fund-raising for the busy labs teeming with rats and mice. The two of them have been dating 6 months when the story starts, and they are on a bike tour of Vietnam. Austin is an avid cyclist, and Vietnam holds meaning for him as the place where his uncle was killed and his father wounded during the war. And so he takes a solo ride, leaving Alexis behind at their boutique hotel with the others from the tour.

Austin does not return and his phone is dead. When the guides take a van to look for him, they find energy gel packs dropped on the road, but no sign of him or his bike. We, however, know that Austin has been taken prisoner by someone who followed him to Vietnam, wondering just what he was up to.

And what was he up to? That’s becoming apparent too. There are these little side trails, in italics by another narrator, talking about the pathogens and viruses carried by rats, how resistant they are to antibiotics, and it soon becomes clear that this narrator intends to weaponize this pathogen and sell it to the highest bidder.

As Alexis deals with loss, she keeps finding out a series of strange lies. She’s not content to leave things alone, and presses further, ending up hiring a detective, an older man with his own memories of Vietnam. One thing I loved about this book was its description of family dynamics and the complicated love between parents and children. Alexis deals with her fast-paced mother, with Austin’s perplexing parents, and we see the detective mourning the loss of his adult daughter to cancer and how this grief has pulled him closer to his wife.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. With its taut pacing, well-drawn characters and timely subject matter, The Red Lotus will have you staying up long past your bedtime in a race to the finish, but the people involved will stay in your head. Highly recommended.

Over 3 months. That's how long it took me to read this book. The Flight Attendant was strike one. Red Lotus is definitely strike two. Please, don't let there be a strike three!!
This story was all over the place with too many random tidbits that don't come together. I was mostly bored until the last quarter of the book, and even then I just wanted it to be over. 👎
I am grateful to NetGalley and DoubleDay Books for the opportunity to read this prepublication edition, even if I didn't love it!

The Story meets on a Saturday night in the ER room when Alexis meets Austin. She cleans and closes up a bull and learns that he also works at the hospital, just a different department. They hit it off and soon we find that in approximately half a year later, they decide to take a biking tour to Vietnam. Austin wants to check out the places that his relatives, father and Uncle, bought and during the war.

Unfortunately, one night Austin doesn't return. Unbeknownst to Alexis he had been approached by men and physically taken.

This was a slow-moving book for me. Is started strong and ended strong, but it seemed to get mired down in the middle. I would have liked the book keep at the same quick pace but I understand that that happens when an author feels the need for character and plot enrichment. The writer has a strong and engaging style. I recommend it to readers of international Tthrillers and those that would like to visit the Far East.
I would like to thank Chris Bohjalian, Doubleday Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Chris Bohjalian is a favorite author of mine. I eagerly anticipate his next book from MIDWIVES to THE GUEST ROOM (one of my favorite books) and everything in between. Sadly, I was disappointed in THE RED LOTUS.

Alexis and Austin are enjoying a vacation in Vietnam. Austin is an avid bicyclist and during a local biking tour he’s chosen to split from the group to explore some back roads alone. Certainly a troubling scenario with great potential to become an edge of the seat read, but it just fell short for me.

It was difficult to finish this book, sloooow and drawn out. I never invested in the characters because I could not stay focused. Perhaps having recently read THE GUEST ROOM and THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT left me with high expectations for a page turner and that is not what this book was for me.

Still eagerly anticipating Mr. Bohjalian’s next book. He is a favorite of mine that I have been reading for many years and will continue to read anything he writes.

The Red Lotus shows readers the dark side of a relationship, one built on lies and evil.

Alexis is an Emergency Room doctor in NYC. One night in walks Austin, an avid cyclist, with a gunshot wound to his arm. The two hit it off and after dating several months he asks her to accompany him to Vietnam for a bike tour. He says he'd also like to visit the area where is father and uncle had served during the war. After checking out the sights together, Austin heads off for a bike ride while Alexis returns to the hotel. When Austin doesn't return, authorities get involved and a search for him begins.

Alexis is not satisfied with what she has been told and her strong personality makes her desperate for answers. Why did Austin really bring her to Vietnam? What was he involved in?

This book started out a bit slow but once Austin disappeared the pace accelerated. Alexis was an interesting character, a strong character with some baggage of her own. The story definitely has a dark side to it and, getting to the truth of it all made for some interesting fiction. The audio was read by Rebecca Lowman who did a great job. I've read most every book written by this author and, although this wasn't my favorite, it was an entertaining read given our stay-at-home order.

https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-red-lotus-chris-bohjalian.html

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

My review can be found here: https://aubreysangle8.home.blog/2020/04/21/review-the-red-lotus-by-chris-bohjalian/

I've loved Chris Bohjalian's books for almost 15 years now, and I don't think he's written anything that I haven't loved. This one doesn't disappoint, either.

This one is a thriller and is nearly impossible to stop reading. It's also unfortunately very timely, a book that deals with a pandemic (and one that attacks the lungs) but there are a lot of other things going on here. It's more about greed and ethics and it's amazing.

I absolutely loved this book and I both read it at the perfect time and at the worst possible time. (The fictional pandemic is a lot worse than the real life one.)

Highly, highly recommended.