Quick Review: The Red Lotus, by Chris Bohjalian

The Red Lotus, by Chris Bohjalian

Random House Audio

Audiobook

12 Hours, 1 Minute

Narrated by Rebecca Lowman

*Quick Reviews are slightly less formal reviews using the publishers summary

Publisher's Summary:

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. But as Alexis sips white wine and waits at the hotel for him to return from his solo ride, two men emerge from the tall grass and Austin vanishes into thin air. The only clue he leaves behind is a bright yellow energy gel dropped on the road.

As Alexis grapples with this bewildering loss, and deals with the FBI, Austin's prickly family, and her colleagues at the hospital, Alexis uncovers 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.

My thoughts:

I always enjoy Chris Bohjalian's books.  I can count on him to write solid, engaging, stories. The Red Lotus may be a slow burn thriller, but I never felt bored with it.

Bohjalian knows how to draw a reader into a story and keep their attention! It is clear from the beginning of The Red Lotus, that Bohjalian has taken the time to do a significant amount of research for this book, ensuring medical, technical, and cultural aspects have a realistic feel to them. This, paired with his good sense of literary timing, results in a highly engaging story with a complex, well timed, and interesting plot.  The characters development is strong with the lead characters being multi-faceted and interesting. 

On a side note: this book was released in the midst of the pandemic. Though  while writing it I doubt Bohjalian could have ever imagined that this book would be released into the world enduring our current state of affairs, and the coincidence of some of the subject matter in the book was quite striking to me as a reader. 

Narration was provided by Rebecca Lowman, who performed well with good cadence and tone, as well as range of characters and emotion, making listening to this story as an audiobook a pleasure. 

Engaging and well written, The Red Lotus is an enjoyable international thriller.

Happy Reading,

Christine