This was a timely book to read during the COVID pandemic. I won’t give spoilers, but the story is about a potential pandemic due to biological warfare. The book was released on March 17, 2020. I wondered while reading what the author thought about the timing of it’s publication. I know that for myself, I had been told we would be off work for the foreseeable future and that home would be where I needed to stay. It was a bit of an eerie read from that standpoint.
Alexis goes to Vietnam, with her boyfriend, Austin for a bike trip. While there, Austin dies and questions arise as to why they were really there. It becomes clear that a bike trip was only a cover for something very sinister. Austin is not what he appears to be and neither is his inner circle. I found myself questioning every single person Alexis came into contact with upon her return home. No one is above suspicion.
Like always, Chris Bohjalian has a fascinating story to tell. The Red Lotus, like The Flight Attendant, has a flawed female protagonist that you find yourself liking, in spite of her bad decision making. Five stars!
Life In The Falls 