Release Date: March 17, 2020

Alexis is an emergency room doctor in a New York City hospital. One evening she treats Austin for injuries related to a bullet wound incurred at a bar. The two have never met before but he works in the same hospital.  Eventually, they become romantically involved. Six months into their relationship, they go on vacation to Vietnam where Austin is planning a bike tour.  

Austin takes a ride one morning to the area where his father and uncle served in the war. Alexis becomes concerned when he does not return and is unreachable by phone. Eventually, the local police find his body on the side of the road. They conclude that he was killed in a hit and run accident. When Alexis views his body, she suspects that his hand injuries would not have resulted from this type of collision. She returns home and decides to hire an investigator and sort out Austin’s mysterious life.

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian is a mystery full of twists and turns. As the details begin to get unveiled the story explodes into a suspenseful tale that has relevance to our current environment. I have enjoyed previous books by this author and look forward to his future novels.