THE RED LOTUS

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 [Published: APRIL 2020]