This one was written during the pandemic....about...a possible pandemic......it's absolutely brilliant as are most of Bohjalian's novels...at least the ones I've read. He's written 20 novels. I've now read 10 of them.
STORY SUMMARY
Alexis Remnick is a NYC ER doctor. She met her boyfriend Austin Harper in the ER when he came in one Saturday night after being shot in a local bar playing darts with a friend named Douglas Webbar.
It is now six months later, and Alexis and Austin are in Vietnam on a bike tour. Austin is really into biking and is a pro. He claims he also wants to pay his respects to his father and uncle who both were wounded during the Vietnam War back in the 1960s. One afternoon, he goes solo on some road that supposedly is near where his uncle was wounded.
But as Alexis is relaxing by the hotel pool and sipping white wine, waiting for Austin to return, he is actually being kidnapped by two men who appear out of nowhere on the road where he is biking. He then vanishes into thin air. The only clue that is left behind on the road is a yellow energy gel which he dropped.
Alexis returns to the USA and tries to deal with her loss. Austin's body is found off a cliff with his mangled bike. He also has a strange bone break in his hand that doesn't seem to correlate to his other injuries. Now Alexis has to deal with the death of her boyfriend whom she was beginning to really love as well as deal with the FBI, the other hospital staff and Austin's grumpy family.
Meanwhile, she begins to uncover a few strange lies that make her wonder: Where did Austin really go that day? Why did he really bring her to Vietnam? How much danger has he left her in? and just what is going on with the rats in the hospital labs??
MY THOUGHTS
This is an absolutely brilliant book. It's setting in Vietnam is exquisite...the description of the land and people are wonderful and I learned a side of Vietnam I didn't know because when I hear the name of that nation I only think about war and Agent Orange and its devastation.
This book was written during the Covid-19 pandemic and wow...it's powerful in its parallels.
The ending is just amazing and I truly didn't want to put it down. This is a book that will make you think...and wonder......just what does go on in these university labs across the globe??
The character development as in all the novels I've read by this author are richly developed. I feel like i want to be friends with Alexis.
The book takes place in 11 days which speaks for itself....very powerful! Of course if this was not fiction, the case most likely wouldn't be solved in that short of a time frame :)
I don't want to reveal too much because this is one brilliant story. If you have never read a Bohjalian book you are really missing out on some excellent writing. I highly recommend you start with this one (and then read Midwives, or Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, or The Flight Attendant, or The Light in the Ruins. Those are probably my top 4 after this one).
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to some mature content).
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
2 comments:
Hi Faith. I will check the library for this book. Thanks for the review.
Wow I've never even heard of this author. Will have to look him up at the library for sure.
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