Today’s dawn crept in quietly with muted light filtered through the remnants of Hurricane Hilary. It was cool outside and a bit drizzly–the sort of day where I want to curl up in my recliner with a fuzzy blanket and a pithy novel. When I am not cooking in my kitchen, I spend most of my free time with my nose in a book. Reading is an escape, a chance to wrap myself in someone else’s story and “live” different experiences. If I hadn’t found my way into a career connected to food, I am pretty confident I would have ended up working in books.
Anyhow, all of this introduction is intended to set the scene for the moment when my friend and The Fallon Post book reviewer, Allison Diegel, and I decided to swap articles for the week. She just scored a massive landslide victory in her friendly neighborhood rib cookoff, and the recipe needs to be shared with the world. On my side, I finished reading a terrifying tale of international intrigue, bio-terrorism, and romantic deceit that had me spellbound, unable to stop turning the page.
New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian is best described as prolific–he has written 24 books available in 35 languages, three made into movies, and at least one produced into an Emmy-nominated television series. To be totally transparent, I had never heard of him until he was recommended to me by our Churchill County Library Director, C.L. I take book recommendations seriously, so I headed back into the stacks and, after reading through the cover notes, selected "The Red Lotus".
"The Red Lotus" is a compelling who-done-it with a twisting plot that takes readers from the hills of rural Vietnam to a bustling university hospital in New York City. While the book explores themes about human connection (friendship, family, romantic), it also details the threat of bioterrorism, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and rats.
When an American tourist vanishes on a bicycling trip in Vietnam, his girlfriend, an ER doctor skilled at solving medical mysteries, dedicates herself to figuring out what happened. Through persistence and rigor, the good doctor joins with a private investigator and a Vietnamese police detective to solve the riddle of the disappearance and subsequent death of her boyfriend.
Give "The Red Lotus" a read if you like stories of international intrigue peppered with old-fashioned spycraft, plot twists, and unlikely bedfellows. It is available for free to borrow from the Churchill County Library.
Next up on my booklist is a fanciful Chick-Lit Beach Read called "Happy Place" by Emily Henry. It’s a loan from the Diegel House for Wayward Girls, and I am excited to jump into something light-hearted! Until next time, I wish you happy reading.
Kelli Kelly -Slinger of
Produce. Slurper of
Dumplings.
Person of the Bean.
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