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Sometimes People Die
When too many patients die under his watch, a troubled young doctor suspects murder. But are his instincts to be trusted? A smart, haunting psychological thriller for fans of Alex Michaelides and A. J. Finn.
Returning to practice after a suspension for stealing opioids, a young doctor takes the only job he can find: a post as a physician at the struggling St. Luke's Hospital in east London. Amid the maelstrom of sick patients, overworked staff and underfunded wards, a more insidious secret soon declares itself: too many patients are dying. And a murderer may be lurking in plain sight.
Drawing on his experiences as a physician, Simon Stephenson takes readers into the dark heart of life as a hospitalist to ask the question: Who are the people we gift the power of life and death, and what does it do to them?
As beautifully written and witty as it is propulsive, Sometimes People Die is an unforgettable thriller that will haunt you long after you turn the last page.
Returning to practice after a suspension for stealing opioids, a young doctor takes the only job he can find: a post as a physician at the struggling St. Luke's Hospital in east London. Amid the maelstrom of sick patients, overworked staff and underfunded wards, a more insidious secret soon declares itself: too many patients are dying. And a murderer may be lurking in plain sight.
Drawing on his experiences as a physician, Simon Stephenson takes readers into the dark heart of life as a hospitalist to ask the question: Who are the people we gift the power of life and death, and what does it do to them?
As beautifully written and witty as it is propulsive, Sometimes People Die is an unforgettable thriller that will haunt you long after you turn the last page.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 20, 2022
388 people are currently reading
4191 people want to read
About the author
Simon Stephenson
10 books213 followersHello, good readers!
I am from Edinburgh in Scotland, but now reside in Los Angeles, California. I have had stopovers along the way in London and San Francisco. I’m a writer and screenwriter, and before I became a full-time writer I was a physician.
My new novel, ‘Sometimes People Die’ will be published in September 2022. It's a literary thriller set in a hospital in east London around the turn of the millenium.
I have written two other books. ‘Set My Heart To Five’ came out in 2020. The Washington Post review said that I might be ‘Vonnegut’s first true protege’. You’d better believe I have been dining out on that ever since, and will be for the rest of my days.
‘Let Not the Waves Of the Sea’, my memoir about losing my brother came out in 2012. It won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards, and was serialized on BBC Radio 4.
I’ve worked as a writer on various films including Pixar’s LUCA, PADDINGTON 2, and my own THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN. Like every other screenwriter in Hollywood, I have a bottom drawer full of unproduced scripts.
Away from work I mostly like to ride my bike in nearby Griffith Park. in hope of encountering my neighbor the mountain lion. I'm also a fan of animals (petting them not eating them,) cakes (eating them not petting them), and soccer/football.
I am from Edinburgh in Scotland, but now reside in Los Angeles, California. I have had stopovers along the way in London and San Francisco. I’m a writer and screenwriter, and before I became a full-time writer I was a physician.
My new novel, ‘Sometimes People Die’ will be published in September 2022. It's a literary thriller set in a hospital in east London around the turn of the millenium.
I have written two other books. ‘Set My Heart To Five’ came out in 2020. The Washington Post review said that I might be ‘Vonnegut’s first true protege’. You’d better believe I have been dining out on that ever since, and will be for the rest of my days.
‘Let Not the Waves Of the Sea’, my memoir about losing my brother came out in 2012. It won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards, and was serialized on BBC Radio 4.
I’ve worked as a writer on various films including Pixar’s LUCA, PADDINGTON 2, and my own THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN. Like every other screenwriter in Hollywood, I have a bottom drawer full of unproduced scripts.
Away from work I mostly like to ride my bike in nearby Griffith Park. in hope of encountering my neighbor the mountain lion. I'm also a fan of animals (petting them not eating them,) cakes (eating them not petting them), and soccer/football.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 449 reviews
January 9, 2023
Wow. This is an intriguing idea for a novel: a drug addled doctor finds himself in an underfunded/staffed hospitals where there is a growing list of suspicious deaths. This is a mystery of who is killing the patients; it’s a suspense in that our narrator, the drug addled physician is the one we are relying on to figure it out. Can the narrator keep clean and sus it out?
Author Simon Stephenson was a physician who turned into a screenplay writer, and now author of “Sometimes People Die”. Our narrator informs us, at a hospital, people die. Some deaths garner a shrug, some a head shake. Not all are alarming, especially if the person was very ill, elderly, or frail. But when statistically unlikely “early” deaths occur, the hospital takes note.
Background on the narrator, he has an asterisk by his name for previous drug issues. He’s taking a job at an underfunded hospital because it was the only one who would take him. This hospital is far more urban with diseases, afflictions, and accidents he’s only read about in textbooks. He’s still learning the ropes of the new hospital, including the internal politics of the staff, when the unexpected death rate of the hospital gets noticed. Our narrator gets caught up in the paranoia. And then he gets inadvertently involved in a death. Everyone looks guilty.
What I enjoyed was Stephenson’s wit. The narrator provides snarky observations. I enjoyed the pacing and suspense. Stephenson throws in some interludes providing accounts of real-life healthcare professional murderers through the ages.
Those who fear the hospital should stay far away from this book! I’m not a fan of hospitals, but statistically speaking, the chances of having an “angel of death” taking care of me in a hospital are pretty small.
What Stephenson does very well is explain the inner sanctum of the hospital, the behind the scenes functioning of a hospital. The pacing of unraveling the mystery is fabulous. I highly recommend this unusual story.
Author Simon Stephenson was a physician who turned into a screenplay writer, and now author of “Sometimes People Die”. Our narrator informs us, at a hospital, people die. Some deaths garner a shrug, some a head shake. Not all are alarming, especially if the person was very ill, elderly, or frail. But when statistically unlikely “early” deaths occur, the hospital takes note.
Background on the narrator, he has an asterisk by his name for previous drug issues. He’s taking a job at an underfunded hospital because it was the only one who would take him. This hospital is far more urban with diseases, afflictions, and accidents he’s only read about in textbooks. He’s still learning the ropes of the new hospital, including the internal politics of the staff, when the unexpected death rate of the hospital gets noticed. Our narrator gets caught up in the paranoia. And then he gets inadvertently involved in a death. Everyone looks guilty.
What I enjoyed was Stephenson’s wit. The narrator provides snarky observations. I enjoyed the pacing and suspense. Stephenson throws in some interludes providing accounts of real-life healthcare professional murderers through the ages.
Those who fear the hospital should stay far away from this book! I’m not a fan of hospitals, but statistically speaking, the chances of having an “angel of death” taking care of me in a hospital are pretty small.
What Stephenson does very well is explain the inner sanctum of the hospital, the behind the scenes functioning of a hospital. The pacing of unraveling the mystery is fabulous. I highly recommend this unusual story.
August 22, 2022
2.5 rounded up
It’s 1999 and our narrator returns to work after suspension for stealing opioids. He is to leave Scotland and go to work at struggling to recruit St Lukes Hospital in East London. Like most hospitals, it’s understaffed and therefore all are overworked and yes, sometimes people die. However, at St Lukes it seems as if there are way too many deaths, above the average you might expect. A police investigation is launched to try to work out of an ‘Angel of Death’ is stalking the hospital. If so, who, why and how?
The premise is good but unfortunately I don’t know where to start with this novel as in my opinion it’s a game of two halves. I nearly give up on the first half as there’s far too much hospital, way too much medical detail for me and not enough plot which makes me wonder if I’m reading a medical text. It’s a slow, slow plod of a pace and I don’t find it very inspiring. In addition, I have no idea why it’s necessary to include other medical miscreants?? Do we actually need to know the first recorded health care murder for example? It’s AD64 by Greek doctor Xenophon if you’re interested!!!
Just as I consider giving up it starts to get interesting… finally! The pace starts to go above that of a country stroll though it’s never brisk partly because of the narrator's delivery. Suspicions start to fall in several places, there’s a tragedy and some rather good plot twists you do not expect. Unfortunately, you have to be very patient for those to arrive. There is a good premise in here but initially it’s well concealed under a plethora of medical jargon.
Overall, I do seem to be the outlier here so be sure to check other reviews. If you like a lot of medicine with your drama then this is for you!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins/HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
It’s 1999 and our narrator returns to work after suspension for stealing opioids. He is to leave Scotland and go to work at struggling to recruit St Lukes Hospital in East London. Like most hospitals, it’s understaffed and therefore all are overworked and yes, sometimes people die. However, at St Lukes it seems as if there are way too many deaths, above the average you might expect. A police investigation is launched to try to work out of an ‘Angel of Death’ is stalking the hospital. If so, who, why and how?
The premise is good but unfortunately I don’t know where to start with this novel as in my opinion it’s a game of two halves. I nearly give up on the first half as there’s far too much hospital, way too much medical detail for me and not enough plot which makes me wonder if I’m reading a medical text. It’s a slow, slow plod of a pace and I don’t find it very inspiring. In addition, I have no idea why it’s necessary to include other medical miscreants?? Do we actually need to know the first recorded health care murder for example? It’s AD64 by Greek doctor Xenophon if you’re interested!!!
Just as I consider giving up it starts to get interesting… finally! The pace starts to go above that of a country stroll though it’s never brisk partly because of the narrator's delivery. Suspicions start to fall in several places, there’s a tragedy and some rather good plot twists you do not expect. Unfortunately, you have to be very patient for those to arrive. There is a good premise in here but initially it’s well concealed under a plethora of medical jargon.
Overall, I do seem to be the outlier here so be sure to check other reviews. If you like a lot of medicine with your drama then this is for you!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins/HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
April 24, 2023
3.5. We never learn his name but we do know that he has overcome a serious drug addiction and is now working at the only hospital that will offer him employment. He is a physician and the hospital where he is now working is underfunded and understaffed. Hours are long, pay mediocre, but despite that he is grateful that he has a job. He makes friends and things are generally going okay that is until patients begin to die patients that should have recovered. Now the police are involved and he is worried. Who is this angel of death?
Plenty of black humor,and a vivid look at how hard doctors work. In-between chapters, we are given real life looks into real life killings by various medical personnel. Finished this right before my last unplanned hospital stay. And yes, it was on my mind. Still, this was a different but interesting read.
Plenty of black humor,and a vivid look at how hard doctors work. In-between chapters, we are given real life looks into real life killings by various medical personnel. Finished this right before my last unplanned hospital stay. And yes, it was on my mind. Still, this was a different but interesting read.
December 1, 2022
3⭐
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, medical, opioid addiction, serial killer
I like medical thrillers and serial killers, but this was slow and just okay for me. I didn't really find it to be much of a thriller either to be honest. I had to go back and confirm this was fiction because it read sort of like non-fiction with an overload of medical information. There were real life murders that were thrown in, too, which really I didn't mind since I do read true crime from time to time, but it just added to it being over informative.
Overall, an obviously well researched book that might be your cup of tea. It's currently highly rated here at 3.97 and 4.3 on Amazon, so I seem to be in the minority.
I was able to listen to the audio as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening. It was narrated by Greg Miller Burns for an awfully long time at 12 hours and 28 minutes. His Scottish accent is quite thick, so I couldn't listen to it much over 2x. Reading was the better option for me.
*Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, the author and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, medical, opioid addiction, serial killer
I like medical thrillers and serial killers, but this was slow and just okay for me. I didn't really find it to be much of a thriller either to be honest. I had to go back and confirm this was fiction because it read sort of like non-fiction with an overload of medical information. There were real life murders that were thrown in, too, which really I didn't mind since I do read true crime from time to time, but it just added to it being over informative.
Overall, an obviously well researched book that might be your cup of tea. It's currently highly rated here at 3.97 and 4.3 on Amazon, so I seem to be in the minority.
I was able to listen to the audio as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening. It was narrated by Greg Miller Burns for an awfully long time at 12 hours and 28 minutes. His Scottish accent is quite thick, so I couldn't listen to it much over 2x. Reading was the better option for me.
*Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, the author and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
May 12, 2022
If you open this book thinking it’s a medical thriller—which is how it’s marketed—then you’ll be terribly disappointed. But take it on its own terms and it is one of the most evocative and heart-rendering tales you’ll have encountered in quite a while. A young Scottish doctor, caught stealing and using opioids, is deemed fit to return to practice and lands in St. Luke’s—one of London’s roughest hospitals and a place that’s desperately in need of staff. Author Stephenson was trained as a doctor, and this book goes deeply—and fascinatingly—into life in the hospital. Add to this a great cast of characters, including George, an orthopedist, rugby player, and teddy bear of a man who rooms with our protagonist, helping to keep him grounded.
The criminal element comes into play when it’s discovered that several of St. Luke’s patients have died from opioid overdoses, clearly at the hands of medical personnel, with our narrator suspect number one. Woven throughout the book are the stories of doctors throughout history who doubled as serial killers—these sojourns away from the narrative will drive some readers crazy but I found the context they provided fascinating. In the end, the book comes down to just a few characters and a couple of questions: How does medicine, “a dark and a terrible knowledge,” force its practitioners to see things differently? And what’s the impact when they do see differently?—Brian Kenney
For more reviews of forthcoming Crime Fiction, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, First Clue: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/First...
The criminal element comes into play when it’s discovered that several of St. Luke’s patients have died from opioid overdoses, clearly at the hands of medical personnel, with our narrator suspect number one. Woven throughout the book are the stories of doctors throughout history who doubled as serial killers—these sojourns away from the narrative will drive some readers crazy but I found the context they provided fascinating. In the end, the book comes down to just a few characters and a couple of questions: How does medicine, “a dark and a terrible knowledge,” force its practitioners to see things differently? And what’s the impact when they do see differently?—Brian Kenney
For more reviews of forthcoming Crime Fiction, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, First Clue: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/First...
August 27, 2022
The year is 1999. Returning to practice after a suspension for stealing opioids, a young Scottish doctor takes the only job he can find: a post as senior house officer in the struggling East London hospital of St Luke's. Amid the malestorm of sick patients, over-worked staff and underfunded wards and a darker secret soon declares itself: too many patients are dying.
Simon Stephenson was a physician before hr became a writer and screenwriter. In this book is a story of overworked and exhausted medics who face new challenges every day. The unnamed narrator, a doctor who's on probation due to their dependency on opioids, is now working in a busy A&E. He starts to notice inexplicable deaths at the hospital.
The pace was steady but there was a little too much hospital jargon for my liking in the first half of the book. The characters were a little flat. There's lots of medical murders and murderers. There's historical parts that were quite interesting to read about, they covered doctors who were also killers. I did not see the twist coming.
I would like to thank #Netgalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #SimonStephenson for my ARC of #SometimesPeopleDie in exchange for an honest review.
Simon Stephenson was a physician before hr became a writer and screenwriter. In this book is a story of overworked and exhausted medics who face new challenges every day. The unnamed narrator, a doctor who's on probation due to their dependency on opioids, is now working in a busy A&E. He starts to notice inexplicable deaths at the hospital.
The pace was steady but there was a little too much hospital jargon for my liking in the first half of the book. The characters were a little flat. There's lots of medical murders and murderers. There's historical parts that were quite interesting to read about, they covered doctors who were also killers. I did not see the twist coming.
I would like to thank #Netgalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #SimonStephenson for my ARC of #SometimesPeopleDie in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2022
Loved this read. For the first quarter I would have given it 5 stars. It got nihilistic during the last quarter which took it down about 1/2 star. But this book TRULY did make me laugh out loud about 7 or 8 times in a dreary fall gloom rainfall darkness. No small task.
This is not for everyone. If you liked MASH (dark medical humor) you will like this one. Because its voice is BETTER than the dialogue of those doctor to doctor situations. Very sharp, crux, savvy writing. And he knows grief. From nearly all views, he does.
I could list about 10 quotes, but I won't. Just one which gives you some idea of the pointedness of his phrasing. He doesn't need to tell and tell. For instance you get his first roommate within 3 paragraphs PERFECTLY. But here's a quote about structure surrounds:
"It looked like an asylum that a distracted child had constructed from a half dozen unmatched Lego sets." (St. Luke's- the hospital where he is hired.)
You can TRULY tell he does screen writer. And also that he is a doctor. An M.D.- for real.
The perp and ending situations I half guessed. But they are unusual and I doubt others with get more than 30% of it, because the whole is outlier. But you might if you have a lot of Psych. training.
Well, I recommend if you don't mind reading about addicts. That's embedded. But it is probably closest to the truth of some particular experiences that I have come across in out of 100's of these moderns. This one isn't obnoxious people either. You should know that. In fact, 75% of them are wonderful in the breech humans.
Best book I have had recommended to me in about 6 months. I will read his others. For sure.
This is not for everyone. If you liked MASH (dark medical humor) you will like this one. Because its voice is BETTER than the dialogue of those doctor to doctor situations. Very sharp, crux, savvy writing. And he knows grief. From nearly all views, he does.
I could list about 10 quotes, but I won't. Just one which gives you some idea of the pointedness of his phrasing. He doesn't need to tell and tell. For instance you get his first roommate within 3 paragraphs PERFECTLY. But here's a quote about structure surrounds:
"It looked like an asylum that a distracted child had constructed from a half dozen unmatched Lego sets." (St. Luke's- the hospital where he is hired.)
You can TRULY tell he does screen writer. And also that he is a doctor. An M.D.- for real.
The perp and ending situations I half guessed. But they are unusual and I doubt others with get more than 30% of it, because the whole is outlier. But you might if you have a lot of Psych. training.
Well, I recommend if you don't mind reading about addicts. That's embedded. But it is probably closest to the truth of some particular experiences that I have come across in out of 100's of these moderns. This one isn't obnoxious people either. You should know that. In fact, 75% of them are wonderful in the breech humans.
Best book I have had recommended to me in about 6 months. I will read his others. For sure.
September 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this fascinating mix of medical memoir, with its realistic insight into the challenges of being a junior doctor in a busy hospital, and intriguing murder mystery. I suspect anyone who has ever worked in a hospital setting will recognise the long hours, the exhausting night shifts, the challenge of scarce resources, the neverending paperwork and the snatched meal breaks depicted by the author. And, of course, the life and death decisions junior doctors are required to make, often in a state of near exhaustion. Those in the medical profession will no doubt also be impressed by the level of detail of diagnostic techniques, medical interventions and drug regimes, something that could surely only come from someone with the author’s background.
The voice of the unnamed narrator is sardonic, cynical and displays the black humour that is often a prequisite for getting through the day, for processing the traumatic things witnessed day in and day out, and coming to terms with the fact that despite best efforts ‘sometimes people die’. Having said that there’s also lot of gentle humour. For example, the ‘granny-dumping’ that occurs on Fridays preceding a summer bank holiday weekend, our narrator’s sessions with his narcoleptic CBT therapist or the medical examination case study that turns out to be a little difficult.
Our narrator is unsparing when it comes to admitting his own weaknesses, meaning the reader never loses sympathy with him even during his most serious lapses and expecially when he finds himself under suspicion of involvement in what turns out to be a case of murder. His compassion and dedication to his patients is never in doubt, unless of course you agree with the detectives assigned to the case that’s he’s the obvious culprit. I particularly loved his friendship with the affable George whose offer of a room allows him to escape from his previous accommodation, aka Stalag Motorsport.
For those beginning to think this sounds too much like a medical memoir, I can reassure you that at the heart of the book is an intriguing, cleverly constructed murder mystery with plenty of red herrings and false trails… or should that be debatable diagnoses and misleading symptoms. There are unexpected revelations akin to suddenly drawing back the cubicle curtains around a hospital bed and at one point a rather different form of intensive care. And I don’t think there are many books where a cactus and an articulated skeleton called Patrick play a significant role in the story, although I’m happy to be corrected on that.
Another thing I enjoyed about the book are the occasional sections that describe real life murderers who practiced medicine, from famous cases such as Dr. Crippen and Harold Shipman to less well-known ones. What’s surprising – or perhaps depressing is a better word – is how long in some cases it took for their crimes to be discovered, either through negligence or a kind of medical omerta.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sometimes People Die‘s blend of dark humour, skilfully constructed plot and convincing detail.
The voice of the unnamed narrator is sardonic, cynical and displays the black humour that is often a prequisite for getting through the day, for processing the traumatic things witnessed day in and day out, and coming to terms with the fact that despite best efforts ‘sometimes people die’. Having said that there’s also lot of gentle humour. For example, the ‘granny-dumping’ that occurs on Fridays preceding a summer bank holiday weekend, our narrator’s sessions with his narcoleptic CBT therapist or the medical examination case study that turns out to be a little difficult.
Our narrator is unsparing when it comes to admitting his own weaknesses, meaning the reader never loses sympathy with him even during his most serious lapses and expecially when he finds himself under suspicion of involvement in what turns out to be a case of murder. His compassion and dedication to his patients is never in doubt, unless of course you agree with the detectives assigned to the case that’s he’s the obvious culprit. I particularly loved his friendship with the affable George whose offer of a room allows him to escape from his previous accommodation, aka Stalag Motorsport.
For those beginning to think this sounds too much like a medical memoir, I can reassure you that at the heart of the book is an intriguing, cleverly constructed murder mystery with plenty of red herrings and false trails… or should that be debatable diagnoses and misleading symptoms. There are unexpected revelations akin to suddenly drawing back the cubicle curtains around a hospital bed and at one point a rather different form of intensive care. And I don’t think there are many books where a cactus and an articulated skeleton called Patrick play a significant role in the story, although I’m happy to be corrected on that.
Another thing I enjoyed about the book are the occasional sections that describe real life murderers who practiced medicine, from famous cases such as Dr. Crippen and Harold Shipman to less well-known ones. What’s surprising – or perhaps depressing is a better word – is how long in some cases it took for their crimes to be discovered, either through negligence or a kind of medical omerta.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sometimes People Die‘s blend of dark humour, skilfully constructed plot and convincing detail.
October 5, 2022
An unnamed Scottish narrator takes a job as a junior doctor at St. Luke's Hospital in London, which is the only place he can find work after being suspended for stealing opioids. The hospital is severely understaffed, making it easy for suspicious deaths to slip under the radar until one woman dies under our narrator's care, revealing a serial killer is practicing in the hospital.
500000/5 stars for the audiobook narrator, I was enraptured by the narration of this book.
Although the setting of the hospital kept things tense with all the sick patients and while I appreciate all of the healthcare knowledge I gained from this, I do think this would be more enjoyed by someone in the healthcare field. The day in and day out life in the hospital without much plot moving the story forward in the middle dragged some for me.
The mystery was a solid one. I definitely didn't see the final couple of twists coming. The writing came across as smart and foreboding. I'm intrigued to see what Simon Stephenson writes next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions!
500000/5 stars for the audiobook narrator, I was enraptured by the narration of this book.
Although the setting of the hospital kept things tense with all the sick patients and while I appreciate all of the healthcare knowledge I gained from this, I do think this would be more enjoyed by someone in the healthcare field. The day in and day out life in the hospital without much plot moving the story forward in the middle dragged some for me.
The mystery was a solid one. I definitely didn't see the final couple of twists coming. The writing came across as smart and foreboding. I'm intrigued to see what Simon Stephenson writes next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions!
August 21, 2022
Sometimes People Die by Simon Stephenson. Thanks to @hanoversquarepress #htpinfluencer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A young doctor has been caught stealing opioids at work. He now takes the only job he can find in a struggling and underfunded London hospital. As patients begin dying at an unusual rate, he realizes he’s not the only one with a secret.
This book had everything I love, plus a few things I don’t know I loved. I am really into first person narration, especially with a character like ours. Having been disgraced in the medical field, he is bitter, cynical, clever, and witty. While he remains unnamed, we feel like we know him intimately while we read the book. I loved all the medical facts and emergencies within the book. The historical portions were interesting, although I also could have done without. This was an amazing read!
“Medicine is a dark and a terrible knowledge, and sometimes it can be a lethal one.”
Sometimes People Die comes out 9/20.
A young doctor has been caught stealing opioids at work. He now takes the only job he can find in a struggling and underfunded London hospital. As patients begin dying at an unusual rate, he realizes he’s not the only one with a secret.
This book had everything I love, plus a few things I don’t know I loved. I am really into first person narration, especially with a character like ours. Having been disgraced in the medical field, he is bitter, cynical, clever, and witty. While he remains unnamed, we feel like we know him intimately while we read the book. I loved all the medical facts and emergencies within the book. The historical portions were interesting, although I also could have done without. This was an amazing read!
“Medicine is a dark and a terrible knowledge, and sometimes it can be a lethal one.”
Sometimes People Die comes out 9/20.
August 27, 2022
This title caught my eye when a GoodReads friend commented in her review that it had too much medicine in it for her - a big plus for me: I generally love crime thrillers written by real doctors, and the more bleak hippocratic humour the better. Sometimes People Die is like a version of This Is Going To Hurt as written by Gregory House - but without all the objects being retrieved from orifices. This is part memoir - an accurate portrayal of life as a junior hospital doctor in the late nineties NHS, but with a serial killer mystery thrown in to broaden the appeal to lovers of true crime. It is entirely fictional, apart from the inserts about famous murderous medics from across the ages every few chapters - other reviewers have felt these to be an unnecessary distraction from the plot, but I found them fascinating.
The narrator - who’s is never named, recounts how twenty years earlier he found himself working in an understaffed public hospital in the East End of London, after nearly losing his medical licence for stealing pethidine to fuel his opioid addiction in his native Scotland. The work is gruelling - the never ending drudgery of healthcare interspersed with crash calls to cardiac arrests that seem to be happening all too frequently, until finally the question is raised - could a killer be walking the wards? When his past is revealed, our protagonist becomes the lead suspect, but a lack of evidence and the dearth of doctors mean he keeps his job - but the deaths don’t stop. Can he unmask a murderer whose methods are matched only by the vast array of diseases they diagnose daily?
“Our patients were the sickest in the city: they frequently suffered from Victorian ailments, travelled to the farthest corners of the globe to bring home obscure exotic diseases, and sometimes just good old-fashioned shot each other.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this - despite the trauma of a trip down memory lane from having worked in British hospitals myself only a few years before the time it’s set. The writing is brilliant, and the observations astute - only actual doctors know the pressures that distort your thinking to the point where incarceration can seem preferable to going to work: “I found myself inevitably thinking again about what my life in prison might be like. I did not seem likely to do well there, but consoled myself that perhaps I could ingratiate myself to the other inmates by providing them medical care. Beyond that, the sole upside I could think of was that I would at least no longer have to work nights.”
His account of his (minor spoiler alert) relapse into addiction felt scarily believable. Our flawed hero admits he was hopeless medical student, but downplays his clinical skills - his imposter syndrome stops him recognising what his colleagues can see, that does actually deserve his place, and he turns out to be a better detective than the incompetent investigators leading the murder enquiry. “An incorrect diagnosis is like having a pebble in your shoe: you can go a certain distance with it by reassuring yourself that you are simply imagining the unease you feel, but deep down you know it is wrong, and at some point it will need to be addressed.” I can see that a lay reader would find that all the in depth medical details slow down the plot - the book is longer than it needs to be, but I liked the way it’s all wrapped up. Recommended to those who enjoy medical thrillers and don’t currently have a serious disease or a loved one in hospital. 4.5 rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. Sometimes People Die is published on September 1st.
The narrator - who’s is never named, recounts how twenty years earlier he found himself working in an understaffed public hospital in the East End of London, after nearly losing his medical licence for stealing pethidine to fuel his opioid addiction in his native Scotland. The work is gruelling - the never ending drudgery of healthcare interspersed with crash calls to cardiac arrests that seem to be happening all too frequently, until finally the question is raised - could a killer be walking the wards? When his past is revealed, our protagonist becomes the lead suspect, but a lack of evidence and the dearth of doctors mean he keeps his job - but the deaths don’t stop. Can he unmask a murderer whose methods are matched only by the vast array of diseases they diagnose daily?
“Our patients were the sickest in the city: they frequently suffered from Victorian ailments, travelled to the farthest corners of the globe to bring home obscure exotic diseases, and sometimes just good old-fashioned shot each other.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this - despite the trauma of a trip down memory lane from having worked in British hospitals myself only a few years before the time it’s set. The writing is brilliant, and the observations astute - only actual doctors know the pressures that distort your thinking to the point where incarceration can seem preferable to going to work: “I found myself inevitably thinking again about what my life in prison might be like. I did not seem likely to do well there, but consoled myself that perhaps I could ingratiate myself to the other inmates by providing them medical care. Beyond that, the sole upside I could think of was that I would at least no longer have to work nights.”
His account of his (minor spoiler alert) relapse into addiction felt scarily believable. Our flawed hero admits he was hopeless medical student, but downplays his clinical skills - his imposter syndrome stops him recognising what his colleagues can see, that does actually deserve his place, and he turns out to be a better detective than the incompetent investigators leading the murder enquiry. “An incorrect diagnosis is like having a pebble in your shoe: you can go a certain distance with it by reassuring yourself that you are simply imagining the unease you feel, but deep down you know it is wrong, and at some point it will need to be addressed.” I can see that a lay reader would find that all the in depth medical details slow down the plot - the book is longer than it needs to be, but I liked the way it’s all wrapped up. Recommended to those who enjoy medical thrillers and don’t currently have a serious disease or a loved one in hospital. 4.5 rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. Sometimes People Die is published on September 1st.
January 22, 2023
This is a medical crime drama / mystery that I really enjoyed. I liked it's simplicity and frank account from the the point of view of a doctor with a questionable record (recovering from opiod addiction) living his life and doing his best under crappy conditions when a serial killer is uncovered in his hospital.
Suspician falls on him (dubious past) and then moves among others in his remit - but who is the actual culprit?
This has a slow build-up but I didn't mind that as I was interested in the various patients, nurses, doctors, working in limited conditions, mini-dramas that ensued.
Overall an eye-opening story from a former doctor. I did listen to this on audio and thought the narrator was excellent which really added to my enjoyment.
Suspician falls on him (dubious past) and then moves among others in his remit - but who is the actual culprit?
This has a slow build-up but I didn't mind that as I was interested in the various patients, nurses, doctors, working in limited conditions, mini-dramas that ensued.
Overall an eye-opening story from a former doctor. I did listen to this on audio and thought the narrator was excellent which really added to my enjoyment.
June 13, 2022
Lets just all take a minute to appreciate this kick ass cover.
When I picked this book, it was the cover that I instantly gravitated toward. Mysterious and engaging.
Now, the title? Okay, hook, line, sinker. You got me, no need to twist my arm.
I have a career in healthcare (that I absolutely love!!!) So, when it comes to books that circulate around medical profession or hospital setting, I instantly have to have it. The amount of knowledge and research that Simon Stephenson put into this book shows on every page.
I was instantly intrigued and consumed by this book. I will be honest with you, I could not sleep this morning and 4am isn't exactly the right time to put the TV on and wake my household. So I grabbed my ipad and BAM! , Im late for work.
But.... I did finish Sometimes People Die!!
This book was expertly written and had the perfect pace. I loved all the details and how accurate the medical knowledge was . The twist was one I could not see coming and was quite floored.
I would highly recommend this book to friends and family !
When I picked this book, it was the cover that I instantly gravitated toward. Mysterious and engaging.
Now, the title? Okay, hook, line, sinker. You got me, no need to twist my arm.
I have a career in healthcare (that I absolutely love!!!) So, when it comes to books that circulate around medical profession or hospital setting, I instantly have to have it. The amount of knowledge and research that Simon Stephenson put into this book shows on every page.
I was instantly intrigued and consumed by this book. I will be honest with you, I could not sleep this morning and 4am isn't exactly the right time to put the TV on and wake my household. So I grabbed my ipad and BAM! , Im late for work.
But.... I did finish Sometimes People Die!!
This book was expertly written and had the perfect pace. I loved all the details and how accurate the medical knowledge was . The twist was one I could not see coming and was quite floored.
I would highly recommend this book to friends and family !
September 11, 2022
Finished reading: September 10th 2022
DNF at 12% (44 pages)
"The notion that a healthcare worker might intentionally harm a patient is therefore a profoundly troubling one."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
July 25, 2022
A must-read for fans of Robin Cook. This has great nitty-gritty medical scenes. However, the detailed descriptions of past killers seems out of place.
October 12, 2022
I attended a panel at the Bloody Scotland Crime Fiction Festival that this author was part of and was fascinated by both him, and the premise of the book. Simon Stephenson was an excellent panel member, with a dry wit that made me chuckle out loud at times. His writing is exactly the same. This is a medical crime drama with such dry humour running throughout. I've not read anything quite like it before and enjoyed every page.
Our unnamed lead character is a Scottish doctor. He's recently returned to medicine after serving a suspension for stealing opioids from his previous hospital. The only job he can find is at St Luke's Hospital in London; a struggling place, which is understaffed with overworked medics. It's a place that welcomes any doctor, no matter what's happened in their past.
In any hospital, sometimes people die. However, at St Luke's, lots of people are dying. Far too many and far more than expected. It becomes clear that this is not just down to illness, these deaths are mysterious and need to be investigated. The police are called in and seem to take an extra special interest in the Scottish doctor, they know more about him than he is comfortable with and he has to ensure that nothing he says or does causes suspicion, even though he's not a killer.
The author's history as a hospital doctor shines through in his writing. The description of place and people, the extraordinary setting of overworked medics, dealing with constant exhaustion and unexpected deaths reads so well. There's also that humour that I mentioned, a welcome addition to a story that could be bogged down with the darkest of themes.
I especially liked the inclusion of short chapters that dealt with real-life medical murderers, these are an interesting addition and goes to prove that whilst the story is fictional, it's by no way unbelievable.
Gleefully dark, with a lead character who is complex and often confounding but always a joy to follow. I enjoyed this murderous story very much and look forward to more from the author.
Our unnamed lead character is a Scottish doctor. He's recently returned to medicine after serving a suspension for stealing opioids from his previous hospital. The only job he can find is at St Luke's Hospital in London; a struggling place, which is understaffed with overworked medics. It's a place that welcomes any doctor, no matter what's happened in their past.
In any hospital, sometimes people die. However, at St Luke's, lots of people are dying. Far too many and far more than expected. It becomes clear that this is not just down to illness, these deaths are mysterious and need to be investigated. The police are called in and seem to take an extra special interest in the Scottish doctor, they know more about him than he is comfortable with and he has to ensure that nothing he says or does causes suspicion, even though he's not a killer.
The author's history as a hospital doctor shines through in his writing. The description of place and people, the extraordinary setting of overworked medics, dealing with constant exhaustion and unexpected deaths reads so well. There's also that humour that I mentioned, a welcome addition to a story that could be bogged down with the darkest of themes.
I especially liked the inclusion of short chapters that dealt with real-life medical murderers, these are an interesting addition and goes to prove that whilst the story is fictional, it's by no way unbelievable.
Gleefully dark, with a lead character who is complex and often confounding but always a joy to follow. I enjoyed this murderous story very much and look forward to more from the author.
September 27, 2022
Sometimes People Die. They most certainly do! Those of us who are fascinated and almost obsessed with the macabre, have probably looked up various serial killers - thus taking us to the subject of killer nurses and doctors. Real life scary, isn't it?
This is one of those books that is quite the slow burn.... but so much so that I almost DNF'd it. However, the murderous medical history chapters we get here and there kept me intrigued... and towards the last half, the main storyline starts to take off.
There are tons of medical jargon and procedures throughout the read - as one may expect considering the subject matter. And I enjoy that the author takes his own real life experiences as a physician to give such detailed descriptions but um.. for me it got to be just a little too much. I wanted more dialogue. I wanted... more... and less... if that makes sense.
Love the subject matter but the writing style just didn't work for me.
This is one of those books that is quite the slow burn.... but so much so that I almost DNF'd it. However, the murderous medical history chapters we get here and there kept me intrigued... and towards the last half, the main storyline starts to take off.
There are tons of medical jargon and procedures throughout the read - as one may expect considering the subject matter. And I enjoy that the author takes his own real life experiences as a physician to give such detailed descriptions but um.. for me it got to be just a little too much. I wanted more dialogue. I wanted... more... and less... if that makes sense.
Love the subject matter but the writing style just didn't work for me.
November 8, 2022
Folks are sleeping on this one.
If you’re looking for some old school Tana French pacing, atmosphere building, and questionable narrator - look no further.
The book is made up of chapters forwarding the current narrative mystery (patients are being murdered in a hospital, who is doing it?) and chapters about historical healthcare workers who hurt people. The way it worked for me, the historical chapters provided this slurry of potential motivations to think about as I was evaluating the current mystery and who did it. I can’t think of another book I’ve read with that structure, it felt fresh.
Do I think there were flaws in the execution? Yes.
Do I very much think folks should give this book a try? Also yes.
If you’re looking for some old school Tana French pacing, atmosphere building, and questionable narrator - look no further.
The book is made up of chapters forwarding the current narrative mystery (patients are being murdered in a hospital, who is doing it?) and chapters about historical healthcare workers who hurt people. The way it worked for me, the historical chapters provided this slurry of potential motivations to think about as I was evaluating the current mystery and who did it. I can’t think of another book I’ve read with that structure, it felt fresh.
Do I think there were flaws in the execution? Yes.
Do I very much think folks should give this book a try? Also yes.
May 6, 2024
This felt like a unique thriller. The POV was a doctor who struggled with addictions himself. I listened to it as an audiobook and was intrigued the whole time. I didn’t expect the twist at the end.
**audiobook
**audiobook
February 5, 2024
If you like your humour dry and dark (and I very much do) then this is definitely the book for you.
I will start off with a couple of warnings though which you may see in other reviews. Although the story of this book is essentially about a potential serial killer lurking within a hospital, it is not what I would call fast-paced and it does start off slowly. For me, that is not a criticism. I actually dislike the term 'slow' being used pejoratively, there is definitely a time and a place for slowness in story telling and I think in books like this, it is necessary.
The next warning is that there is quite a lot of medical jargon and explanation of conditions in the book. Again, not an issue for me as I found it quite enlightening but others may be put off by it.
Anyway, back to the novel. This story follows our unnamed narrator, a Scottish doctor who has recently fallen foul of the General Medical Council due to his opioid addiction. Whilst he was not struck off, his reputation is such that he can only really get a job in specific hospitals, overrun, dilapidated hospitals where no self-respecting doctor would really choose to work.
This brings him to St Luke's where he meets a number of different people, all struggling in some way or another. However, when a police investigation uncovers a number of unexplained, excess deaths at St Luke's it is clear that not everyone is who they seem to be.
Although serial-killer-in-the-hospital sounds like a thrilling page turner (and it does become that), this is also a character-driven novel and a great look at doctors as human beings, first and foremost, and their inherent fallibility and weaknesses. The story may live or die dependent upon your feelings about the main character. I, essentially, liked him despite his obvious flaws and dubious life choices but not sure everyone will agree.
I will start off with a couple of warnings though which you may see in other reviews. Although the story of this book is essentially about a potential serial killer lurking within a hospital, it is not what I would call fast-paced and it does start off slowly. For me, that is not a criticism. I actually dislike the term 'slow' being used pejoratively, there is definitely a time and a place for slowness in story telling and I think in books like this, it is necessary.
The next warning is that there is quite a lot of medical jargon and explanation of conditions in the book. Again, not an issue for me as I found it quite enlightening but others may be put off by it.
Anyway, back to the novel. This story follows our unnamed narrator, a Scottish doctor who has recently fallen foul of the General Medical Council due to his opioid addiction. Whilst he was not struck off, his reputation is such that he can only really get a job in specific hospitals, overrun, dilapidated hospitals where no self-respecting doctor would really choose to work.
This brings him to St Luke's where he meets a number of different people, all struggling in some way or another. However, when a police investigation uncovers a number of unexplained, excess deaths at St Luke's it is clear that not everyone is who they seem to be.
Although serial-killer-in-the-hospital sounds like a thrilling page turner (and it does become that), this is also a character-driven novel and a great look at doctors as human beings, first and foremost, and their inherent fallibility and weaknesses. The story may live or die dependent upon your feelings about the main character. I, essentially, liked him despite his obvious flaws and dubious life choices but not sure everyone will agree.
September 20, 2022
Taken at face value, this could have been a super read. You have a main character who is a doctor struggling with opioid addiction and a hospital with a serial killer on the loose. However the writing is incredibly dry, the narration is monotone, and the story is dragged out so long that you forget that you even care who the killer is. Told in the first person, I never felt any emotion coming from the main character whether at the prospect of spending his life in prison for murder or related to his drug addiction. Sadly, the best part of the book were the interludes between chapters where historical medical serial killers where summarized. But even those felt more like an attempt to stretch out the page count instead of providing an intermission from the "action" of the story. End result is a great plot but disappointing execution.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
December 11, 2022
DNF: I don't know how you could take such an exciting concept and somehow make it so insufferably boring I had to put it down before I reached 100 pages. There is no need to get as detailed as this book gets into the medical field or how each and every procedure goes or every step of medical school. This could very well pick up half way through and I could be missing out on what ends up being an amazing thriller but I simply do not have the patience for the vocabulary or voice this author uses.
January 3, 2023
A hospital who dunnit, sometimes it was hard to believe it was fiction and not a hospital work story.
November 18, 2022
This book is so compelling and plot so addictive. The tidbid of medical serial killers throughout history is great, just enough information to peak your interest without extra dramatization.
The main character is so easy to empathize with. The story unravels as he navigates the turbulent beginnings of working as a mediocre doctor in a mediocre position. The stress, long days, impending exams, and mediocre pay are too real.
The ending is fantastic. It was an exciting discovery that made everything fit together. The introspection into the career of being a doctor was deeply moving.
This is probably one of the few really good mystery novels I've ever read. If you're looking for something with a sinister premise and an engaging plot, this is it!
The main character is so easy to empathize with. The story unravels as he navigates the turbulent beginnings of working as a mediocre doctor in a mediocre position. The stress, long days, impending exams, and mediocre pay are too real.
The ending is fantastic. It was an exciting discovery that made everything fit together. The introspection into the career of being a doctor was deeply moving.
This is probably one of the few really good mystery novels I've ever read. If you're looking for something with a sinister premise and an engaging plot, this is it!
October 23, 2022
This was terrific. Another hoopla gem!
It only got better and better as I progressed through the book. If it’s a little slow for you initially, keep with it.
What I especially loved is how medically heavy it was. Such a great change of pace! The Scottish narrator was also a dream. Love the authors bio here on GR as well.
SUMMARY: Scottish physician became addicted to pain pills after an accident. He gets a second chance at a busy hospital in London. Soon after he begins working there, the hospital falls under scrutiny for a higher percentage of deaths, leading to a police investigation and the eventual capture of one of his coworkers who confesses to one of the (16?) patient murders.
Between this event and the death of a close friend, our Scottish doctor finds himself drawn back to the comfort of drugs, once again landing himself in trouble. After his near death experience (and facing charges) he finds sobriety and also learns a curious fact that brings into question his friends death and also the serial murderer. He’s not so convinced they have the right person, even though they confessed. This sends him on an investigation to find out what really happened and who is at fault.
Read on hoopla
It only got better and better as I progressed through the book. If it’s a little slow for you initially, keep with it.
What I especially loved is how medically heavy it was. Such a great change of pace! The Scottish narrator was also a dream. Love the authors bio here on GR as well.
SUMMARY: Scottish physician became addicted to pain pills after an accident. He gets a second chance at a busy hospital in London. Soon after he begins working there, the hospital falls under scrutiny for a higher percentage of deaths, leading to a police investigation and the eventual capture of one of his coworkers who confesses to one of the (16?) patient murders.
Between this event and the death of a close friend, our Scottish doctor finds himself drawn back to the comfort of drugs, once again landing himself in trouble. After his near death experience (and facing charges) he finds sobriety and also learns a curious fact that brings into question his friends death and also the serial murderer. He’s not so convinced they have the right person, even though they confessed. This sends him on an investigation to find out what really happened and who is at fault.
Read on hoopla
June 16, 2022
What In The Wholy Hoot Hoot?! 😳😯🤯😳🤯
What The Fluffer Butter Nutter?! Flappin' Turkeys! You all already know that thrillers are genre to read, but when it comes to medical thrillers / suspense - that's my absolute favourite kryptonite! And this book completely & totally nailed it! Think the 90's show, ER, but with a suspenseful thriller twist in a book. I cannot believe how I sailed through this divinely yummy medical conundrum! Spine-tingling with an injection of fear.
Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: A young doctor has had to find a new job as a practicing doctor and when a position opens up at St. Luke's, just outside of London, he jumps at the chance to start right away. He quickly learns how short-staffed and many ill patients grant this hospital, but as some patients die from seemingly innocuous circumstances, a post-mortem on an elderly patient catches the eye of the police and soon, an investigation will show that this is not the first or last of a murderer. The question is, who? And why is this doctor under suspicion?
The amount of research & accuracy Stephenson put into this novel, as well as using his own physician experience, was so well done & made it that much more intriguing and capturing. He amped up the anti, the suspicion, the doubt and wonder and kept it going until the unseeing twist of an ending. This completely satisfied my medical appetite like a three-course dinner at a five star restaurant!
Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.
Release Date: September 20, 2022
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4.5 / 5 Beach Waves! 🌊
What The Fluffer Butter Nutter?! Flappin' Turkeys! You all already know that thrillers are genre to read, but when it comes to medical thrillers / suspense - that's my absolute favourite kryptonite! And this book completely & totally nailed it! Think the 90's show, ER, but with a suspenseful thriller twist in a book. I cannot believe how I sailed through this divinely yummy medical conundrum! Spine-tingling with an injection of fear.
Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: A young doctor has had to find a new job as a practicing doctor and when a position opens up at St. Luke's, just outside of London, he jumps at the chance to start right away. He quickly learns how short-staffed and many ill patients grant this hospital, but as some patients die from seemingly innocuous circumstances, a post-mortem on an elderly patient catches the eye of the police and soon, an investigation will show that this is not the first or last of a murderer. The question is, who? And why is this doctor under suspicion?
The amount of research & accuracy Stephenson put into this novel, as well as using his own physician experience, was so well done & made it that much more intriguing and capturing. He amped up the anti, the suspicion, the doubt and wonder and kept it going until the unseeing twist of an ending. This completely satisfied my medical appetite like a three-course dinner at a five star restaurant!
Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.
Release Date: September 20, 2022
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4.5 / 5 Beach Waves! 🌊
July 10, 2022
Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this book - it’s clear the author has medical knowledge, which is great, but the book felt a little too technical at times. It felt very slow and I wanted to get to at least 30%, but honestly I’ve been trying to read this for about three days now and haven’t been able to make much progress.
I’m giving it no rating//3 stars in the interest of fairness though; it seems like other people enjoyed it so maybe they’ll have a better time with it.
I’m giving it no rating//3 stars in the interest of fairness though; it seems like other people enjoyed it so maybe they’ll have a better time with it.
December 27, 2022
A medical mystery, a great, unique British hospital setting, and a tortured, but brutally honest and somehow very likable protagonist, made this one a winner for me. I’ve been in a reading slump and have been DNFing plenty of books this year. But I devoured this one in a few days. Quite different and unique. Well worth picking up.
More than just a mystery, too.. the story of a troubled young doctor looking for redemption, with some detours along the way. Including being the main suspect in a series of medically induced murders. It also explores themes of addiction, friendship, and grief. But is simultaneously quite mordantly funny. Recommended if you’re looking for something a bit different.
More than just a mystery, too.. the story of a troubled young doctor looking for redemption, with some detours along the way. Including being the main suspect in a series of medically induced murders. It also explores themes of addiction, friendship, and grief. But is simultaneously quite mordantly funny. Recommended if you’re looking for something a bit different.
November 21, 2024
4.5 stars
A former physician turned screen writer, the author writes with knowledge about the hospital setting.
In this, a young new doctor, with a past opioid addiction, takes a job at a charity hospital and finds out some people die. There are some unexplained deaths, and you find yourself rooting for the mc, a terribly flawed individual, just trying to carry on. It thought it was well done, and the true health care crime cases between chapters were very interesting.
A former physician turned screen writer, the author writes with knowledge about the hospital setting.
In this, a young new doctor, with a past opioid addiction, takes a job at a charity hospital and finds out some people die. There are some unexplained deaths, and you find yourself rooting for the mc, a terribly flawed individual, just trying to carry on. It thought it was well done, and the true health care crime cases between chapters were very interesting.
February 2, 2023
3.5 stars. This was terrifically entertaining almost all of the way through - it fell apart for me at the end, but I can't even be mad. I was enthralled for 90% of the book, and I didn't care one bit that I guessed a major plot point very early on. I raced to my reading chair every day to read it. I wish all thrillers were this thrilling.
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