LoveReading Says
I can declare that this novel is fabulously readable with a darkly comic twist that perfectly counters the tragedy contained within. Over-worked and underpaid, one young doctor attempts to solve the mystery of unexplained deaths occurring on his ward. Our doctor spills his thoughts onto the page, he’s honest, even about his addiction to opioids. And then we have the additional information that slices into the story, sporadically and clearly informing us of the historical cases of healthcare workers deliberately harming patients. It initially jars, but serves to remind you just how much we rely on our doctors, it also kept me wondering where the information was coming from. Author Simon Stephenson originally trained as a doctor and now works as a screenwriter. His ability to paint a vivid picture with words left me at times wanting to close my eyes to the horrors faced by medical staff. Yet, he has that dark humour beloved (and needed) by emergency workers all over the world, and it sits perfectly against the murder and mayhem. I gave myself a pat on the back for deciding who the killer was and yet the journey was totally unexpected, hence my choosing Sometimes People Die as a Liz Pick of the Month. If you enjoy a dry, whip-smart delivery along with the darkest of plots, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you.
Liz Robinson
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Sometimes People Die Synopsis
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 a senior house officer in the struggling east London hospital of St Luke’s.
Amid the maelstrom of sick patients, over-worked staff and underfunded wards a darker secret soon declares itself: too many patients are dying.
Which of the medical professionals our protagonist has encountered is behind the murders? And can our unnamed narrator’s version of the events be trusted?
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780008547653 |
| Publication date: |
29th February 2024 |
| Author: |
Simon Stephenson |
| Publisher: |
The Borough Press an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
368 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Crime and Mystery
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Simon Stephenson Press Reviews
'An under-stated serial killer thriller about a junior doctor recovering from opioid addiction who takes a job at a Hackney hospital in 1999 and falls under suspicion when 'excess' patients start dying. Stephenson intervweaves first-person narration delineating the daily dramas of life on the wards with real historical cases. Combining the dark humour of Adam Kay with the intrigue of a whodunnit, this cerebral mystery probes the 'paradox of healthcare murder''The Bookseller
'The witty writing, quirky protagonist, and anecdotal descriptions of real-life medical villains combine to make Sometimes People Die a delightful read. The serial killer plotline is an added bonus. I loved it' Kathy Reichs, the #1 New York Times bestseller
'Sometimes People Die blew me away and cost me a night's sleep as I read it on tenterhooks. Both a revelatory glimpse into the rigours and strains of medicine and a thrilling piece of entertainment, this astounding novel announces the arrival of a new Michael Crichton for the zeitgeist' Ken Bruen, author of The Guards
'Dark and haunting, powerful and propulsive, Sometimes People Die is a smart, cinematic, tour de force written by an exceptional talent. Simon Stephenson's debut novel is simply unputdownable' Lara Prescott, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets We Kept
'Simon Stephenson gives us a medical thriller that echoes Robin Cook by way of Edgar Allan Poe, with a lying, cowardly, mediocre doctor as our guide to St. Luke's Hospital, where the staff have lives in their hands and death under their thumbs. As the mystery spirals and the bodies pile, his cynical charm and black humor will draw you in. You'll trust him to get you through it. But should you?' Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell, New York Times bestselling authors of Working Stiff and First Cut
