Book Review: Sometimes People Die by Simon Stephenson
Genre(s): Medical Thriller / Crime Drama
Book Synopsis:
When too many patients die under his watch, a troubled young doctor suspects murder. But are his instincts to be trusted?
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?
Review:
This was an interesting book. It touched on the difficulties inherent in a hospital setting, particularly for young doctors looking to complete their certifications and launch their careers; the long hours, the nonstop demands while on the clock, the need to continually study for their exams.
But it also delved into another topic unrelated to the plot mentioned in the synopsis: Addiction and its effects on a person’s life, even if they’re a high functioning addict like the main character in this book seems to be. Even when he was clean, there was that constant fear of relapse, and in a hospital setting, the temptation to do so was always right there. I felt that part of the story was almost as prominent as the criminal investigation was.
While I liked the overall story, I wasn’t terribly engaged by its delivery. Much of the narrative was told in distant manner that didn’t pull me in emotionally. (It truly felt like telling versus showing for most of the book, and while it worked okay, it really isn’t my preference as a reader.)
I did like the historical asides that were sprinkled throughout featuring real world cases similar to the one presented in the book.
As for the guilty party… Maybe I’ve watched too many true crime shows, but I thought it was pretty obvious very early on. I did question my theory at one point, but it was quickly revealed that I was right all along. Despite my ability to predict the culprit, it was a pretty good story.
Author website: simonstephenson.com
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