Sometimes People Die by Simon Stephenson

‘Sometimes People Die’ is the latest book by Simon Stephenson.

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?

Set in Scotland, the story is seen through the narrative of a man called Doc. He’s been given a second chance of a career, after battling a drug addiction. He’s settling into his new life and routine as well as as new girlfriend. But when an elderly woman dies on his shift, Doc finds himself the prime suspect. The story is set in 1999, the hospital is overrun with patients and under-run with staff and this crime thriller reads like an memoir as Doc is the suspect in the case but is also trying to continue with his job.

The story travels at an interesting pace, packed with medical procedures and jargon as well as a whodunnit, and with the inclusion of famous medical serial killers, this book was fascinating to read.

A fun and twisty story, ‘Sometimes People Die’ is cleverly and wittily written with compelling characters and an atmospheric setting that made for gory and gripping reading.

You can buy ‘Sometimes People Die’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.