Book Review: Sometimes People Die 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?

*****

It’s the 1990s. Our narrator has a new job as as a senior house officer at an East London hospital after a suspension for stealing opioids. 

When suspicious and unexplained deaths start to plague the hospital, who is responsible? Can we even trust our main character? 

I’d not read any of Simon Stephenson’s previous books so I didn’t know what to expect. The premise however intrigued me so I was eager to get started. 

I have to admit, it did take me a couple of chapters to settle into this novel as I got to know the main protagonist. Once this had happened though, I found I couldn’t put the novel down as I became completely invested in this story. 

The ‘Doctor’ is an interesting, flawed and complicated character who is well developed and relatable in many ways. He’s trying to turn his life around but, like real life,  issues such as trauma, his fear of being found out and the stress of work is making his recovery hard to keep up. As a reader, I felt empathy for him but it also made me wonder whether there were things he wasn’t telling me. 

The surrounding cast of characters are equally intriguing, especially Felix. I wanted to give George a big hug. 

There is a big mystery running through this book – who is responsible for the unexplained deaths/murders? I love a puzzle. Suspicion is of course cast on everyone as the story twists and turns toward its conclusion. It was certainly an end I didn’t see coming. 

It also puts you through all the emotions a little. One moment there is tension and then, especially at one scene in particular, I was fighting tears. 

There is a grit to this novel as well as a thread of dark humour as these doctors and medical professionals try to get through their shifts in a profession I know I could never be in and have utter respect for. 

You can tell that the author has knowledge of the subject matter (by that I mean medicine not murder obviously) and it adds a lot to the plot.

I’m not sure there is a lot more I can say without giving away spoilers. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It’s unique – reading almost like the protagonist’s diary if makes sense. 

If you’re looking for a mystery that is a little different, Sometimes People Die is perfect.

I thank the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. 

I’m looking forward to seeing what Simon does next. Oh, I also wanted to say this would make either a great movie or TV series… just saying. 

About Simon Stephenson:

Simon is from Edinburgh in Scotland, but now lives in Los Angeles having had stopovers along the way in London and San Francisco.

He’s a writer and screenwriter, and before becoming a full-time writer, he was a physician.

His new novel, ‘Sometimes People Die’ was published in September 2022 by The Borough Press. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Waterstones.

Simon has written two other books. ‘Set My Heart To Five’ came out in 2020. The Washington Post review said that he might be ‘Vonnegut’s first true protege’.

‘Let Not the Waves Of the Sea’, Simon’s memoir about losing his brother came out in 2012. It won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards, and was serialized on BBC Radio 4.

Simon has worked as a writer on various films including Pixar’s LUCA, PADDINGTON 2, and his own THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN. Like every other screenwriter in Hollywood, he has a bottom drawer full of unproduced scripts and forgotten promises. So it goes.

Say hi to Simon on Twitter.

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.