1999. 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.
Sometimes People Die
‘The suggestion that a clever killer could operate in a busy hospital is all too believable and the novel is a riveting read, interspersed with intelligent reflections on what might drive a physician to kill.’
The Sunday Times - Crime and Thriller Book of the Month
‘Stephenson was a doctor before he was a writer, and the best part of this moody thriller, a slow-burning investigation into a spate of unexplained deaths at an underfunded London hospital, is its authoritative, unsparing account of what it’s like to work in such a place.’
The New York Times - Editor’s Pick
‘The dramatic, unnerving story and incredible writing make for an exceptional read.’
The Sun - Five Star review
‘Simon Stephenson’s diabolical and quick-witted medical thriller is not to be missed.’
CrimeReads - 10 Books You Should Read this September
’Simon Stephenson’s darkly hilarious mystery, Sometimes People Die, harks back to classic English satire a la Kingsley Amis or Evelyn Waugh, perfectly updating their sarcastic yet somehow still endearing tone for modern-day readers…..With ten months of 2022 behind us, I am confident this will be a (or perhaps the) best book of the year for me.’
BookPage - October’s Top Pick in Mystery
‘Why do I adore this kind of novel? It is intelligent, very witty in a very dark way, and does not flinch from serious and difficult questions.’
The Scotsman
‘A real old school page-turner I found difficult to put down.’
Yorkshire Magazine
‘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 interweaves 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
‘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 rigors 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, two-time Macavity Award-winning author of The Guards.
‘The witty writing, quirky protagonist, and anecdotal descriptions of real-life medical villains combine to make Sometimes People Die a delightful read. I loved it.’
Kathy Reichs, NYT bestselling author of the Temperance Brennan books.
‘Dark and haunting, powerful and propulsive, Sometimes People Die is a smart, cinematic, tour de force written by an exceptional talent. Simon Stephenson’s novel is simply unputdownable.’
Lara Prescott, NYT bestselling author of
The Secrets We Kept