The deadly mafia hitman formerly known as Pietro “Bearclaw” Brwna, is attempting to redress his former crimes by saving lives in Manhattan’s most run-down hospital under the alias Peter Brown. But when a cancer patient turns out to be a mobster who knew him in his former life, past tragedies and conflicts are unearthed, and the clock begins ticking down to a face-off with the mafia.
Shady Past
Pietro Brwna had always wanted to be a doctor, just like his holocaust-survivor grandparents. His plans are cut short when his grandparents are murdered and he decides to find and punish the killers. Only a high-school student, he infiltrates the mafia circles by forging a friendship with Skinflick, the son of an important mafia lawyer. But he gets more than he bargained for as his life is drawn more and more into the mafia family. Little by little, he comes under the influence of the manipulative mafia lawyer, David Locano. In the end, he is double-crossed, his best friend becomes his worst enemy, and he escapes prison only by entering the witness protection program and enrolling in med school under the guidance of the mysterious Professor Marmoset.
Hospital Drama
Even while dodging the mafia, Peter Brown must attend to his patients, most of whom seem hopeless. There is the man with an impossible-to-diagnose disease complaining of “ass pain”, who is simply referred to as Assman; a young woman who has lost the will to live because her leg is about to be amputated; and last but not least, the mobster Squillante, who must be kept alive through a dangerous operation: he has arranged to inform Peter’s nemesis of his whereabouts in case he should not survive the surgery. Endowed with Herculean strength and Aesculapean knowledge, Peter Brown seems invincible, but not inhuman. He is obviously capable of making moral choices, experiencing deep feelings, and narrating his own story with a deadly accurate sense of humour.
Doctors Behaving Badly
Even regular viewers of House will be shocked and entertained by all the medical hijinks, with instances of doctors abusing drugs, outrageously misusing medical equipment, and generally breaking all possible rules of ethics and hygiene. Written by a real-life medical doctor, this novel makes the reader wonder whether or not these situations are wholly imaginary, though we are assured that his internship took place “at a hospital not at all like the one described in the book.”
A Motley Crew
Unlike most thrillers, Beat the Reaper is rich in interesting characters. They range from the wacky – the young medicine enthusiast with the brain-shaped afro, to admirable – the ingenious Professor Marmoset, to downright despicable – the negligent and ironically named Dr. Friendly. “You know that feeling where you’re not sure whether you’re being hustled or in the presence of an actual human being?” asks the main character, “I love that feeling.” Beat the Reaper is memorable, not just because it is impossible to put down, but because it introduces the reader to actual human beings who must contend with difficult moral questions.
Beat the Reaper
Josh Bazell
Little, Brown and Company, New York (2009)
ISBN 978-0-316-03221-6
Sonya Solomonovich - Just like Indiana Jones, I’m a teacher… part-time. I’ve been teaching professional writing at Grant MacEwan University ...
