Staying up until 1am to finish a book is not something I do very often, but I did last night with Josh Bazell's Beat the Reaper. Dr. Peter Brown is a sleep-deprived, pill-popping intern at a run-down Manhattan hospital. When he enters the room of Nicholas LoBrutto, he realizes he knows this man from his former days as a mafia hitman. Peter Brown is actually Pietro Brwna, and currently in the Witness Protection Program. When LoBrutto threatens to rat him out if he doesn't survive his surgery, Peter must make sure the incompetent and unethical surgeon, Dr. Friendly, doesn't screw up. In between his encounters with a sexy drug rep, a patient with a pain in his ass, and his eager med students, Peter tells the story of how he came to be a hitman.
I had a lot of fun reading this novel. Bazell has produced a unique novel; not your run-of-the-mill crime novel. The pacing is swift. The tone is darkly comic, which I loved. Peter's footnotes provide really interesting tidbits on science, the healthcare business, and the mafia. And although Peter is technically a bad guy, he's a compelling character that I found myself rooting for. But be prepared for alot of violence (the ending is MESSED UP!). This is definitely one you don't want to miss. I read that Leo DiCaprio is going to produce (and maybe star in?) the film, and Bazell is working on another novel with this character.
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