How about this? Narrator Peter Brown is a pill-popping intern at a Manhattan hospital. Raised by Holocaust-survivor grandparents who were murdered, he was essentially “adopted” by a mob family, became a mob hitman, and is now in the federal witness protection program, but one of the hospital patients knew him in his previous life so it’s probably only a matter of time before his true identity is revealed and somebody’ll be coming for him. Meanwhile he’s got a bunch of patients to take care of.

Is that different enough for you?

If that brief synopsis seems to suggest that Beat the Reaper (as in defeating death) is bound to be confusing with so many plot threads running simultaneously, put your fears to rest. Debut author and medical resident Josh Bazell skillfully keeps multiple threads neatly interconnected as he adroitly juggles flashbacks and present time periods. And he footnotes medical issues mentioned in the narrative to boot.* The over-used phrase “page turner” is an apt description of this book. The swift-moving story line makes it nearly impossible to put down. Yes, it often stretches the bounds of credulity, but, hey, it’s fiction!

The distinctive characters and dark humor further add to the enjoyment of Beat the Reaper. As unusual as Peter Brown is, other characters match him in quirkiness. It’s hard to imagine a book with more idiosyncratic characters – scarcely any vices or personal qualities go untapped. Moreover, it’s laugh-out-loud funny with some of the grossest violence ever featured in a mystery (up to and including a shark tank).

Except for the ultra-squeamish, this is a book with broad appeal. Readers who delight in the offbeat Chris Grabenstein mysteries shouldn’t miss it, they’ll get the same kind of kick out of this book.

And if you’re looking for something different, well, it doesn’t get any better than this.

* Yes, Josh Bazell is a real, live M.D. so he knows whereof he writes. And if you think that’s odd, remember, Michael Crichton wrote his first novel in medical school.

--Lesley Dunlap