Beat The Reaper
Josh Bazell
Publisher: William Heinemann
February 5th, 2009
You’d think a man safely ensconced in the American Witness Protection Programme would choose a more relaxing profession than an emergency ward doctor in which to work under anonymity. However that’s precisely what Pietro Brnwa aka Dr. Peter Brown aka Bearclaw has decided on becoming in Josh Bazell’s fabulously entertaining debut, Beat The Reaper.
The use of footnotes to give extra insight into Brown’s world rapidly turns from being something of a distraction to a stroke of genius that are not only highly amusing, but also rich in their information.
Told by means of relating a thrilling back-story interjected with present day happenings, Bazell has created a rich tapestry of setting, spins dialogue like golden threads and employs characters that urge readers to find what will happen next and, also, live long in the memory.
At once riotously funny, incredibly tense and deeply thrilling, Josh Bazell’s Beat The Reaper is a breath of fresh air in the world of Crime Fiction.
break the rules as I see fit.” - Chris High 2003.