Beat the reaper

 

Hey, it's your girl Katherine here. I started reading a new novel called "Beat the Reaper." I haven't finished reading the book. So, I would only provide a partial reflection.

Plot Summary: Meet Peter Brown, a youthful Manhattan Catholic doctor with an uncommon past about to catch up with him. His morning begins with the prompt disarming of a would-be mugger. However, Peter quickly takes down the mug because of Peter's mysterious past. Then, followed by a steamy elevator encounter with a sexy young pharmaceutical rep, topped off by a visit with a new patient— Nicholas LoBrutto, who was astounded to see Peter for some strange reason that seemed like it has something to do with Peter's past. Peter's day will get a lot worse and more bizarre because that patient knows Peter from his other life when he had a different identity and a very different job.

The only reason he's a doctor now is thanks to the Witness Protection Program—and even that can't protect him from the long reach of the New Jersey mob. Now he's got to do whatever it takes to keep his patient alive so he can buy some time and beat the reaper.

Afterthoughts: From the moment I started reading "Beat the Reaper"—which opens with the protagonist Dr. Peter Brown brutally, efficiently, and humorously taking out a mugger, and footnotes about the fibula and how removing it doesn't affect a person's ability to walk—I knew I was in for a wild ride. And from there, things get a lot crazier, starting with a colorful cast of characters.

Even crazier is the plot which jumps back and forth between the present-day and Peter's current job as a first-year intern at Manhattan Catholic, and his past life when Peter Brown was known as Pietro Brnwa, aka "Bearclaw," a noted hitman for the New Jersey mob. Of the latter, readers will get to learn about the protagonist's grandparents getting killed by mobsters as part of an initiation ritual; Pietro ironically joining the mob himself; getting revenge against his grandparents' murderers; becoming a hitman; finding—and losing—the love of his life Magdalena; being betrayed by his best friend, and entering the Witness Protection Program. All excellent stuff—particularly a standout scene with man-eating sharks!—but what takes the cake is what happens when Pietro's past finally catches up with him in the hospital and how far he'll go to survive.

On the other hand, "Beat the Reaper" does have a few minor issues. Firstly, the beginning of the book can be perplexing with all of the footnotes. They are sometimes funny and sometimes informational, but not always necessary—and the narrative jumps around between the past and the present. Secondly, the narrative structure can get a bit tiresome after a while. Granted, the setup does help build the novel's suspense, but I thought the author could have mixed things up and tightened up the plotting. Thirdly, there's a lot of foreshadowing in the book, some of it excellent and unexpected, and some of it not so good.