Just finished reading Beat the Reaper, written by Josh Bazell. Incredible novel that I just happened to stumble upon by accident while shopping at Target. The story centers around a Dr. Peter Brown, an intern at Manhattan's worst hospital, who just so happens to have been a hitman for the mob in a "past life." After certain things went down, Pietro "Bearclaw" Brwna enters the Witness Protection Program, gets his M.D., and starts practicing medicine. Things take a turn for the worst, though, when an ex-associate of "Pietro's" ends up in the hospital, under "Dr. Brown's" care.

The story is an excellent mix of drama, action, and dark humor that is sure to tickle the fancy of anyone who has even a passing interest in crime fiction or medicine. There are scenes of humor, horror, and one particular scene near the very end that will have you cringing. An excellent, quick read that I highly recommend.

I found the paperback at Target for about 11 bucks, but I bought the hard cover on the Barnes & Noble website for a mere 3 bucks.