Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I have enjoyed reaching Adam Kay's prior books reflecting on his journey into becoming a doctor. I was not sure what the first novel would be like....however, it still has the Adam flair to it. You still see the humorous side of the medical provider mixed in with a murder mystery tied along with a mental health journey. He hits on so many interesting topics but yet is able to keep it light at times.

There's a lot to love about this one. The author obviously has hands on experience in the field, from his previous career, and the machinations at the hospital feel very authentic. The murder mystery is really well paced, and although I did suspect the killer, it still played out very nicely.

That said, I was a bit confused by the tone. It ran the gamut from very satirical to very straightforward, and I could not get a grasp on what the intention was. I think I wanted a bit more earnestness overall from the story, and the chaotic tone kept me from fully engaging.

It will certainly be a hit with readers! For me it was just a 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This one is not for me.
I take exception to the structure.
Excellent prose and decent voice. Voice is the most difficult to get right.
The story opens with a throw-away scene, the dreaded prologue. Its as if the editor and or author realized the mistake in the structure and created the prologue to moderate the error. The prologue just says the protagonist happens into a double murder. Not enough for me because of MAR, motivation action reaction. We are starting in the story where something has already happened, we are starting with the reaction without knowing the motivation or the action.
Then we shift to chapter one which has the same MAR issue. The protagonist is coming out of some dreadful event, the reaction that we as readers know nothing about. We are again playing catch up.
But the biggest issue for me is with the four C's of the structure (conflict complication, crisis, conclusion). The conflict meanders instead of being set hard and fast. This means there isn't an immediate contract with the reader where the author says "This is what (the story/character) I'm going to show you." The reader is left up in the air too long trying to decipher these structural issues.
Also, the author doesn't "pat the head of the dog,"--endear the reader to the character. The reader is suppose to like the protagonist because of all his life's problems. That didn't work for me.

I received a free copy of, A Particularly Nasty Case, by Adam Kay, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Eitan thinks a fellow Dr.s death is hinky, but nobody else believes him, until another doctor dies. I thought this was a good read, I could do without the language though.

My thanks go to Little, Brown and Company for an ARC of this interesting book! The story is a whodunit where only a doctor with bipolar disorder recognizes that the death is murder. The investigation is scattered, following Eitan's emotions and mindset. The murder(s) are well camouflaged as natural death(s), so there is a big question as to whether Eitan's investigation is a mental flight of fancy or whether it has substance. And speaking of substance, the story also deals with the problem of substance abuse and the ready availability of drugs. Although there are some weighty topics, the story is a fairly quick witted and humorous take on the situation. Eitan is sarcastic, funny and has some really interesting phrases and responses. The additional tribunal and diary notes added a different point of view on Eitan's actions and demeanor - usually in a humorous slant. The story was enlightening, entertaining, and added some new phrases to my vocabulary!

I loved the clever banter in this book! Eitan is a consultant rheumatologist who is bipolar. He meets new love, Cole on the rooftop. Everything seems great until suspicious deaths at the hospital have everyone suspicious of each other. And what's the concoction Eitan keeps sniffing?? The novel kept me in stitches all the way through as it's witty and ridiculously fun!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay

Thank you to the author, Little, Brown and Company/Mulholland Books|and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book. Unfortunately, this type of satire/humor(?) was not my cup of tea.

I love Adam Kay books. His latest, A Particularly Nasty Case was a five star read for me. Pick this one up on publication day.

This fast paced mystery was clever and funny. The outrageous main character…a doctor… a druggie, suffering from bi polarity , did not win my heart or my literary approval. The other doctors were caricatures and laughable. Depicting all of the other doctors as incompetent was not believable. I have not mentioned the main character is gay and there are many descriptions of his sexual antics. The premise that prompted the murder was simplistic. As the British would say… not my cup of tea!

While there were some parts that made me snicker out loud, the book as a whole just didn't deliver for me. It was a little too awkward in many parts, and most of the things I believe we were supposed to be shocked by, I had already figured out way ahead of time. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

A cramped mystery, oddly wrapped and overfull. For fans of “Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone.” Thank you for the ARC.