Okay so this was like if a hospital soap opera got dunked in a bottle of red wine and shook up into a murder mystery. You’ve got a chaotic, messy, not-super-trustworthy narrator (who may or may not be spiraling), two very suspicious doctor deaths, and a whole lot of wtf is going on at St. Jude’s vibes. I mean, if you’re looking for realism, maybe… don’t. But if you’re into fast-paced, darkly funny, slightly unhinged sleuthing with commentary on mental health in medicine woven in? Then, yes—grab your stethoscope and buckle up.

There were definitely moments that had me laughing, others that had me cringing, and a few where I wanted to shake the main character like, sir, take your meds and take a nap. The mystery works more for the chaos and character drama than the whodunnit factor, but it still delivers a decent punch.

Would I hand this to someone who wants a sharp, darkly comic ride through a very dysfunctional hospital system? Yes. Was it a bit much sometimes? Also yes. But in a way that still kept me turning pages.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I don't usually medical theme books but this one was different given that the author is also a comedian he parlayed his wit to this book which made the book an enjoyable read.

Thanks for the review copy. I liked the medical references since I enjoy medical shows. This is well written.

Eitan thinks the murders happening are kind of fishy and is determined to find out. He struggles with mental health, and nobody believes him when he says the murders are very suspicious.

This story was funny, mysterious, and educational at times, which I really enjoyed. I could do without the descriptive love scenes, though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books/Little, Brown and Company, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Eitan Rose was given a suspension of his license that was rescinded after a medical tribunal heard his case. A consulting rheumatologist at one of London's National Health Service hospitals, Rose's bipolar syndrome kicked in when a patient of his died, even though he wasn't responsible for the death. In his manic states, Rosen would go off his meds and off the rails. His antics would notch up to eleven, much to the displeasure of Dr. Morgan, his medical director, who couldn't stand him (the feeling was mutual.) After he returned from his enforced rest period, Rose went back to seeing patients, which he loved to do, but was shadowed by the medical director who made sure to continue to beat him down. After losing his live-in boyfriend, his spirits were raised when Cole, a hospital porter, put the make on him and encouraged some truly bad behavior after hours in the medical director's office Unfortunately the director returned and caught them at it, and he vowed to report Rose and end his career for good. After a sleepless night, he showed up at the hospital ready to be disgraced, but it wasn't to be. Amazingly, Dr. Morgan died of a massive heart attack that night, even though he had a normal EKG and stress test just the week before. Instead of wallowing in happiness and gratitude for his reprieve, Rose suspected something was not right and began his own investigation when no one would listen to his concerns.
With Rose as a wired Sherlock and Cole as his long suffering Watson, the pair delve into the many ways Morgan could be killed and the many suspects who wouldn't mind him dead. But as his manic behavior became more and more unhinged, the medical staff and police started believing that Morgan might have been murdered-and Rose was beginning to look more like the prime suspect. What is even worse, Morgan's replacement for medical director is next on the hit list and Rose still can't solve this particularly nasty case.
This is a book that does it all-it's hysterically laugh-out-loud funny while, at the same time very sad. Rose is a young doctor with multiple problems; beside his bipolar syndrome he is gay, his family can't accept it, and his beloved sister's death might have been partly his fault. His interactions with his best friends keep him anchored to a degree but he can't help making bad decisions and regretting them later. This is Adam Kay's debut mystery novel but he certainly knows his way around writing. When he was a doctor, he kept a secret diary of his trials as a young resident, which was published as This is Going to Hurt, and subsequently made into an award winning AMC TV series. Like Serge Storms in Tim Dorsey's Florida novels, Eitan Rose is a very flawed but darkly humorous character who makes a very interesting detective. Hope to read more of Kay's mysteries soon..

I really should stop falling for anything describing itself as "deathly funny" or similar in the blurb, as I invariably seem to have a very different concept of funny than the people who write the blurbs... I could not get into this story at all. I struggled from literally the opening pages. The writing style did not seem to suit the story, which the blurb suggested would be a dark comedy and fairly quick easy read. Instead of found a meandering hapless Everyman who kept wondering into trouble and bad choices through his own lackluster efforts at life. This one was not a good fit for me at all...

This is a fun - if a little dark - mystery, with some comic elements and a hero who is not always sympathetic. It also functions as a light satire of the crumbling NHS in Britain, which is being killed with a thousand different cuts. (Sounds familiar, doesn't USians?) It's relatively fast paced, and there are many suspects, although I'd be surprised if you don't solve the mystery before our hero does.

I really enjoyed reading this book. As someone with a huge interest in medicine I appreciated that aspect of the story, I liked the mystery that Eitan is consumed with/by, and I especially liked the dark humor in this book. It was a mysterious medical comedy, which I thought was great. Eitan was a train wreck but a loveable one, and I so badly wanted things to work out for him in the end. Cole was so sweet and he never questioned Eitan's suspicions or discredited him due to his bipolar disorder. I liked Margaret's involvement in the end, she was like a tough aunt who doesn't take any crap. All in all, I liked this book a lot and appreciated the genres. I did not give it 5 stars though because I wasn't all-consumed with wanting to know what happens next. I picked it up and put it down for shorter reading periods.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Consulting rheumatologist Eitan Rose is having a rough time of it. He’s back working at St. Jude’s Hospital after an enforced break due to a mental health “episode” (he’s bipolar) and can’t seem to get out of his own way. Although a caring doctor, he’s self-destructive and resistant to authority. When his nemesis, Dr. Moran, dies of a heart attack before he can fire Eitan for even more egregious misbehavior (hooking up with a cute guy in Dr. Moran’s office), Eitan finds the death suspicious. Aided by his new boyfriend Cole, he begins to investigate. But after a second questionable heart attack fells another doctor, Eitan is accused of the crime himself.

Kay’s book is filled with snarky good humor, clever dialogue, and plenty of “oh, no, he didn’t” moments. The medical jargon can be a bit much at times, but it adds to the tale’s authenticity. All in all, the story offers a good amount of twists and turns and a sympathetic portrait of a doctor who just can’t get out of his own way.

There were some funny moments in this one. Dark comedy mixed with murder.

I didn't care for the expletives all over and the writing style was difficult for me to read.


NetGalley/ Little, Brown, and Company September 16, 2025

I wasn't completely sure that I would like this book when I started reading, however I'm very glad that I kept reading. The thing that put me off a bit was the (in retrospect) fairly mild sexuality. The humor and suspense move the story along well. I wasn't terribly fond of the main character at first although he was witty and seemed to care about his patients. As I learned more about him, I found that I did care about him by the last third of the book. I would definitely recommend it. Witty, suspenseful, cheeky.

Review of Digital Galley

On his first day back at St. Jude’s, Eitan Rose is feeling less than prepared, thanks to an impressive hangover. His office has been turned upside down and a co-worker has been moved in . . . along with her cat posters. Then he learns that the supervising doctor, Douglas Moran, will be sitting in on his patient visits.

However, his hoped-for quiet sojourn on the roof resulted in a rather pleasant meeting with Cole.

But Eitan has no idea what is waiting for him.

=========

There are many laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled throughout this dark comedic mystery tale. The characters, mostly unlikeable, are prone to outrageous behaviors, leaving readers wondering exactly what is going on in the hospital. But when two doctors at the hospital die, Eitan and Cole turn into amateur detectives, often with hilarious results. In spite of it, though, the murderer is ultimately identified.

Sadly, many used Eitan’s bipolar disorder to justify their decision to ignore him when they’d decided that was easier than dealing with what he was saying.

Unfortunately, the unnecessary overuse of a particularly offensive expletive is likely to offend many readers and lowers the rating for this book.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Little, Brown and Company / Mulholland Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#AParticularlyNastyCase #NetGalley

A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay was very hard to get interested in..
The character development was all over the place most of the time..
The plot was interesting in certain places, and I did enjoy the humor the author used periodically..
All in all this is probably not a book I would recommend my customers

This was a very goofy story — the things Eitan says and does and the situations he finds himself in. However, it also has a serious message. Eitan has bipolar disorder, and while this condition is an explanation for some of his strange behavior, it is also used an excuse by others to dismiss his opinions when they are unconventional or unwelcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I've read Adam Kay's nonfiction books and loved his sense of humor. This book was lol funny too. It's somewhat unrealistic but the humor makes up for that.
I am glad he wrote the mental health aspects and shows that not all mentally ill people are dangerous.

3.5 stars. A day in the life of Eitan Rose seems incredibly difficult. I enjoyed how this book shed light on people around us suffering sometimes in silence. There were definitely a few suspects throughout the book, but I ultimately came to the conclusion who was the bad guy. It was a light, easy read. I would definitely recommend it for people who can take a good amount of humor.

Nurses on either side of the Atlantic will be rolling on floor laughing their sox off. Like me! It's a sidewise look at mental health issues, a snoop into sleuthing, and a total laugh riot.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected advance digital galley from Little, Brown and Company | Mulholland Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Sep 16, 2025
#AParticularlyNastyCase by AdamKay @amateuradam @littlebrown @mulhollandbooks
#hilarious #satire #murders #amateursleuth #investigations #snarkfest #mentalhealth #substanceabuse #friendship

I really enjoyed the witty writing with many laugh-out-loud moments. I don't think this book would appeal to Americans as you have to be familiar with British politics, the NHS, British tv and British humour to appreciate the dialogue and witty comments. A slightly silly story-line, a funny whodunnit which will certainly appeal to certain audiences.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this novel. I found it fun and entertaining. It did take awhile to get to the first murder. I had the thought that I was confused because it seemed more like a rom com for about the first third of the book. Eitan was not particularly likable person but yet i found myself rooting for him all the way through. I did know who did it early on, but not for the right reasons. Overall enjoyable and I would recommend.

A clever novel that asks the reader to consider mental health but told with great humor and wit. I don’t typically read satire but this one was a delight.