Josh Bazell is a doctor and novelist. He has a BA in writing from Brown University and an MD from Columbia. He has worked as a screenwriter, and while in medical school investigated suspicious deaths for the Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York. He is currently a resident at the University of California, San Francisco, and is writing his second novel.

"Hold on to your hats. Josh Bazell's first novel is a roller-coaster ride from the very first page, fast, furious, and - believe it or not - funny...A cross between ER and the Sopranos, this is House on speed, with a little Dexter thrown in and wisecracking dialogue to boot. It's breathtakingly accomplished for a debut. Bazell is a name to watch" Daily Mail "Funny and outrageous, with a great central character and the energy and frenetic pace sustained throughout...Determinedly cynical about the US medical system and with informative footnotes" Guardian "The novel speeds you like an emergency-room patient on a gurney through 300 pages of adrenalin-fuelled action, medical drama, mob dealings and stomach-turning violence" Scotland on Sunday "Beat the Reaper is way cool and ice cold. A ferocious read" -- Don Winslow "Beat the Reaper is a blast. Josh Bazell blew me away with this story that is as relentless as a bullet" -- Michael Connelly