Hilarious very intelligent dark humour with a murder mystery that has you guessing to the end.
Eithan Rose is a consultant rheumatologist at St Jude’s hospital in west London whose boss and nemesis dies suddenly and suspiciously from a heart attack. Can Eithan work out who is behind the possible murder or has his mental health taken a terrible nosedive!
This is a very adult tale which is at times a little preposterous and slapstick and others laugh out loud funny. The health themes, institutions and mental health bi-polar condition are brilliantly described and depicted, reflecting reactions and bias inherent in our culture.
Clever and insightful, shocking and true.
Hugely recommended for a great read!!
Thanks to NetGalley and Orion for the early read this, much appreciated as this book stays with you!

Eitan (rhymes with spray tan) is returning from some time off from his role as a consultant rheumatologist. However on his return, he is most disgruntled to find himself being supervised by the dreaded Dr Moran. Until that is, Dr Moran dies of a heart attack,

Eitan suspects foul play and what ensues is not your typical murder mystery investigation! A Particularly Nasty Case is like nothing else I've read before, and, unlike many crime novels, it will stay with me for a long time. The character of Eitan is so complex and wonderfully written that I just couldn't help myself rooting for him. He's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but you'll still enjoy the book nonetheless!

Another hit from Adam Kay! Its absolutely hilarious! A bit manic and times but the plot and characters are so very well written! I loved it. 5 stars fro me!

Having thoroughly enjoyed Adam’s writing about his experiences working in the NHS, I was super excited to read his debut novel. I’m a huge fan of a cosy crime and when murder meets humour it makes for a thrilling read. I absolutely loved this book: it had me in stitches. I couldn’t help picturing Ben Whisham in the role of Eitan! His friends, boyfriends and colleagues were great supporting characters, who came out with such hilarious one-liners. The situations Eitan managed to find himself were simply too funny and had me laughing in anticipation. This book is such a page turner and Adam deals so well with serious issues throughout, maintaining a very clever balance between them and comedy. I can already see this on TV and look forward to whatever Adam has up his sleeve for us next.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

Doctor Eitan Rose suspects foul play when two of his colleagues die unexpectedly from heart attacks. Unfortunately, Eitan has only recently returned from a period of absence due to his mental health so no-one takes him seriously apart from one of the hospital porters. Eitan carries out his own chaotic investigation, getting himself into more trouble at work and in his personal life in the process.
Overall, whilst I enjoyed Adam Kay’s non-fiction books, I think his writing style has not quite transferred successfully to murder mystery fiction. There is plenty of his trademark wit and obvious affection for an under resourced NHS but the murder mystery plot is thin, especially for readers hoping for a good whodunnit puzzle.

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy of “ A Particularly Nasty Case “ for an honest review.

I’ve really enjoyed Adam Kay’s previous ,non fiction books ,so I was eager to read his debut fiction title.
I enjoyed the first few chapters , in particular the humour in the writing , but unfortunately as I read more I just couldn’t get involved with the storyline., or any of the characters.
Sadly not a book I will be recommending

This was my first book by the author and I am sorry to say not easy going or enjoyable. The humour was ok but I did not like the characters. Not a book for me and I struggled to finish it.

Having read Kay’s previous books, I was really looking forward to reading this ARC from Netgalley. Dripping with Kay’s usual wit, the humour kept me reading and really did have me chuckling in parts I probably shouldn’t have been-lots of themes here from drug use to mental health. I’ve given a three star rating as for me the narrative was a bit too chaotic and unbelievable for me but please don’t let this put you off this extremely humourous read.

A first foray into fiction for ex NHS doctor Adam Kay after his more factual writing in ‘this is Going to Hurt’. His devotion to the NHS again shines through but perhaps the plot and characters let this book down just a little in comparison. The main protagonist doctor Eitan is not a particularly likeable character, much as the reader wants to like him because of his struggles with his mental health and his determination to overcome them. In fact the only truly likeable characters are fellow doctor Margaret and Eitan’s ex boyfriend Mo who supports him in his most challenging times. It was difficult not to think that some of the other characters got what they deserved! The book is full of somewhat risqué jokes and a lot of foul language, some of which feels gratuitous and doesn’t add much to the overall effect. Not an unqualified success for this reviewer, but still well worth a read.

‘A Particularly Nasty Case’ is another book in a line that makes me eternally glad that Adam Kay is writing and not behind a desk in a clinic somewhere.

Our anti hero, Eitan, has recently returned to work after an extended sabbatical for mental health recovery, only for his direct superior to drop dead of a heart attack despite a clear bill of health just given.

Eitan and is new love interest Cole look into the possibility that the heart attack may have been premeditated, but sadly for self destructive Eitan, going outside the process of the law is a very slippery slope if you have a proclivity for illicit substances.

I haven't read the author's previous work so I am judging this on this book alone and its good. I enjoyed it, but aside from Margaret I didn't really like any of the characters.

I didn't find it funny persay. There was a lot of swearing in it, and I'm not one of those people who finds swearing on its own funny. I actually found the book upsetting at times with its very powerful depiction of mental health, the stigma around it and the way in which people are treated because of it. Yeah, Eitan went off the deep end and did some really crazy stuff but he was pushed to that crazy because he was being constantly ignored and dismissed, purely because of his mental health struggles. The author really captured that well and did a fab job in getting us inside the mind of someone in the middle of a manic episode.

The mystery itself was pretty good, I really enjoyed the little insets between chapters of internet searches, emails, text chains etc that helped set the scene a little more. When it came down to it, there was really only one person it could have been, but I felt the second half struggled a little without any viable suspects, Eitan went through a couple of people and then the mystery just hovered. In story, there was a really good reason for that, but the reader knows that reason is wrong, so it was a little annoying to not have any alt suspects lined up.

Overall fairly entertaining if hard going at times.

I struggled initially with this book, and I’m not really sure why. There is no doubt that Adam Kay has funny bones & a way with words that can make you laugh out loud, but I think his protagonist in this book is not particularly likeable, especially until you get to know him. Saying that, I was rooting for Eitan before long & hoping that the story would go the way I hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Eitan is a doctore, who has recently recovered from a breakdown, and returns to work at his hospital. Everyone seems to be judging of Eitan, and when another doctor dies from a sudden heart attack, Eitan is sure he senses would play, but no one else believes him.


I absolutely loved this book. Definitely one of my favourites so far this year. This author is uproariously funny, and this book was no different. Although it is a crime and mystery whodunnit book, there were so many funny one liners, it made the whole book much more lighthearted. Eitan is a wonderfully written character, who is complex, but hilarious. I could not put this book down, and happily raced to end. I really hope we see more of Eitan from this author, as he is definitely a character I would love to see develop and see where life takes him.

Ever since It’s Going To Hurt, I have read everything Adam Kay has written. So when I heard he was turning his hand to fiction, I was already sold.

Spoiler: he absolutely nailed it!!!

From start to finish, A Particularly Nasty Case had me howling. Adam’s razor-sharp wit, perfectly timed one-liners, and his uncanny ability to tackle serious topics (like mental health stigma) with both humour and heart is UNMATCHED!

This isn’t your average crime novel — it’s a laugh-out-loud, tea-through-the-nose (yes this happened to me), twisty, brilliantly bonkers whodunnit with brains and belly laughs. The plot is smart, the characters unforgettable, and the punchlines? Immaculate.

I genuinely loved this book and am already hoping this is the start of a whole new Kay-era.

I was very disappointed with this book. The main character is completely unlikeable, the story is completely unbelievable, and the forced humour throughout gets tiring very quickly. I struggled to finish it, and certainly wouldn't read another piece of fiction by this author.

Great book. Kept me on edge pf my seat. Wasn't sure what expect but wow Adam Kay is truly talented is there anything he can't do
Comedy ✅️
Writer ✅️
Doctor ✅️
Crime writer ✅️✅️

This book started with some great promise, with some good jokes and a fast paced opening, I enjoyed the way that there were lots of references to a multitude of British cultural points throughout, with some witty jokes. These jokes, however, began to feel very forced by the time the book got to the halfway point, appearing to try to jam in as many jokes throughout, so much so that it began to feel like they were in every sentence and so became quite tedious.

The overall story, about a bipolar doctor trying to convince others that his two bosses has been murdered was, frankly, completely and utterly uninteresting, With all the constant jumping around to accuse every single person, it felt tedious and boring and I had absolutely no interest in who killed these two people, or if they were killed. The main character was about as likeable as chronic diarrhoea, drawing ansoluyelu no sympathy or remorse from me due to the constant taking of drugs and just general rudeness, even when he wasn't having a manic episode. The ending itself was obvious from the very start. The weird moments with corpses were also meant to be funny but for me came across as entirely disturbing.

Overall, a pretty poor book with some good comic moments however the story and characters, for me, were unlikable and boring.

Dr Eitan (rhymes with spray tan) Rose is having a very troubling time. Newly back at work after a period of extended leave (euphemism for breakdown), he finds himself subject to Management supervision, in this case St Jude's Medical Director, Douglas Moran, a man who doesn't particularly like Eitan and isn't afraid to show it. The feeling is somewhat mutual and, following a series of missteps - including Eitan being caught in a somewhat compromising situation in Moran's office, there is every likelihood that Eitan's return to work will be depressingly short lived. Until fate intervenes and Moran suffers an unexpected, and ultimately fatal, cardiac arrest. You'd think that in his shoes, Eitan would just thank his lucky stars and move on. But Eitan is not like most other people, and begins to suspect foul play. Cue a rather garbled investigation as Eitan, and his new paramour, Cole seek to prove there was more to Moran's death than meets the eye.

Now, I'm going to be honest, I wasn't at the time of reading, and am still not quite now, sure what I make of Eitan. I wasn't not engaged in his life and his fate, and his actions and comments were not without humour. The more we learn about him, the more the reasons for that become clear and his behaviour makes a strange kind of sense. As his general good demeanour and endearing bedside manner, at least for most patients, gives way to a more frantic kind of mania, his erratic thought processes and actions do make it hard to always be on his side. There is something almost slapstick about some of the situations he finds himself in - compromised at both work and during a view of Moran's open casket - that has an air of Carry On Doctor, and all I was waiting for was someone to shout 'Ooh Matron' from the wings. Not that I have a problem with that. I really rather enjoyed the Carry on films of yore.

This is a comedic crime novel, if, indeed, a crime has actually been committed. It's hard to necessarily know how much of this mystery is a crime, and how much a result of Eitan's particularly active, and unusual, imagination. It's not cosy crime - too much swearing, (non graphic) sex, and casual drug use for the book to fall into that sub-genre, and I wouldn't be expecting anything of that kind from this author. But it is a very clever look at how a particular medical condition could cloud Eitan's judgment, as well as make people around Eitan, doubt how much he could be trusted. And, in that respect, Eitan's long suffering friends, newly suffering partner, and various assorted colleagues, really do represent the way in which society as a whole might prejudge, and dismiss, someone with Eitan's concerns. But, and I like what Adam kay has done here, in highlighting Eitan's long suffering friends, including his former partner, Mo, he has shown that there are decent people out there. Those who stick by Eitan through thick and thin, believing him where most rational thinking people might not, even if they don't buy all of his theories.

I'd say that the pacing of this book is just abut right, a good amount of time spent in setting up Eitan's history and establishing all of the main players in his life. Did I trust everyone in Eitan's circle of friends? No. Did the author employ a few misdirection techniques to throw us off the scent? Absolutely. Did they work ...? Well, yes and no. I was always suspicious of a certain character in this story for perhaps the very reason I would always champion his friends Mo and Fiona, who accept Eitan for who he is. I really kind of liked the pair of them, and as a threesome they do make for a very entertaining team. But Eitan's true saviour comes from a very unexpected place, and I like what the author did there. With all that happens in this book, they way in which they get to the truth, saving more than just Eitan's reputation, worked really well, leading to an ending that brought a smile to my face, in spite of the actual tragedy that precipitates it. Just about forgivable from the list of fiction no-nos given how it comes about.

A little bit manic and more comedy than mystery, this book entertained to the last page, even if I wasn't always in tune with the central character.

I really enjoyed Adam Kay's non-fiction books so had great hopes for this but sadly it's not for me. It goes for the laughs at the expense of the plot and I just couldn't get involved at all though I'm sure others will enjoy it.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Orion for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Adam’s first book - this is going to hurt. It is well worth remembering that this is a fiction book and so very different genre. This focuses on a consultants return to work after a relapse of his mental illness. He then becomes a murder mystery sleuth when 2 shocking deaths occur by a surprising murderer. Adam’s love of the NHS still shines through and I’m sure we can all relate to how he portrays some of the characters. I managed to read it in a day. I wouldn’t say it was gripping but I did want to find out what happened. A dark sense of humour, being aware addiction is mentioned and being unbothered about swearing is required. Which is fine for me, I did chuckle at points in the book. I was concerned that it wasn’t helping the stigma of mental health however it was better towards the end of the book and I understand it was part of the plot.

Overall a good first entry into the fiction world.