The Hospital Murders
"The Hospital Murders" by Means Davis is a mystery novel written in the 1930s. The story centers around the Elijah Wilson Hospital, where a series of inexplicable patient deaths raise suspicions of foul play. The narrative follows Dr. Ethridge Sterling, Junior, a young physician, as he navigates a complex medical and ethical landscape while dealing with the ramifications of these deaths. The beginning of the book introduces the bustling setting of the hospital and its various personnel, particularly focusing on Dr. Sterling as he receives a distressing call about an unconscious patient. This patient, later identified as Sophie Merriweather, enters the hospital under mysterious circumstances, linked to the political complications of a powerful attorney-general. As Dr. Sterling examines her and begins to grapple with his feelings, the text foreshadows an escalating tension regarding the suspicious nature of patient deaths within the hospital, setting the stage for a gripping exploration of moral ambiguity, medical ethics, and the threat of a potential murderer lurking in the hospital's corridors.