Writer's Block | November 19th, 2014
Last year, Fargo author Ryn Pitts released her first book, “Deadly Benefits,” a murder mystery that utilizes her background in pharmacy, health administration and insurance, as well as her Scandinavian background (with her proudly Finnish heroine, the pharmacist Heli Harri).
The plot revolves around Christine Runyan, a young mother stricken with Crohn’s disease, who dies in the intensive care unit at the fictional Swedish Hospital in Fargo. Fearing a malpractice lawsuit, Dr. Michael Lavelle acts quickly to cover his tracks, including his involvement with a shady mail-order pharmacy.
Runyan’s death is initially thought to be caused by an error on Heli Harri’s part; but the family dynamics among her husband Trevor, sister Brigid and daughter Anya imply something more sinister at play, as it becomes clear that more than one person would have something to gain from her death.
Curiously, though Pitts intended Heli to be the protagonist, she has little to do with driving the main action, and does not play an active role until the last third of the novel. She does solve the mystery near the end; but for the most part, we see her manage her pharmacy, express curiosity over the Runyan case, and go on dates with Dr. Sandeep Venkata, a chief resident from Mumbai, who’s torn between his admiration for Dr. Lavelle and his suspicions about Runyan’s death.
The whodunit part of the equation is relatively predictable, and there is at times an excess use of medical jargon that the average reader would not understand. However, the characters make the novel memorable, and the inside look at hospital protocol reveals unpleasant truths about the self-serving business side of the healthcare industry.
Copies of “Deadly Benefits” are available at Zandbroz Variety and on Amazon.
October 2nd 2023
April 23rd 2023
March 15th 2023
March 8th 2023
February 12th 2023
By Maddie Robinson maddierobi.mr@gmail.comIn order to get affordable child care for her son, Paulina Erbele has to drive from her work in Gackle,…
By John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.comphoto by Logan MacraeAnyone who lives in the Fargo-Moorhead area knows that its yearly weather is a sequence of…
Every day in December 2023, 12 noon to 3pmMille Lacs Lake, Garrison Township, Minn.All fish must be caught by hook and line. No spears will be allowed. All fish entered must be brought to the judges stand immediately and be alive.…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comRemember the legacy of the NPL.Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting and dinner hosted by the Dakota Resource Council in Bismarck. I came in feeling a little defeated,…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comHow Many of Napoleon’s Hats Will Save Planet Earth for Homo Sapiens?Before I get into this week’s subject of why we need to double the number of college majors in English and Humanities if we…
We are looking for 55-gallon plastic food grade barrels, do you have ideas or connections?We use these barrels to teach our resilient yard workshop series including Make Your Own Rain Barrel and Make Your Own Compost Tumbler. If…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comThe temperatures have dropped and so have the leaves in the Upper Midwest. That means it's now the holiday season. Part of the joy of this special season for me is eating. But first things first.…
_by_dave_stauble__300x100.jpg)
Dropkick Murphys Put Music to the Words of Woody GuthrieBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Dave StaubleWith the release of 2022’s “This Machine Still Kills Fascists” and 2023’s “Okemah Rising.” The Dropkick…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com“Saltburn,” the highly anticipated follow-up to “Promising Young Woman” – which earned Oscar gold for Best Original Screenplay – doesn’t quite equal the bite and sting of…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comA trio of Burleigh County artists are making their mark in Wing, North Dakota, to promote local foods and are quite literally painting the town, or at least the newly acquired Wing City Government…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…
JANUARY 19, 1967– MARCH 8, 2023 Brittney Leigh Goodman, 56, of Fargo, N.D., passed away unexpectedly at her home on March 8, 2023. Brittney was born January 19, 1967, to Ruth Wilson Pollock and Donald Ray Goodman, in Hardinsburg,…
By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On the first day of the month I ask people to thank a journalist they know or someone who contributes to papers in some meaningful way. When I grew up, my best friend's father was a journalist…
