Natural Causes

Short Story Series. A tenacious Jewish Rabbi, who is well connected and respected, uncovers a plot amongst those in the area of his synagogue in downtown San Diego. First one, then a whole slew of people pay a nurse by the name of Miriam Blau for the use of end of life drugs like morphine to end their suffering. A part of the "Health and Understanding" package she offers is a ten year transition period in which she offers things like food and health support at a rate per month. Which can be expedited in lieu of certain circumstances such as a diagnosis or unexpected crisis like the failure of yet another dreadful marriage. Initially started as an offhand way to poke fun at death, before she knew it, she had so many patients that she quit her day job and became an around the clock angel of death. She meets with the rabbi who goes to meet her undercover (disguised as a man twice his age who happens to be facing a grave illness), as he has been told by a small boy that a large number of his congregants have signed up for a massive transition to death. Apparently only told so that he can have enough scheduling slots open to hold back-to-back funerals. He is offended! Surely his derasha sermons or rabbinical lessons aren't that bad?! A good section of the book is their in depth dialogue exploring a number of existential topics, while she has locked him inside her house's therapy room in order to persuade him not to turn her in to the authorities. He finally manages to escape and there is a chase as she has a plan to get the full list of the temple congregants in order to turn them against the rabbi and increase the number of those she's planning to inject with the end of life medicine. Deeply thought provoking, yet very human. Sure to be a conversation starter that is read across many religions and cultures.