Daniel Kalla’s 14th book is a timely and relevant story that explores the world of diet supplements, body-shaming, celebrity, and the dark web through three main perspectives: LA-based detective Cari Garcia, the Vancouver-based toxicologist Dr. Julie Rees, and Dr. Rees’ romantic partner, detective Anson Chen.
It’s challenging to discuss a thriller without giving away essential details. What I can say is that, while overall it’s an enjoyable read, my own personal preference for character depth left me wanting more from the people entangled in the narrative. At times, I felt like Cari, Julie, and Anson were witnesses to (and not part of) the timely and relevant world that Kalla creates; we learn pieces about each character’s own past decisions and demons – both medical and emotional – and how the characters grew because of (or in spite of) them, but I feel that a deeper dive could have propelled the story into another level. This is a shame, because the details are well-researched (thanks in part to the author’s own medical background), and the short chapters construct a quick pacing that could have otherwise been a page-turner.
That said, the book harkened me back to my adolescent summers full of Machiavellian medical mysteries, and I think it’s well-suited to that purpose: a way to get lost for a few sunny hours in July.
Daniel Kalla is an internationally bestselling author of many novels, including The Darkness in the Light, Lost Immunity, The Last High, and We All Fall Down. Kalla practices emergency medicine in Vancouver, British Columbia. Visit him at DanielKalla.com or follow him on Twitter @DanielKalla.
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster (May 9 2023)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1982191422
- ISBN-13 : 978-1982191429