A Psychological/medical thriller

“I’m not trying to kill myself” How many times have I heard those words?

“You’re not suicidal” “You just don’t want to extend your life any longer than necessary”

Patients are dying- are the suicides related to a new antidepressant or is there something more sinister going on.

During the Covid crisis, Dr. David Spears communicates by video conference with his patients in Utgiagvik, a small village in the Arctic most have emotional problems and desperate needs his help. Till Brianna, a young mother, committed suicide and her daughter almost died with her. Brianna was on a new anti-depressant he has been prescribing to his patients, she was not the only one to die while taking this medication. Was this drug responsible? Dr. Spears determined to find out, heads out to the remote village....What will he find out once there....and what will happen to him.....

Holy moly what an exciting read one that will resonate to those who are suffering from depression where meds and therapy are prescribed to help them. In this novel a spin turns this medical thriller into a mystery where something is uncovered far more sinister that battling demons. Mr. Kalla is an expert in buildup and perfectly pacing his words to shock us with tidbits of clues but of course he keeps us on our toes till the very last chapter were we have twists after twists. I never guessed the outcome. Excellent writing filled with interesting clinical details on antidepressant. A bit of originality given to a narration which changes point of view mid-way, although it seemed curious and slightly confusing at first, all turned out to be very effective in the long run.

“The Darkness in the Light” is a gripping and heartbreaking read vividly said to draws us in to the remote world of the Arctic where drugs and tragic clusters of suicide do ravages in small and tight knit towns.

What a compelling story: well said and well-done.

The topics of virtual medicine, psychiatry and suicide are the main topics of this novel which makes it an intense read.

Dr. David Spears' psychiatry practice includes a small remote town in northern Alaska. Zoom calls are supplemented by a local social worker, and regularly include in-person visits. David's own depression is controlled by a new drug, Ketopram, overseen by his boss and friend Dr. Javier Gutierrez. David begins to question this new drug.

Tracing the life of a suicide victim soon becomes 3 victims in this tragic, compelling story.

Definitely another Daniel Kalla deep, dark, drama. Well-written but tough subject to read about.

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to review his latest novel. His prolific writing has this tale makes you wonder if it is a non-fiction depiction. It mentions the pandemic without it overwhelming the story. It is heart-breaking and page-turning. I hope you check out the rest of his library. I almost wonder if Daniel takes his day job into fiction writing as his therapy. Thank you Daniel for what you do.

"Your Moose Is Cooked!" 😳😳😯😱😯🤯🤯

Ffllluuuufff Me Sideways & Upside Down!! What The Horsy Carousal Ride Did. I. Just. Read?!? 😳 My eyeballs have been tickled & my brain has been pounced upon like a kids dancing jamboree! Mother Floofin Fluffer & All The Fluffy Friends!! 😯 This is long so bare with me! Okay, Okay, first let me start off by saying, this novel packed a huge punch (can you tell?!) & the very beginning of it resonated so personally because I suffered horrendously from major depression as a teenager & well into my young adult years (including the "awful" thoughts) before finally getting better, although not perfect after meds & lots of therapy. I am so happy that Kalla touched on & explored this issue in this book as it's still such a stigmatized topic even today.
Dr. David is a psychiatrist in a city in Alaska, & can relate far better with his patients than most doctors can - as he himself a few years prior dealt with mental health issues. A fairly new antidepressant called Ketopram is what helped saved his life as some of his patients as well. However, now something is happening in one of the close communities & to his patients. They're committing suicide & one other has disappeared. While Dr. David continues to battle against his own demons, can he uncover just what is happening to his patients? Is it coincidence or something far more sinister?
Kalla always knows how to write a book with medical jargon and terminology that a simpleton reader such as I, can understand and enjoy the book so much more for it! He is the utmost King of Medical Thrillers to me. When I need my medical thriller fix, he's who I turn to. Genius! Twisty! Dark & Captivating. Riveting like all his other books. A pro at writing an excellent build up, perfect pace & superb shocks & revelations. Every. Single. Time. A true master as both a doctor, & a writer. I cannot rave big enough about this book. Thriller readers - this will satiate your appetite!

🔴 Trigger Warning: Mental Health Illness & Suicidal Thoughts / Actions of Patients

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Canada for this DARC.
Release Date: May 3, 2022

I give this a strong 5 / 5 Bouquets! 💐

I love this author's work.

I remember reading some of his previous work, which almost always includes some kind of contagious disease and I use to think "never going to happen - except that it did.

Kalla has been writing about scary diseases since his first book, but now, this book feels even more pertinent and real.

Kalla has excellent pacing and not one page is boring or goings on too long.

Some of the medical stuff takes a bit of getting use to once you do, you will find yourself completely engrossed.

This is the third 'medical thriller' I've read by Daniel Kalla, and it may be my favourite yet! Dealing with themes of virtual medicine, Big Pharma, suicidality and the relationship between all three in a very small town in northern Alaska, this book will hook you from the very beginning. As usual I was pretty sure I figured it out...and as usual I was wrong! There are some big killer twists in this Nordic noir style book, and I encourage you to pick it up. A solid 5 ⭐️ read for me.

Looking for a great medical thriller that may keep you up at night?

-> ->-> The Darkness in the Light by @danielkallawrites

I’ve now read several of this author’s books and have loved them all. Being an ER doctor at a local hospital, Dr. Kalla surely has lots of inspirations for stories and we know we are getting the facts straight from the expert.

Structure wise, I really enjoyed the short chapters that upped the pace and found the dialogue to be very realistic. Kalla made a choice to change the point of view mid way through the book which was a very effective and original device.

The setting of the northern most city in North America of Utqiagvik was quite fascinating and learning tidbits of Inuit culture is always welcomed by me. The author managed to change my opinion multiple times on one of the characters and I was invested in all the characters.

This book takes on some very serious topics including suicide. Sensitive reader should know this before going in. There are also other trigger warnings that may spoil the plot but I will list them in my review on Storygraph and you can DM me if you want to know.

I posted the synopsis in my previous post if you want to check that out. I feel good in highly recommending The Darkness in the Light and hope you will read it when it is published on May 3, 2022. I will be joining the zoom with the author on May 16 as part of the Canadian Book Enablers. Thank you to @netgalley and @simonschusterca for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

3.75 stars. Good medical mystery set in Alaska, dealing with themes of mental health, substance use, suicide and murder in a small desolate town. People are ending up dead and questions arise as to whether these deaths were by suicide, caused by a new highly touted antidepressant drug on the market, or something more sinister. The mental health focus is timely and important and kept my interest. The pacing is generally good though a bit slow at the start. The author does a great job describing the Alaska setting and interweaving it into the story. I enjoyed this unique setting. A quick, easy read that I enjoyed but this one did not wow me. I thought this novel was not as strong as the author’s previous one, The Last High.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Daniel Kalla (i have another one on my TBR shelf!)
I liked it a lot.
I really liked the setting of Alaska-something you do not run into often.
And, I really love a book that has a O.M.G. moment - and this definitely had that, half way through - totally unexpected for me! I literally stopped and though 'wow', 'really??' - definitely awesome!
I also love when there are many characters I don't know whether to trust - and this story had that, too!
Many triggers: suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, other sorts of abuse, and mental health issues ... so be careful if that is upsetting to you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this riveting medical mystery by Dr. Daniel Kalla. The author is an ER doctor in Vancouver, and this is the 5th of his riveting medical thrillers I have read and enjoyed. Medical mysteries seem to be less common than in the past, and I am always pleased to find a new, exciting and believable one based on scientific facts.

In this compelling novel, Dr. David Spears, in Anchorage, Alaska, was telecommunicating with patients during the COVID crisis. He found this helpful in checking on patients with emotional problems in the far North. After several of his patients attempt or commit suicide, he feels guilty for not doing more to save them. He feels that lack of personal interaction was a hindrance. A young mother, Brianna, in the Arctic village of Utqiagvik commits suicide shortly after their video conference and her four-year-old daughter was barely saved in time. Dr. Spears is beginning to suspect that a new anti-depressant medication he has been prescribing may be contributing to the suicides.

Dr. David Spears had been treated for depression in the past and had taken the new drug recommended by his doctor, mentor and friend, Doctor Javier Gutierrez. This medication helped relieve his dark emotional state, but he fears this drug may have side effects connected to suicidal thoughts in some people. His friend, Javier, is heavily involved with the pharmaceutical company that manufactures this medicine, and David suspects there may be a coverup regarding some patients becoming more suicidal.

Wracked by guilt for recommending the drug, David travels to the small, close-knit community where Brianna died. He learns that Amka, Brianna's best friend, has vanished. Amka was also his patient, and David fears she may have committed suicide. He becomes friends with a female social worker and the local GP who knew both girls. David now finds himself investigating sexual abuse, rape, possible conspiracy by the pharmaceutical company, increased illegal drug trade by rival competitors, injury and murder, missing persons, secrets, threats, blackmail, and revenge.

With the help of the social worker and local doctor, David establishes a list of the dead and missing girls' friends, families, and various suspects to interview. As he comes close to discovering some hidden truths, David is seriously injured by unknown masked culprits. The nature of his injuries makes him unable to return to Anchorage to spend promised time with his beloved daughter. After recovery, he continues to search for the truth. Javier, his doctor and friend, concerned with David's physical and mental health, comes north to visit. By this time, David is angry at him, believing he is covering up the deadly side effects the drug may be causing.

There is a shocking twist of events and narrative halfway through the book.
Is the drug responsible? Is a sexual predator somehow involved? How much blame can be placed on illegal drug traffickers? Has murder been committed, and by whom? So much mystery! So much turmoil to get answers!

Recommended for fans of a puzzling, complex medical mystery with plenty of suspense and shocking twists. I look forward to reading more books by Doctor Daniel Kalla.

For his twelfth thriller, Kalla takes us to the remote Arctic community of Utqiagvik, Alaska with a disquieted medical doctor who is concerned about his patients who are dying by suicide. Dr. David Spears desperately works to decide if the suicides are related to a new antidepressant or if there’s something else going on in this isolated town. With the help of the tight-knit community, he uncovers shocking information. His initial quest now becomes something much larger - a missing person inquiry, a potential pharmaceutical cover-up and fall out from increased drug trade activity.

Kalla exposes the benefits and disadvantages of virtual medicine and psychiatry. While it improves care by medical professionals in remote geographic communities, readers see the frustration that doctors may have encountered while accommodating telemedicine for treatment and evaluation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kala intimates that virtual care offers all the convenience and safety, but lacks the immediacy and intimacy of a one-on-one appointment. When meeting patients online, practitioners confront a host of issues as readers will notice in Dr. Sears’ exasperated attempts in finding answers. Moving forward, while it’s apparent that telemedicine may be here to stay, it’s our responsibility to contribute to the care continuity with a doctor who knows our history and be aware of the cost-benefit in choosing on-demand virtual access. Kala’s book is a conduit to discussions surrounding telehealth.

Kala also explores how we treat mental health and ourselves. He reveals the unrelenting pressure of depression that those in Arctic regions disproportionately experience. Readers will draw the link, weak as it is, between the isolation of the Arctic community with the isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical professionals are reporting that the pandemic may be exacerbating pre-existing health disparities, or at the very least, manifesting widespread depression-like symptoms in the undiagnosed. It’s important what we do with this information and how we intervene. Kalla’s book is a great springboard to initiate discussions.

This extremely well-written and thought-provoking read raises awareness about another deadly and silent epidemic - suicide. Dealt with the passion and sensitivity that we’ve come to expect from Dr. Kalla, this is a 5-star look at a serious mental health crisis and the tools we use in diagnosing and treating it.

I was excited to receive this gifted advance copy and appreciated the opportunity to read and review. I was under no obligation to provide this review.

Before I give more on my review I want to say that this is my favourite of his. The chapters were perfect length, the story so easy to sink into and the draw between a medical thriller and mental health hooked me immediately.

There was a twist mid way I wasn’t expecting (I actually did gasp) that made me tear up. I just wasn’t expecting it.

Then…. Can I also mention Alaska as a character because something about the north that seems to capture my attention. The spotlight on life there, the part about “2 week cheque bing”… it all added to the tense parts of the novel.

I do have to warn people that there are triggers about depression, suicide and sexual relationships between a teacher and student.

Oh and one more thing, the author manages to tie this all up all the while exploring the power of drug companies and the intricacies that happen within the medical community.

Highly recommend