Book Review: ‘The Last High: A Novel’ By Daniel Kalla

The streets of Vancouver are filled with opioids and people are dying. On this night in the ER Doctor Julia Rees and the hospital are dealing with a group of teenagers that have taken them and most have not survived. Getting high usually doesn’t have such a serious casualty. There’s something more powerful out on the street and Julia along with Detectives Anson Chen and his partner Theo are determined to find out who is supplying them.

More and more people are suddenly dying from these drugs and Julia and Anson are following the leads and having to go to the drug people on the streets to try and find answers. Is it one person or is there a serious drug war going on? There able to get the leads they need and it brings them to dramatic showdown with the people responsible.

For Julia this hits close to home because of her past and the loss of someone close. Along the way she and Anson get close and they may be able to put their painful pasts behind them finally.

This is a well-written novel that looks at the crisis that people deal with everyday when buying and doing drugs. You never really know what you’re getting. The characters of Julia and Anson are great team and the chemistry between them and the way they are written have you rooting for them. Just a solid read.

You can pick up The Last High in stores on Tuesday, May 12.