Daniel Kalla
Author of Pandemic
About the Author
Image credit: Daniel Kalla
Series
Works by Daniel Kalla
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1966-05-04
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- Canada
- Birthplace
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Places of residence
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Education
- University of British Columbia (M.D.)
- Occupations
- Physician, emergency room
- Short biography
- Born, raised, and still residing in Vancouver, Kalla spends his days (and sometimes nights) working as an ER Physician in an urban teaching hospital.
The idea for his first medical thriller, PANDEMIC, sprang from his clinical experience in facing the SARS crisis of 2003. He has written five science thrillers and or medical mysteries, delving into themes and topics as diverse as superbugs, drug addiction, prions, DNA evidence, pandemics and patient abuse.
Kalla’s last book, THE FAR SIDE OF THE SKY, is a historical novel set in Second World War Shanghai against the dramatic backdrop of converging cultures and ideologies. His latest, RISING SUN, FALLING SHADOW continues the story of the Adler family through 1943, the bleakest year in war-torn Shanghai.
His books have been translated into eleven languages, and two have been optioned for feature films.
Daniel received his MD from the University of British Columbia. He is married and the proud father of two girls in a home predominated by the XX chromosome (even his beloved Labrador retriever, Lola, is female.)
Members
Reviews
Contemporary issue in a fast-paced thriller.
What price are you willing to pay to lose weight and be fashionably thin? Are you willing to die to be fit? Detectives in LA and Vancouver are racing to find the supplier of diet pills and supplements that contain DNP -- a weight loss agent that has significant toxicity.
The son of a senator and a social media influencer are found dead due to overdose of the toxin DNP, a deadly chemical that was once used as an explosive agent during WWI. When more body builders and people with eating disorders come to emergency rooms with high fevers and uncontrollable seizures, the hunt is on to find out where those people are getting DNP and to stop the supply chain.
This was another great read by an author who has become a favorite of mine. He always finds an issue that needs to be addressed and I love the medical aspects and details. The characters in this were not really as well developed but the focus was on the drug and its effects as well as shedding light on the difficulties in managing eating disorders. Many people have an obsession with fitness and weight so definitely a timely topic -- and who doesn't want a fast and easy way to shed those extra pounds. Unfortunately, there is no method that works like that, and definitely it's not one that is healthy.
Thank you to the publisher for granting access to this ARC for me to read, review, and recommend. Looking forward to Kalla's next book.… (more)
What price are you willing to pay to lose weight and be fashionably thin? Are you willing to die to be fit? Detectives in LA and Vancouver are racing to find the supplier of diet pills and supplements that contain DNP -- a weight loss agent that has significant toxicity.
The son of a senator and a social media influencer are found dead due to overdose of the toxin DNP, a deadly chemical that was once used as an explosive agent during WWI. When more body builders and people with eating disorders come to emergency rooms with high fevers and uncontrollable seizures, the hunt is on to find out where those people are getting DNP and to stop the supply chain.
This was another great read by an author who has become a favorite of mine. He always finds an issue that needs to be addressed and I love the medical aspects and details. The characters in this were not really as well developed but the focus was on the drug and its effects as well as shedding light on the difficulties in managing eating disorders. Many people have an obsession with fitness and weight so definitely a timely topic -- and who doesn't want a fast and easy way to shed those extra pounds. Unfortunately, there is no method that works like that, and definitely it's not one that is healthy.
Thank you to the publisher for granting access to this ARC for me to read, review, and recommend. Looking forward to Kalla's next book.… (more)
Fit to Die is Danel Kalla's new novel.
There is such a focus on body weight in our society - rather than on being healthy. Kalla takes this skewed thinking as the basis of his plot in Fit to Die. Emergency rooms in Vancouver and LA are dealing with overdoses of an unnamed drug. Once the common thread is named, I thought, no way. But no, it's real. (and that is pretty scary)
Here's the neat bit - Kalla is himself an emergency physician in Vancouver, Canada. I can't even imagine what's he's seen or dealt with over the years. His medical expertise adds much to his book's overall feel in terms of setting, action and dialogue.
His protagonists are medical and law enforcement players whose lives intersect. Some of the characters have appeared in previous books and it's nice to see them again. The investigation is believable from both points of view.
Kalla keeps things moving at a good pace. There's a few twists that keeps the reader on their toes. Overall, an entertaining read for those who like medical thrillers.… (more)
There is such a focus on body weight in our society - rather than on being healthy. Kalla takes this skewed thinking as the basis of his plot in Fit to Die. Emergency rooms in Vancouver and LA are dealing with overdoses of an unnamed drug. Once the common thread is named, I thought, no way. But no, it's real. (and that is pretty scary)
Here's the neat bit - Kalla is himself an emergency physician in Vancouver, Canada. I can't even imagine what's he's seen or dealt with over the years. His medical expertise adds much to his book's overall feel in terms of setting, action and dialogue.
His protagonists are medical and law enforcement players whose lives intersect. Some of the characters have appeared in previous books and it's nice to see them again. The investigation is believable from both points of view.
Kalla keeps things moving at a good pace. There's a few twists that keeps the reader on their toes. Overall, an entertaining read for those who like medical thrillers.… (more)
In the latest medical thriller, Fit to Die, by author Daniel Kalla, people are dying to get fit. The story opens in LA with the death of the track star son of a prominent State Senator, of an apparent overdose.
In Vancouver, Toxicologist, Dr Julia Rees has noticed a rise in overdoses among body builders and the wellness community. The symptoms are always the same - extremely high fevers and prolonged and violent seizures leading to death. The autopsies reveal the presence of DNP, a substance that should never be found in a human body,
Then a famous pop singer from LA dies in Vancouver after showing the same symptoms. Detectives from both countries must join forces to discover the source of the drug.
I gotta say, Fit to Die is one doozy of a page turner. It delves deeply into issues like eating disorders, body shaming, toxic diet drugs, and the dangers of fitness at any cost. It grabbed my attention and didn’t let go to the satisfying ending. It’s well-written, well-plotted, and smart with interesting characters and plenty of twists and turns to provide me with another sleepless night but it was so worth it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.… (more)
In Vancouver, Toxicologist, Dr Julia Rees has noticed a rise in overdoses among body builders and the wellness community. The symptoms are always the same - extremely high fevers and prolonged and violent seizures leading to death. The autopsies reveal the presence of DNP, a substance that should never be found in a human body,
Then a famous pop singer from LA dies in Vancouver after showing the same symptoms. Detectives from both countries must join forces to discover the source of the drug.
I gotta say, Fit to Die is one doozy of a page turner. It delves deeply into issues like eating disorders, body shaming, toxic diet drugs, and the dangers of fitness at any cost. It grabbed my attention and didn’t let go to the satisfying ending. It’s well-written, well-plotted, and smart with interesting characters and plenty of twists and turns to provide me with another sleepless night but it was so worth it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.… (more)
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Statistics
- Works
- 18
- Members
- 1,194
- Popularity
- #21,530
- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 50
- ISBNs
- 86
- Languages
- 6
- Touchstones
- 40
This was such a quick and easy read. It kept me intrigued with its plot and topic. Nicely executed while alternating between Vancouver and LA investigations. From the beginning, the story unfolds people involved in those toxic pills, but the author manages to bring moments of tension and twist that was awaiting at the end.… (more)