Publication Date: May 28, 2024

Once again Daniel Kalla keeps me up till 3am reading!
So many twists and turns with some really messed up people.
Holly Danvers is a renowned psychiatrist who has had success treating people with varying addictions using psychedelics (think LSD). These additions are far reaching, gambling, alcohol, drugs, sex you name it it's here. Holly treats these patients one on one but she also does group therapy. The group has dubbed themselves "the tribe" and just like the show the group finds themselves in a survivor type situation when people start dying. Is it the treatment or something more sinister behind these deaths?
What the group doesn't know is that their psychiatrist also dabbles with the psychedelics herself.
High Society (great title considering the subject matter) is a twisty, page turning read.

As usual, a highly recommended read from one of my favourite authors!

This book is insane!! I had seen a few other arc reviews and knew I had to read it, and I was not disappointed!

Thanks to @netgalley for my arc!

High Society is about a psychiatrist who uses psychedelics to treat a group of patients with various addictions. She begins using dual therapy; two psychedelics at once. There seem to be positive results, with one exception. Soon after, the deaths begin.

The psychiatrist, Holly, is determined that something more sinister is at play, while she is being accused herself of being unethical with her clients.

I was in such a reading slump this month, and I think this book just got me out of it!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book review
High Society by Daniel Kalla

Tropes and Triggers
Use of psychedelics in addictions therapy
Psychology
Medical research
Unhealed traumas
Gambling, narcotics, alcoholism, sex addict
Abuse
Childhood trauma shrouded in mystery
Murder
Death of a parent

Thoughts
✅ Has the reader questioning What is memory vs a “ drug induced trip” ?, can you trust your memories and your sense under the influence of drugs?
✅ For me- the storyline of this book Felt too similar to others (Nine Perfect Strangers)
✅ Storyline and pacing were both fluid, easy reading
✅ The Tribe provided a consistently unreliable perspective of the events unfolding making it difficult for the reader to predict where the story was leading
✅ unpredictable ending with have readers on the edge of their seats

Characters
Holly- Dr whose ambitions blur the lines of professionalism
Aaron- estranged husband , Dr, against use of drugs in therapy, desperate to get back together with his wife
The Tribe- each one a wealthy privileged addict (in some context) looking for a way to break the cycle of addiction

Overall
A solid read with the medical expertise and insight I can always expect from Daniel Kalla’s writing

Thanks to @netgalley and For my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book follows Holly a psychiatrist whom is treating patients with psychedelic drugs. All of her clients have their issues and are struggling with addictions. Holly wants to bring the use of psychedelics into the light and show its effectiveness.

But then things start to go south…

This book is a psychological thriller at its finest, I throughly enjoyed it and not really knowing who to trust. It felt like going down the best kinda rabbit hole.

I’m not sure Holly was an overly likeable character and her motivations were hard to get behind at times, but I enjoyed this book nonetheless.

Gifted copy provided by Simon & Schuster Canada.

Holly Danvers is a psychiatrist specializing in the use of hallucinogenic drugs during addiction therapy. She is a the survivor of a childhood car crash that took the life of her father after which she was traumatized and an ayahuasca treatment helped her recover. Dr. Danvers is currently leading a group session where psychedelic infusions are the focus of therapy. The participants in this group have varying addictions and don't always get along. At first things are going well, but then one by one her patients begin falling victim to their addictions. Is the therapy to blame or is something more sinister happening?

I enjoyed this twisty ride through High Society, but Holly Danvers was not my favorite character of Kalla's. She was kind of hard to get behind. Actually I felt the same about all the characters - they were all pretty toxic. But maybe that was the point? While this is certainly a good book,and one that tackles a timely subject (like all of Kalla's books) I can't say it's my favorite.
3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy of High Society in exchange for this honest review.

Holly Danvers is a sought after psychiatrist determined to use psychedelics to treat patients from addictions, ignoring the risks she embarks upon an unproven new protocol. But when one of her celebrity client goes public accusing Holly of improprieties she reaches out to her estranged husband, Dr. Aaron Laing, for advice and comfort. Inevitably it is up to Holly to figure out why her clients are relapsing and dying.

By focussing on hot topics, Daniel Kalla once again demonstrates his ability to deliver a timely and scary look into addictions and the use of psychedelics therapy. Substance abuse comes in all forms: opioids, fentanyl, cocaine, ayahuasca, hallucinogens, alcohol, sex, nicotine, abuse of prescription medicines, gambling, etc. People under their spell are from all corners: rich, poor, celebrity, lawyer, doctors, artist, influencers, etc. In this story Holly has an elite group of wealthy patients that call themselves “The Tribe” all are seeking an end to their addictions. Holly treats them with the use of psychedelics through IV then wiping their memories with other drugs.

Three months into treatment, Dr. Danvers’ therapy group of seven clients start to crumble when the first of them is found dead and then another one and one goes missing.....No one trust each other....what is happening and who is killing them?.....

Being a fan of this author and have read all his previous books I know from the get-go that most of them will have a difficult subject. This latest story examines ethical issues and the benefits of group therapy. Being a Doctor, Mr. Kalla knows what he is talking about and expresses himself with words the mainstream public can understand. Although I like the subject matter I was not fully invested in this drama. It was somewhat slow and seemed to revert too much on the therapy sessions. The drama gives a boost to the plot, murders or suicides never fails to do so. I like that part so I kept flipping the page to see if I was right guessing the whodunit...I failed.

I am always looking forward to be immersed into one of Daniel Kalla’s thriller and I will continue in the future. Mr. Kalla is an excellent storyteller and his subject matter all taken from his experiences and from the daily news....

☠️ T O X I C T H U R S D A Y ☠️ featuring “High Society” by Daniel Kalla!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Dr. Holly Danvers has become a pioneer in using psychedelics to treat her patients who are suffering from numerous addictions. When she was a teenager, she lost her father in a car accident and she spent some time in Peru where she received psychedelic treatments to help recover from her loss.

Now as an adult, she has become a sought out psychiatrist with an A-list group of celebrity patients. One group of patients have dubbed themselves “The Tribe” and is a toxic bunch whose wealth and addictions range from super elite to rock bottom. When one patient has a bad trip and accuses Dr. Danvers of misconduct, all hell begins to break loose. Holly is scared she will lose her license, especially as more than one patient ends up dead or missing!

This book was WILD, toxic, dark and downright trippy! I found it fascinating and I literally could not put it down! This is my first book by this author and now I need to read his backlist for more!

Thank you kindly to @danielkallawrites @simonschusterca @netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on May 28, 2024!

I'm sorry. I DNF this one. Wasn't a fan of the writing or the premise. Very cool that the author is a Canadian doctor though. Good for him.

“Nothing in the world could justify me using a therapeutic agent to roofie my own clients. But I did it anyway.”

I know that a Daniel Kalla book will (1) introduce me to a world I know nothing about, (2) stimulate my intellectual curiosity, (3) confront me with complex moral and/or ethical issues, (4) give me space to question the limits of humans’ decision-making abilities and (5) foster empathy. I’m always confident that I have a masterpiece in my hands when I hold a Kalla book. This is my 8th book. I’ve never been disappointed.

Kalla’s book examines ethical issues within medicine and looks at the benefits of ‘tribe’ mentality on clients’ well-being.

I was educated in the advances of psychedelic therapy which has surged in popularity in recent years. Kalla was able to show me that although these drugs are on the cusp of entering mainstream psychiatry and have enormous value, clinicians need to be mindful of the risks, even in a controlled environment and under supervision.

Kalla’s main character, Dr Holly Danvers, is a diehard psychedelic practitioner and advocate who is committed to harnessing the therapeutic powers of psychedelics. Her therapy group of seven clients is a hodgepodge of high-functioning, long-term addicts who have been caught up in the trappings of success, yet remain dependent on what Dr. Holly Danvers can provide. Readers soon realize that (1) although this self-proclaimed ‘tribe’ of professionals, artists, and influencers are united in their suffering from major traumas and hold many secrets, they are not the average drug users; they’re all successful, despite their crippling addiction and (2) that putting them together creates a very combustible environment.

Three months into treatment consisting of a weekly potent intravenous dose of the psychedelic agent ketamine, followed by individual and then group therapy, the tribe of sex, gambling, opioid and alcohol addicts have made genuine progress.

Until the day one of them is found dead.

And the tribe starts crumbling.

And the trust they’ve shared becomes virtually non-existent.

And then, like the “cast of some cheap Agatha Christie knockoff” the tribe members start dying.

“What a sorry lot we are. We can’t live without her. But no guarantees we’ll live at all if we stick with her.”

For a rock star, a CEO, a ‘woke’ activist, a fashion designer, a lawyer, a socialite, and a colleague in psychiatry, the psychedelics may not be the panacea they’d hoped for; the struggle appears insurmountable and their damaged souls appear irreparable. They begin to question if they are still a tribe.

For a therapist engaged in innovative and unproven therapy, perhaps the results she hoped for and the ethics she was willing to sidestep, aren’t worth the risks. She begins to question if the end justifies the means. As she is forced to examine her marriage, she queries if she’s been blind to what’s been happening right under her eyes, what else could she have gotten wrong? How has she lost insight into herself?

Why are the members of the ‘tribe’ dying off? Is someone killing them? Is it tribe related?

What an education! I’ll be able to throw kitty flipping, MDMA, and dysphoric reactions (to name a few) into my dinner table conversations this weekend.

This superb novel about risking ethics and the desperate things we’ll do to get results and kick a habit needs to be on your reading list immediately!

I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is a Thriller with an Important message !

This toxic thriller takes us on a trip through the the world of psychedelic therapy to treat addictions with a lot of deaths along the way.

High Society is a page turner crime mystery that grazes the topic of the global epidemic around substance abuse and that addictions come in all forms. I loved how the author was able use a current topic that is not discussed enough and was able to turn it into a deadly thriller with so much realism.

With out giving too much away the main character Holly is psychiatrist who is using her expertise in the psychedelics to help treat her patients to block and end their addictions .

Holly has an elite group of wealthy patients that call themselves "The Tribe" who's wealth backgrounds vary from famous musicians , lavish careers , or born into money.

"The Tribe" is a toxic bunch I tell yah and they have all kinds of crazy addictions . When one of the group members makes an accusation against Dr. Holly Danvers , well things start to get twisty and someone's life is cut short followed by many more deaths!!

I have to say the author did an excellent job as I dashed through this story so quickly and just when I thought I had the suspect figured out Daniel threw in another red herring to keep me digging for more, as the author completely conned me on this one !

Although at times the story seemed a bit far fetched with the use of "Psychedelic's" through IV to treat addiction, it totally worked for the story , and after reading the story I did some research and sure enough there are some studies and trials being done showing it can help and reduce addictions .

This book really had me thinking a lot , only if this really could be a new age break through to help those that need it !

The only thing I did not like in the book , was I did have problems relating to the character at times she out right annoyed me , but it was so slight that it did not stop me from devouring this twisted page turner .

I really think fans of True Crime and Harlan Coben movies will be "Addicted" to this read and YES pun intended !
** Trigger warnings to Addictions , Trauma , Drug Abuse and sexual abuse **

Thank you Netgalley , Simon & Schuster Canada and Daniel Kalla for this Digital ARC!!

Respectfully Another Read by Angie

I always eagerly await new medical thrillers by Daniel Kalla. I know I will be immersed in suspenseful writing and thoughtful medical dilemmas.

In High Society, Dr. Holly Danvers is following in her grandfather’s footsteps in the possible uses for psychedelics in psychiatry. She has gathered a group of clients who struggle with various addictions and are open to ketamine therapy. Dr. Danvers takes some liberties and suggests the group try mixing ketamine with MDMA to strengthen their sobriety. It appears to work but then one member of the group overdoses on her drug of choice leading the therapist to wonder if the therapy had any role in her death. With one patient gone the doctor can attribute the occurrence to coincidence but when a second patient dies…

High Society has some suspicious characters and like in a locked room mystery, everyone has some bad intentions. The pacing was solid and most of the characters were vivid. I never got a clear sense for a couple of them and was unsure if it was the author’s intent to have them float to the background. This one has a bit of action in the ending and a fulfilling twist.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonschusterca for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. High Society publishes May 28, 2024. Check it out!

The characters in this book were not the easiest to feel sympathy for., hence the 4/5 stars. Saying that, it deserves a 5/5 for making me dislike some of them so fiercely.

Dr. Holly Danvers is a product of her family business. Her grandfather started treating patients with psychedelic drugs and she feels obligated to continue the practice and even to expand the scope. Her private clients are well know celebrities and well off people except for Elaine. The fall-out from Elaine's 'bad trip' sets the basis for this novel about the drug dependent social circles Holly deals with. After multiple deaths of her patients Holly re-evaluates her life and her career.

This was not a book I would have finished if not for my promise to Simon & Schuster and Net Galley..

4.5 Stars. I am always pleased when Daniel Kalla, an author of popular medical thrillers, has written a new book. He is an Emergency Room physician at a Vancouver hospital, and his best-selling thrillers have assorted medical themes. Often, the doctor faces an ethical dilemma.

Doctor Holly Danvers was sixteen when she survived a vehicle accident that killed her father. She had no memory of the crash but was left with a deep-seated guilt that she was to blame for the crash. Her grandfather Walter was an early advocate of psychedelic hallucinatory consciousness-expanding drugs and brought young Holly to Peru. Her depression and guilt improved after ayahuasca treatment.
Now, Holly is a psychiatrist who administers a legal psychedelic drug intravenously to a group of seven patients who suffer from various addictions (drugs, alcohol, rough sex, gambling, etc.) that interfere with their lives. She has added a second drug not medically approved to the treatment, and the patients no longer have any urge to pursue their addictions. At the end of the session, she often administers a drug that causes short-term amnesia. She feels strongly that her success in curing their troubling addictions outweighs any risk to her medical practice and ethical considerations.

Her seven patients have supported each other and call themselves The Tribe. Trouble starts when a patient accuses Holly of inappropriate touching. She was distraught after experiencing some repressed memories and hugged Holly, who tried to comfort her. None of The Tribe believed Holly guilty, but Holly was worried that the delusional woman would report her. That woman is found dead after injecting herself with opioids. Holly knows how terrified the woman was of needles, so suicide seems unlikely. Did she relapse due to emotional problems? Was she murdered? A second patient saw Dr. Holly vaping a drug related to ayahuasca when she thought she was alone in her office. Now Holly fears again that she may be reported. The patient falls (jumps?) to her death from a balcony. Is Dr. Holly's psychedelic treatment to blame, or are the apparent suicides the result of emotional distress and the recovery of repressed memories of unpleasant childhoods? Her group of seven people with an addiction is now down to five when another patient mysteriously disappears. The police believe she is dead.

Suspects for the deaths could include Dr. Holly herself, a member of the group of people with an addiction, and Dr. Aaron Laing, her husband. They are separated, but she confides in him for advice and comfort. He disapproves of her medical decisions and tells her that she is paranoid. Despite his objections, Holly feels he is sympathetic. So why has he been secretly contacting some of the remaining four patients? He also has a troubled teenage son who dislikes Holly and has been hacking into all their conversations.

There is a surprising twist. Will Dr. Holly Danver's career survive the revelations? Will the group of people with an addiction, now down to three, continue with the unorthodox treatments, or will they relapse? Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this well-written, informative, and thought-provoking thriller. The publication is due on May 28. It is recommended for mystery lovers, especially fans of medical thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read "High Society" in exchange for my honest review.

Dr. Holly Danvers survived the car accident that killed her father when she was sixteen. She has no clear memories of what actually happened that day. She spends time in the Peruvian jungle with her grandfather Walter where a native plant-based psychedelic therapy helps her to emotionally recover.

Twenty years later she treats patients with a legal drug therapy combined with one no legitimate pharmaceutical supplier would make available as it has no sanctioned medical use. Holly doesn't worry about consequences she is happy to take the legal and professional risk.

She has a group of 7 patients: JJ, Reese, Baljit, Salvador, Elaine, Liisa and Simon - all have various addictions ranging from pills to alcohol and beyond. The members of the group call themselves the "Tribe". After a session of psychedelic therapy one of the tribe members accuses Holly of inappropriate touching and threatens to tell the world what she did. Holly is convinced that she is mixing up childhood traumas with the present day. When one of the Tribe members is found dead everyone writes it off as a relapse but Holly is suspicious. She wonders whether one of the Tribe might even be responsible for the death.

When another Tribe member dies under suspicious circumstances, everyone is still thinking relapse but Holly with the help of a compassionate police detective are starting to piece together events. A third Tribe members disappears..... Holly goes into the realm of the unethical when she starts questioning the Tribe members while they are under the influence psychedelic drugs. Then later wiping their memories with other drugs.

Holly is separated from her husband Aaron but she turns to him for help and advice, not realizing that he's working on his own agenda for her. When strange things start to happen to Holly he accuses her of paranoia.

The exciting conclusion will shock the readers as to who did what and the reasons why.