First Do No Harm

It’s 1977 and the “Me Decade” is in full force. Society is still recovering from the Vietnam War and hippy culture is in full swing. Detective Joe Kenda and his partner Detective Lee Wilson are investigating a number of overdoses. It seems to be something new, something very deadly, and they need to find out what before more people die.

It’s not just the drugs that are a danger, the Hinojosa Drug Cartel is also on the hunt for whoever is dealing in bad heroine, because dead customers are bad for business. Meanwhile, Dr. Blair Moreland has discovered a synthetic painkiller that is more effective than morphine and plans on manufacturing the drug himself with the help of a local dealer. Will Kenda and Wilson be able to solve the case before it’s too late?

This is the first crime book I’ve read by Joe Kenda, and it reads like a true crime novel, gritty and dark but also full of the Kenda wit that we expect. The descriptions of the city that the author worked in for so many years were vivid and authentic, and the characters were well-rounded. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who liked crime fiction.