First Do No Harm
Joe Kenda
Blackstone Pub
Sept 10th, 2024
First Do No Harm by Joe Kenda is a tale of addiction. This novel is based on his own experiences as a Lieutenant, serving twenty-one years chasing killers as a homicide detective and commander of the major crimes’ unit in Colorado Springs. After retiring from law enforcement, he starred in the true-crime series Homicide Hunter, which features murder cases told through his personal experiences. In his new series, Homicide Hunter: American Detective, Kenda trades in his own case files to bring forward astounding investigations from across the country. Both series air on Investigation Discovery (ID.)
This story begins with a string of overdoses in Colorado Springs. Detectives Joe Kenda and Lee Wilson are on the lookout for a bad batch of heroin that has been cut with a drug they’ve never seen before.
Meanwhile, at Springs General Hospital, Dr. Blair Moreland–the notoriously unpleasant head anesthesiologist–has found a way to feed his deepening addiction to the very same powerful new drug: Fentanyl.
But when Dr. Moreland starts supplying the dangerous painkiller to dealer Lula Lopez–planning to manufacture the drug himself–he angers a Mexican crime syndicate and sets into motion a cycle of death and violence that threatens to engulf the entire city.
Detectives Kenda and Wilson must track down the source of this killer heroin before anyone else can overdose–and stop Moreland before he can escape the long arm of the law.
Elise Cooper: Why a fictional book?
Joe Kenda: I have written two non-fictions but like to write fiction because I do not need to be as careful about the facts. Non-fiction books must be absolutely accurate whereas with fiction things can be changed. I do not need to worry about exactly what the time and date were. With that said, the only thing fictional about this book are the names. The legal issues, the criminal activity, the violence, and everything else is exactly on the mark from my own experiences.
EC: Will this be a series?
JK: Possibly so. I did write another transcript and sent it in.
EC: Did your experiences help you to get the idea for the series?
JK: I have been on television for ten years. My wife and I have been married for 56 years. She told me a few years ago that I should write a book and was very persistent. For peace in the family, I decided to write a book.
EC: Are any the detectives in the story based on yourself?
JK: Yes. I named myself in the book as one of the detectives.
EC: How would you describe Detective Joe Kenda?
JK: I and the fictional character are just doing their jobs. Both do so without passion and prejudice. I felt if someone does something unspeakable to someone else I could either remain seated or stand up. I always stood up and am proud of that.
EC: What was the focus of the book?
JK: Fentanyl. It has been around since the late 1960s. It has not been misused until recently. 150,000 people between the ages of 14 and 40 have been killed from it. It will kill someone in less than a minute if they take an improper dose. This drug is exceedingly powerful.
EC: How would you describe the antagonist, Dr. Moreland?
JK: He is a sociopath. He is only focused on himself. He is a narcissist, cruel, uncaring, and cold. He has no emotions. He does not feel love, guilt, and empathy. The book shows how if someone makes him mad, he will kill them. Except he happens to be a doctor and an anesthesiologist.
EC: Did you also make him an addict?
JK: Yes. What is before him, a candy store. He is the type of person who tries it out. Then he gets worried that he will get caught for stealing part of these drugs, replacing them with liquid saline, and causing the patient to suffer because they will feel the pain. He decides he will make it instead for his own supply.
EC: You imply that by making his own it is more dangerous. Please explain.
JK: All the police would have done is arrest him. But the cartel saw him as competition. They wanted to kill him and his bloodline.
EC: What do you want readers to get out of this story?
JK: A cautionary tale. Someone playing with narcotics will be killed including those around them. The US has a desire to consume narcotics. 80% of the world’s illegal drugs are consumed by Americans because they can afford it and are seeking the magic they will provide. But it is not magic, it is black magic.
EC: What is next for you?
JK: I am also on TV, filming, and writing.
THANK YOU!!
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