Kala

A Novel

By: Colin Walsh

Narrated by: Frank Blake, Moe Dunford, Seána Kerslake

A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR NPR, THE GUARDIAN, THE INDEPENDENT, THE TABLET, AND CRIMEREADS • "An enthralling, evocative and heartfelt mystery" (Chris Whitaker) from a rising Irish talent in which former friends, estranged for twenty years, reckon with the terrifying events of the summer that changed their lives.

"The perfect read for hot summer days and dark nights."—Ruth Ware

"[A] gritty heartbreaker of a thriller…a spectacular read for Donna Tartt and Tana French fans."—Kirkus


“A master class in building suspense.”—The Washington Post

In the seaside town of Kinlough, on Ireland’s west coast, three old friends are thrown together for the first time in years. They—Helen, Joe, and Mush—were part of an original group of six inseparable teenagers in the summer of 2003, with motherless, reckless Kala Lanann as their group’s white-hot center. Soon after that summer’s peak, Kala disappeared without a trace.

Now it’s fifteen years later: Helen has reluctantly returned to Ireland for her father’s wedding; Joe is a world-famous musician, newly back in town; and Mush has never left, too scared to venture beyond the counter of his mother’s café.

But human remains have been discovered in the woods. Two more girls have gone missing. And as past and present begin to collide, the estranged friends are forced to confront their own complicity in the events that led to Kala’s disappearance.

Against the backdrop of a town suffocating on its own secrets, in a story that builds from a smolder to a stunning climax, Kala brilliantly examines the sometimes brutal costs of belonging, as well as the battle in the human heart between vengeance and forgiveness, despair and redemption.

©2023 Colin Walsh (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY ELECTRIC LITERATURE

“Even after you put the pieces together, you’ll want to stay with this powerful meditation of the power of fear and the meaning of bravery.”—NPR

"[A] gritty heartbreaker of a thriller…Part heartfelt coming-of-age tale, part brutal Irish noir, this is a spectacular read for Donna Tartt and Tana French fans."—Kirkus, starred review

“A master class in building suspense…Walsh manages a deft balance between adolescent angst and ecstasy—discoveries bringing horror, sorrow and joy—and the more deliberate, often elegiac reflections of adulthood, reckoning with the promises of the past.”—The Washington Post

Good story overall.

I liked the story and the characters and getting to know them as the book progressed however, with the storyline going back and forth all the time within the same chapters it was often hard to follow at times. I would however read another book by this author based on this one.

Compulsive thriller, vivid characterization

Character driven story follows a close friend group through traumatic experiences and their lasting impacts, slowly building connections between events to uncover the dark history of a small Irish town.

Good Story

This is a good story about life-long friends in a small Irish town. It is reminiscent of a Tana French story but without the finesse.
it all seems to revolve around a dog fighting ring run by some of the local men and local thugs. The existence of this enterprise leads to tragedy...and not just for the dogs.
There is too much long-winded conversation without much resolution until the end...when it never seems to be completely resolved. More precision here would have improved the narrative.
The narration is ok, but you must listen very closely as the accents are very thick.

Good

The interwoven lives of these well-drawn characters interacting in their teen years, and then again in their 30s holds interest. It needs more editing, the pacing could’ve been tighter. Some may feel underwhelmed by the ending, but the crimes depicted are more realistic than many stories that go over the top for dramatic punch.

The mystery, the diverse group of characters, the Irish slang!

Held my interest the whole way through.
Didn’t guess the ending till it was revealed

SKIP A SECTION

This is a beautiful story and many of the reviews have said it’s too long. I disagree. The character development is so important here. Some of the observations they muse on regarding life are so poignant. There is graphic animal abuse and when you hear it start, skip ahead unless you truly want to be upset. That’s the only part I didn’t enjoy.

Loved it

A rare addition to the favourites folder. Loved the characters, the coming-of-age element of it. You really hoped for the best for all of them. Its not an easy story, but there is also such light in it. The way the life of the town is described is so vivid. The Narrators were excellent.

Tedious reading

I found it difficult to get interested in the story. The narrators were often hard to understand and jumped from character to character too much. The ending was abrupt and a bit confusing

The Irish Accents and the swearing

The story was interesting. It follows the story of the discovery of the bones of a young lady missing for years and the happenings following the discovery.

I was confused primarily because the Irish brogue was hard to understand on the Audible version. The story also jumped around in time, places, and people telling the story. I think I missed a lot because of this.

Did not enjoy this book.

Great writing, deeply depressing story

What an excellent writer. Performances were also quite good. Despite finding the story deeply depressing and not enjoyable personally, I saw it through to the end. I did find the introspection of several of the characters to be worthwhile.