A slow burner but I am glad I stuck with it. An event happened to a group of teenagers. They leave their small town and are reunited years later for a family occasion. The past blew them apart and now they are back together. Will they finally get the truth of what happened to Kala. All in all a good read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

An interesting book at the intersection of literature and crime, Colin Walsh follows in the footsteps of authors like Colin Barrett and Lisa McInerney to dissect intrigue in a small Irish town. I found it slow to start and a little rushed at the end but very well written.

Irish fiction is lit right now, and this debut is no exception.

On the west coast of Ireland sits the tourist town of Kinlough, and, in 2003, six teenage friends—Kala, Aoife, Helen, Aiden, Joe, and Mush are living the “summer of [their] lives,” daring each other into various exploits, exploring first love, and building tight bonds of friendship.

When 15-year-old Kala, the gang’s attitude laden, mysterious but troubled leader, disappears in November, the Gardai and locals search with no success, but she's from a ‘bad family’ and she's easily enough passed off as a runaway. Then reeling from the events, these close friends’ relationships go asunder, and they remain haunted by this.

Years later, three of the friends meet up again. Helen, now a hardened freelance journalist living in Canada, is reluctantly back home for her father’s wedding to Pauline Lyons, Mush’s aunt. Joe, attention craving rock star with a drink problem, is back to relaunch a local music venue and seek more fandom, and solitary, sensitive Mush, self-conscious about his facial scars, has never gone anywhere, preferring to sit in his mother’s cafe gulping cans and watching the world leave him by.

While this reunion is going on, the discovery of Kala’s bones at a building site happens, and then tragedy strikes again in this small community. All propelling the trio to reconsider their past in a dangerous search for the truth.

Skillfully blending the current day events with flashbacks to their teen years, each chapter is told from the points of view of one of these interesting and secret-laden characters, all building to a gasp worthy conclusion.

This is a literary novel with the gritty propulsive pace and vibe of a thriller that will trigger many emotions. The author masterfully uses striking and dialectical pitch perfect to bring the story to life.

After a slow, shaky start, I raced through this one. I'm excited for more from this clearly talented author. G’wan and add this to your TBR. Do beware; there are quite a few content warnings for this one - as always, I'll pop them in the comments. 4.5⭐

I enjoyed the authors writing style, and its difficult to believe that this is his first novel - I look forward to more.
I did find the number of characters and their extended families quite difficult to get to grips with though, and at times felt a novel concentrating on the coming of age of a group of friends would have been as good, if not better, than trying to add the elements of a gratuitously violent thriller.
Thank you to netgalley and Atlantic Books for an advance copy of this book.

A thriller set in a small town in Ireland in the 90s. 5 friends - 1 goes missing. Years later 3 of the group of friends are back in town at the same time and the story of the missing friend resurfaces. Interesting enough read, with an ending I predicted about half-way through. Content warning - violence against animals, child abuse - these made the book an uncomfortable and less enjoyable read for me. Overall 3 stars. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Intriguing and immersive until overdone violence loses book’s power 3.5 rating, raised

For a long while, this story of a group of fast friend Irish teenagers aged 15 in 2003, both back on themselves fifteen years later, and being within their current turbulence as everything dramatically unspools, was a gripping and absorbing read.

Albeit one which needs careful attention as the three narrative voices unfold, and the complexities of extended family relationships and friendships, over those 15 years, are unravelled

The book begins with a hugely dramatic united group narration as the 15 year olds celebrate their vibrant, explosive, dare-devil unity. Extreme danger is on the edge, and the reader is not quite aware of what has happened to Helen, Aoife, Kala, Aiden, Mush and Jo at the end of this precursor section.

All we know is there are three narratives, three voices, in 2018. Two are first person narrators. One is told in the second person, for reasons I shan’t spell out, but make absolute and perfect sense, and it should be the reader’s pleasure to find understanding.

Suffice it to say, something happened in 2003, and we discover pretty quickly what, but not why, how, or even exactly what, which seems to have completely fractured both the individuals within that group, the group itself, and the far wider community

The marketing comparisons to both Donna Tartt (The Secret History) and, most particularly, to Tana French, make a lot of sense. Fine writing, golden youth, full of promise, damaged adults, a community with dark secrets.

I was thoroughly admiring and appreciative – and then it suddenly got gothic, operatic, overblown and excessive – not in a good way. A lot of endlessly occurring violence, and, as can so easily happen in both books and movies (and it would not be surprising if this book was optioned, particularly because of this kind of bambam fast cut over and over schlocky element)

This is a first novel, and Walsh is a very fine writer, whom I will eagerly read more of, full of hope that he can hold his earlier fine discipline all through. As far as graphic violence is concerned, less is often far far more, as where someone is being savagely battered over and over, the reader both loses that sense of visceral shock and distress, and also their disbelief. The human body can only take so much battering before it gives up the ghost. Writers and film makers who go on and on with all of that seem gratuitous and indulgent.

And, the final unmasking of the villain….and how resolution happens. Hmm.

Superb.
Felt as if I was transported to Ireland and actually living it.
Group of friends get together for a wedding but of course Kala isn't there as she went missing a long time ago.
A large number of characters and at times it did become a little confusing but stick with it, you won't be disappointed. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.

I really like the premise of this novel, but unfortunately I wasn't able to finish it. The writing style didn't work for me personally, and I found the pacing a little slow.

This debut novel from Colin Walsh is all ready being talked about and quite deservedly so. It's a novel which deals with teen friendships and how they develop and alter as we age. it's about love, violence, isolation and escape. Set in Ireland the narrative is told from the perspective of the 6 main characters, who have returned to their small home town, their pasts are intertwined because of their relationship with Kala whose disappearance when they were teens comes back to haunt them as adults. This novel stands apart from the current literary list and should garner some awards.

Once in a while you read a book which absolutes blows you away with how good it is and you are left completely bereft wanting more. I feel like I knew all the characters intimately (loved dear Mush!) and many will stay with me for a long time ; they were so well drawn, with an equal weight of thoroughly likeable, and plenty of skin crawling loathsome ones - and then there’s the twist!

This has grit, depth, horror, teen drama, family saga, thriller all rolled into one.
Absolutely fantastic, 5/5.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review,

I know this isn't Colin Walsh's first published work but it is a debut novel. It doesn't read like one.

The writing is accomplished, the characters are rounded, the plot is intricate and complex but easy to follow. All in all I'm a little in love with what is quite a horrifying novel. There's quite a lot it covers including underage motherhood, a lot of violence, small town hatreds, police corruption, old friendships.

I know that sounds like a lot to throw at you but this is truly a slow burn novel. It builds at such a pace that the tension is wonderfully oppressive by the time it takes off.

The story revolves around the disappearance of the eponymous Kala (Katherine Lannan). The mystery has not been solved when a wedding brings the original friends - Mush, Joe and Helen back to their home town of Kinlough. Previous tensions are stirred again and added to as more tragedies occur.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I looked forward to reading it and had to force myself not to race through it so I could savour it.

Excellent, highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

<i> Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!</i>

Kala Lannan is the kind of person who draws everyone around her. Girls want to be like her, boys want to be with her, and everyone feels a bit special to be close to her. In 2003 she disappeared without a trace and has never been found.
Fifteen years later, part of the group is back in town and Kala’s body is discovered, reopening old wounds that never truly healed.

<i>“Life is like this: immense when you are inside it, but manageable from the outside, touched from a distance.”</i>

I don’t usually read thrillers but once in a while I like to pick one and see what I am missing. I couldn’t be more happy that Kala was the one I chose.

This book is much more than discovering what happened with Kala. It is a coming of age story to remind us about the summers of our lives, about the friendships that mean the whole world, the beauty of first love and the raw intensity of teenagers emotions. It is also a story about how the past affects us and life turns out to be different than we dreamed.

The story is told through Helen, Joe and Mush POV, which encompasses both present and past timelines as they remember the events before Kala’s disappearance. This strategy gives a special rhythm to the story and it is one of the things that make this book such a page turner.

I liked the story and I was invested in the case but my favorite part of the book were the characters. Colin wrote brilliant characters and I believe some of them will stay with me for a long time.

Kala was Colin Walsh debut and I can’t wait to see what he will bring us next.

I thoroughly enjoyed Colin Walsh's Kala! What a great read!
Authentic well-developed characters. A clever focus on small details to bring moods and feelings to life.
The narrative moves along at pace, jumping between time periods, and although it creates a page-turning thriller type pace at times, for me, this was secondary to the dialogue, relationships, thoughts and all round well depicted slices of how it feels to live in this world (and their world). Highly recommended.

This is truly something special.

‘Former friends, estranged for fifteen years, reckon with the terrifying events of the summer that changed their lives’

This is an achingly beautiful thriller that explores the lives of a small community in rural Ireland. Our three characters haven’t been the same since their friend Kala disappeared and they find themselves thrust together after some shocking secrets are revealed.

We follow Joe, Mush and Helen on a journey packed with heartbreaking revelations and some truly great moments of tension and suspense.

All of the characters felt incredibly real and the exploration of a community and its dark underbelly were executed expertly. It was incredibly well written and I had to fight myself and slow down in order to savour it. The final 20% was incredibly intense and I found myself pausing after each chapter and taking a deep breath before diving back in.

I did not want this book to end.

It is emotionally heavy and perhaps worth looking at trigger warnings beforehand, but the less you know about the plot before going in, the better. I took one look at the cover and the blurb and knew that this was for me.

I requested a review copy of Kala mainly based on its location (because I'm looking forward to a trip to Ireland this summer) and it turned out to be an excellent choice. The town of Kinlough and the surrounding countryside were beautifully described and, as I had hoped, the location felt central to the novel.

However, there are no rose-tinted glasses here and amid the beautiful scenery this was a fast-paced story with plenty of gritty reality and some horrifying glimpses of the underbelly of society.

The main characters are childhood friends drawn together again for a special occasion after many years apart. The plot focuses on the mystery surrounding a past trauma but I loved all the details relating to other issues that arise when adults return home after a long absence. I thought the author brilliantly conveyed the dichotomy of that experience; how we can experience a greater love and appreciation for our home while also developing a keener awareness of its faults.

""Sometimes I think of who we were back then, when she was with us. We were such a force. What happened to her?''
When a group of close knit Teenagers are rocked when one of them `Kala' suddenly disappears without trace from the seaside village of Kinlough, then years later Human Remains are found & three of the group decide it's time to dig deep for the answers to what truly happened , Psychologically tense & riveting this is a book that grips you intensely & you will want to share it with friends all around the Globe ! #NetGalley, #Goodreads, #Amazon.co.uk, #FB, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>.

Oh wow! My actual heart! This book is amazing. It’s part thriller, part literary fiction part family saga. I was completely gripped. The way the information is dropped to the reader is genius. We find out more with every chapter but in a very quiet way. You can’t skim anything for fear of missing something vital. I read the final 40% ignoring everything and everyone around me, desperate to find out the answers.

Really recommend this one. It’s fantastic and I could imagine it being a thoroughly gripping film or TV drama.

"Someone, somewhere, is always suffering so you can be happy. Which is why most people spend their time looking in the other direction"

Part crime noir, part coming-of-age, part social commentary, this spectacular debut novel by Colin Walsh is an unfaltering stare at grief and the wreckage it leaves behind. Walsh's prose - so attuned to the patter of rural Irish cadence - claws at the wounds of decades-old regret. 'Kala' perfectly entwines mystery with a love letter to (and unapologetic critique) of Ireland; its economy, its culture, and, at time, its hypocrisy.

'Kala' is a stunning novel and I am sure it will be a resounding cult read upon its publication this Summer.

Heart wrenching read about the impact of losing a childhood friend has on a group of friends.

The different perspectives when more information comes to light keep you turning the pages.

It is a really well written thriller in an excellent setting.

Sometimes I think of who we were back then, when she was with us. We were such a force. What happened to her?

Set in the seaside town of Kinlough, Ireland, Helen, Joe, and Mush meet for the first time in years. They were part of an original group of six inseparable teenagers and Kala was at their centre until she disappeared without a trace. Now remains have been discovered.

What a book! I went into this expecting a mystery along the lines of a who dunnit flicking between past and present. Instead, I read a literary marvel which made me a part of their group and a desire to find out what happened to Kala.

I liked the way Walsh wove the past and present together, not the typical chapter of past or chapter of present, but rather it felt like the characters were reminiscing about moments (I felt like it was done in similar fashion to IT Chapter 2 - adults one moment and kids the next).

Each chapter delved further and further into the story and how each person was involved (little or big) and what their impact was or what it could have been. I genuinely loved Mush and Helen, especially together. I found Joe to be a wingey so and so and he got on my nerves if I'm honest.

This is not just a mystery book, it is something much more. It took me a bit to get used to the dialogue, given the Irish accents, but after a few chapters I was good.

Definitely a book I'd recommend to everyone