An Irish literary mystery was always going to spark my interest and this one didn't disappoint. This was a gripping dark read that was intensely readable.
This book is set in Kinlough, Co Leitrim, a small town on Irelands west coast. Three old friends are meeting for the first time in years. They were originally a group of six . In 2003 they were inseparable as teenagers spending all their free time together grappling with growing up, family strife, falling in love and the darker elements of their small town. Kala was the spark in the center of their group and later in 2003 she disappeared without a trace.
Now as the three old friends, Helen, Mush and Joe reunite in Kinlough and the mystery of their missing friend finally seems it may be resolved when there is a discovery of remains found in the woods nearby. The remains include a skull with a polaroid inside and shortly afterwards two more young girls go missing. The town is holding its dark secrets close and finally they must be brought into the open.

I found this a really engaging, dark and difficult at times read but I absolutely raced through it. It is very hard to put this book down once it grabs you. Colin Walsh has previously won awards for his short stories but this is his debut novel and its a really accomplished debut. I loved the language in this one and how distinctly Irish it is. The prose dances and pounds on the page and the characters and place are drawn vividly. The atmosphere of the book reminded me of some of Martin McDonagh films and some similar vibes to Patrick McCabe's The Butcher Boy.
There are many dark scenes some veered into slightly too violent for me but its balanced with lighter elements mostly through the dialogue and how authentic the characters are. The dual timeline, distinct different narratives and the twists and turns make this story of secrets, memory, mystery and friendship a memorable one.
4 star.

The audio of this was absolutely superb. Loved the different narrators and their delivery of the excellent dialogue. 5 star and hugely recommend.

I’ve had to DNF at 43% and am so sad about this. The audio book is brilliantly read by 3 different narrators and I’ve been hooked from the start. Really love the way it’s read and written.

Unfortunately I’ve come across some triggers that I cannot read and have been informed by other people who have read this book that they feature heavily from this point on so I will have to stop reading sadly.

I’m sure lots of people will enjoy this and I hope they do as it as great audiobook.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for this copy.

What an amazing debut novel, a self assured coming of age story linked with a murder.
Fifteen years ago 6 teenagers hung out together, at their centre was Kala, beautiful and fearless. Then she disappeared.
Today 3 of the teenagers, Joe, Kalas former boyfriend and a world famous rockstar, Helen, freelance journalist and Mush, who still lives in the same town and works in his mothers cafe, are together for different reasons. When Kalas bones are found in the woods the friends get more than they bargained for.
The narrative switches back and forth to their teenage years and now as they piece together what might have happened to Kala. When Mush’s twin cousins go missing, it seems maybe the two cases are linked.
Walsh draws a dark and violent underbelly to the town with truths wanted to be hidden. He also draws the teenage years perfectly, full of loves, betrayals and shifting alliances teens are known for.
His language is beautiful and the plot slow building and intricate with a few red herrings.
I listened to the audio version and the voices were spot on and made the story flow.
Highly recommend a listen.

#Kala. #NetGalley

Kala has been missing for years, and the local picturesque town, known and beloved for its beautiful sights popular with tourists, is at the heart of it, particularly when a body is discovered that is believed to be the missing girl.

This book blends together a captivating story of Kala's life up to that moment and beyond, told by everyone around her, but never by her. She is eerily both missing and present, being all that everyone can talk about, but also the most complicated secret.

Colin Walsh tells this story masterfully, presenting a book that is both a murder-mystery thriller and a deeply rich and human tale of secrecy and desperation. Characters are immaculately drawn as these complicated webs, with no character being able to truly wash their hands of the tragedy around them.

The writing left me on a tightrope wire, constantly at risk of falling as I was buffeted by rich and lyrical prose, colloquialisms, tense energy and moments of silence, all of which were as unsettling and euphoric as the last.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing listen! The narrators and the script are amazing and completely absorbing. A tale of family, friends and an ever intertwining mystery surrounding the disappearance of Kala. A wonderful piece of literature that had me hooked from the first page.

A literary thriller that whilst a little slow to get into ended up being a great read.  Once I got into the writing style, I was hooked and listened to most of the story in one go.  The two timelines were easily distinguished but complimented each other well.  I found it really gripping and atmospheric, and would recommend it to fans of Tana French.

This book was ideal for me at the moment, as I am contemplating the boundaries of crime as a genre.

There’s no doubt that several crimes, including murder, are at the heart of this novel, but the focus is not on the solving of those crimes but on the relationships between the characters, the specificity of the sense of place, and the narrative style. To that extent it transcends literary crime fiction to be, I think, literary fiction first and crime fiction second.

It was a four-star read for me because I really struggled with the sections narrated by Joe. His use of the second person was in keeping with his personality, but it was quite hard work. The experiences he described were not situations in which I’d imagine many people could place themselves, and I certainly did not want to have his experiences as a rock star, alcoholic and naive coward projected onto me. I hope that somewhere Colin Walsh has given an interview that discusses this choice of second person - I’m not a fan of podcasts or YouTube videos, but I’ll keep an eye open for one that discusses that aspect of this novel.

Otherwise I was full of admiration for this exploration of family, friendship and small-town life. I listened to the audioARC (thanks, NetGalley), but will obtain a print copy once it is published so I can revisit some of the brilliant pieces of dialogue and description again at my leisure.

Kala is a poignant, nostalgic, and deeply moving novel. The interwoven dual timelines between the six friend’s shared, small town adolescents and their fractured adulthoods was well crafted, and was definitely the right way to tell this story. I particularly enjoyed how Colin Walsh kept his three protagonists whole different in their chapter styles (Joe in second person, like he’s still being told what to do; Mush rather informal and full of slang, like he’s talking straight to you; Helen very to the point and clinical, almost with a level of detachment to the story.) Having three different narrators for the audiobook really brought this point home.

Thank you to W.F. Howes Lt and NetGalley for the Audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

For once, the comparisons in the blurb to Tana French are justified! While this is essentially a seen-it-before plot, the lyrical writing and the intense attention to characterisation lift this out of the crowd. It does feel a little as if the book isn't quite sure whether it wants to be a story of lost adolescence, nostalgia and a study in the effects of violence on the psyches of those affected, or whether it wants to be a full-blown crime/thriller about sinister secrets and corruption that undermine the placid surface of a small Irish town. As a result, the pacing can be uneven, with a slow start and then eruptions of 'thriller-esque' components. I definitely preferred the non-crime aspects but can see how the crime drives the forward momentum of the narrative.

I listened to the audiobook: the actor voicing Mush isn't always clear but the other voices are good. Some of the time switches are less clear when listening rather than reading. But the Irish accents certainly add to the atmosphere of the piece.

I absolutely LOVED the audio of Kala. I started reading this via my kindle, and instantly fell in love with the Irish voices jumping off the page, so when I saw I could request the audio, I jumped at the chance.
Hearing the 3 main characters and their individual voices, really brought the drama and characters to life.
I cannot praise the narrators enough. Their tone/delivery really conveyed their emotions. You laughed along with them as well as cried, felt sad and scared. I will be checking out other audiobooks by these narrators.

Please see below my complete review for the book.

What a beautifully sad story told in a stunning and evocative way.
I adore the writing style and language used. From the very beginning I could hear the Irish accent. As I wrote in my notes “Love the honest Irish voice. Real. Authentic.”

The story itself had me enthralled. It’s such a phenomenal thriller. It played with my emotions and that innate desire to figure the mystery out.
I love that the story is told via multiple POVs.
The 3 characters have very unique and distinct personalities which help add to the complexities of this gut wrenching story.

I went through an overflow of emotions, emotions I wasn’t expecting to feel. From laughter and joy to sadness, shock, horror and even fear! So many emotions. And the end? Oh, my heart! 💔 There are no words.

I love the eclectic array of characters including bad ones (it wouldn’t be a thriller without them! 😊) but I completely fell in love with Mush. Oh, Mush! 🥰 And, If you don’t love him as much as I do, I don’t think we can be friends. Just saying! 😂

Sublime! Colin Walsh is an instant buy author for me now. Whatever he writes in the future, I will preorder asap!

Thank you so much, Atlantic Books, for inviting me to read an advanced copy of this stunning thriller. I cannot wait for it to be released. I will be getting a copy. ♥️

P.S I’m extremely torn! I LOVE the UK cover, but, after reading the novel, the US cover just has something extra. 🥰

P.p.s. I swear my friend had the same shirt with the Chinese writing & dragon on it.😂

This was brilliant. I wasn't sure initially because it was a bit slow to start out, but this is fair since there is quite a cast of characters to introduce. The small town vibes were so well written and I felt like I knew and have lived in the town of Kinlough myself. The actually mystery surrounding Kala was really unputdownable and dark and it was so well written. Loved this thriller!

This thriller practically breaks its binding with the personality it packs. I listened to the audio, which, with a range of narrators for each of the three POVs, was completely immersive.
The story unfolds against the backdrop of a group of teenagers, now grown, who reconvene in their childhood town for a family wedding. One has never left, one is a global superstar, one a struggling writer. Two of their number are missing; one committed suicide, the other, Kala, disappeared and has never been found.
As they rediscover their friendship they each relive their memories of events that led up to Kala’s disappearance, facing battles not only with their internal demons, but also with the dark forces that simmer beneath the fragile veneer that their home town presents to the world.
The narrators carry you into the heart of this Irish town, and deep into the hearts and minds of the three protagonists. The tension is palpable throughout the story, with a nagging thread pulling at you to unravel the mystery, even though you know the truth of this tale will be an ugly one.
I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and W F Howes Ltd for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This new debut novel makes a good summer read: literary but not too much. A murder mystery, but a well-written one.

A group of friends in a small Irish town reconnect twenty years after one of them has been killed. The murder was never solved and the group has dispersed. A wedding brings them back together right at the time there are developments in the case. The book is told from the perspectives of three friends and alternates between them in short chapters.

This is not a candidate for the Booker - it doesn't really address bigger themes - but the writing is really good, the characters are very well developed and especially the coming of age sections were excellent.

I mostly listened to the audio version and it reminded me why Irish English is the most beautiful of English accents. It is told by three different narrators for each of the friends.

I was really surprised by this! I wasn’t expecting it to be so… gritty? I really enjoyed it though and I liked that there were multiple narrators and not one putting on different voices for each persons chapters.

Kala, by Colin Walsh

Told by Mush, Joe and Helen across two timelines, 2003 and now, the book explores the mystery of the disappearance of Kala when she was 15 years old.

Set in the small Irish town of Kinlough, this has the potential to be a great story, but it’s way too long and fragmented. I was very confused by the jumps between timelines and the story didn’t conclude - who actually was responsible for Kala’s disappearance?

The blurb describes how two more girls go missing, but this doesn’t even happen until late in the book and isn’t a main thread of the story.

I didn’t really feel any intrigue or suspense as I was mainly bored or confused listening to this. It sadly didn’t work for me.

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoy some Irish crime fiction, I really need educating, aside from my favourites Liz Nugent and Catherine Ryan Howard I'm grabbing in the dark. Luckily there's a lot of good writing coming from Ireland.

I love an Irish accent on an audiobook too, so this was an easy book to take a chance on.

Kinlough, Ireland's west coast. Old friends Helen, Joe and Mush are reunited for the first time in years. Helen became a journalist in Canada, Joe became a rock star, Mush got left behind and never left Kinloch.

The three were part of a group of six inseparable friends, including the mercurial Kala.

Human remains have been discovered.

This is bleak, gritty, and full of character. There are plenty of deeper moments of reflection and regret.

The audiobook performance is brilliant, three narrators unafraid to get passionately lost in character and give it their all.

I know some may be put off by the 'literary fiction' tag, but don't be, yes, it can ramble and reminisce (at length) with the best of them, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Recommended.

Thank to Netgalley and W.F. Howes Ltd

Actual rating 4.5.

And another book comes along to prove my point that Irish writers are the best writers 👏

This harrowing literary crime novel is stunning. Whilst there is a mystery at its heart, it’s also just an exceptional exploration of character and friendship, looking at how the lives of a group of friends were changed by one of their disappearances.

Now, I do have to be honest and say that there were a couple of parts I found really difficult and had to skip over. This would’ve been a five star read for me, but the level of animal violence was just too much for me and I wish it could’ve been done another way. So please do check TWs if you’re also someone who prefers animals to humans 🙈

Having said that, the writing is exquisite, the plotting meticulous and the whole story is just captivating - it’s not a small book and I listened on audio which usually takes longer, but I finished it in less than 2 days as I just couldn’t “put it down” so to speak. Mush especially will stay with me for a long time, but each of the main characters are just so compelling and fully realised, and it’s just an incredibly wise and insightful novel which makes so many astute observations about small town life in Ireland. I can’t wait to read more from the author!

📖 FROM THE COVER

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 centre. 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, and to try to stop Kinlough's violent patterns repeating themselves once again...
Against the backdrop of a town suffocating on its own secrets, in a story that builds from a smoulder 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.

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is a one hell of a debut.

From the get go the story had me intrigued. So interesting and smart at the intersection of literature and crime.
Everything about this book was there for me, there was a character lead feel, a mystery , strangely some dark humour set among what was a brilliant and unique story with classic themes and messages…outstanding. It is gripping, moving, compelling and insightful.



We are taken back and forth though time with flashbacks from the POV of Mush and Helen in the first person POV and the 3rd person POV with Joe. The flashbacks are seamless and flow brilliant the narrative is fragmented, with events and timelines being regularly interweaved. It is very well written as this worked brilliantly it wasn’t hard to follow at all but the writing was complex. Within the present day parts they really set up a sense of mystery as well giving us a true understanding of why the characters are the way they are now. It really questions what happens to us in life, does it make us different than we should have been, are we all just playing cards in someone else’s game and how do our choices shape us( great insightful point from the book)

I loved the flashbacks as I was the same
age as the characters at the time, I could identify with the feelings and thoughts. I liked how there was a touch of the young love first love between Joe and Kala the writer got the tone perfect with this. And extra stars for the Dawson Creek, music and make up/style references within these sections.

I found the change in style with Joe very interesting and clever as the story concluded, it left me with questions. There was a real “who knew what when?” Aftermath which made an already a deeply dark, deep multi layered plot all the more interesting and long lasting after reading. I think this book would make a great book club read as well as a great tv series…water cooler discussion a plenty here.

The characters are well developed and beautifully flawed making them see real and also likeable. I really found the contrast from the then and now very well written as previously stated made you really think.

Mush was without doubt my favourite character he was lovely, seemed a real good guy .I loved the twins and his relationship it added a touch humour to what was a dark book. This with the Mammies chat and some of the more colourful Irish language give off slight Derry Girls vibes.


This is the book Sally Rooney wishes she could write it’s got all the self doubt and worries that her books contain but the issues these characters face are real and true not like her books full of spoilt brats looking for issues. This insightful study of human nature is backed up with amazing plot that reminds me of Tana French .

The sign I really love a book is when I search for the audio version so I can continue the story while am going about my business. With Kala I requested the audiobook after reading the first chapter of the ebook I couldn’t put it down or off.

With the audiobook the narrators create added tension to the mystery setting a good pace and style. The tone of all three narrators was pitch perfect and the accents were great.

Both the print and audio versions were equally as good…which is to say five star

This is one of my top books of 2023. I will be looking out for more of the authors writing.

Thanks again for what was a truly brilliant ARC

This book was the biggest surprise this 2023. Is a addictive page turner book the plot is pretty simple in a way. A group of teenagers in Ireland 6 friends that planned to spend a brilliant summer end up with one of the members missing “Kala” she went missing without a trace. 20 years later after a stranged friendship they meet up again for a wedding at the same time some bones are find in the woods. And 2 other girls go missing so they are confronted to open old wounds. The shifting between periods of time in this book is a little bit messy and confusing you have to really put attention of what you are reading. But I read it in a day because is very interesting and literally is the type of book I really love. It really blow me away after some chapters and is a very good written book it got horror, family and teen drama, thriller, a a nice twist for me is a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ it shock me it was a debut novel for how good it was written for me. It pick up the velocity after the third part of the book so keep up reading it