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,withmotherless, 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.

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.

Great story!!

I would highly recommend this to anyone that likes a good story! The Irish lilt was a little bit tough at first, and you should not get discouraged with so many characters, it all works out in the end. It’s awesome.!

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.