Kala: 'The thriller of the moment' Paperback – 4 July 2024

I bought this book to listen to on Audible. Afterwards, I felt it merited the attention of a close read, so now I have the Kindle version too. It's an extraordinarily accomplished first novel, much in the vein of Donna Tartt. The characterisation is superbly and richly nuanced; you feel you can see into the mind of each one. And how insightful to give us Joe's memories in the third person, effectively conveying a rock star's propensity to distance himself from his teenage years. The angst of teenagers on the verge of adulthood is so well drawn - their fallings-out, their hopes and anxieties, their passions and ambitions. At the centre of the group is beautiful, intrepid Kala. The savage underbelly of a pretty Irish tourist town is slowly and vividly exposed as, fifteen years on, three of the group return. But Kala isn't one of them. I'm going to read this book again, and probably again. It's a darkly twisting thriller, and I love it.

Six teens from a small Irish town form a friendship group in the early noughties. One of them, a girl named Kala, disappears without trace. Fast forward to 2018 and two of the former friends, Joe and Helen, are back in town to attend a wedding. A third friend, a boy named Mush, never left. The narrative is told through the experiences of these three, We share their innermost thoughts about their present and past lives, with each having chapters in turn. In 2018 they remain desolated by the mystery of Kala's disappearance and eager to find answers.I usually prefer plot driven novels whereas this was strong on character. However, the quality of the prose was excellent, drawing me into the minds of the characters so that I was really rooting for them and eager to continue reading. That said, I felt that the author got carried away with his own verbosity towards the end of the book. In the final third there was unnecessary repetition of the characters' inner thoughts.. I skipped whole chapters which added nothing to the plot or my understanding of characters that were already well-established. The ending was somewhat bleak.This will appeal to those who enjoy character driven novels and evocative prose.

This is a very well written novel which gets off to a cracking start and I had high hopes of a first class reading experience. However I found there were just too many deeply unpleasant aspects in the storyline to make it a positive experience. I struggled to empathise with or like most of the characters and the plot took just too long to unfold. I was tempted to give up on a few occasions. Lurking beneath the bleak narrative were many spot-on insights and these just about kept my interest piqued.

This book was fantastic. It gripped me completely and it's well written. The characters were compelling and nuanced and the story made some important points but they were such a part of the story you only noticed when you reflected at the end.

Thoroughly enjoyed this tale of secrets, lies, insecurities, mixed loyalties, small town pressures and more.Vividly descriptive, emotionally written and deviously plotted.A slow burn that edged up the tension incrementally till the end.

After the disappearance of their friend Kala, the remaining members of the gang have scattered. One, Aiden, is dead and one, Aoife, is not really in contact, but Helen, Mush and Joe are all back in Kinlough for a family wedding. Then the news comes through that human remains have been found in a local woodland and they are identified as those of Kala. Now the friends try to solve the mystery that is 15 years old and they rip open the underbelly of their small town.This is a really great book. It starts off slow with lots of backstory information but the tension is ratcheted up throughout. The final solution is both predictable and unexpected, it's cleverly handled and beautifully executed. The writing throughout is emotive but not overwrought. Overall, a book that deserves all the accolades it has been given

A long and complex story - full of well- drawn characters and a keen sense of place . A good read.

At start of book there is a list of characters explaining their relationship to each other. I would advise getting a pencil and paper and drawing a family tree type flow chart which can be referred to when needed. As soon as I finished the novel I re-read parts. There are so many revelations in last third or so of book that I had forgotten a lot of details. Don't expect many laughs. This novel is very dark in places. One of the best books I have read for some time.

Set in Kinlough, Ireland, in 2018, the discovery of a body forces three friends to recall events that took place 15 years earlier.That is where any perceived similarity to thrillers previously read will end. Kala is so well written and uniquely presented to readers that we sometimes feel like voyeurs lurking in the shadows and listening to private conversations. Walsh is a master at knowing how old friends talk, so we get to eavesdrop in cars, kitchens, and pubs and subsequently are privy to the unfolding story as only three people know it. His supporting characters do not lack depth and intrigue either.It does get a little slow in places, but one is too caught up not to persevere. I chose to skip over a brief dog fighting scene, but I must note it was not gratuitous and is part of the plot.As some reviews have noted, is the ending a touch dramatic? Perhaps, but for me, this excellent novel maintains the reader's interest and even sneaks in a brief uncertainty on the last page. Sit back with a strong cup of tea or an Irish Whiskey and read Kala; you won't regret it,

Great read. Not your ordinary thriller. Lively characters that I could relate to. Good storyline. I liked the two different timelines, the subtle language, the neat description of places, houses that really came to life.Couldn't predict the ending either, and it was not one of those farfetched deus ex machina endings that lots of writers resort to.Definite recommendation.

One of my favourite books this year

If there ever was a more slow burn … Dear God Walsh stretches this thing like anything. Could have easily been 150 pages shorter. Who was the developmental editor?!

3 stars is being extremely generous!I am not sure how this book got all the hype that it did.The story is told in both the past and present. In the past it was 6 teenagers who are filled with Teenage angst. In the present it is about 3 of those teenagers and how they were affected by the disappearance of one of the six, 15+ years ago. Now in the present, the missing girl Kala- hence the title of the book- her remains have been discovered.I won’t bore you with what these teenagers have been doing with there lives, since their friend disappeared or anything else about the book. Here is what I will say:This book is 150 pages too long.Not 1 of the 6 characters from the past, or the 3 in the present is interesting or fleshed out by the author.Like all good Irish they all have a drinking problem of various degrees of seriousness.There are way too many characters in this book most of whom don’t matter but you have to hear about them, oh and many of them have stupid nicknames.There really isn’t much of a mystery and if you aren’t bored to death with the first 150 pages you will easily start to figure out who is not good.Lastly the book ends with one of the 3 talking to someone but this reader and many other reviewers have no idea who the character Helen is talking to.The only difference for me is I don’t care who she is talking to.