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Kala

By: Colin Walsh
Narrated by: Frank Blake, Moe Dunford, Seána Kerslake
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Summary

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, 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.

©2023 Colin Walsh (P)2023 Altantic Books and W. F. Howes Ltd
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What listeners say about Kala

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Superb

Incredible story, great narrators. One of the most exciting well written books I’ve read in ages.
A few tears too. Highly recommended

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7 people found this helpful

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Brilliant

Loved it - felt like I was there…the advantage of an audiobook is hearing the beautiful accents. Disadvantage - you can flip back to the character list at the start as new people come on the scene

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Beautiful writing

Another amazing book from an Irish author. Could not stop listening to this, the actors are so perfect, will be recommending this to everyone

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An Irish Small Town Tale

Kala is a disquieting tale, it's dark and unsettling undertones really came through in the performance of the narrators.

Ultimately this is the story of a missing girl whose disappearance has haunted the town of Kinlough, on Ireland's west coast since that October night in 2003. Her loss is especially felt by her closest friends, and it is their voices that we here in the present day.

This is a slow burn of a story, and there are many smaller mysteries that arise which held my attention as I tried to work out how the many strands fitted together.

Colin Walsh is an author to watch out for in the future.

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A gripping story, brilliantly told

I loved this from the first page. It is deftly plotted with superbly drawn characters

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A beautifully written literary thriller.

At the heart of the story is a years old missing person mystery which has blighted the lives of those left behind. A group of teenage friends is ripped apart by the secrets and lies hidden within this close knit Irish town. The author paints such a vivid picture of this community and the characters within it, you can see them all in your head. Such a well crafted book with the story zipping between different characters each chapter to carry the story to its conclusion.

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Brilliant

Brilliant all around. Great writing and thought the actors were so good x thank you

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A Good Whodunnit

The Irish Times reviewer described the book as "a masterful reworking of the whodunnit". I wouldn't go that far. It is a fine debut novel but hardly a "masterful" one. The storyline is good but the plot is a bit overstretched at times. The characters are very well realised and they are brought to life by the excellent narration. Another reviewer here disliked the "swearword laden argot" of the characters but I'm afraid that is exactly how I would expect them to speak - it added to their authenticity. Colin Walsh is clearly a writer of note and I look forward to his next book.

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Brilliant story telling

Loved this. All the main characters were filled out really well. A gripping story but also full of heart.

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Grim

A grim listen but beautifully read and written. Don’t read if you can’t cope with swearing ++ and some pretty horrible descriptions of brutality

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