They were typical teenagers living in a town named Kinlough on Ireland’s west coast that summer of 2003. There were six of them who ran together --- three girls and three boys. Without really knowing why, Kala became the de facto leader of the pack. Maybe it was her daring personality or the fact that she never seemed to care what others thought.

Kala and Aoife were two cool girls from St. Anne’s. Then along comes Helen, a transplant from, well, many places. Kala takes a liking to her, so she’s in. The boys? Mush, Aidan and Joe are always after a beer and happy to be chasing the girls. Joe catches Kala’s eye, and they quickly become an item. Sounds like any summer for 15-year-olds, right? And it was a good one. Until it ended. Shortly after that, Kala went missing and has not been seen since.

"Colin Walsh’s debut novel is, quite simply, amazing. It’s dark, thoughtful, gritty and full of suspense. Calling it a page-turner doesn’t even begin to describe it. Compelling and addictive might be more like it."

Now, 15 years later, three of the old friends are about to reunite. Helen’s father is getting married, drawing her back to Kinlough from her new life as a journalist in Canada. He’s marrying Mush’s aunt. Mush didn’t make it out of Kinlough as he never found the courage to leave. Sadly, Aidan died some years ago. Aoife married, moved to a nearby village and lost touch. But Joe is back, too, which people should be excited about. He hit the big time and is now a famous musician. Walking about town, everyone wants a photo with him. It’s Joe Brennan! Joe and Mush used to be tight, but since Joe returned, Mush seems to be trying to avoid him. Well, after this many years, things have gotten complicated. Besides, seeing each other dredges up the memory of that last summer before Kala disappeared. What should they have done differently?

Almost immediately upon arriving, Helen puts on her journalist’s hat, gets out her recorder and heads out to interview whoever was involved all those years ago. She has big plans to figure out what happened. Especially after “human remains” are found and confirmed to be Kala’s. Why did they show up now? How were they missed all this time? Something is not right. Something else is going on. Mush, of course, wants to help. Joe can’t seem to shake his demons. And when Helen, who is eager to find answers, looks up Aoife, she seems aghast at the idea. Outside forces are definitely at work here. Or possibly those closest to them are trying to keep the case from being solved.

Alternating between then and now, the chapters detail the actual events of 2003. They also reveal the backgrounds of the friends --- the jealousies, the betrayals and the compassion they have for each other. In reality, Joe had his issues and still has a lot of work ahead. Fame came too easily for him. Conversely, Mush should have been given Joe’s confidence; he’s a genuinely caring person but seems to be running in place. Helen could use a chill pill, and some of the other players need to begin thinking outside the box. Solving the mystery of what happened to Kala becomes a passion for these friends. But they have no concept of what terrible trouble they’re getting themselves into. It involves much more than a simple murder. It will uncover a deep town secret and longtime corruption that could destroy families.

Colin Walsh’s debut novel is, quite simply, amazing. It’s dark, thoughtful, gritty and full of suspense. Calling it a page-turner doesn’t even begin to describe it. Compelling and addictive might be more like it. Beware, though. KALA contains some rough scenes because it depicts real life, which means including the dirty sides. Frankly, for me, this is the best book of 2023.