Kala

A pair of missing Irish girls has a predecessor. She was unmissable and her name was Kala. A thick flood of dark hair, a hint of shadow on his mouth. And eyebrows - like Hollywood. The beautiful and fearless Kala, the central character of a group of six inseparable teenagers, disappeared without a trace in the late summer of 2003. Only now have her remains been discovered in the woods - including a skull with a Polaroid photo tucked inside. Residents of the seaside village of Kinlough on the west coast of Ireland are resenting the reopening of an old wound because they have enough secrets of their own. Coincidentally, the three members of the original party are reunited here after fifteen years: Helen reluctantly returns for her father's wedding, Joe - now a world-famous musician - comes home to rediscover his true voice and Mush. he never actually left. The nightmare he experienced completely destroyed him. But not long after the horrific discovery, two more girls go missing. Does this have anything to do with the never-solved Kala case? The past must not be repeated! A mature debut that gave Ireland a new literary star. The bestselling mystery novel was shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2023 and won its author the Irish Book Award for Debut Author of the Year. "The award-winning short story writer's confidently constructed debut novel is graced with strong characters and lively dialogue." - The Guardian "A spectacular read for fans of Donna Tartt and Tana French." - Kirkus, Starred Review "Walsh is a master at building suspense, and he manages to deftly balance adolescent angst and ecstasy - discoveries that bring terror, sadness, and joy - with more thoughtful, often elegiac reflections on adulthood that come to terms with the promise of the past." - The Washington Post "So Irish. creeps under your fingernails, slowly the unease and the feeling that everything is wrong and different than it seems. That the cheerfulness of adolescence was never cheerful, that everything is just the point of view of the one who is watching. Inner feelings, memories and trying to cope with loss and pain." - from reader feedback on Databazeknih.cz Everything that makes life comfortable is unacceptable if you take a good look. Someone somewhere is suffering so you can be happy. And that's why most people spend their whole lives looking away. - excerpt from the book