'Impressive... Walsh brilliantly conveys the cruelty, self-absorption and vulnerability of teenagers, their shifting allegiances and betrayals, as well as their love for one another... His characterisation is superb and he has a vivid turn of phrase. Kala heralds an exciting new voice'
- Observer
'This shimmering novel teems with tension and is so brilliantly executed it's hard to believe it's a debut'
- The Bookseller
'I was kept awake until the birds were singing. What a story. I was riveted. It captures so much of the essence of the thrill and excitement of teenage summers, the wonderful optimism of youth and first loves, and the ease with which corruption and evil can take hold and thrive. This is a dazzling novel.'
- Donal Ryan, Booker-listed author of The Queen of Dirt Island
'Kala is a thriller - and a lot more. It is exciting and cleverly structured, but its great strength is the characters: they are terrific.'
- Roddy Doyle, the Booker Prize-winning author of Life Without Children
'Now here's a truly ambitious debut novel that purrs with narrative confidence - hugely engaging and thoroughly addictive.'
- Kevin Barry, Booker-listed author of Nightboat to Tangiers
'Kala is so good. Skilfully assembled, suspenseful, brilliant about being a teenager and then of the difficult experience, as an adult, of going back home'
- Sara Baume, author of Seven Steeples
'The very definition of page-turner, full of big personalities, rapid twists and unpredictable moments, cast both in vivid colour and deepest shadow. I tore through it.'
- Lisa McInerney, author of The Rules of Revelation
'A compelling, moving novel... Simmering with darkness and rich with the accumulation of life'
- Rebecca Watson, author of Little Scratch
'A debut novel of skill and fire, Kala crackles with passion as it depicts the urgent bonds of youth and the monsters that emerge when we peer into the past.'
- Rob Doyle, author of Threshold
'Colin Walsh's debut is a heartbreaking story of love and lost youth that is at once tender and absolutely gutting. Psychologically rangy and ultimately riveting, Kala is a book you'll not just read and love, but lend to those you love'
- Smith Henderson, author of Fourth of July Creek
'A slow burner that draws you in and spins you around until you don't know where you stand. It kept my heart pounding and my head guessing until the very end.'
- Aingeala Flannery, author of The Amusements