A literary mystery set in a town on the West coast of Ireland, Kala is an intriguing debut from Irish author Colin Walsh. It’s been 15 years since teenager Kala Lanann disappeared from the town in 2003, when the innocence and infallibility of youth embedded in a group of six close friends during the summer to disastrous effect. As three of the group, Joe, Mush and Helen, are reunited, those traumatic events are explored following the discovery of human remains and the disappearance of two young girls, leading the past to entwine with the present.

The atmosphere throughout the novel is effortlessly captured: from the sights of the seaside town during race week to the teenage angst experienced by each character, the portrayals simply simmer. The momentum of the narrative also achieves the desired effect throughout, particularly during the action-packed ending.

It’s telling that the author’s work has already gathered comparisons to Donna Tartt and Tana French whilst also residing on the shortlist for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. Kala is an accomplished and captivating debut: I’m sure we’ll be seeing this title on many more literary award lists in the future.