The Red Kayak opens several months after the main action of the novel, but its events continue to haunt our narrator, Brady Parks. The book begins with a question: "After all this time, I still ask myself: Was it my fault?" (3).

"It" is the sinking of the DiAngelos' kayak and the death of their son Ben, but Brady does not mention those details here. Instead, he talks about the ways his life has changed: the DiAngelos have moved away, and Brady is no longer friends with J.T. and Digger. Brady wonders whether he could have prevented these things from happening, either by calling out a warning the day the kayak sunk or by staying quiet about the role J.T. and Digger played in the accident. The "one thing" he's certain about is that he'd still be fishing for crabs if the accident hadn't occurred: "Fall's a great time for catching crabs before the females head south and the males burrow into the mud. I could fix the engine on the boat easy if I wanted…I could bleed the engine tonight, set my alarm for 4 A.M., and be on the river before the sun was up over the tree line" (3).