It was winter. Cold and clear, a different sort of day for this coast where the westerly winds usually blew rain and cloud.
Detective Inspector Matthew Venn is standing by his kitchen window when he first spots them. Two young girls, facing away from him, seemingly staring towards something in the distance. They are holding hands, and they are alone.
Though not a natural with children, Matthew knows he must find out why the girls are here, on a school day, unsupervised. And so he meets Olivia and Imogen, a pair of sisters whose secrets Matthew must uncover if he hopes to get them home.
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Detective Inspector Matthew Venn walked along the track from his house, and onto the beach.
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(@panmacmillan, 11 January 2022, audiobook, 58 minutes, borrowed from @NACLibraries via @BorrowBox)
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I'm a fan of the author and the Two Rivers series so wanted to listen to this story. The story itself lasts under 30 mins and the rest of the audiobook is made up with an extract from a Vera novel which I didn't listen to as I've read it. As short stories go, The Girls on the Shore is okay, quite enjoyable though it felt unfinished and like it should be part of a longer work. I wanted to know more about the girls and their parents, especially their mother who is clearly struggling.