The Girls on the Shore
Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—returns with a darkly delicious short story featuring DI Matthew Venn from the Two Rivers series.
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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Ann Cleeves
Ann Cleeves is a name synonymous with atmospheric crime fiction, known for creating intricately woven tales set against the stark, often harsh landscapes of Northern England and beyond. Born in Herefordshire in 1954, Cleeves' upbringing in the countryside planted the seeds for her later work, where setting and place are as integral as the characters themselves. Her early career was far from typical for a writer—before becoming an author, Cleeves held various jobs, from child care officer to bird observatory cook, before eventually training as a probation officer. These experiences, combined with a deep connection to nature and remote places, would later shape the worlds and characters she brought to life in her books.
Two Rivers
Nestled between the rolling hills and rugged coastline of North Devon, Two Rivers introduces readers to a world where the tides of the sea mirror the tangled webs of human emotions and dark secrets. The series follows Detective Matthew Venn, a man whose return to his coastal hometown for his estranged father's funeral sets in motion a series of investigations that will force him to confront not only the mysteries of his cases but also the ghosts of his past.
Two Rivers consists of three primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
