As the long summer holiday stretches ahead, with her older sister more interested in boys, her mother disappearing on long walks and her father, beer in hand, watching the cricket, the youngest in the family often finds herself alone. At the beach, she meets Kahu, a boy who tells her a tragic story. A couple of years ago, a little girl went missing, presumed drowned. But no one ever found her body.

Suddenly, the summer has purpose—they will find the missing girl and become local heroes. With her family caught up in their own intrigue, she is free to diligently search for clues with her new friend. It also means she is the only one to notice her next-door neighbour, in turn, watching them. Among dips in the ocean, afternoon barbecues and lazy sunbaking, their detective work dislodges and brings to the surface shocking discoveries that will change all of their lives forever.

This thrilling debut is an assured, nostalgic meditation on growing up. A time where the space between what is observed and what is understood holds an innocent truth, on the cusp of being overtaken by an adult knowing, seen through the eyes of a brave and funny protagonist, who is worthy of a place in the pantheon of beloved child narrators.