Bookstagram and my library hold put The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan into my hands during my Christmas vacation. It wasn't exactly what I expected, which was fine - I like books that surprise me - and this story included several twists.
I anticipated a 'solve the puzzle' plot like The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, but this is focused on the history of a mysterious priate treasure rumored to be long buried in Maple Bay, Nova Scotia. Three very different characters eventually join forces to uncover long-held secrets and solve recent murders in this cozy small town.
The backstory is primarily shared through sections of a secret journal; I enjoy a 'book within a book' plot. The cast of characters is large and includes up to four generations of five families, so it was sometimes challenging to track them all. Most of the families had tragic 'if only ...' moments in their past that made me ponder what could have been. Several of the author's previous novels are YA, and I felt that influence from time to time.
This book was great to binge on lazy days between Christmas and New Year's, and I enjoyed the bookish touches it included.
I anticipated a 'solve the puzzle' plot like The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, but this is focused on the history of a mysterious priate treasure rumored to be long buried in Maple Bay, Nova Scotia. Three very different characters eventually join forces to uncover long-held secrets and solve recent murders in this cozy small town.
The backstory is primarily shared through sections of a secret journal; I enjoy a 'book within a book' plot. The cast of characters is large and includes up to four generations of five families, so it was sometimes challenging to track them all. Most of the families had tragic 'if only ...' moments in their past that made me ponder what could have been. Several of the author's previous novels are YA, and I felt that influence from time to time.
This book was great to binge on lazy days between Christmas and New Year's, and I enjoyed the bookish touches it included.
