Publication Date: 31 March 2022

The Blurb

February 1948.

Ruth has been whisked off to the lonely Rook Farm to investigate the discovery of long-buried treasure with her mother. But at the farmhouse, she finds secrets lurk around every corner. Joe, the farmer’s son, is hiding something about the treasure, while land girl Audrey watches their every move.

But before Ruth can find out more, the treasure is stolen… With a storm coming, Ruth must race to uncover the secrets of the treasure keepers before all of their lives are changed forever.

The Review

A tangled web of secrets and lies set in the post war recovery era make for a compelling read where no one can be trusted.

It seems that every character Ruth meets at Rook Farm has a secret. Joe, far from pleased at the prospect of Roman treasures saving his farm, appears almost frightened of what the discover. Audrey is ever fretful and seems to be wrapped up in her worries much of the time. Her fiancé, Terry, while appearing helpful and kind, suddenly has more money than he and Audrey would have them believe.

Ruth is determined to help Mary and Joe, and is determined to understand why her mum isn’t as excited about the find as she would expect. As she snoops about the farm to find the truth, she uncovers more and more secrets. In her haste, she is quick to act, and jump to conclusions, but with her heart in the right place and her ability to empathise with others, she is just as quick to accept her mistakes.

The post war era is not one we see often in children’s books, but it is a fascinating one all too often over looked. We see the effects of the war on different communities, the continued rationing, the power shortages, the grief and loss that touches families in different ways. We also see the beginnings of our NHS, and the long road to rebuild the towns and cities that were bombed.

With links to the archaeological discoveries that inspired the finds in the story, there is much for budding archaeologists to discover long after the final page is turned.

Great for fans of:

• The Great Sea Dragon Discovery by Pippa Goodheart.
• When We Were Warriors by Emma Carroll

Huge thanks to Usborne for sending me a copy and inviting me to take part in the blog tour. Do make sure you check out all of the other stops for a chance to win a copy of this fantastic book.