Despite the setting, this is such a cosy middle-grade novel! Set after WWII, it explores important themes, such as poverty and friendship. Definitely an author I'll keep on my radar!

Another fantastic book by this author. with an exciting narrative. Ruth is in the British museum, waiting for her mum, when she answers a phone call. The mystery leads them to a farm in the East of England where Ruth solves the mystery of some hidden treasure .The archaeological storyline in this book helps to give it an edge against other mystery books. It also provides characters that can be relatable for children - Ruth’s family situation is also carefully explored.: her parents are divorcing but Ruth’s feelings are considered.
Overall a book worthy of at least five stars, and one to recommend.

This is a highly engaging historical story, set just after WWII. The main characters, Ruth and Joe, are well developed and believable.
With a focus on the challenges faced by both children, interlinked with historical information, such as the beginning of the NHS, and the search for the missing hoard, this book will appeal to KS2 readers and will be a great addition to classroom bookshelves.

Loved this. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This was book was really great!! I enjoyed it a lot, loved the characters and the world building. The cover is also so lovely.

February 1948.

Ruth answers a phone call meant for someone else, a phone call about long-buried treasure, a phone call that has the power to change everything... Her mother, an aspiring archaeologist, decides to follow the lead and so Ruth is whisked off to the lonely Rook Farm to investigate the discovery.

Will Ruth and her mother find what they're looking for at the farm? And how many secrets will they unearth whilst searching for the treasure?

Not long ago, I read and really enjoyed A. M. Howell's 'Mystery of the Night Watchers' and so I was really excited when I heard about 'The Secret of the Treasure Keepers'. I was particularly intrigued by the archaeological theme - I considered studying archaeology for a bit when I was younger.

What a brilliantly atmospheric story this is! I was hooked from the very first page and I couldn't tear myself away from the book. Ruth is such a brilliant character - she's determined, brave and resourceful. Her friendship with Joe was a joy to read. There are so many themes in this book - a great variety of complex family relationships that have been affected by the war are explored in the book and I loved the subtle commentary on gender roles and the place of women in that era written into the story.

It's historical fiction at its best - a captivating plot with lots of twists along the way and a wealth of historical facts seamlessly woven into the tapestry of the story. It's also a beautiful comment on the role and importance of archaeology.

I look forward to seeing what A. M. Howell writes next and I'll definitely be picking up the other two books by the author that I haven't read yet.

The Secret of the Treasure Keepers is a great book, with superbly drawn characters that really bring the plot to life!
My 11 year old read it after me and his opinion was that it kept him on the edge of his seat, with the mystery driving the plot forwards so that he was always looking forward to the next chapter.

I just love everything A.M. Howell writes, and this book was no exception. From the very first page I was hooked, and I was transported into this book. I can highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction!

Fans of AM Howell will be delighted to dig into her latest middle-grade mystery and uncover her twistiest story yet. It is 1948 and, in the aftermath of WWII, it seems the whole country is caught in the transition between old and new. And this is exactly where we find 12-year-old protagonist Ruth Goodspeed.

Unlike many other buildings in post-war London, Ruth’s home has survived the Blitz, but with her parents’ marriage another casualty of the war, it looks like it won’t survive the practicalities of their divorce, unless her mother, a budding archaeologist, turns her volunteering work at the British Museum into a paying job.

Unwilling to lose her home and the mural of happy memories her artist father painted onto her bedroom wall, Ruth soon cooks up a plan that catapults us from the rubble-strewn streets of London to the bleak and misty farmlands of the Fens, where another child, Joe, is also on the brink of losing his home.As these two very different children and settings come together, we see Howell’s skill at harnessing the themes and threads of the story so that they all pull towards the same high-stakes climax, where the fates of both children rest upon uncovering the secrets and artefacts buried on Rook Farm.

While Ruth is extra-careful when it comes to using a trowel and mapping out a dig, she is far less cautious when it comes to jumping to conclusions, especially when everyone around her seems to be hiding some secret or other. But these flaws and missteps are what make Ruth a relatable and believable character, and we cannot help but cheer her on as she races against time, and a potentially devastating storm, to uncover buried treasure, and even deeper buried secrets.

The delicately drawn historical details, so characteristic of this author, provide valuable snippets into how war affected the lives and families of that time. Snippets into the changes and innovations taking place in London, such as the beginnings of the NHS and prefab housing, and the introduction of technology and machinery into rural settings, lend further support to the theme of change, and how to some it can pose a threat, and to others an opportunity. But, thanks to Ruth’s resourcefulness and determination, she will emerge from her thrilling adventure with a cast of new friends, and a whole new perspective on change.

Rachel Corcoran’s cover art beautifully captures this exciting escapade with its explosions of birdlife and its wintry windswept backdrop.

A M Howell weaves another highly engaging historical story, this time set just after WWII. Her main characters, Ruth and Joe, are gutsy and well crafted. The vivid descriptions of the farm, the harsh winter and challenges faced by both children, alongside the search for the missing hoard create an exciting adventure which will appeal to readers in KS2 and be a worthy addition to primary classroom bookshelves and school libraries. I really enjoyed reading this story.

A.M. Howell is such a good story teller. I love the fact that this is a story about children pushing the boundaries of their lives in a quest to help their parents and how it shows the worries of ordinary children as they grow up. Ruth’s mother is being denied a job that she is qualified for simply because she lacks the ‘formal’ qualification on paper and her boss can’t seem to recognize her skills – is that because she is a woman and in the late 1940’s men were ‘more in need’ of jobs as the family breadwinner? The boss is also a ‘children should be seen and not heard’ type. But Ruth’s parents are divorcing and whilst the split is amicable, Ruth’s mother needs the income. Joe’s family is facing financial ruin and after the death of his father, he is desperate to help his ill mother manage and keep the farm, but doing so places a huge stress on his young shoulders.
So when Ruth ends up on Joe’s farm to investigate the finding of a long lost treasure, she finds there is something strange going on. Joe is unfriendly, things aren’t quite as they should be and there are secrets and lies around every corner. With a few lies and intrigue of their own, the children race to unravel the mystery and find if this treasure exists before their worlds come crashing down.

This week, we celebrate the publication of another delightful historical mystery from one of my favourite middle grade fiction writers, A. M. Howell. Following, on from last year’s hugely popular ‘Mystery of the Nightwatchers’, this time we’re visiting post-war Norfolk for ‘The Secret of the Treasure Keepers’. Excited? You should be!

It’s 1948, and Ruth and her mother arrive at Rook Farm to investigate the discovery of long-buried treasure. Here she meets Joe, and his mother, Mary, who have discovered Roman silverware in one of their fields. But this is far from a straightforward archaeological dig, and Ruth’s mother realises straight away that something about this find just isn’t right.

With the farm facing financial crisis, Ruth and Joe must race against the clock to uncover the secrets of not just one, but two treasure troves. Can they secure the treasure in time to save the farm and their families’ futures?

As we’ve grown to expect from Howell’s historical novels, this latest story is meticulously researched, and immerses us in the world of land girls, post-war rationing and the blitz. I particularly enjoyed the character’s of Ruth and her mother, and the sympathetic portrayal of parental loss.

A. M. Howell is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine, and I look forward to their next work. The Secret of the Treasure Keepers was a charming and intriguing story for readers of all ages, and I've found myself recommending it not just to parents but to other adult readers.

A fantastic historical middle-grade novel with lots of secrets and intrigue.

Ruth and her mum travel to Norfolk to a remote farm where some ancient Roman artefacts have been found. Her mum is desperate to work for the British Museum and so this seems like the perfect opportunity to show off her skills and impress them, but when they arrive nothing is as simple as it seems.

The story was part-mystery, uncovering what the treasure really is and where it came from, and part friendship story as Ruth becomes friends with Joe whose family owns the farm. Land girl Audrey and her fiance Terry appear to have secrets they are keeping and Rose is desperate to find out what is really going on.

Set after WWII, it was interesting to read about the impact of the war on both urban and rural communities, as well as the individual impact on families themselves.

It was well written, with the characters developed well. The attention to detail was fascinating and you could tell how much research and passion had gone into ensuring accuracy and intrigue. Another strong book from a great author.

Trigger Warnings: Divorce, war, PTSD, parental death.

It’s February 1948 and Ruth and her mum are at the isolated Rook Farm to explore and look into the discovery of some treasure, buried for many years. Whilst at the farmhouse, Ruth discovers that secrecy lurks in every inch of the house. Joe, the farmer’s son is being very secretive about the found treasure, and Audrey, the land girl follows their every move. When the treasure is stolen, Ruth must act fast to uncover the mystery behind the theft and the habitants of the farm, before lives are changed drastically.

I was never a big fan of historical middle grade, that was until I came across books by A.M. Howell. After reading her first release The Garden of Lost Secrets, a new love for the genre was formed, and I’ve since devoured all of her releases, adoring everyone. So, you can imagine my excitement when I found out she was releasing a fourth book – The Secret of the Treasure Keepers. I was aching to dive into this one and see what it had in store for me, and well I wasn’t disheartened at all.

We follow 12 year old Ruth, as both she and her mother are adjusting to life in post-war London. Her parents are also getting divorced, leaving Ruth worried about where she’s going to live, especially as times are hard for herself and her mother, an aspiring archaeologist. Whilst her mum is being interviewed for a job at the British Museum, Ruth hears a phone call and is unable to resist answering it. Ruth answering the phone leads her on an adventure to Rook Farm to uncover secrets galore. The first thing I loved about this book was the setting! Howell always sets her books within the East of England and as this is where grew up and still live to this day, I find comfort in these settings, knowing that my region is behind it. It’s also fascinating to learn about how my region coped in post-war times, and I commend Howell for how much research must have gone into the planning and drafting of this book.

This was such an intriguing mystery to solve, and I found myself instantly drawn into Ruth’s determination to uncover the secrets of Rook Farm and its treasure. It was rather fun to try and figure out the secrets myself as the story went along, and I must say, I was shocked at times by what I discovered. There were many twists and turns within the plot itself, and this was the reason why I couldn’t put this book down, no matter how hard I tried. As well as this, I found that the theme of change seemed to resonate a lot within the story. We have all of our characters trying to adjust to life after the war, and how the war has affected them individually. They each have a different story to tell, and throughout the story, we find out how each of them has been impacted, and this made for emotional reading at times, which did bring tears to my eyes.

Ruth was such a likeable heroine and I found her determination and bravery to be infectious. However, she’s also hurting because of her parents’ divorce and we do see her vulnerability come out at times throughout the book. She’s a kindhearted, caring girl also, and we see this by the way she strives to help the habitants of Rook Farm, and the promise she makes to uncover the mystery behind the found treasure. Ruth is also longing to help her mother get a job at the British Museum that she will do anything to make that happen, which also shows how far she is willing to go to see those closest to her succeed. Her relationship with Joe, despite getting off to a frosty start, blossomed into a beautiful friendship that went from strength to strength as the story progressed. The adventures these two went on were brilliant and I would love a spin-off just about Ruth and Joe if I’m being perfectly honest.

The Secret of the Treasure Keepers was yet another triumph for Howell and one that I couldn’t get enough of. It was packed full of mystery, secrecy and adventure and I lapped it all up. I’m eagerly waiting to see what Howell writes next, and one thing is for certain – I know I’m going to love it.

4 Stars

One Liner: Heavy but heartwarming

Feb 1948
The world still hasn’t recovered from the Second World War. Ruth and her mom are doing their best to find a living despite the hard times. Being an archeologist with no degree means it’s even hard for Ruth’s mom to get the job she wants. When a chance incident at Mr. Knight’s office takes them to Rook Farm, the duo is excited and hopeful for a better future.
Joe works hard on the farm to help his sick mom, Mary, and their farm girl, Audrey. He doesn’t like Ruth and her mom poking their nose around the farm. So what if there might be some treasure that could help them? He has kept too many secrets and is dealing with the burden alone.
Joe and Ruth come to a truce as Ruth decides to help his family. However, things go wrong when the treasure is stolen, a snowstorm is brewing, and time is running out. Can Ruth and Joe save the day through sheer determination (and maybe some luck)? Will Joe’s farm be saved? Can Audrey and her fiancé Terry, have a happy life together? Can Ruth’s mom get the job of her dreams?

My Observations:
• The book is 336 pages long but is fast-paced. The writing is easy and suitable for middle-graders, making the flow even better for adults.
• The themes of war, post-war, monetary problems, family issues, PSTD, divorce, parental death, etc., should’ve been overwhelming in the same book. Yet, they blend together in the setting. The book is a heavy read though still suitable for the target audience.
• The moral lessons are seamlessly woven into the story. They also create a sense of safety for Joe and Ruth. It may seem like an easy route for adults. However, the developments felt right as the book was already dealing with painful topics.
• Ruth is a little sweetheart with a kind heart and a good brain. She is eager to help Joe’s family and find a way to solve everyone’s problems. She also has no trouble accepting when she makes a mistake.
• Joe starts out as a grumpy teen, but we soon see the reason for his behavior. The character arc of both kids seems realistic, though I like Ruth the best.
• The book naturally has a happy ending, but it doesn’t feel abrupt. The book’s purpose is to reach the end through a series of adventures.
• The story has a picturesque quality to it. I could imagine each scene easily and feel that the book would look better on screen. I’d love to watch the screen adaptation of this one.

To sum up, The Secret of the Treasure Keepers is a heartwarming story that deals with some heavy topics. It’s fast-paced, heartfelt, and hopeful.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Usborne Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Secret of the Treasure Keepers is a brilliantly absorbing, intriguing historical adventure which builds the sense of mystery so masterfully that I absolutely had to keep reading. This is not only a gripping mystery, it is also a window into the past, and into the lives of characters who feel so real that it was a privilege to follow their story.

It’s 1948, and twelve-year-old Ruth Goodspeed and her mother are adjusting to life in post-war London. The scars of the war are still with them as damaged buildings surround them and some foods are still rationed. More personally, Ruth’s parents’ marriage has not survived the war and they are getting divorced, leaving Ruth in danger of losing her home. When her mother gets the opportunity to have her volunteer work with the British Museum turned into paid employment, she seizes her chance. Whilst her mother – an aspiring archaeologist - is being interviewed by the stern curator, Mr Knight, Ruth is unable to ignore the persistent ringing of a telephone in his office, and answers it.

Mrs Mary Sterne, the owner of Rook Farm in the Fens, tells her that she may have found treasure in one of her farm fields. As Mr Knight is both unapproachable and busy with another excavation, Mary convinces her mother to journey to Rook Farm to investigate the treasure with the hope that her mother can prove herself to Mr Knight and gain the paid employment which has been denied her.

When they arrive at the isolated Farm, they are welcomed by everyone except for Mrs Sterne’s son, Joe, who wants them to leave. The family have hit hard times after the death of Joe’s Dad and are struggling financially, so they are keen to discover if they have buried treasure on their land. After seeing the Roman artefacts which had been found when ploughing, Ruth and her Mum are keen to excavate the site to discover more. Further treasure is uncovered, treasure that Ruth’s Mum wants to discuss with Mr Knight in London, leaving Ruth behind to help on the farm until her return.

Ruth is convinced that there are secrets -as well as treasure - buried at the Farm, and she is determined to uncover them. What is Joe hiding about the treasure? When disaster strikes, and the treasure is stolen, will Ruth and Joe be able to work together to find both stolen and hidden treasure, and save both their homes?

This is such a cleverly layered mystery that completely engrossed me as I pieced together clues and followed the twists and turns with bated breath to discover the truth behind the farm’s treasures. There is a real sense of urgency as time runs out, and Ruth and Joe race to find the truth behind the treasure. It is never entirely clear who is a help and who is a hindrance, so character’s motives really kept me guessing! I loved that this wasn’t just a mystery about buried treasure, but also a mystery about the secrets which people bury and keep from each other. I found the unravelling of these secrets both tender and poignant, and filled with hope for the future.

An absolutely absorbing historical mystery for readers of 9+.

This was a lovely read so nice to read something for children now and again. I’ve read A M Howell’s books before so I was very pleased to be approved for this one. It moved along easily and I enjoyed it very much. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed travelling back in time to be reminded of a simple life without modern complications: no telephones, the smell of a pie baking in the range of a farmhouse kitchen, the relief of being able to light the fire in the evening to stretch out the coal ration.

My thanks to Usborne Publishing and NetGalley for a review copy of this book

The Secret of the Treasure Keepers is another exciting middle-grade historical mystery from the pen of A. M. Howell, which takes into the world of archaeology and on a quest for treasures from Roman England, set in the period just following the Second World War when people were still coping with what had happened, and its impact on the world around them was all too visible.

In The Secret of the Treasure Keepers, we meet twelve-year-old Ruth Goodspeed, who lives with her mother Harriett who is a volunteer at the British Museum; the war has driven her parents apart and her dad has moved out of their home. Harriett hopes to get a paid position at the Museum so that they can keep their house, and as the book opens, is having an interview with a curator Mr Knight, a not-very-pleasant man, while Ruth waits outside. As the telephone rings in Mr Knight’s office, Ruth answers and takes a message but out of fear and a little confusion cannot pass it on to Mr Knight. The message is from a Mrs Sterne at Rook Farm who has found some Roman artefacts when digging in her field, and wants the museum to investigate. As Mr Knight is away on a dig, Ruth convinces her mother to travel down to Rook farm to make some preliminary investigations (which she feels will help towards getting a job at the Museum). But things at the farm are very different from what Ruth expects—Mrs Sterne—Mary—has recently lost her husband and is struggling to make ends meet, and has hopes that this treasure will come to their rescue. On the other hand, her son Joe, a few years older than Ruth, seems to resent Ruth and her mother’s presence. There is also a farm girl, Audrey, who has come during the war and continues to work there and her fiancé Terry, who works close by and comes to visit.

As Ruth’s mother investigates the site, a few more discoveries are made but she wishes to discuss things further with Mr Knight and heads off to town to fetch him, while Ruth asks to remain on the farm for a few days and help. Slowly, Ruth befriends the reluctant Joe, and the two team up to solve the secret of the treasure and save the farm. This involves much more of an adventure than they were expecting.

This was the second historical mystery I’ve read by A.M. Howell and I found it to be a very good read, just as the first was. I enjoyed the setting of this mystery in the world of archaeology—we get some insight into how things proceed on digs—the careful marking out of areas, the implements that it is right to use so as to avoid unnecessarily damaging finds, and the need for care in handling what is uncovered as well. Not only that we get some idea of the treasures from Roman times that were uncovered in England around that time.

In Ruth we have a very likeable ‘heroine’ who is understandably upset at her family breaking up, and wants to hold on to the home which she has always known. She is kind-hearted and caring, and wants to help the Sternes in addition to wanting to help her mother get the job she desperately needs. As she meets Joe, who has his own burdens to bear, and has suffered loses of his own, she starts to sympathise with and befriend him. I liked that Ruth was interested in archaeology and how she uses detective skills to solve the puzzles that face them. Both Ruth and Joe (and in fact, the grown-up characters too) have been done in a very believable way, and one feels for them all.

Besides archaeology, Roman treasure and the mystery/adventure itself, the book also focuses on the theme of change, as each of the characters, particularly Ruth, Joe, and Mrs Sterne have to grapple with the fact that things have changed (not only because of the war but changes that come about in the course of life), and one needs to adapt, rather than simply wishing things to be the way they are. Alongside, we also get to see broader changes appearing in the period like early supermarkets, and discussions about health services.

The historical setting was as I mentioned in the period just after the Second World War, and so we see how all of the characters have been impacted by it—Ruth’s father has been in the navy, Joe’s was not drafted because of health reasons while Audrey came to work on the farm. Ruth’s mother chose to stay on in London (and work as a dispatch rider), as a result of which they stayed through the Blitz, but things in the country were also difficult even if different. The book also brought up the instance of the Baedeker bombings of which I was not aware. These are of course dark and despairing themes—with losses of lives close to the characters, rubble all around, and the destruction of things as they know it—but I think it will help children get a sense of and develop sympathy for those in this predicament, whether in the past as in this book, or in current circumstances.

But don’t let the previous para put you down, this isn’t all dark or melancholy but very much an exciting adventure, which gives one a message of looking forward and moving ahead—facing every challenge and adapting to every change.

4.25 stars