With her selection of distinct, atmospheric domestic settings, Harriet Evans has hit on a winning literary formula with which she follows in the footsteps of Daphne du Maurier and Lucinda Riley. In the case of The Treasures, there are not one, but domestic settings: a British cottage by the name of Sevenstones and a grand US-American house called Valhalla. These family homes gradually reveal the secrets of several generations as the two main characters Alice and Tom are presented to us with all their frailties, doubts and uncertainties against an ever-changing political and societal landscape. Spanning a wide arc back to the 1950s, this is not just a novel of a complex human relationship, but also the story of a family home, and of the “treasures” or mundane possessions that humans imbue with meaning. A beautifully crafted novel, I warmly recommend it and would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the free ARC that I received and that allowed me to write this honest book review.

I found the first part of this novel rather slow and difficult to get into but my perseverance was rewarded as it progressed. The characters became more clearly defined and the denouement superbly plotted. I look forward to the next part of the story as I understand this is the first book in a trilogy.

The Treasures is a rich and sweeping novel that draws you in from the very first page. Harriet Evans has crafted a truly special story, layered with emotion, history, and a touch of mystery that lingers long after you’ve turned the final page.

At its heart are Alice and Tom and the sprawling, enigmatic house known as Sevenstones. Spanning fifty years and three generations, the novel delicately unravels long-held secrets, explores family ties, love, loss, and identity, and reminds us how the past never stays buried for long.

The treasures in question, scattered across decades, are more than just objects. They’re symbols of the moments that shape us, the memories we carry, and the truths we sometimes hide even from ourselves.

With beautifully drawn characters, a deeply atmospheric setting, and writing that pulses with heart, The Treasures is a true treat of a book, and marks the beginning of what promises to be a breathtaking trilogy. If you love multigenerational storytelling, haunting houses, and emotional journeys that stay with you, this one is not to be missed.

The Stargazers by Harriet Evans was my favourite book of 2023 so I was excited to start the first in this new Sevenstones trilogy. This was an immersive family saga that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved reading about the lives of Alice and Tom from their lives as children, growing into adult hood. Both had led difficult lives for different reasons. They were both such relatable characters and I was willing them to both find some happiness in their lives.
Both stories start to cleverly connect in the second half of the book.
I always enjoy stories with lots of past family secrets and this was so well written. This would make a fantastic summer holiday read. I can't wait for book 2!

This author has been a firm favourite since I first read one of her novels back in 2018 and discovered that she writes just the sort of family drama that I love immersing myself in.

' Treasures' is the first novel in The Sevenstones Trilogy, a multi generation family saga set around a very special house ' Sevenstones'. Following the lives of Alice Jansen and Tom Raven, it is not always an easy story to read as there are some traumatic themes dominant in both their lives.

To start with I found the story rather slow but eventually found myself fully immersed in this beautiful novel. The ending definitely left me wanting more, so am delighted this is the first in a trilogy. Highly recommended,

With thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Books Ltd and Harriet Evans for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book.

Two stories about 2 different people who both collect ‘treasures’, Alice in America and Tom in England. Alice’s father buys figurines for her every birthday and Tom’s father gives him a miniature house which he treasures. Alice first heard from Tom by phone but I don’t remember why.

There are many strands to the 2 main stories in this book which include references of the misunderstanding of homosexuality, dangerous and cruel medical treatments, the Vietnamese war, ‘flower power’, racial prejudice and assassinations of Martin Luther King and Kennedy.

Both Alice and Tom are searching for something. Read the book to find out what and if they find it.

A big sweeping, decades-spanning family saga is very much my book jam. I’m also a big fan of Harriet Evans so when I heard about her new book The Treasures, it went straight on my wish list.

I was not disappointed. The book , the first in a trilogy, follows Alice and Tom, two people seemingly unconnected who have both experienced trauma in their childhood. As their stories unfold though it becomes clear that they do share a connection to each other and to the house, Sevenstones.

Beginning in the 1940s and moving to the 60s and from New York to Scotland it encompasses world events and attitudes as well as the individual stories, It’s beautifully written and though there are some tough topics such as suicide, these are handled with empathy and skill.

I liked the structure of this book getting to meet the characters as individuals before beginning to understand how their stories entwine.

A really engaging and entertaining read which could perhaps stand alone if a series is not your thing but I personally can’t wait for the next instalment.

Part One of the Sevenstones Trilogy.
Alice Jansen lives in the town of Orchard near New York. Alice collects treasures. Every year on her birthday her father gives her something made from ceramics or some other tiny keepsake.

Her father hides the treasure and gives her a clue to where to find the treasure, but before she can find her treasure on her 16th birthday her father dies and for years Alice wonders what the hidden treasure was.

In London in the 1960’s Tom Raven is living with his aunt, and his father is living in Scotland. Tom discovers a secret and sets out to find answers, ending up in New York, where he meets Alice.

This was about families, identity, secrets and a house called Sevenstones. I loved the way the stories of Alice and Tom are told and how they meet.

I liked the interactions between the characters and felt that Wilder Kynaston was evil and not to be trusted.

I look forward to finding how Alice’s treasures end up hidden in the wall of Sevenstones.

Thankyou NetGalley and Penguin for a chance to review this E-Book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This is the perfect summer read: well plotted, evenly paced, quite compulsive. We meet Alice, living along the banks of the Hudson River, who on the eve of her sixteenth birthday in experiences a devastating loss. In the months following, her mother marries the wealthy author who has picked her brain for inspiration then tried to rape her. So she takes the decision to leave home and move to New York, joining a hippie commune. The only thing she takes with her from her past life is her collection of treasures, little figurines given to her by her father each year on her birthday. Her last treasure remains unidentified, with only a clue to go on - Sevenstones.
A parallel strand tells the story of the childhood and youth in Scotland and England of Tom Raven, taken from his father in rural Dumfries to be brought up by his wealthy but strangely detached aunt and uncle who pay for the best education but do not otherwise show any inclination to parent or nurture him. He too has a treasure, a delicately detailed wood carving made by his father of a house full of memories and secrets - Sevenstones.

This is the first volume of a promised trilogy, following the lives of Tom and Alice with Sevenstones the anchor underpinning it all. It is a riveting read in the vein of Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet novels, and I will be impatiently awaiting the sequels.

Found this really hard to get into, could be a case of wrong book wrong time.

Premise is there for sure, and I think I can see this being a really interesting and well liked novel!

I love Harriet Evans writing and The Treasures did not disappoint- it really is a treasure to read! So glad this is the first of a trilogy. Alice and Tom are strangers - yet linked by a big house. A brilliant family saga

I really enjoyed this book! The story follows two women from different times, connected by a collection of precious items that hold family secrets. I loved how the past and present are woven together, and that the story is revealed gradually keeping me invested until the end.
The characters felt very real and relatable, and I found myself caring deeply about their journeys. The writing is well paced, with a nice balance of tension and emotion. The settings, from bustling London, to more peaceful spots, added a lovely atmosphere. What also stood out was how the book explores connection and healing, showing how the past can shape us in unexpected ways. It is an emotional and engaging read that I would definitely recommend.

The Treasures is the kind of novel that quietly wraps itself around you. Harriet Evans builds a world so richly detailed - from the windswept estates to the warm, lived-in interiors - that you feel like you’re returning to a place you somehow already know. The atmosphere alone could carry the book, but there’s more: a deeply twisted, intergenerational story that keeps you compulsively turning pages. The secrets are revealed slowly, and the characters’ histories unfold with a sense of quiet urgency. It’s gripping, in that soft but touching way.

And yet, for all its promise, the novel comes into being overly sentimental. The dialogue is often too on-the-nose, the emotions told rather than felt. While the premise is dramatic, the characters’ reactions to truly life-altering events often lack emotional depth. Ironically, it’s the side characters ( the aunts, the old friends, the nearly-forgotten relatives) who sparkle with more life than the actual protagonists. Their quirks and wounds feel more fully realized.

Then comes the ending. For a long stretch, it feels like the story has naturally wrapped up, everything that needed to be said has been said (I wished more was said though in terms of details but still). And then, in the final two pages, the narrative twists itself into an unexpected, slightly unbelievable direction, opening the door to a potential trilogy. It feels a little forced, like an epilogue tacked on for drama rather than closure.

Overall, The Treasures is a compelling and atmospheric read that delivers on emotional tension and setting, but stumbles with execution. Beautifully built, but perhaps a little too dialogue and action heavy.


Although, I would like to mention the symbolism throughout the book, inescapable really, and the foreshadowing which made the twist expected but still exciting.

The Treasures is a great choice if you’re looking for family saga fiction. This first instalment in a multi-generational trilogy spanned the period from the 1940s through to the 1960s. Beginning in Spring 2024, we learn that a family home – Sevenstones – is being sold and from there we are transported back in time to meet Alice and then Tom.

I was initially sceptical about the premise of this novel. A collection of ornaments - which appear to be valuable for sentimental reasons only - are discovered at Sevenstones and the idea that they could be the key to unlocking a mystery about a family seemed rather far-fetched. However, as I continued reading, the execution of the novel caused me to re-evaluate my preconceptions and I read the story with increasing interest and enjoyment. When the narrative switched from Alice to Tom, I felt that I had to orientate myself in a new story, though ultimately I found myself enjoying both storylines equally and, as can be expected in this style of novel, the characters do meet. The narrative stayed interesting because of the changes that occur in the protagonists’ lives and because of unexpected plot twists. I didn’t feel that the blurb conveyed the richness of the setting and it also gave me the impression that the family’s story was predominantly inward-looking. However, the political and cultural context woven into the story, such as the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement, worked well in terms of grounding the novel in the time period.

I’m looking forward to continuing with the series and learning about the next generation. Thank you to Penguin, Viking and NetGalley for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

The Treasures by Harriet Evans

An English house, Sevenstones, is up for sale after being owned by the same family for many years. The first instalment of the trilogy is the story of Alice, a teenager living just outside New York in a house tied to a wealthy employer with a dark side, and Tom who was raised by his father in Scotland and then an aunt and uncle in London. The book covers their lives in suburban New York and post-war London, then the 1960s in New York where their lives become inextricably linked.

I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for the next instalment! The author is fantastic at depicting characters, locations and the era that the book is set in. I didn't want it to end and can't wait for the next one. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I’ve tried three times to read this book and can’t get beyond 25%. I’m sure there’s an audience for it but it isn’t me.

This book, by one of my favourite authors, combines some of my favourite thing;, a story across timelines, some doomed romance, and characters you can really invest in. I really enjoyed the first part of this planned trilogy, working out how the stories of Alice, in her orchard in the US, and Tom, in London, would link up. Alice is living with her mother and her father, in a home tied to a job with an author and wealthy landowner. Meanwhile, Tom is plucked from his home with his dad in Scotland and taken to live in London with some previously unknown relatives. We see both children grow up, and their paths collide in a story of hidden secrets.
The book ends in a proper cliffhanger, so here’s hoping it’s not long until book 2!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

An inter generational novel that spans time and continents. There are a lot of characters to take on board and there are a lot of serious issues to deal with within the content. A substantial read setting the tale of Alice and Tom to follow on

The start of a new trilogy from Harriet Evans, this book is told in four parts. Following two characters it has a lot of background story in it - probably a build up to the next books. However it is written really well, and like her usual novels it is a big read. Definitely worth picking up

Beautiful and lyrical. The Treasures is a story to wrap its arms around you and pull you into its pages.
The two stories weave and flow and then find their way together. I loved reading Alice and Tom’s stories - destined to meet, their lives drawn together with an inevitable pull. The different links of the treasures the loss the Hope of belonging
The descriptions of Sevenstones and St Marks Place were written about so vividly and clear and I loved how we got to know so many characters within the two settings.
A wonderful first instalment for the Sevenstones trilogy and I can’t wait to see what comes next.