'The Secret of The Treasure Keepers' is another brilliant story by A.M. Howell, and my favourite of hers! It tells the story of Ruth, whose mum is desperately trying to get a paid job at The British Museum, which is no easy feat. She's a volunteer archaeologist, and Ruth has previously accompanied her on a dig, and fallen in love with the job herself.

One night, while waiting for her Mum to finish her interview at the museum, Ruth picks up a phonecall intended for Mr. Knight, the Museum's curator. This single action results in an unexpected journey to Rook Farm in the Cambridgeshire Fens (all without Mr. Knight's knowledge or consent.) Here, Ruth and her mum meet Mary Sterne and her son Joe. Mary was the one who'd made the phonecall to the museum, as she'd found something in one of the farm's fields, which she thought might be of historical interest. But not all on the farm is quite as it seems. And Joe is visibly concerned about Ruth and her mum's presence on the farm.

This was a truly gripping read from start to finish. The mystery at the heart of the story took me down many twists and turns, and kept me guessing until the final chapter. I also loved the beautiful, vivid descriptions of post-war London and Norwich, whose inhabitants are trying to recover from four years of devastation. The war is still ever-present in the memory of all the characters and influences the decisions that they make in their daily lives, even two years on.

This is a must-read for all fans of mystery and World War II history, and will be a great page turner for many young readers! I would wholeheartedly recommend it.