Member Reviews

✨ The Vibes ✨
A multi-generational mystery for anyone who’s ever dreamed of finding buried treasure

📖 Read if…
✨ You enjoy multi-generational family stories
✨ You had an Indiana Jones phase
✨ National Treasure is one of your comfort movies

I hadn’t heard much about The Treasure Hunters Club ahead of its publication last year, but I was very interested to see what it had to offer after noticing Riley Sager had blurbed the book.

Based on the cover, I was expecting a cozy mystery, but that’s not The Treasure Hunters Club. The books follows three people — Peter, Dandy, and Cass — whose paths cross when members of the local treasure hunters club begin to die.

The book bounces between the present timeline and perfectly timed flashbacks involving the treasure. The pacing was perfect, giving the reader enough information to put clues together, while still saving key reveals for later in the story. I must admit I wasn’t expecting the story to surprise me, but there were several points where I audibly gasped before reading as fast as I could to uncover the next clue.

I got big National Treasure vibes from The Treasure Hunters Club. While the two deal with different subject matter, the emphasis on historic clues leading to treasure, as well as how these pursuits can cause familial tension make this the perfect read for fans of that Nic Cage Classic™️.

Overall, I had a great time with this book and will be checking out more from Tom Ryan in the future. The Treasure Hunters Club is out now. Thanks to Atlantic and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a fun and enjoyable page turner - if you like small town secrets, colourful characters, and surprise endings

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Unfortunate DNF, this book just didn’t grab me the way I was hoping. Writing was fine but I wasn’t sucked into the story or characters. Would probably try something from this author in the future because I didn’t dislike anything I read just felt like this particular one wasn’t for me.

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A fun, quick mystery. Sometimes the multiple characters got confusing. I liked the inclusion of journal entries and multiple timelines to deepen the mystery. It does give a bit of a YA vibe. I didn't see the twist coming but enjoyed it.

Fans of cozy mysteries, Goonies-esque buddy stories, and family mysteries will enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I will share widely.

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An old pirate treasure is hidden somewhere near a village in Nova Scotia. Generations of townspeople and outsiders have tried to find it with no success. But it may now be just a matter of time before its discovery. The charming setting, emergence of long-held secrets, and an unexpected twist make for a satisfying read.

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I really liked this book!! It was full of twists and turns and I did not see the resolution coming! In hindsight, there was enough foreshadowing and inconsistencies that I HAD picked up on that I was not completely surprised by the big reveal (no spoilers here.).

In particular, I appreciated the diversity of perspective of the main characters - Cass, Peter, and Dandy are very different people and they're all dealing with difficulties in their lives. The way the story intersected their individual experiences and journeys and brought them together to save the day was interesting and not something I've encountered a lot in my decades of mystery-reading!

I thought The Treasure Hunters Club was very well done and I look forward to reading by from Tom Ryan!

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The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan is an adventurous and thrilling middle-grade novel that follows a group of young friends who embark on a quest to find a hidden treasure. Set in a small town, the story blends mystery, friendship, and excitement as the club members solve clues and face obstacles along the way.

Ryan does a fantastic job of creating relatable, well-rounded characters, making it easy for readers to connect with them. The plot is fast-paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers engaged. What stands out the most is the strong sense of camaraderie among the friends, making the story not only about treasure but also about the value of teamwork and trust.

The writing is straightforward and accessible, perfect for young readers, yet still captivating enough for older audiences who enjoy adventure stories. Overall, The Treasure Hunters Club is an enjoyable read that encourages exploration, problem-solving, and the power of friendship.

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As a teacher I love puzzle solver's books for students such as The Book Scavenger. The Treasure Hunters Club gave me a little similar feel with combined with cozy mystery. I like books with multiple POV's and this one fulfilled that for me with three distinctly different characters working together to solve the mystery. Peter is a 40 year old man who still hasn't made it in life, Cass who needs help in her writing and financially and high schooler Dandy. Together they bring a very surprise ending.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

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This was such a fun treasure hunt of a story. With lots of twists and turns and generations old secrets, there's something new in every page.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan!

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Set in a small coastal town in Nova Scotia, author Tom Ryan brings together:
-a seventeen-year-old girl, Dandy, who is mourning the death of her beloved grandfather,
-Peter Bellwood Barnett, a single man who has just travelled across the country and arrived in town to connect with his estranged grandmother, and
-Cass, a thirty-ish author who is looking to write a new book after losing her publisher and home.

Ryan gives us each person's PoV as they become intrigued by the hunt for a long lost treasure.

Years earlier, four friends found a fabled pirate treasure, and reburied it, to be split amongst them later. Unfortunately, due to misunderstandings and greed, things went very wrong, with one dead, one in prison, one becoming a drunk, and the last one becoming a doctor.

Years later, Dandy's grandfather became part of a small group calling themselves the Maple Bay Historical Society; their aim is to find the lost treasure, and his last wish for her was to join the group and solve the mystery of the missing treasure.

The Society's aging members are initially reluctant and tired of their repeated failures over the years. Dandy's grandfather was the most enthusiastic and persistent of the members, who are now made up of
-Miriam Bellwood Johnson, the only remaining member of the wealthy Bellwood family, till she found Peter,
-Rose French, whose father was one of the group of boys, and who was convicted of murdering one of the others,
-Bill Jinx, a drunk who is so done with looking, and
-Dr. Frank Oakley.

Of the town newcomers, Peter is hoping to build a relationship with Miriam, Cass wants to find something to get her writing again.

Dandy wants to find the treasure as a way to remain connected to her grandfather, which is clear to Peter and Cass. All three end up meeting, and Cass decides to write about the Treasure Hunters' Club, the history of the original group of boys, and their efforts to find the treasure.

When Miriam dies suddenly, Dandy finds it suspicious. She begins poking around, putting herself in danger in the process.

This was a fun story, using different points of view and diary entries, to create a story about friends, betrayal, blackmail, and greed. The author's use of coincidences was a little contrived, but still resulted in a twisty tale that kept me reading as the bodies piled up, and the wonderful Dandy found her way to the solution.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my review.

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Mystery novel set in Nova Scotia with many characters and many twists and turns..a bit farfetched but a fun ride.

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Nice story. Few twists which makes this book enjoyable read. Easy to follow writing style plus interesting characters. Good for young readers.

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'Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone meets The Goonies in The Treasure Hunters Club—a rollicking murder mystery set in a seaside town filled with pirate lore, family secrets, unforgiveable grudges, secret societies, and of course, a treasure lost to time. '

How could I not read this one! It sounded so fun and intriguing. It is a cosy mystery which read well, started off a bit slow but the paced picked up along the way so I never got bored. Revolving around the lives of three people (Peter, Cass and Dandy) and told from their viewpoints it is a book that will have you smiling but also have you thinking.

A great read and one I enjoyed, Very cosy and lots of fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan is a captivating mystery that blends adventure, suspense, and a touch of romance. Set in the charming seaside town of Maple Bay, Nova Scotia, the story revolves around three strangers drawn to the legend of a long-lost pirate treasure. But as they dig deeper into the mystery, they soon realize that there are darker secrets buried beneath the surface—and not just gold.

Peter Barnett, nearing 40 with little direction in life, receives a mysterious letter that leads him to his family's mansion in Maple Bay. Seventeen-year-old Dandy Feltzen is struggling with the loss of her grandfather and embarks on a mission to solve a mystery that haunted him in his final days. Meanwhile, Cass Jones, a failed author looking for inspiration, lands a housesitting job in Maple Bay, where she stumbles upon the perfect subject matter for her next book—and a potential romance.

The paths of these three characters intersect in unexpected ways, and Ryan does an excellent job building tension as they uncover long-buried secrets. The narrative is rich with atmospheric details, and the picturesque yet eerie setting of Maple Bay adds a sense of mystery that is perfectly suited to the story.

With a strong cast of characters and a compelling plot full of twists, The Treasure Hunters Club is an exciting read for fans of historical mysteries and treasure hunts. Ryan masterfully blends elements of suspense, intrigue, and personal growth, making it a highly enjoyable and engaging novel.

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The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan is a cozy mystery told from multiple POV's. It was a bit slow at first but about halfway through it picked up the pace. There were a few unexpected twists in the story and it was a quick and fun read. The characters and the plot was done beautifully, with a bit of family drama in the middle. I felt like the ending was missing something but i overall enjoyed this story quite much.

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Set in Nova Scotia the book follows the intertwining of three lives , Peter, a forty year old unemployed man, failed writer Cass in her thirties and seventeen year old Dandy, as they join forces to find the titular treasure. They follow clues and hints from the past, letters, notebooks and torn pages, a true paper trail , that leads to unexpected twists and turns. There is a lot of suspense and tension along with big surprises along the way. Great read!

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TL;DR: it was fine. there's one solid twist, but otherwise I slogged through this one a bit. There are a lot of characters and timelines, and I kept having to put this one down and pick it back up and it made for a disjointed unmemorable reading experience. I'd be open to reading something else from the author for executing a solid twist.

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Overall it was really fun. It’s a different kind of myself/thriller than I’ve read, at least in a while. It had a cozy mystery feel, kindof like Antique Hunter’s guide to murder (which I still have to review. Oopsies) and elements that were reminiscent of Goonies… which always makes me happy. Don’t make me feel like a 👵🏻 by telling me you don’t know Goonies. Mmmmkay?

But I digress.

Back to our story.

There was a lot to love. I binged it.

The characters, the overall plot (I love a good treasure hunt), some family drama and long lost family, friendships with history, and a Canadian setting made for a good story overall.

At about the two third mark something happened (I don’t know how to tell this without spoilers 🙈) and it felt really sudden and out of place. And then it was over and everyone moved on too easily.

And there was a character that was probably meant to be a giant misdirection but then that was resolved too easily and it just felt weird to me.

AND THEN the ending wrapped up with something that just deserved a bit more fleshing out to make it believable.

So I just think that the editor needed to give it one more look to smooth it over, flesh it out and blend those things out a bit more.

Because it had so much good.

The review might not seem like it but I really did enjoy it. Truly. I’m still recommending it as a fun, cozy bit of entertainment.

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Things got a little unhinged toward the end of this one, which just added to my enjoyment of it. Although missing treasure does play an important role in the story, it’s ultimately more about relationships and digging up old secrets to solve a long-standing mystery.

The story is told from multiple POVs. We have Peter, a 40-year-old looking for a new start and trying to reconnect with the only family he has left. Then there’s Cass, a 30-something struggling writer looking for inspiration and trying to figure out what’s next in her life. Finally, we have 17-year-old Dandy, grieving her grandfather and learning to navigate life without him while also trying to fulfill his last wish for her.

Dandy was my absolute favorite, a quirky and unwavering budding detective determined to forge her own path and solve her mystery no matter who or what stood in her way. She was honest, sharp, and funny, and her character was a big part of why I liked this book so much.

The story did lag a bit in a few spots but it started to fly at about the halfway mark. Things started moving quickly and there were a couple of very unexpected twists that turned the story completely on its head. All the threads converged for a pretty satisfying resolution and the last couple of pages left me smiling and happy for Dandy.

This was a quick and fun read and I’ll be keeping my eyes open for future cozy adventures from this author.

Thanks NetGally and Grove Atlantic for the advanced copy.

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