The Treasure Hunters Club

This was a delightful Canadian east coast mystery with a gaggle of local residents who provide many options for potential culprits and give readers a chance to don their mystery caps to solve the crime.

The story is told through a trio of multigenerational narrators. Peter is a 40-year-old whose life is in limbo, but things start to look up when a long-lost (and rich) relative from Nova Scotia reaches out. Cass is a down on her luck 30-ish writer who is searching for the story that will get her published when she's given the opportunity to house/dog sit in the small coastal town of Maple Bay, Nova Scotia. Dandy is a local teenage sleuth who is well known around town.

Told with bits of humour, this is a quieter mystery that benefits from its small-town inhabitants and world building that Ryan does well, setting this book up as the first in a new series.

There are a lot of characters in different timelines, and I found it a bit tricky to keep track of who was who. I also thought Dandy came off as more of a tween than a teen, but I adored her relationship with her granddad, Reg, and found the trio to be an interesting blend of personalities. 

This was a small-town mystery that had less actual treasure hunting than I expected, but I enjoyed the cozy vibe and Maple' Bay's interesting inhabitants. So, if you're in the mood for pirate treasure, secrets, mystery and some greedy characters, snag a copy of this book and enjoy its East coast charm with one heckuva good twist that this ardent mystery lover did NOT see coming.

My Rating: 3.75 stars

Author: Tom Ryan

Genre: Mystery, Canadian, Cozy Mystery

Series: The Treasure Hunters Club 1

Source and Type: Trade paperback, personal copy

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada

First Published: Oct 24, 2024

Read: Sept 19-23, 2026

Book Description from GoodReads: A rollicking mystery about a secret society, nautical charts, cryptic clues, and a fabulous treasure to die for—perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Benjamin Stevenson.

For nearly a century, tourists have ventured to the idyllic seaside town of Maple Bay in search of a legendary lost pirate treasure, though locals know there’s more than just gold buried in the sand. As the paths of three strangers converge in Maple Bay, the truth is about to be blown wide open. Peter Barnett is rapidly approaching forty with little to show for his life when a mysterious letter invites him to Maple Bay and the mansion his estranged family has called home for generations. 

Seventeen-year-old Dandy Feltzen is isolated and adrift following the death of her beloved grandfather until a tantalizing clue sets her on a mission to solve the mystery he spent his entire life chasing. Cass Jones has given up on her dream of being a successful author when an unexpected opportunity lands in her a housesitting gig in remote Maple Bay, where she stumbles on the perfect subject matter for her breakout book—and the handsome sailor who might be just the person to help her research it. 

Peter, Dandy, and Cass have never met, but they’re on a collision course with each other and the mystery that has defined Maple Bay for centuries. None of them are prepared for the shocking truths that may still be buried there, or the fresh bodies piling up.