I was delighted to receive an early copy of Gilli Allan’s
latest story, since I have read her other books and have the highest regard for
this talented author. The title
intrigued me from the outset; who hasn’t at some time in their life dreamed of
finding buried treasure? I know I have,
and found this treasure of a story deeply satisfying.
The story concerns two very different people, and two
diverse ‘treasure’ hunts. For university
lecturer Theo, his quest relates to evidence he needs to find of an ancient
pilgrim route on the site of a proposed new supermarket near his university
campus, in order to prevent its construction on a possibly sacred site. Events and conference planner Jane’s treasure
is much closer to home. Her great uncle
Alf uncovered the haul while ploughing one of his fields with his son during
World War II. Sadly, the find was
confiscated by the government and placed in the British Museum without
recompense, but, according to family rumour, one special artefact was missed,
and subsequently secreted away. In the
fullness of time, Jane will inherit this, and her curiosity about it is as immense
as the moral dilemma it will create if and when it comes into her possession.
You might expect this common ground between the two would
lay the groundwork for a promising relationship, but nothing could be further
from the truth. Jane sees Theo as an
‘upper class fogey’, a ‘brain on legs’, while a typical ‘Essex girl’ is at the
forefront of Theo’s mind whenever he considers Jane. But there is a far more powerful area of common
ground between them, if only each could break down the barriers to discover
it. Both characters have been damaged by
their pasts, far more so than each realises.
This richly-drawn pair drive the action of the story and I
would defy any reader not to empathise with them and become engrossed in their
personal histories. There are several
other colourful supporting characters, all adding depth and interest as well as
helping to reveal more about these two, but it is Jane and Theo who will stay
in your mind long after you’ve finished reading.
I don’t want to give away too much of the story because you
owe yourself the pleasure of reading this and discovering it for yourself. And I promise you will not be
disappointed. It is a very satisfying
romance, to be sure, but as always with Gilli Allan’s stories, BURIED TREASURE is about so much more than the relationship between two people. Parental relationships, sibling, marital,
workplace and that all-important relationship with oneself all come under
compelling scrutiny. The writing is
intelligent and honest, and made all the more interesting by the author’s
knowledge and evident love of archaeology, which gives the story that extra
credibility. I wholeheartedly recommend BURIED TREASURE as a must-read this summer.
Time to roll out my cute cats, and there is no doubt in my mind about how many this story deserves:
Well done, Gilli Allan.
About the author:
Gilli Allan began to write in childhood - a hobby pursued
throughout her teenage. Writing was only
After a few false starts she worked longest and most happily
as a commercial artist, and only began writing again when she became a
mother.
Living in Gloucestershire with her husband Geoff, Gilli is
still a keen artist. She draws and paints and has now moved into book
illustration.
She is published by Accent Press and each of her books,
TORN, LIFE CLASS and FLY or FALL has won a ‘Chill with a Book’ award.
Following in the family tradition, her son, historian Thomas
Williams, is also a writer. His most recent work, published by William Collins,
is ‘Viking Britain’.
