It’s 1944 and the war, it seems will never end.
When Lizzy, her brother and sister, are evacuated to the village of Inglestone, they find their new home strange.
Under the shadow of the ruined Inglestone Manor, they meet Dorothy Inglestone, the last of her line, and the ever-watchful Mr and Mrs Gains. When they are told of a treasure hidden in a ruin manor, they can’t resist trying to find it.
In their hunt, they come across a strange boy roaming the ruins.
Not only is he wanted by the police, but he is also wanted by the Gains. Can the Allens keep a secret and not betray the boy? Before long, their loyalties will be tested. Buy Links
Originally from Guyana, a country in South America, S S Saywack came to London with his family in 1962. Educated in North London, he studied information graphics at a London college and then worked as a graphic designer for many years. He later changed careers and became a teacher at a sixth-form college in East London. Taking early retirement, he turned to a third career, being an author.
With a love for reading and history in general, he wrote his first novel that became the Mary Finch Series (four books for older children set in the fictional world of Sherlock Holmes and an additional chapter book to make five in total) and that was swiftly followed by Inglestone Manor.
His current writing scurries between children’s fiction and adult detective fiction.
To find out more about S S Saywack, you can visit his website, or find him on Facebook.
My thoughts: this was a great wartime kids book, all about trust, friendship and kindness, with a mystery at its heart. While hunting through Inglestone Manor for a treasure supposedly hidden there, the children meet another boy hiding in the grounds.
Keeping his secret and protecting him is important to their friendship. But with police circling and a war on, should they be hiding a wanted person?
For all I don’t enjoy wartime set books, that’s just an excuse for this clever book to get all the characters in one place, and the adventure plot is a lot of fun to read. I’d be passing this on to any young readers I know who like mystery, adventure and stories about friendship.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 
Thank you so much for taking part in the tour and for sharing your review x
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