A quaint old hotel in a sleepy seaside town holds a secret — a hidden staircase that opens a gateway to a tumultuous past. A thrilling time-travel adventure for readers aged 8 to 12.When twelve-year-old Jay and his younger sister Poppy visit their eccentric grandmother in Russell, they’d rather be anywhere else. But strange sounds only they can hear –mysterious voices, fireworks, or is it gunfire? — make them question their surroundings.One night, they spot two men burying treasure in a garden long overgrown by trees. The mystery deepens as the siblings step into the world of Kororāreka in 1845, a town teetering on the edge of conflict.Caught in a momentous historical event, Jay and Poppy must navigate a dangerous past, where tensions rise and loyalties are tested.By J L Williams
