The best kind of mystery is a treasure hunt. A treasure-hunt novel brings up all sorts of questions for its characters and its readers.
There are clues to solve: Where could the treasure be hidden? It has intrigue: Who else is searching for the treasure? And best of all: Is what’s being searched for the real treasure?
No matter what part of a treasure-hunt novel you enjoy more, we have novels that are globe-trotting adventures with clues all around the world, small-town searches for an eccentric prize, or historicals with important artifacts.
If you love a good treasure hunt, look no further than these 10 novels.
If you’re participating in the Crazy4Fiction Reading Challenge, pick a book to fulfill the plot includes a treasure hunt prompt!
The Liar’s Treasure
By Connie Mann
Camille Abernathy ignored rumors of the Liar’s Treasure and her family’s connection to it . . . until someone put a target on her daughter’s back. When Camille’s teenage daughter, Cass, posts pictures of a centuries-old diary her uncle gave her, she unwittingly attracts dozens of treasure-hunting fanatics who are convinced Cass and the diary can lead them to a valuable cache.
The Crown Conspiracy
By Connie Mann
The media spotlight is the last thing art thief and forger Sophie Williams needs. But when one of three long-missing royal portraits turns up in Germany at her best friend’s art gallery, the spotlight is exactly what she gets. Then Sophie’s best friend vanishes, and a rumor about hidden treasure connected to the paintings surfaces, seemingly confirmed by a cryptic message on the back of the first canvas. Convinced that finding the other two portraits will lead to her friend, Sophie begins a twisty investigation that takes her across the globe.
No Stone Unturned
By Jenelle Hovde
An elaborate mosaic is discovered buried in a field in the English countryside. Bridget, a young woman with a passion for history, dreams of making a name for herself by excavating the Roman ruins. Unfortunately, her quest puts her at odds with the ambitious new lord. And Captain Rafe Hawthorn is intent on restoring his long-neglected ancestral home, regardless of historical artifacts.
A Piece of the Moon
By Chris Fabry
Treasure hunters descend upon West Virginia after a millionaire declares he’s hidden his earthly wealth in the hills. Two local country DJs are drawn into the hunt after one of their friends goes missing. As they race to find the treasure, they begin to suspect there’s a hidden piece to the treasure that no one could’ve expected.
The Sea Keeper’s Daughter
By Lisa Wingate
Restaurant owner Whitney Monroe is desperate to save her business. The inheritance of a decaying Gilded Age hotel on North Carolina’s Outer Banks may provide the ray of hope she needs. And searching through years of stored family heirlooms may be Whitney’s only hope of quick cash. But will the discovery of an old necklace and a Depression-era love story change everything?
Lady of a Thousand Treasures
By Sandra Byrd
Eleanor is trying to keep her family’s antiquities business afloat after her father’s death. The death of a baron offers Eleanor an opportunity to be the temporary trustee of a legendary collection. Eleanor must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum, or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry―the man who broke Eleanor’s heart.
Hidden Among the Stars
By Melanie Dobson
When Callie finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi, she starts to search for missing treasure from World War II. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she’s built for a chance at answers, adventure, and maybe even new love.
Pursuit of Justice
By DiAnn Mills
Special Agent Bella Jordan is assigned to investigate a series of murders in West Texas that are linked to the Spider Rock Treasure. Since she spent the first fifteen years of her life in this area, FBI authorities believe she can get the job done. As Bella probes deeper into the case, threats on her own life convince her the killer is someone she knows.
A Kiss of Adventure
By Catherine Palmer
Desperate and on the run, Tillie Thornton finds herself in an uneasy partnership with Graeme McLeod, a daring adventurer. He comes out of nowhere to thwart the plot of Tillie’s would-be kidnappers, hunters looking for the Treasure of Timbuktu. Now they must join forces against their common enemies as they embark on a quest that could bring them the answers they seek—or cost them everything.
The Constantine Codex
By Paul Maier
While touring Greece, professor Jon and his wife Shannon—a seasoned archaeologist—uncover an ancient biblical manuscript. If proven authentic, the codex could forever change the way the world views the holy Word of God. As Jon and Shannon work to validate their find, there are powerful forces who don’t want the codex to go public.
