Treasure Trove: The Whitborough Novels by Alistair Lavers
Treasure Trove is a joyous romp of a comedy novel taking place in a Yorkshire seaside town and revolving around a whole host of amusing characters of questionable integrity and their search for ancient treasure. It's 1983 and Easter weekend dawns in the upmarket town of Whitborough-on-Sea, but events unfolding behind the scenes conspire to ruin any prospect of a prosperous and peaceful holiday. A Spanish Armada treasure is discovered - and lost. An ancient curse is reawakened and the town's adopted ship is sunk by a civil war cannonball. Though these three incidents appear unconnected, they are the start of a wider catastrophe that befalls the authorities and the forces of law and order. Who are the architects behind this orgy of violence, sabotage and destruction? Russian saboteurs, the IRA or local criminals? Treasure Trove is the first book in the Whitborough series, and is a laugh-out-loud novel that will appeal to fans of Tom Sharpe's novels, David Croft and Jim Perry.