A mysterious abandoned house and garden, a beach cave leading into a great maze of tunnels, and four young teens who start exploring. Ah, adventure! What is the mystery revealed by an old lady who once lived in the house? Why is she agitated about keeping something important hidden, and from whom? And what really happened the night the Japanese submarines entered Sydney Harbour in World War II?

All the delicious ingredients for a good old-fashioned adventure story are here, but the pace and setting are contemporary. Mobile phones help in the discovery of an important tunnel exit, for example, and the pressures of home and school life are very now.

Recommended for 10 to 13 year olds, for the fascinating blend of past and present stories, for the authentic portrayal of the four resourceful kids and for its exciting plot.

Kathy Kozlowski is from Readings Carlton