Thirty years on from first encountering the mythical Hermit of Whitethorne and his long-lost treasure (which subsequently vanished once more), retired newspaper photographer Angie Murphy is now using a sophisticated collection of metal detection equipment to try to track it down again. Over the decades she has been haunted by the mysterious powers of the one item she did manage to salvage - an ornate trinket box - which she has kept hidden ever since, and which has frequently 'spoken' to her, providing guidance and insights that she has been unable to explain logically. Meanwhile, she is overseeing restoration of the near-derelict Whitethorne Manor, where she plans to hold her forthcoming wedding reception: the country estate had fallen into disrepair following the suicide of the late Lord of the Manor, Major Stanley. Although obsessed with relocating the treasure hoard, which she is convinced will bring her untold wealth (not to mention potentially even greater psychic advantages), Angie has not become entirely selfish, however: over the years she has been a tireless charity worker. Much of her spare time these days is spent encouraging vulnerable young people to observe the local birdlife, as a way of steering them away from more destructive pursuits. But she now plans to involve her young proteges in her search for the legendary treasure, using a sophisticated virtual-reality device that her IT-consultant son Chris has produced for her. In doing so, she inadvertently stumbles into the shadowy world of cybersex and paedophilia, and is immediately plunged into a dangerous battle between Good and Evil, which is only resolved through the dramatic intervention of ghostly figures from the past. This, together with the passing of a dear friend, eventually forces Angie to reassess her own personal values, as well as her almost lifetime obsession with locating the Whitethorne Treasure. The Whitethorne Treasure is Book 2 in The Whitethorne Trilogy."