Nestled in one corner of picturesque Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, tiny Oak Island has been studied, searched, probed and cursed for more than two centuries. Pursuing legends of buried treasure, and mystified by tantalizing clues, adventurers, thrill seekers and speculators have tried to unlock its secrets – to no avail. Millions of dollars have been invested. Fortunes, and lives, have been lost. A television series, and walking tours of the area highlighted by the series, continue to fuel the intrigue. Theories abound. A treasure trove? The resting place of some holy relic? A cache of priceless documents? The promise of treasure is a powerful compulsion, and the Oak Island story is embroiled with politics and treachery from its humble beginnings. Many have risked and lost entire fortunes, and in some cases their very lives, chasing these theories. The truth is that nobody actually knew what was there, and every imaginable theory – from the fantastic to the ridiculous – has been concocted to explain that unknown. Joy Steele’s thorough investigation reveals a remarkable and credible truth vastly different than legend would have it.
