The Glass Key by Amanda Geard

#TheGlassKey #NetGalley

I had never read a title by this author but was quite interested in The Glass Key, based on both the book description and the cover. It was a terrific read and I have already purchased Geard’s two earlier novels.

This is a bit of a tough review to write because I don’t want to give too much away. There is just so much for the reader to discover.

Here is an over 400 page book with a plot that is complex, twisty and involving. There are also many characters and relationships to track in two timelines, one during WWII (Norway) and the other in the 2000s (Ireland). Readers will want to know how these come together. In addition, pay attention to the title of the book and learn about the significance of The Glass Key.

This is a book that will appeal to readers who enjoy The Seven Sisters series and the recent Sea Stone Sisters. As is true of the books just cited, The Glass Key offers a most immersive read. I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 18 June 2026

Description:

from the publisher

The breathtaking new novel from the bestselling author of the Richard and Judy Book Club pick The Midnight House.

‘I just loved this sweeping and deeply moving book of dark secrets’ SANTA MONTEFIORE
‘A page-turning mystery, richly layered and irresistible’ CARMEL HARRINGTON
‘A gorgeous novel. Beautifully written and twisty. I loved it’ EVE CHASE

In Ireland, Maggie has grown up hearing her mother tell her the bedtime story of The Glass Key. It’s a Nordic fairytale passed down by Maggie’s grandmother Anna Swan, who mysteriously left her home one stormy night years ago, never to return. Now Maggie’s grandfather has died and going through his things, Maggie is shocked to discover a faded wartime letter, asking him to take in a baby. In that moment she realises that Anna Swan was a woman of many secrets.

Only by travelling to Norway and discovering the story of four brave young women whose lives were forever changed by the occupation of their tiny islands, can Maggie uncover the shocking truth about her family – and finally unlock the mystery of the glass key…

‘You can taste the salt air and bathe in the glow of the Northern Lights’ KATE QUINN
‘A captivating story that unlocks an emotional doorway to the past’ EVIE WOODS
‘Epic, emotional and immersive. One of those books I wanted to savour’LOUISE DOUGLAS
‘Brimming with mystery, family secrets and heart’ MADELINE MARTIN
‘An old school epic that will have readers turning the pages long into the night’ SINÉAD CROWLEY