430 pages Publisher Headline Review Publication date : June 18, 2026
ABOUT THE BOOK
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…
MY THOUGHTS
This is a new to me author and it exceeded my expectations. When trying a new author, you just never know even if the book sounds interesting.
The book is just incredible. Once I started it, I became immersed in it.
The story is beautiful, it’s haunting, it has so many layers the more you read the more layers become peeled back like an onion. The characters are perfectly defined and the story well plotted. The description of Norway is stunning.
Such an emotional story, I wanted to read it quickly but yet I didn’t want it to end.
I am now going to see what else the author has out.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
About the author
UPDATE: My third novel, THE GLASS KEY, is coming in spring 2026! I absolutely cannot WAIT to share this story with you, a tale very close to my heart and inspired by the Norwegian Arctic island my husband and I bought when we were 29. But more on that soon …
If you’re new to my work, you might like to start with THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE, inspired by a message I found scratched into the rafters of our Irish home, a two-hundred-year-old stone building perched on the edge of the Atlantic. It said: ‘When this comes down, pray for me …’ and as I held that piece of timber in my hands, I was humbled that a person’s fingerprint could transcend time and I sat down that very night to begin a story, one that I hoped would capture that feeling of discovery. THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE was a Richard & Judy book club pick and translated into 8 languages.
My second novel, THE MOON GATE, uncovers the secret behind a mysterious legacy – Towerhurst, an old house crumbling in a rainforest. It takes place across three locations: Tasmania (my home state), London (where we rented a houseboat for many years) and County Kerry, Ireland (where I now live). Each of these places is special to me and THE MOON GATE is my most sweeping and beloved book, its narratives woven together by Banjo Paterson’s poetry.
I’m also a geologist who explores the world’s remote places. I’ve worked on five continents, and spend months at a time out in the wilds. It’s an amazing job, and writing novels provides a similar sense of wonder and discovery, though the warm office, fresh food and a shower in the evening make the conditions rather more comfortable! Being an author is also the perfect excuse to regularly curl up by a fire with a great book (which I can always say is research). I treasure my reading time, and I know you do too, so thank you for taking a chance on my books.
Come over to Instagram and Twitter (@amandageard) where I share plenty of photos of the wild settings in my novels. You can also find me on Facebook (@amandageardauthor).
Thank you for stopping in.
