The Glass Key

by Amanda Geard

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...

As epic as the Norwegian landscape it so vividly describes, The Glass Key is a sweeping journey of a novel that will stay with you for ever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

432 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 18, 2026

About the author

Amanda Geard is the bestselling author of THE MOON GATE and Richard & Judy Book Club pick THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE which was a UK Heatseeker and a top 10 kindle bestseller. Both novels are translated into ten languages. Her new book, THE GLASS KEY, will be published in May 2026 and has already sold across the world.

She has always loved novels with multiple timelines, ones which weave a complex web that resolve as the reader turns the final page, where secrets lie just beneath the surface if only the characters know where to look. She’s also a geologist who explores and maps the earth’s remote places. She splits her time between Ireland, Norway and ‘the field’.

“The inspiration for my first novel, THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE, appeared in the rafters of our Irish home, a two-hundred-year-old stone building perched on the edge of the Atlantic. Hidden there was a message, scratched into wood: 'When this comes down, pray for me. Tim O’Shea 1911'. As I held that piece of timber in my hands, dust clinging to my paint-stained clothes, I was humbled that a person’s fingerprint could, in a thousand ways, transcend time, and I wanted nothing more than to capture that feeling of discovery on the page.

My second novel, THE MOON GATE, is set across three locations: Tasmania (the place I grew up), London (where I lived for years in a houseboat on Paddington Canal) and County Kerry, Ireland (my home). Each of these places is special to me and I hope the settings, as much as the characters, will reach out from the page and reassure you that – in this world – you are not alone.

Finally, THE GLASS KEY is coming in May 2026 and I couldn’t be more excited! The inspiration for this novel began in April 2011. As Kate and Wills walked down the aisle, my soon-to-be husband and I walked onto an isle, a 52-acre Norwegian one, one hundred kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.
It was for sale.
It was love at first sight.
We were 29.
We bought the island, learned to live. The Glass Key pays homage to this, weaving in the struggles of four women in Occupied Norway and the lengths they’ll go to to survive. Expect love and sacrifice. Expect tears. Expect hope. I can’t wait to share this book with you soon!”


You can find more information about Amanda Geard and her books on Instagram (@amandageard) or contact her at www.amandageard.com – where you can also join her mailing list for updates on books, events and giveaways.

Reviews

[Madeline Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Glass Key is beautifully written and brimming with mystery, family secrets, and heart. Geard’s evocative prose unlocks the past with striking detail, taking readers to wartime Norway through vivid landscapes that are utterly transportive. With richly drawn characters and the poignant exploration of love, loss, and legacy, this story will be loved by fiction readers everywhere.

I was lucky to get an advanced read of this book and loved it!

[Louise Fein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a huge Amanda Geard fan ever since falling in love with her debut, The Midnight House, so I’ve been eagerly awaiting her third novel, The Glass Key. Like both her other novels, this is a book to sink into, to be transported and moved by. Geard always creates such an incredible sense of place and this was no exception. Her descriptions of both Ireland and Northern Norway are so vivid, I was there, walking alongside her beautifully drawn characters. This is a novel full of intrigue and mystery; of love, loss, war and adventure. I lived every page and there were tears at those emotive last scenes. I loved this book and savoured every sentence. I will be recommending it to everyone.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving seamlessly between 1940 and 2005, The Glass Key is a beautifully written and emotionally book that blends mystery, love story, and historical drama into one compelling journey.

At its heart lies the mystery of Anna Carlsen whose disappearance in 1940 casts a long shadow across generations. In 2005, her story resurfaces, setting in motion a moving hunt for the truth. As past and present intertwine, long-buried secrets begin to surface, revealing threads that connect love, loss, and memory.

Amanda Geard’s writing captures atmosphere between the tension of wartime Europe and the modern-day.. The dual timeline igradually draws you deeper into both eras.

This is not just a mystery, but a story of identity and the ways in which the past shapes the present. It’s a story about longing and resilience, about the courage it takes to confront painful truths and about love that endures beyond time.

[Maria Kring · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Glass Key – Amanda Geard
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Thank you so much to Amanda for my super early copy of this book - I’m incredibly honoured.

The Glass Key is everything I’ve come to expect from Amanda Geard: sweeping, emotional, and utterly immersive. A story steeped in love, loss, and long-buried secrets, it moves between Ireland and wartime Norway with such care and depth that I found myself completely absorbed from the very first page.

As someone from a Scandinavian country, this book gave me an unexpected and powerful sense of nostalgia. The customs, traditions, and rhythms of life felt deeply familiar, and I could draw so many parallels that made the connection to the story even stronger. If there’s one thing Amanda does unbelievably well, it’s creating settings so vivid you can smell the sea, feel the breeze, and hear the echoes of the past woven into the landscape.

The mystery surrounding Anna Swan and the fairytale of The Glass Key unfolds beautifully, blending historical fiction with family secrets in a way that feels both intimate and epic. It’s emotional without ever feeling manipulative, and every revelation lands exactly where it should.

A breathtaking, stay-up-all-night read that will linger long after the final page. Amanda Geard has done it again - a truly unforgettable novel.

[Chantal Agapiti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story written in a dual timeline:
- WWII in Einevaer (Norway)
- 2005 in Kerry (Ireland)

There generations of women are portrayed in those years: a grandmother, a mother and her daughter.
As her grandfather past away, the granddaughter begins her quest for truth. The truth behind her grandmother’s disappearance forty years ago.
Her mother was a teenager, and she had a great bond with her mother. Yet one night she’d vanished from their Irish home.

This journey will take you through rough times, yet in an unbelievable setting up in the arctic where a heart shaped island lies.
The women who lived there were already brave to cope into such an environment, and the war only put them further to the test.

The author depicts different kinds of love made of sisterhood, womanhood, friendships and more. The kind of unconditional loyalty,
anyone could only dream of. And that’s the true essence of feeling whole and at home.

I adored this story and recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very emotional dual timeline novel! How hard it must be to have see your mum walk away when you are sixteen; how hard must it be when you start doubting about the biological family bonds? Secrets started in desperate situations during the Second World War in North Norway will follow Anna and her daughter Freja to Ireland... I enjoyed the descriptions of the Norwegian wild sea and learning about those numerous islands and their inhabitants.
The characters were convincing and I felt for them. However, the more modern timeline with its typical romantic touch was for me totally irrelevant as it is very often the case in dual timelines novels. But still, I enjoyed the rest of this emotional and thrilling novel very much.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

[Liz Fenwick]

I loved this book. In fact more than that I lived this beautiful story of love, loss and hope. Simply superb and I can’t stop thinking about it.

[Cindy Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

With The Glass Key, Amanda Geard has once again written another epic, complex, richly layered mystery that swept through my heart like a firestorm and made me weep. This is a story of love, sacrifice, loss, war, guilt, alienation and restoration—just to name a few. It is steeped in breathtaking settings, moody atmosphere, generational secrets, identity plot twists and intriguing characters, that will hold your attention to the last page. There are events you won’t see coming and characters that will surprise you. Your heart will race faster with the twists and turns and daring acts. And then, after all that, you will feel the pain of souls in bitter conflict.

I have thought long and hard of what to say about The Glass Key— as due to the nature of it, one could easily give away information that should be reserved for the reader. So I will delicately walk through a few points so as not to spoil the experience. (Don’t ask me why but my poetic mind can picture cat footprints in the snow!) I hope to lure readers to pick this up once the winds of curiosity blow your way with a few crumbs I will share. I decided to say just a little to entice those who may not have read Amanda’s books before. Because those who have, will need no convincing.

First I can say it is evident The Glass Key was born of the author’s passion for the locations and topics dear to her heart. (Amanda shares in her notes at the back, her own experience of landing on and then owning an island one hundred kilometres north of the Arctic Circle). Throughout the story, I could feel the deep emotion, the agony and ecstasy, that birthed this beautiful tale. Profound serious characterisation development and exceptional descriptions of a beloved Nordic island are delivered with such sensitivity, that it is obvious nature and human experiences and temperaments are intricately woven together. We get to know each person with their fears and dreams in a changing landscape. But that does not mean we can figure out easily what direction they will head when trials come.

The novel is told in two timelines that flow seamlessly, transitioning well, supplying various aspects of the plot: where one revelation/moment starts in the present and then shifts over to the past continuing the story. One thread set in Occupied Norway, paints a vivid picture of how difficult it was for residents. The Irish landscape also weaves its magical spell, too, for the modern timeline contains a house of mystery and secrets.

I also loved the use of Maggie’s grandmother’s beautiful and tragic Nordic fairytale, The Glass Key. Maggie grew up in Ireland hearing this haunting story. Then one stormy night, Anna Swan suddenly left her home. Nobody knew what happened to her. After Maggie’s grandfather dies, she finds a letter that sets her world spinning. She must uncover the truth for her mother’s sake. This quest begins by travelling to Norway. Through various avenues and people, Maggie unravels the mystery that is connected to WW2 and four brave women. This knowledge sets her mother’s heart free to heal and they are able to ‘unlock the mystery of the glass key.’

The Glad Key is very much a relationship story that explores the many kinds of love there are and the sacrifices some will make. What lengths would you go, what sacrifices would you make, to save another that meant the world to you? Expect there will be great pain. Labour of epic proportions. And tears.

The Glass Key cuts to the bone, carves out your heart but then slowly pieces you back together again. It is raw, honest and earth-shaking. With Maggie at the helm of this quest, her mother receives answers that lead to emotional healing. The finale is powerful. It delivers restoration. As we sail on a ship of hope, through a channel of trials, with these beloved characters to the isle of their dreams, the journey ends on the shores of peace, joy and forgiveness. A beautiful, unforgettable story steeped in passion, promise and pain that leaves behind a legacy of light, love and liberty. I was fixed to the pages and tears constantly welled up in my eyes. I cannot praise this novel enough and highly recommend it. 5 Golden Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Headline Review and Netgalley for a review copy.

[Mana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't your standard wartime drama that leans on cheap melodrama to move the needle. Amanda Geard manages to balance a fragile, Nordic folklore vibe with the cold reality of occupied Norway. The story follows Maggie, who finds a wartime letter after her grandfather passes away, forcing her to realize her grandmother, Anna, was a woman defined by a very specific kind of silence. The journey moves from Ireland to the isolated islands of Norway, pulling back the curtain on a history far more complicated than the bedtime stories Maggie grew up with.

The heart of the book belongs to the women, particularly Nina and Anna. Their experiences during the occupation provide the necessary weight; their lives are a study in the stamina required to survive. Maggie acts as our proxy, and her growth comes from the uncomfortable realization that the people we love are often strangers with hidden depths. Then there is Liv, who remains an ethereal, fleeting figure, almost like a Nordic fairy. While she adds a mythic layer, the connection between her and Maggie’s grandfather felt too brief. I wanted more substance there to anchor the emotional stakes, but their bond remains as elusive as Liv herself.

The atmosphere captures that specific trauma where survival and betrayal occupy the same room. It forces us to look at how we package family histories into neat myths to avoid the jagged edges of the truth. We still do this today, curating our lives and burying the parts that don't fit the narrative. Geard’s writing is steady and direct, though the pacing loses some steam toward the end.

What sets this apart is the refusal to rely on forced sentimentality. The cruelty of the occupation is presented with a minimalism that hits harder because it lacks fluff. It isn’t a story of polished heroes; it’s about how people break and how they mend in ways that leave them looking completely different. The mythic element of the glass key adds beauty to a grim setting, functioning as a survival mechanism for characters who find reality too much to bear.

It is a solid, honest read that stays with you. It makes you wonder what your own family left out of their stories just to keep the peace. If you appreciate a book that values atmosphere and the complexity of human choices over easy answers, it is worth the time. Just be prepared for a slow burn that prioritizes the internal landscape of its characters over high-speed plot twists.

[Hollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this wonderful book. Thank you to Amanda Geard for writing such a beautiful and lovely story.
The Glass Key is a beautiful story set in both Norway and Ireland. When Atticus Swan passes away, Hellebore House is left to his daughter, Freja, who wants to sell it due to childhood memories. Freja's daughter Maggie doesn't want her mother to sell, and while she's helping pack up her grandfather's house, she digs deeper into the story of her grandmother, Anna Swan, who left Freja when she was young.
In 1940's Norway, Astrid arrives in the archipelago to start a new life as a teacher's assistant. From there she meets Gudrun, Lief, Liv, and Nina. They become friends over time and when the German's come, everything changes and so do their relationships. They face hardships under German rule while keeping their Norwegian pride but things break under pressure.
This story captivated me from the very beginning. Seeing Maggie slowly piece together her family history that's full of secrets and finding the next lead kept me wanting to know more and more. Maggie's relationship with her parents was loving and she only wanted the best for her mum, and she wanted her to know the truth about what happened to her mother all those years ago.
In Norway, the story of Liv, Astrid, and Nina and how they helped the war while going through such hardships had me reading until 5:00am. The story and relationship between Astrid and Nina was beautiful and full of so much love. It was gripping, sad, and utterly beautiful. They were devoted to each other and their story together was my favourite part of the book.
This book is one of the best books I've read in a while. Amanda Geard knows how to write a book, and every book of hers I have devoured. She's honestly one of my favourite authors, and she's Australian!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very, very glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone with this as I ended up enjoying the novel more than I anticipated. As this was by an author I've never heard of and genre-wise something I don't typically read, I did expect it to be a solid read, but nothing more. Instead, the novel grasped me slowly but surely and kept me in its grasp until the very end. I was especially pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of sapphic characters and love, even if that obviously is not the main plot.

What originally caught my attention about this book was the Nordic setting: as a Nordic person, albeit Finnish not Norwegian, I enjoy reading books set in Nordic countries as they feel kind of like coming home, especially when living abroad. The setting in this one is quite different from my life back home in Finland (which I will soon be returning to), but something about it still felt familiar and comforting (even with everything going on). Additionally, fairytales always peak my interest, as well as family secrets, so even if I ventured outside my usual comfort zone with this, I can see it was for a good reason, especially now.

However, I guess my unfamiliarity with the genre is why I'm finding it so hard to write a cohesive review, even a while after finishing and having had the time to gather my thoughts so I will wrap up with another round of praise: do absolutely give this book a chance if you're considering it at all!

Thank you, Headline | Headline Review & NetGalley, for providing me with the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There's a vast difference between being lonely, and being alone."

The Glass Key is breathtaking, in every sense of the word. Set in two timelines and two locations, it's a search for a mother who disappeared more than 45 years ago. One timeline is set in the Norwegian archipelago above the Arctic Circle during World War II, sparsely populated with people proud of their heritage and ability to thrive in the remote islands. The second timeline is set in the beautiful County Kerry, Ireland, in 2005, where people grapple with 21st-century problems, including divorce, career failures, and grief.

"Is it better to make peace with a mystery, or to risk the pain of truth?" This story is a mystery, beautifully written about vibrant women who risked everything to find love and to protect their island community under Nazi occupation. One of those women will leave the islands, arriving in County Kerry with a baby girl. The author skillfully picks up clues she dropped throughout the story, some seemingly minor at the time, and weaves them into a complete tapestry at the end. It's all there, the Nordic fairy tales and resistance, along with characters from both timelines, in exquisite symmetry. And, along the way, different women reach out to help with finding the missing mother, because that's an ache we all understand. Reading The Glass Key, I laughed. I cried, and I cheered. When you are an avid reader, it doesn't get any better.

My thanks to NetGalley and Headline Review for fulfilling my wish to read this ARC. The review and all opinions are entirely my own.

[Keeley Ribchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found The Glass Key by Amanda Geard to be an absolutely stunning and deeply emotional read. This was a beautifully layered historical mystery that combined dual timelines, wartime secrets, family history, and long buried truths, and I was completely swept up in the story from beginning to end. Chapter one just had me drawn into the story immediately.
The shifting timelines between Ireland and wartime Norway were woven together perfectly, creating a rich, atmospheric narrative full of mystery, sacrifice, love, and loss. I loved how the story slowly revealed its secrets, with every discovery adding more emotional weight and depth to the characters’ journeys. The strong sense of place, the complex relationships, and the haunting past made this impossible to put down.
This will appeal to readers who enjoy the emotional storytelling of The Lake House, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and The Nightingale, with its blend of generational secrets, historical mystery, hidden identities, and powerful female characters.
A moving, atmospheric, and unforgettable novel that stayed with me long after the final page.

[Leanne Lovegrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Amanda Geard's next novel. I was so excited to read an early copy. I both wanted to devour this book and gobble it up and make it last longer by slowly turning the pages. Amanda is a very talented writer, I am always in awe of the detailed and complex layering of her stories and in this one, the meticulous research is obvious. The story was a little personal for me too as I travelled to both Ireland and Norway last year and the places the novel is set provide vivid imagery and recollections of my trip. I loved the story and cannot recommend it more highly.

[Sharyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author says in her Acknowledgements, Norway is under-represented in WW2 fiction. This book certainly helps to redress that balance. It's got an excellent plot with lots of twists and turns, dual timelimes which flow well, a bit of romance but not so much that it takes over, Nazi aggression, Norwegian reistance and quite a lot more. I really enjoyed it and recommend the book to readers who enjoy family sagas, WW2 fiction, or just a very good read. With thanks for an advance copy to read and review.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really pleased to be asked by NetGalley to review this book

What a beautifully written story, secrets, mystery and emotion. We are taken to Norway during war time. The author describes the landscapes evocatively and the reader is transported there. Great characters, with love and loss at this time. Emotional so have a box of tissues at hand there will be tears.

Really recommended read which will be up there in the top ten this summer and due for publication June 18th 2026.

[Heidi Pliwko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Norway during WWII and the beautiful landscape of the archipelago. The Nazi occupation and resistance in Norway is not something I have read about before. I also enjoyed the Norweigian fairy tales woven into the story. I was not a fan of many of the characters and felt the story moved too slowly at times.

[ABCme · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a dual timeline from Ireland in 2005 to occupied Norway in 1943 the reader discovers a family history and its secrets. Well written and set in a stunning environment, this story touched me deeply. The large cast of characters took a while to get used to, but they made for some good twists and turns. An impressive read.

Thank you Netgalley and Headline Publishing for the ARC.

[Valerie McGurk · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable war time read set across two timelines. Very descriptive and with a Norwegian fairy story interwoven this book has mystery and drama that will stay you after turning the last page.

[the_book_girls_1 Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️BOOK REVIEW⭐️

The Glass Key @amandageard @headlinebooks

‘’Is it better to make peace with a mystery, or to risk the pain of truth?”

There aren’t many books that can take you and consume you completely… this is how I would describe reading this one, all consuming.

The characters were so full, well rounded, intriguing, relatable and emotionally charged. I found their stories impactful, interesting and heartbreaking. The duel timeline flowed seamlessly while the multiple POV kept the pace and narrative flowing.

The fairytale backdrop waved throughout the narrative struck right into my bookish heart. I loved how the war was a present factor but not the sole focus of the book; how the locations so harsh and unforgiving were turned into places of wonder and desire.

I have read all of AG books, all are great but this one is definitely my favourite (so far! Write more please 🙏)

With thanks to author #AmandaGeard #headlinebooks and @netgalley for allowing us to read this one early ❤️

RELEASING: June 18th

-Emily @the_book_girls_1