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The discovery of an old suitcase in an abandoned lunatic asylum unlocks a forgotten story of tragedy, lost love and a devastating wrong waiting to be put right, from the #1 bestselling author of The Letter and The Secret

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A hidden note. A lost love. A second chance... ´A wonderful, enthralling story; one that I didn´t want to end´ Lesley Pearse on The Key

´A heartbreakingly powerful read´ The Sun on The Key

From the #1 bestselling author of The Letter, Kathryn Hughes, comes The Key, an unforgettable story of a heartbreaking secret that will stay with you for ever.

1956
It´s Ellen Crosby´s first day as a student nurse at Ambergate Hospital. When she meets a young woman admitted by her father, little does Ellen know that a choice she will make is to change both their lives for ever...

2006
Sarah is drawn to the now abandoned Ambergate. Whilst exploring the old corridors she discovers a suitcase belonging to a female patient who entered Ambergate fifty years earlier. The shocking contents, untouched for half a century, will lead Sarah to unravel a forgotten story of tragedy and lost love, and the chance to make an old wrong right . . .

´Oh wow! This story broke my heart then filled it with joy then broke it all over again! I adored The Letter and The Secret but this I have to say was my favourite. Heartfelt and poignant an absolute joy´ A reader on The Key

It´s time to discover what a million readers already know. No one grips your heart like Kathryn Hughes . . .

´You will find it hard to put down. I cried buckets of tears reading it´

´A beautifully told, tragic tale . . . restoring your faith in the kindness of strangers and the strength of the human spirit´

´From start to finish, a lovely, sometimes heartbreaking read´

´A sheer joy to read . . . Wonderfully romantic with beautiful characters´

´I have finished this book with tears in my eyes but a smile on my face´

´I couldn´t put it down. So beautifully written. I feel like I´m a better person for reading it´

´I cried with this book - it tugged at the heart all the way through´

´This must be one of the best books I have ever read´

´You will be thinking of this book long after you´ve finished it´

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A heartbreakingly powerful read The Sun

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Hughes, Kathryn
Kathryn Hughes was born in Altrincham, near Manchester. After completing a secretarial course, Kathryn met her husband and they married in Canada. For twenty-nine years they ran a business together, raised two children and travelled when they could to places such as India, Singapore, South Africa and New Zealand. Kathryn and her family now make their home in a village near Manchester.

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