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The Crystal Key is a mystery novel geared towards young adults, with a heavy touch of adventure and philosophy in-built. The setting is a small coastal town in northern Massachusetts with a rather colorful history belying its peaceful exterior. Shortly after the end of World War II, a recluse by the name of Victor Harvey purchased a home on the outskirts of town. For a number of years he toiled away, although nobody ever discovered the precise nature of his work. Harvey perished under mysterious circumstances in the early 1950s, consumed by a blaze said to have reduced his home to little more than a smoldering ruin.

Flash forward a number of decades. Young Allan Gabriel, a loner under the best of circumstances, is beset upon by the notorious bully Shane Griswald (or ‘Wad’ as everyone calls him.) Allan, under thread of reprisal, ventures into the Harvey ruin and bring backs three artifacts of note: a handwritten book that nobody can read, an intricately carved pewter figurine, and a tiny key fashioned from quartz crystal.

Despite the completed mission, all is not well. Wad turns up badly slashed the next day, Allan’s little sister falls gravely ill, flash thunderstorms begin occurring around town, and Allan himself begins to have dreams of the man the figurine was fashioned for. But all is never as it seems. The events defy explanation, and our untrustworthy narrator begins to draw conclusions that may or may not be correct. As readers, do we believe his theories of magic, do we trust a more scientific explanation, do we believe in the power of coincidence or do we chalk it up to sheer madness? Why exactly is Victor Harvey’s research so dangerous, when all is said and done, and can Allan discover its true nature before it falls into the wrong hands?

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