Wow! What a rollercoaster of a ride! I was not able to predict that ending, and I’m glad! Thrilling, fast paced, unpredictable, and full of plot twists.

This book is stunning from start to finish. You have a strong main character in Stella who very deftly carries the story in a way that will draw the reader in and leave them questioning along with her what really happened to the poor nanny. This book is fast paced. Has twists, characters whose motives all come into question, it just has everything if your looking for this type of book. I am so excited to recommend this book. I will start doing so as soon as possible hoping to get that hold list going.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this superb book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of House of Glass. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finished it in three days. It was un-put-downable! I enjoy a thriller and trying to guess the bad guy but with this one, I had no idea. Treat yourself to a good book that will keep you guessing until the end.

Received this ARC and couldn’t wait to get into it. This book hooks you from the beginning sentences, and continues to pull your curiosity through the entire story.
Stella comes from a traumatic past. Now she’s a lawyer trying to help a family,broken by infidelity and a murder, figure out where their daughter belongs and who should be her caretaker.
The twists are wild and the story compelling. I loved every second and truly raced through to see what on earth was happening. Read it! So good!
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I have previously read and enjoyed books of which Ms. Pekkanen was the co-author, but this was my first book with her as sole author.

I enjoyed this book. However, I do think it became a little long with a lot of extraneous details (all of Rose's classes, specifics about what Stella is eating). I found myself checking my Kindle for where I was in the book and then surprised that I was not further along. The portions of the book that actually focused on the mystery at hand were the best and the most fast paced. I did not predict the villain which is always a plus for me.

I think the end wrapped up a little too quickly after taking so long to get there. Also, in my opinion, Stella's backstory (and current story - love interests) were not really necessary to the book.

Despite my complaints, I do enjoy Ms. Pekkanen's writing and her skill at creating a thriller that is not predictable.

Sarah Pekkanen's latest thriller kept me guessing all the way to the end. The plot is twisty, but not contrived. Everyone is suspect. Definitely read this page turner.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for an early copy of this book to read and review.

This book gave me all The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware vibes and I absolutely loved it! It was a complete guessing game all the way up to the reveal. I was hooked from start to finish, and I had to figure out what was going on with Rose. This was so well done, and if you love creepy whodunnits and creepy kids this book needs to be added to your tbr immediately!

This is the first Sarah Pekkanen book I've read that wasn't a collaborative effort with Greer Hendricks and I was not disappointed in the plot twist and turns.

Having read so many mystery thrillers over the years, I pride myself on being able to decipher who the villain of the story is along with a rough plot of the motive within the first 150 pages -- this book managed to surprise me.

The story was entertaining and the little girl complexly written to where I would constantly vacillate on her role in the death of the nanny.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A child who is suspected of murder? Who doesn’t want to read a book about a creepy child? To be honest, these aren’t the kind of books that I gravitate towards because they tend to freak me out, but I really enjoyed this one!

Stella is known as the best attorney to determine the custody of children whose parents are in the middle of a divorce. The only problem? Rose has completely stopped talking after the murder of her nanny, making it impossible for Stella to determine the best placement for Rose. What’s worse? All signs point to Rose being the one who murdered the nanny.

I loved Sarah’s previous book, Gone Tonight, so when I was approved to read House of Glass, I was over the moon! Just as with Gone Tonight, I was completely captivated with House of Glass from the start. I was unable to put this book down and needed to know how it would end. There were so many twists and turns, some that I saw coming and some that I didn’t, especially the twists about Charlie, Stella’s mentor and father figure. I loved the fact that this book had two stories in one, the situation with Rose but also the childhood trauma Stella is still learning to cope with. If you’re looking for a fast paced thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat, this one is for you! I will definitely be recommending this one!

Sarah Pekkanen’s new book, House of Glass, is a great read! When young Rose stops speaking after her Nanny falls through a window the courts appoint an attorney to spend time with the family and advocate for the child. As Stella enters the Barclay home she finds herself drawn to young Rose and her own traumatic childhood, Are the Barclays hiding something sinister in their home? Stella can’t stop considering them as suspects, even Rose. I found the characters well- developed and the storyline pacing kept me interested. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own. I would recommend this as a must read for the summer!

LOVED THIS BOOK! I love all of this author’s books and this one was no different. I was hooked in right away and I could stop reading. This was a “read between tasks, stay up late to finish” kind of book. There are several good twists and reveals. I had guessed one (that Charles knew Stella’s mom), but I didn’t see the ending coming. This book poses interesting questions about good and evil and makes you think about if children can be evil. I wish the aspect of Rose collecting sharp objects was explored a little more and not so easily explained away, but overall this was a great read. I would read anything this author writes.

Sarah Pekkanen is becoming one of my favorite psychological thriller authors, and House of Glass might be her best one yet. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for offering me an advance reader copy.
The protagonist, first-person narrator Stella Hudson, is an attorney assigned to determine the best custody arrangements for nine-year-old Rose Barclay, the troubled daughter of a wealthy, divorcing couple. Stella's friend and mentor, Judge Charles Huxley, recommended her for the job because Stella and Rose share a similar trauma: When Stella was seven, her mother died of an overdose—or was it murder?—and Stella's response to the event was traumatic mutism. Recently, Rose's nanny, Tina De La Cruz, fell or was pushed from her third-story bedroom window, and apparently, Rose witnessed the death. Now, she, too, suffers from traumatic mutism.
The more time Stella spends in the Barclays' historic home, getting to know the family, the creepier the house seems. After her first visit, she notices that all the glass (windows, mirrors, drinking vessels, etc.) has been replaced with plastic. Someone has been going through her things; Rose is collecting sharp objects and reading books about serial killers. Just when Stella thinks she's making progress with Rose, the child clams up and violently signals for her to go away. Everyone in the household, including Rose, becomes a suspect in Tina's death.
Every chapter ends with a new twist that keeps the reader turning pages. The author did an excellent job weaving in Stella's backstory in a way that was relevant to the main storyline. Even events and relationships that at first seemed superfluous had significance.
Highly recommended.

My Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@sarahpekkanen 💝
@netgalley
@stmartinspress

Summary:
Rose Barclay is a young girl that witnesses the murder of her nanny and is caught in the middle of her parents divorce. Immediately after her nanny dies she stops speaking. Stella, who is a best interest attorney is assigned to this case. She discovers the Barclays are more troubled than she thought. The house has an overall eerie feeling, there is no glass whatsoever in the home. As she comes closer to uncovering the family’s secrets, everyone is a suspect in the nanny’s murder!

If you are looking for a thriller that keeps you guessing you will love this!! The plot, characters, pacing of the entire story are really well done. The twists kept coming, and I was shocked at the ending! This is my first book I’ve read of Sarah’s. I will definitely read more books of hers! I highly recommend this book! It’s available 8/24!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

#netgalley #houseofglass #sarahpekkanen #thriller #booklover #book #read #stmartinspress #bookworm #tbr

“EVIL ISN’T MERELY A WORD-IT’S A TANGIBLE, DIMENSIONAL THING”

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who suffers from “traumatic mutism”-she literally can no longer speak.

It all started after she witnessed the “possible murder” of her nanny Tina, in the midst of her parent's imminent divorce.

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She usually refuses to accept clients under the age of thirteen due to a her own traumatic childhood.

But since she also suffered from “traumatic mutism” she seems best suited to find a way to reach Rose. Her job will be to determine which parent is better suited to be awarded full custody.

But that won’t be the only challenge.

Certain details surrounding Tina’s fall, lead the Police to have doubts about it being an accident, and although they have been unable to build a case against ANYONE -EVERYONE remains a suspect:

Beth Barclay-Rose’s mom
Ian Barclay-Rose’s dad
Harriett-Rose’s grandmother
and even Rose herself…

The Barclays have removed all of the GLASS in the home, after Rose started collecting sharp objects. And, Stella has discovered that this strangely formal, extremely intelligent little girl is hiding “The Stranger Beside Me” a book about the serial killer, Ted Bundy, within the covers of “Anne of Green Gables” …

Why are the Barclays so HESITANT to allow Stella to spend time alone with Rose?

“FEAR TAKES MANY FORMS. IT’S A GREAT MOTIVATOR and a POWERFUL DETERRENT “

I really enjoyed this book from the very first pages! The author created a sinister, disturbing atmosphere and a child you will feel leary of…

It’s a more linear mystery which DOESN’T rely on crazy twists, instead revealing its surprises as we become further invested. I prefer more plausible stories, and a chance to get to know the characters so it worked well for my tastes. I am always THRILLED when I find a book with an ORIGINAL PLOT in a genre filled with tired, repeated tropes.

I was satisfied with MOST of the resolution, and even got teary eyed at one point, but felt that one small aspect felt forced and contrived (-.5 for that!) That brings me to 4.5 rounded up.

It seems that Sarah Pekkanen will make my “favorites list” two years in a row! I have also enjoyed her collaborations with Greer Hendricks.

THANK YOU to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

A nanny plunges to her death. It could be an accident or murder. After the gruesome death of her nanny, 9-year-old Rose stops speaking or using other means to communicate. Rose is in many ways older than her biological age. She’s smart but unpredictably moody.

Stella Hudson is the best interest attorney who also had trauma-induced mutism after two horrific things happened to her as a child. It’s up to Stella to figure out who the custody of Rose should go to. But either of the parents might be a murderer.

It’s an interesting mystery because the father, Ian, who cheated with the nanny might be the killer, or the cheated-on-wife, Beth. Maybe even the little girl who Stella finds sneaking sharp objects into her pockets when Rose gets a chance. Somehow even the crippled grandmother is suspect. Ian is her son, but she thinks Beth should retain custody.

Parts of this dragged and parts were super suspenseful.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of the novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 6, 2024.

I really enjoyed House of Glass! I enjoyed Pekkanen’s last book, so I was so excited to get to read this one! Major creepy kid alert in this one. I loved how it all came together! I think this will be a popular one when it comes out in August!

Thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Bravo. Loved it. Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

Attorney Stella Hudson's job is to determine the best interests of children caught in custody disputes. Because she had an extremely tragic childhood, Stella doesn't usually do this work when it deals with children under thirteen years of age but her old friend and mentor, Charles, has asked Stella to take the case of nine year old, Rose. For a time, Stella was mute after a tragic death and the little girl in the custody dispute, Rose, has been mute since she watched her nanny fall to her death.

This is why Stella is spending time in the Barclay's historic home, interviewing Rose, her parents, grandmother, and other people who have been in contact with Rose. Right away, even the first time Stella saw Rose from a distance, it was obvious that Rose was a very troubled child. It doesn't take long before I'm wondering if Rose is going to be spewing pea soup vomit and spinning her head 360 degrees. Rose is one creepy kid and she doesn't mind Stella knowing that fact. But it seems that the people closest to Rose are also weird, or at least extremely secretive. Maybe the nanny's death wasn't an accident?

Too bad for them because Stella has no qualms about invading everyone's space. She's continually getting people to leave a room so she can search nooks and crannies. She doesn't mind telling whoppers to anyone. This woman takes going into a person's bathroom and snooping in the medicine cabinet to new heights. Stella seems as deceptive as everyone else to me and that added to the sense of unease in the story.

The action scenes took me by surprise in a good way. There is so much going on and I was fooled more than once which made for a great buddy read with DeAnn, Jayme, and Mary Beth. Lots to discuss and now I know I'm never letting anyone into my house again. What if they are a snoopy Stella?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.5 sharp stars

Stella Hudson has an interesting job where she is assigned to represent a child and tasked with determining custody situations. Some trauma in her childhood made her want to work only with older children. In this case, though, the judge has paired Stella with Rose.

Rose Barclay is 9 and isn’t speaking (traumatic mutism), she witnessed a very traumatic event, the death of her nanny, and has withdrawn. The questions swirl around the nanny's death, did she jump, was she pushed, or was it an accident?

This one was written so cleverly that I suspected everyone—the wealthy mom, her estranged husband, the grandmother, and maybe even Rose herself. And don’t forget about the nanny’s boyfriend. There are so many possibilities!

The family house is gorgeous, but strangely, all the glass has been removed, the windows replaced by plexiglass, and the picture frames have no glass, and only plastic glasses. What is going on here? In order to make her decision and write a report, Stella has to spend time with both parents, Rose herself, caregivers, and anyone who can tell her more about Rose.

Stella has some interesting things going on with reconciling with her past and this case forces her to face some of those things. One personal turn she took at the end of the book didn’t ring true to me based on an earlier storyline with Marco.

This one kept me guessing and that ending was tense!

A great book club book!

House of Glass - such a perfect title. Things are certainly never as perfect as they seem from the outside. This book has lots of twists and turns so hold on tight!