Twisty!! Thought I had this one figured out, but it surprised me. I also like how the character’s stories kept bringing up repeated themes. The Charles side story wasn’t my favorite - I wish there was more focus on Rose.

I really really liked this book! I haven’t had many 5 star reads so far in 2024, but luckily this was definitely one of them! I was hooked from the beginning and breezed my way through the entire book. I really enjoyed the two different storylines and how they were weaved together. Definitely add this to your TBR list. 5 ⭐️s!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel.

This was the slowest burning and most dragged out thriller I have ever read. The first half was better, but it felt like the author needed to fill a word count at the end. I was definitely intrigued by who killed Tina, but I skimmed a ton at the end to comb through the unnecessary parts.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

House of Glass
By Sarah Pekkanen
Publication Date: August 6, 2024
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

I've been wanting to read this book for a while, so when I got approved on NetGalley for the e-ARC, I didn't waste any time getting into this one. And the book didn't waste any time captivating my attention, either!

This book pulled me into its story quickly and never veered off-track for me. The short chapters and fast pace of this book made it a quick and bingeable read, one I read in an afternoon. This was one of those books where you felt like maybe you knew what was coming, and aren't you so smart for figuring it out, and then discovered you couldn't have been more wrong. Lol. And the twists in some of the subplots going on were unexpected too, which added even more layers of surprise to this story.

As someone who worked in the family court system for much of my career, I was immediately fascinated with the plotline of the book. The main character is Stella, a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem attorney, tasked with assessing the Barclay family during their contentious divorce and providing the court with a determination about the best custody arrangements for nine-year-old Rose. There was so much intrigue and so much creepy mystery to the story, it was really a fun book to try and predict (spoiler alert: I didn't).

I highly recommend this book, especially if you like twisted family dynamics, creepy kids, old creepy houses, unreliable characters, and domestic thrillers. This was my first read from Pekkanen, and it absolutely will not be my last! I truly enjoyed this five-star read -- A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

#HouseOfGlass #SarahPekkanen #NetGalley #ARC #fivestarreads #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookcommunity #thrillerreads #thrilleraddict #domesticthriller

I tore through this book so quickly! It is an awesome twisty thriller and I’m loving the main character and hope we see more of her. Sarah Pekkanen shines on her own. Loving her solo books even more than the books she wrote as a duo . I highly recommend you check this out unique thriller out .

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A lawyer who acts as a guardian ad litem for young clients is assigned to a child with traumatic mutism. The correlations between the lawyer's life and those of her young client's are triggering.

The outcome of the investigation was surprising. I loved the ending.

Stella is a guardian ad litem attorney responsible for a mute 9year olds custody recommendations. Rose, recently mute due to the trauma at her nannies murder. Or was it murder or an accident. And there are loads of suspect parents live at home . The father had an affair with the nanny causing a pregnancy . Was it the mom or dad There are other suspects. They live with an in law who was with Rod at the time of the murder. There are folks that came for lessons piano and Chinese. Stella must determine who is the best parent for Stella all while dealing with her own demand from both of her parents tragic deaths. Will Stella figure it out? Is there anything else to figure out? It is all so juicy and worth the wait!

At the beginning of this book, we think we’re getting a Bad Seed murder mystery, set in a suburban McMansion with a dysfunctional family whose nanny has died by either falling or being pushed out an attic window. But then the author dives into the tragic past of the attorney, Stella, who is assigned to a custody decision of who the child, Rose, should live with. Stella has demons of her own, as child she witnessed her mother’s death, so she believes she recognizes similar demons in Rose. Red herrings are thrown around unevenly to make us believe that Rose is a psychopath. How could a 9-year-old child make her way to Stella’s house, break in and turn off her stereo or rearrange her belongings? Plot twists and more red herrings are meant to confuse the reader off the scent but I figured out the real culprit, who seemed guilty, in some form or another, from the start.

A secondary plot deals with Stella’s mentor, Charles, which takes us away from the present action as mostly filler.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

House of Glass was so good! I seriously could not put it down. There are obviously only a few different ways this story could have played out, both professionally and personally for Stella but I didn’t see either coming. A must read this summer!

Thank you St. Martin’s press for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Nine-year-old Rose holds the key to a chilling puzzle. Witnessing her nanny's fatal fall from a glass window has left her mute, a trauma Stella Hudson, the court-appointed attorney, understands all too well from her own childhood.

As a bitter custody battle unfolds, Stella delves into the secrets of the ultra-wealthy Barclay family. Each member – parents and grandmother alike – seems to have a reason for wanting the nanny, Tina, gone. (Tina was pregnant with Rose's father's baby - since Ian, Rose's father, had an affair with the nanny.) Stella, grappling with her own demons, is drawn deeper into the enigma that is Rose.

Prepare for a thrilling ride with shifting suspicions! Just when you think you've unraveled the truth, another twist emerges.

I will admit that I guessed a couple of the twists - which is why I took off a star. Additionally, there was a subplot of Stella trying to solve the mystery of her own mother's death from childhood. While interesting, it didn't flow well with the story.

Still, this is a strong read and I recommend it. If you like a good who done it that you can read quickly, this fits the bill.

Sarah Pekkanen is the queen of finding new and clever ways to look a what would otherwise be a familiar story.

After the nanny falls to her death from the glass window of the Barclay's house, young Rose Barclay stops speaking. With her parents going through a divorce and after witnessing such a horrific sight, who could blame the traumatized child? Stella Hudson is asked to take on the advocacy of the silent child, to determine what living situation would be best for her. This is both a very difficult and relatable situation for Stella. As a child, she, too, had ceased to speak after finding her own mother dead. As Stella is also navigating her own separation and pending divorce, her empathy for Rose runs deep.

As Stella goes about interviewing Rose's parents, grandmother, the nanny's friends and, tot extent she is able, Rose herself, she finds that all is not as it seems on this lavish bucolic estate. Everyone seems to have something to hide. Everyone seems to be lying. Rose is collecting shard shards of glass and other sharp objects and hiding them. She is clearly a troubled child, but does she need to be protected or do others need to be protected from her?

This is a well layered story with quality of writing I have come to expect from Sarah Pekkanen. Always thoughtful and true to the complex human experience, House of Glass is window you want to be looking in.

My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity to read and provide my honest review of this work.

This kept my attention from the the beginning until the end. It is a well written book that will grab you from beginning to end

HOUSE OF GLASS: A NOVEL
Sarah Pekkanen (Author)

This was a fabulous fast pace thriller that kept me interested and guessing all the way to the very end. I loved every minute of reading this book. The characters were well developed.
There was many things at play in this book, first you have Stella, an attorney, BIA, for Rose Barclay, a 9 year old daughter of Ian and Beth Barclay, and granddaughter to Harriet.
***This may or may not contain spoilers***
Ian & Beth have filed for divorce and both want full custody of Rose… Rose’s Nanny recently died from an accident or intentional fall through a third floor window at the Barclay estate… Rose could have been a witness or could have partaken, but she’s not talking… literally… she has traumatic mutism.
It is up to Stella to help the court decide where and what will happen to Rose, but is this case too much for Stella who is battling demons of her own? She was once diagnosed with traumatic mutism at the age of 7 when she found her mom dead in their living room… and it seems the whole family does really want Stella there…

I couldn’t put this one down. I needed to know what was happening. The author did a really good job making the child feel super sinister. I couldn’t figure out who dun it but then the reveal just wasn’t as shocking as I expected. Overall a good read that kept me engaged.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this! A fast-paced, binge-worthy thriller.. If you loved Verity by Colleen Hoover, this is for you. The pacing was great throughout but it ended a little too abrupt and neat for me.

Stella, an attorney, has been assigned a custody case to determine the best custody fit for young Rose who suffers from traumatic mutism after the unsolved death of her nanny in her home. Rose is.. creepy & things quickly become alarming. Just how troubled is Rose? Is she responsible for her nanny’s tragic death?

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for my digital copy of House of Glass in exchange for my honest review.

I will read anything Sarah Pekkanen writes. Literally nothing. This book, however, was great. Creepy kids are amazing. Fucked up families? Sign me up. I loved this book. I will recommend to every thriller reader.

This was a fast read and kept my interest all the way. I know there are actual best interest attorneys that investigate the welfare of a child during a divorce, but I didn’t realize they integrated themselves so much in the family living situations.
All and all the storyline was good, there were just a couple times I had to shake my head, for a nine year old girl sometimes it made her sound younger and then other times she was way beyond what I would think a 9 year old was capable of comprehending. Otherwise the character development was done well. I had an inkling of who may have done the deed, but I wasn’t sure until the end. This one comes in with four stars.
I thank St. Martin’s Press along with NetGalley for providing this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review.

It took me a while to start enjoying this book, but once I did it was very good. The only complaint I have is there is a little too much detail in parts of it. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I heard some rumblings about some mixed reviews for this book and so I decided to avoid reading these reviews and go in blind. I have read books by this author in the past and have enjoyed them so I dove right in.

I do have to say that I can hear the whispers of “we have heard this story before” however I really enjoyed the story, the way it was laid out, the pacing of the story, the character development, and the wrap up up. I have to admit I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t pull myself away from it.

Stella, a Best interest Attorney, is brought in to asses a messy family situation and determine what was the best next steps for the young girl in the home. Beth (wife) and Ian (husband) are going through a very messy divorce following an affair and death of their in home nanny, Tina. Andddd the death of Tina was witnessed by their young daughter, Rose and her grandmother, Harriet. So was Tina’s death a suicide, an accident, or a murder? With each parent accusing the other to gain sole custody of Rose , Stella is sent in to make sense of things especially since the death Rose is suffering from traumatic mutism, she isn’t speaking. But quickly Stella’s attention shifts to the unnerving, dark, and creepy feelings she gets inside the home and especially from Rose. She feels something is very wrong and this where things take a suspenseful turn. Stella also feels a connection to Rose as she experienced a very similar traumatic event when she was a child. I will say this insert or subplot is one thing I wasn’t the biggest fan of. While getting to know some of Stella’s past helps develop her character and we understand her better I think the author went too deep into it and it was unnecessary. Call me a sucker, but these books with these potentially dark, evil, sinister children always keep me on the edge of my seat because you never know which way it’s going go next or end up.

This was a suspenseful, twisty, quick read and I really enjoyed how the author laid everything out and tied it all up in the end.

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, and St.Martins Press for the ARC!

Stella is a best interests advocate (guardian ad litem) -- her job is to meet with children, their families and other people in their lives to help determine what is in the child's best interest, often in the context of custody proceedings. Stella has a policy of only working with teenagers but is persuaded to take on nine-year-old Rose as a client because they have something very rare in common. They have both witnessed violence that led to traumatic mutism. Or have they? Because the trauma that Rose experienced was the death of her nanny, Tina, who had been having an affair with Ian, the man of the house, and was pregnant with his child. Tina fell or maybe was pushed out of a third-floor window, where she was found by Rose and her grandmother Harriet. Ian and his soon-to-be-ex-wife Beth are plausible suspects in Tina's death, as both were home when the accident/murder happened. The family is also very protective of Rose (understandably). However, something is definitely off about the house and the family. For one thing, all the windows in the house have been replaced with plexiglass and all glass objects have been removed from the home -- no glass in the picture frames, no glass bottles, etc. The excuse is that Beth has developed a phobia of glass after Tina's traumatic death. Also, Rose's behavior is strange, even in the context of the trauma she has suffered; she has been hiding/hoarding sharp objects (broken glass, knives, etc.); her mood changes unpredictably, etc. Could she be evil? As Stella attempts to get the know the family and ascertain what is best for Rose, she experiences a series of strange occurrences. Is someone trying to warn her off?

While experiencing the weirdness surrounding Rose and her family, Stella also is separately presented with the opportunity to learn more about the death of her own mother, the cause of her episode of traumatic mutism. What she discovers will upend her life in multiple ways.