I enjoyed The House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen. I was looking forward to a new psychological thriller and this fit the bill and kept my interest. This is the first book I’ve read from this author, I will be checking out her others.
Stella is a best interest attorney (BIA) assigned to a case involving a young girl who possibly witnessed the tragic death of her nanny. The mystery revolves around this case, but also delves into a personal mystery for Stella.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is now my favorite of her books yet.

The story follows Stella who is in charge of deciding who 9 year old Rose should live with after the death of her nanny and the divorce of her parents. Rose has become mute since her nanny died, Stella also experienced mutism as a child after the death of her mother so this case becomes important to her.

Rose also collects weapons and sharp objects. This gets to the point where all glass is removed from her home and replaced with plastic. Stella struggles with deciding who Rose should live with. It seems that all of the adults in her life say exactly what they are supposed to and appear as a united front to influence Stella's decision.

Could Rose's obsession with collecting sharp objects show a sign that she could have been responsible for the death of her nanny?

I loved this story. The twists were believable and I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter. The story has great pacing and I found myself invested in the characters. I was constantly wondering if Rose was a child dealing with a huge trauma, or was she a killer? Having a nine year old as a possible villain really made this a unique read and was a troupe that I wasn't expecting to enjoy so much. I absolutely recommend this book to fans of thrillers.

The first half flew by, and then started to drag for me. I didn't know it was possible to have a phobia of glass, but its an interesting idea. It felt that the "surprise" queer romance was a little forced as in trying to get the LGBT tag added to the novel.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-arc of this novel. Publication date 6 Aug 2024.

What a page turner.
A nanny has fallen to her death. Did she fall or was she pushed.
Everyone is a suspect.
Very Suspenseful. Keeps you guessing. Awesome read.

Thank you for the ARC! I’ve read other work by this author before and was mixed but let me tell you - I LOVED this book!! THIS is how you write a thriller. There are so many layers here that keep you guessing and I don’t want to give any spoilers but let’s just say the obvious is not actually obvious and you will be kept on the edge of your seat until the end!

Sarah Pekkanen always tells a page turning tale, and this is no exception.

I enjoyed the twisty ride and interesting characters. I also thought the story of a possibly dangerous child was an interesting story that this author has not attempted before.

I do not want to give to much of the plot away, but this is an interesting quick, fun read.

Stella Hudson is a BIA, an attorney who evaluates custody cases to determine what is in the best interest of the child. Generally, she works with older children, but when Charles, her sort of surrogate father asks her to take this case, because she is the perfect person for it, she feels she cannot refuse.

Rose Barclays is a 9 year old who reportedly, may have witnessed her nanny, Tina, l falling from an attic window, is now mute. She hasn’t talked since the tragedy happened. Beth and Ian, the child’s parents and Hillary, Rose’s grandmother, all try to make themselves available for her evaluation, but something is not quite right in their home and Stella is determined to find out what it is and perhaps even find the answers to the now cold case of who may have murdered Tina, or if it was accident.

This twisty tale has a lot of other mysteries within its pages. I didn’t work any of the mysteries out before they were revealed, making this a good thriller in that regard. It took a long time for me to like any of the characters in the story, except for Charles, which may have been by the authors design. Except for Stella, whom I am sure I was supposed to like from the beginning. However, she rubbed me the wrong way in the beginning of the book. Despite her personal tragedies, which would normally leave me with compassion for the character, she felt a little too whiny (for lack of a better word) early in the book. However, she did grow on me by the end. I’d say more about the characters but I don’t want there to be any spoilers.

The book felt like it dragged a bit in the middle, but it picked up a lot of momentum in the end and I was rushing to uncover what the story held for me. The end did not disappoint.

Not my favorite of Pekkanan’s books, but absolutely worth the read for anyone who loves a good twisty psychological thriller.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Sarah Pekkanen has written another compelling, five-star read with her newest release, House Of Glass. This reviewer has read and reviewed some of the author's previous books and loved them. House Of Glass is another expertly written and plotted mystery, with perfect pacing and enough twists and turns to keep even the most well-read thriller reader engaged. The crime story is believable, which is especially impressive since the suspect is a nine-year old girl. The gothic-modern setting adds the right amount of atmosphere to the story. The book maintains taut suspense throughout, and the conclusion is satisfying. House Of Glass is a highly entertaining novel and highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing an advance copy of this book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

This was an absolute page turner! I finished this book in 48 hours.

A dead nanny, a young girl who cannot speak, parents getting a divorce and an overprotective grandma. I could not put this book down. The twists and turns it takes with Stella, Rose, Beth, Ian and Harriet kept coming. This book is creepy and eerie and the plot is great and the sub plot adds to it.

Pick up this book if you have a chance.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out August 2024.

***4.5 Stars***

In "The Perfect Lie," Sarah Pekkanen crafts a mesmerizing tale of deception and suspense that will keep readers hooked from start to finish. The intricately woven plot revolves around the mysterious death of a young nanny and the enigmatic silence of a traumatized nine-year-old girl, Rose Barclay. Enter Stella Hudson, a lawyer haunted by her own past, tasked with unraveling the truth amidst a family drowning in lies.

As Stella delves deeper into the Barclay family's troubled history, she discovers layers of darkness lurking beneath their perfect facade. The tension mounts steadily with each revelation, drawing readers into a gripping whirlwind of secrets and danger. The atmospheric setting of the gilded, plastic house adds an eerie backdrop to the unfolding drama, amplifying the sense of unease.

With skillful storytelling and compelling characters, [author's name] keeps readers guessing until the final page. Every member of the Barclay family becomes a suspect, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator. "The Perfect Lie" is a riveting psychological thriller that delivers twists and turns aplenty, cementing Sarah Pekkanen as a master of the genre.

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an ARC of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

This was a great twisty read. It was well paced and the story grabbed my attention immediately.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published August 6, 2024.

This is the fifth book I’ve read by this author (3 co-written with Greer Hendricks). I was immediately interested from the first chapter. It’s creepy and compelling in the best of ways.

I was very intrigued by Rose’s character, who witnessed her nanny’s death and then stopped talking.

All loose ends were adequately explained and the ending surprised me.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I liked it and am rating it 4 stars. There were so many twists and turns and I couldn’t put it down. I read it in a few hours. I was very convinced that Rose had killed Tina and that she was evil, but I was wrong. It was the grandmother Harriet and she was feeding Rose lies about what Stella’s intentions were.

I liked the conclusion where Ian and Beth have an agreement on joint custody of Rose and do everything they can to help their daughter. Most divorcing couples don’t put their differences aside to do what’s best for their kids. I also liked that Stella forgave Charles. He was only trying to help her and her mom. I think he should have told Stella everything earlier on, but I get why he did what he did.

This book blew me away! I was on the edge of my seat from page one. She did an excellent job with her character development. I didn't figure out the end until the MC did, so bravo!

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down! The plot is so well written, and immediately draws you in!
Stella is a court appointed counsel for 9 year old Rose. Rose’s parents are going through a divorce due to her father’s infidelity with the live in nanny, Tina. Stella’s job is to observe the family and recommend which parent should receive custody.
Stella doesn’t generally work with children, but agrees to this particular case because Rose is mute following the trauma of Tina’s death. Stella, who found her mother’s body when she was young, experienced a similar case of becoming mute.
While working with the family, Stella begins to wonder who in the family could have murdered Tina. She also begins to look into her mother’s death hoping to gain some clarity on what happened when she was young.
This book will have you hooked and the ending is very well done. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

As a fan of this author's previous works, I was excited to see this book on NetGalley. It is well written and easy to read and holds your attention with the various twists and turns. I did figure out the ending before reading it, but I honestly had my suspicions about everyone at some point. The ending was a bit too neat though. I would have loved it if Rose had ended up being behind the murder after all. I think that might be a missed opportunity, but that's just my opinion. Overall a great book that I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and author for the free advance copy!

Sarah Pekkanen is an auto buy for me and should be for anyone who loves a twisty thriller. It’s a hard line to walk when children are involved but this was an incredible journey. The main character, Stella was so layered and her own personal story so intense that you couldn’t help root for her. I go into most of her books blind since I know it will be a read worth it every time and this is no exception. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this arc and Sarah for always showing up for a great story. Whatever you write I’m here to read.

This book held my attention from the beginning to the very end. The mystery in it made me unable to stop reading, and I devoured this book.

I really liked Stella, and I loved seeing this story unfold. There were so many aspects, from the happenings in the house and family to what was going on in Stella’s personal life.

I thought I had it all figured out, but I didn’t. This was a wild ride and definitely worth every minute of my time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read if you like: shady rich people, procedurals, potentially evil kids, creepy houses

Stella is a lawyer who represents the kids’ interests in divorce cases. Her newest client, Rose, has developed traumatic mutism as a result of her nanny falling out a window and dying in her home. Is she a witness or could she be a suspect?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book as I didn’t care too much for this author’s last book “Gone Tonight” (but loved all hers with Greer Hendricks). I found the different layers of this story to be interesting and kept me reading. I liked Stella’s backstory and her relationship with her father figure.

While many of the characters are unlikeable (and are meant to be), the author writes in enough details about each to give you reasonable doubt as to their motives and whether or not they are a good or bad person. I also enjoyed the setting of the plastic house and its creepy vibe.

The ending wasn’t anything too crazy but nonetheless satisfying.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I will give my thoughts once SMP addresses their readers with an explanation. Until then, all my reviews will be withheld.