Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of House of Glass.

What would you be willing to do to protect your child? And what if protecting your child puts others at risk? Stella finds herself asking these questions about the couple she is currently tasked with evaluating amid a complicated divorce, made even more complicated by a suspicious death. But not everything is what it seems, especially when digging into the present means unearthing the past.

I give House of Glass 3.5/5 stars. Several compelling storylines kept my attention and had me thinking about it even during breaks in reading. Unfortunately, it felt as if the interesting parts were broken up with unimportant details that did not add to the storyline or character development. The ending felt rushed and a bit too neat, but did answer the lingering questions I had. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but it is not my favorite of Sarah Pekkanen.

3.5 rounded up. I appreciated the plot, and it was decently written. I didn't see the ending coming, but it seemed as if there weren't enough clues about what really happened for my liking. It was more of a telling at the end of oh, this was a clue and this explains this, instead of a gradual realization of the pieces falling together. There was a lot of backstory and explanation into Stella's life, which I get was supposed to make her feel more empathetic to the situation and feel more real (or perhaps the book just wasn't long enough without it). However, I think it was a bit much and distracted from the main plot. In fact, it was more bits and pieces that I would expect to find out about a character in a mystery/thriller series over several books. I think it would have been better situated that way too, so we could see more about Marco, Charles, and Stella's new love interest slowly and more in depth. As is, those parts seemed rushed and more as if we were told how Stella felt about them instead of seeing it over time. In fact, this would have made a better series in that regard. I would have read more about a guardian ad litem that only took high interest cases where there was some mystery/question about what was going on that only she was qualified to take on. I will continue to read from the author, but I do hope that her writing improves a bit over time.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This is an enjoyable read with a deliciously devious plot, and fascinating characters. Recommend highly.

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!!!0

Synopsis: Stella is a court appointed child advocate attorney, who is currently working with Rose, a young girl who saw her nanny’s dead body splayed out on their patio, when she fell from the 3rd story of their home. Rose becomes mute after the death of her nanny, and it’s Stella’s job to figure out what would be best for Rose, once her parents divorce is finalized. Stella has her work cut out for her with Rose, and must also navigate her own childhood trauma in the process. Will Stella be able to get through to Rose in time to help her, and will the police figure out if the nanny’s death was a tragic accident, or something more sinister?

Review: WOW!!!! I really loved this book and it only took me 2 days to read it. Once I started, I just couldn’t put it down. It’s usually hard for me to give a thriller 5 stars, because usually a 5 star book for me; is one that makes me cry. But I loved this book from beginning to end, and I like how the author wrapped Stella’s storyline as well as Rose’s at the end. There were no unanswered questions!!

I really enjoy books by Sarah Pekkanen and this one did not disappoint. I’ve read some good books lately BUT it is rare when a story grips me like this one did. My mind was messed with and I could not get through this one fast enough. It was the perfect amount of suspense, eeriness, and misleading going on. The main character gathers clues and tells you what she thinks is going on which often times mirrored my thoughts. Loved the execution. Cannot wait for this author’s next novel.

This is another fun thriller I enjoyed reading ! There was a decent plot twist I never really saw coming. When she points to one character being the “bad guy” the most awesome case of whiplash Happens !

The main character in this book is Stella Hudson, an attorney who is a child welfare advocate. She is called to represent Rose, a 9 year old girl who is mute. The parents are divorcing.

When Stella visits the house to meet Rose and Rose's family and the house staff, she finds that the atmosphere is oppressive and somewhat creepy. She also discovers that there had been a death on the property - a young woman had fallen from an upper window and died in the fall - and Rose is mute as a result of witnessing it. Rose is also hiding sharp objects. She notices another oddity in the house - there is no glass there. Not in the windows, the doors, or utensils. Everything is plastic.

This is a well plotted, unique mystery, although I thought it was a little slow. I received an e-arc from the publisher St. Martin's Press via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of House of Glass. Expected publication date is August 6, 2024..

As someone who is still traumatized by having a glass shower door shatter on me mid-shower, the description of this book and its discussion of nelophobia (the fear of glass) spoke to me.

Generally, i liked the author's writing style and the main character, Stella. She was rational and believable (as were most of the characters here). I thought the book started strong and captured my interest right away

However, I found myself to be a little bored by the halfway point. It felt as if the plot/characters were in a bit of a holdìng pattern. Thankfully, the ending picked up the pace a little bit, although by that point I had guessed the identity of the killer. I also felt that the last 2 or 3 chapters were unnecessary. In my opinion, tbe author tied things up a little too neatly.

Overall, this was a solid book.

This book started off a bit slow, but picked up the pace. The story kept me in suspense. Overall, well written and I’d recommend it.

What an explosive ending! So glad that Stella was able to help Rose and in doing so find herself. Excellent, "can't put it down until I am done" read. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

US pub date: 8/6/24
Genre: thriller
Quick summary: 9-year-old Rose may or may not have killed her nanny - finding out the truth is Stella's job. But it's not going to be easy to figure out this family's secrets, especially since Rose has been mute since the accident.

Thrillers about creepy children are a lot of fun, and Rose's habit of collecting sharp objects made her a perfect fit for this archetype. Throw in a suspicious grandmother and two parents in over their heads, and you have the ingredients for a great gothic suspense. I think Pekkanen did a great job building up the tension, but ultimately the big reveal was a little lacking for me. It was a fast read, but I've enjoyed some of Pekkanen's other books more.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this book because I've read other books by Sarah Pekannen and found them well written. This one is no exception. I was going to give it a 3.5 rounded up to 4 because I finished this in one day. But I can't for several reasons. First, because I'm starting to suspect there's nothing new under the sun for these domestic thrillers.
This one involves a child welfare lawyer (who of course has a troubled back story) coming to the aid of a child in a curious child custody case complicated by the sudden death of the child's nanny. There's a lot of "child" in that sentence, and a lot of child in the book. A big reason for my middling review was the child is pushed so heavily as a suspect in the death of her nanny, I started to her think her head was goIng to start spinning a la The Exorcist. A simple conversation would have ended this book in about 5 pages max, but conveniently the child can't/won't speak. To anyone. Not the lawyer, not her parents, not even her sweet little granny. Hmmmm. Very convenient, and these little conveniences add up to an average book despite the decent and frankly propulsive writing. However, sort of like the $60 cashmere sweater, this book seems good, but the little plot conveniences are irritations, which might not make it worth some people time. If you can turn off your brain and not think too hard/at all, this is an addictive little thriller.
I recieved an advance copy of this book from Net Galley. My opinions, obviously, are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the chance read and review and early copy of House of Glass. Expected publication date August 6, 2024.

Whew! This book had me hooked from the get. Stella is a best interest attorney working with children in unfortunate circumstances. She herself came from unfortunate circumstances so she typically works with older children. She makes an exception for Rose and her family. Rose, suffering from traumatic mutism desperately needs a voice and Stella wants to be it. But is Rose hiding very darks secrets? Is her family hiding the secrets? I was gripped by the story trying to unravel the tragic death of Rose's live in nanny after her affair with Rose's father. Loved every page and will definitely check out more by this author!

I enjoyed this who done it. Stella was a Best Interest Attorney who represented a young lady by the name of Rose. Rose's nanny, Tina, had been killed and Rose was so traumatized, she stopped talking. Stella's job was to assess the family. Rose's parents, Beth and Ian, we're getting a divorce and Stella had to determine which parent Rose would live with. Also living in their home was Rose's paternal grandmother, Harriet.

Stella was not comfortable with any of the adults. Ian had been having an affair with Tina, and Beth was extremely aloof. Harriet was homeschooling Rose but she was too invested in the girl.

The police had thought that maybe Tina fell through the third story window but Stella knew it was murder and she wanted to find out who killed her. So she set out interviewing all of the interested parties: the parents, the grandmother, Rose's piano teacher and Tina's best friend who told Stella that Tina was pregnant with Ian's child.

The author wove the mystery through with so much speculation that it was difficult to determine who the actual killer was. I actually figured it out but it wasn't easy. The characters were all very believable and the storyline was easy to follow. I would read other books written by this author. I gave it five stars.

I have been a fan of Sarah Pekkanen for a long time so was beyond thrilled to receive this ARC. This slow-burn thriller was creepy, intense, and kept me absolutely glued.

A nanny has fallen to her death out of a window of the Barclay’s mansion. Shortly after, the Barclay’s are going through a nasty custody battle and Stella is appointed to represent their daughter Rose’s best interest.

Was the nanny’s death an accident? Or did someone in the household push her? And what is going on with Rose that Stella keeps wondering if something is wickedly wrong with her?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Sarah Pekkanen novel and likely won't be my last. It was an excellent thriller and captivatingly written. Easy to read while also being thought-provoking. All the loose ends were tied up. I would recommend this novel to fans of psychological thrillers. I can't wait to check out some of Pekkanen's other books.

I seem to be a bit one of a few that didn't really enjoy this book, I did finish it, but I found it wasn't compelling nor did it hold my attention, I was having to force myself to read it. Parts of it were very good, but as a whole it just didn't flow well for me. Rose Barclay is a young daughter to Beth and Ian who are going through a divorce after Ian had an affair with the Nanny, Tina, who fell from a second floor window and died. Stella Hudson is a lawyer appointed to act in the best interest of Rose, who saw Tina fall and suffers from traumatic mutism, and can't talk. As part of trying to get close to Rose, Stella spends time at the Barclay mansion, a huge old house with many rooms and where the affair and the death took place. Ian and Beth are still living there as well, both caring for Rose. Stella will observe the interaction among the people living in the house and make a recommendation on which parent should be her primary caretaker. Also residing in the house is Harriet, Ian's mom who moved in with them after having surgery and hasn't left. Stella tries to connect with Rose, but she is rebuffed at every turn, Stella had also suffered traumatic mutism as a child after finding her mother dead of a suspected drug overdose. All the glass and sharp objects are removed from the house for fear of Rose getting a hold of them, the parents think she may have had something to do with Tina's passing. I found this story dealt more with Stella's history, she gets details of her mom's murder from a detective, does her own quasi investigating, all while trying to get close to Rose. The ending was a bit out there, overall not bad, just not as good as I would expect from this author. Thanks to #Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC.

A special thank you to NetGalley,, St. Martins Press and Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity to read this uncorrected proof in exchange for my honest review. The house of glass is a psychological thriller, with a slow burn that leads to almost all the action in the last 100 or so pages. Those last pages are worth the lengthy build up once you get there. I guessed the killer early on and was pleased to find out I was right! I would recommend this book to others!

Quick, easy read. Hard to like most of yhe characters. Good story and pacing. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

This book was my favorite read so far this year. There were so many twists and turns in the plot and every time I thought I had what was happening next figured out, I was proven very wrong. Every single character looked like they were guilty and trying to hide things, and figuring out what was real and what wasn't actively kept me turning pages instead of sleeping. This book does start out slower, but I feel like starting off that way is what built the suspense so much to the end of the book.

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