Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen!

I LOVED this book! It was a heart thumping page turner. I stayed up until 2:30 am because I could not put it down.

Stella needs to figure out which parent should get custody of Rose who saw her nanny dead from falling out a window. Rose has gone mute from the experience. The family seems to have something to hide and made me fearful just reading it.

At the same time Stella is going through a divorce and trying to deal with her own childhood trauma.

I will recommend this book and hope to find more to read by this author!

It felt so good to have a thriller that I just ate right up! I have read a few books by Sarah Pekkanen, more so the ones she co-authored with Greer Hendricks so I was excited to read this ARC from Netgalley. I'm rarely able to physically read a book due to my eyesight, but with my Kindle set to a large font, I could not put this one down!

House of Glass follows Stella Hudson as a best interest attorney as she determines which parent in an ugly divorce should have custody of their nine-year-old girl, Rose Barclay. However, the young girl had possibly witnessed the death (ahem, possible murder) of her nanny and no longer speaks. Stella has experiences with trauma and traumatic mutism from her own childhood so she agrees to take on this case even though Rose is younger than her regular clients.

This fast-paced whodunit has you constantly guessing as to who possibly murdered the nanny and doubting the mother, the father, the grandmother, and even Rose herself. During this time, you also get to know Stella as she slowly tries to uncover the details of her own trauma. Sarah Pekkanen ramps up the suspense with an atmosphere of danger up to the very end. The ending had me in tears as I truly loved some of these characters.

If I want to guarantee a 5 star read I go directly to Sarah Pekkanen.

My well nurtured obsession began when I discovered The Ever After, many moons ago. I fed this obsession along the way with Gone Tonight.

And then I got my greedy little paws on House of Glass, and my life has never been the same.

Shook..

That was one heck of a twist!!!!

Is that what the kids are saying these days? That’s exactly how I am feeling. How is it even possible that each book blows my mind but the one to follow is even better !

If you haven’t read a Sarah Pekkanen, book I actually envy you, you have 3 incredible books to read that will blow your mind.

Teaser :

On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.

A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?

Rating 4.5 stars. This psychological thriller by Sarah Pekkanen is gripping from the first page to the last. The story follows Stella, a Best Interest Attorney, who is trying to help a 9 year old girl in a custody battle after witnessing her nanny’s death. Stella needs to figure out if the nanny was murdered and by who, and everyone is a suspect (even the little girl), while battling her own childhood demons.

This is a book that is impossible to put down until you’ve finished and will keep you guessing the whole time. I was impressed with the character development, and enjoyed the growth we saw in Stella throughout the story. While I wasn’t blown away by the ending, I did not know for sure what the ending would be until we got there. This was my first book by the author, and I can’t wait to add a few more of her books to my reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my very first ARC!

Stella is a best interest attorney, responsible for determining the living/custody situation for children in divorce cases. Rose is Stella’s newest client, a 9-year-old girl who witnessed the death (and possible murder) of her nanny in the middle of her parents’ divorce and is now not speaking. As soon as Stella takes on Rose as her client, she realizes there is much more to this case than she initially thought.

This was a compelling read. The twists caught me off guard, but were believable, which is exactly what I look for in a thriller!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of HOUSE OF GLASS by Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for my honest review.***

I liked the plot and twists /turns that were laced into this book. Well written characters. Suspenseful enough to keep my interest. I would definitely read more of this author and can't wait for the next book.

What a refreshing thriller of a book! It has been a hot minute since I’ve come across a book that actually surprised me and this was such a win for it!

Stella is a Best Interest Lawyer and she has been assigned a new case with a young girl named Rose. Of COURSE not everything is at it seems when she goes to meet the family. Rose’s parents are getting a divorce so her job is to represent Rose and see who she should stay with and whatever is in the best interest for 9 year old little Rose. When she gets to the house she sees there is not a single piece of glass. No knives nothing sharp even the windows are plastic. Dad has just been outed for having an affair with the nanny, who was pregnant, and that nanny just happened to have died by falling out of the window. Was it murder? Was it an accident? Mom is edgy and proper and seemingly a bit sinister. You’ve also got the grandmother who wants nothing more than the family to be united and is furious her son broke that unity. And then you have Rose who isn’t speaking after she witnessed Tina, the nanny’s, death. So. Much. Fun.

Stella is created beautifully I could not stop reading this train wreck. Her devotion to her job and finding out the truth was just created perfectly. It was the perfect pace and I even loved all the wrong characters. Just do yourself a favor and READ THIS. It is one you will devour as quickly as possible because you too will just HAVE TO KNOW!

Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the arc in exchange for honest review.

This was such a great book. There’s SO much detail in every aspect, I was entertained the entire time. The only thing that felt a little out of place was the love interest. It seemed like it came out of nowhere a little bit, I almost wish there had been more hints towards it earlier in the book. Other than that, I have no other complaints. Everything was wrapped up incredibly well at the end of the book. Nothing felt unfinished, I felt like I knew everything I needed to know about that story, and was content when I put my kindle down. GREAT book! :)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5
This year is off to a great start with books! I’m already nervous for my bracket pick of the month.
I received an e-ARC from Netgalley for my review- a huge thanks to them and St Martin’s Press!!
📖 Expected publication date is Aug 6, 2024
⭐️PRO: this author! I have read everything she’s written and co-written and I’ll keep reading everything by her.
⭐️ PRO: the twist!! I had my suspicions but the “how” made me so curious. It was so suspenseful. Creepy house plus an evil or traumatized child- it kept me guessing!!
⭐️ PRO: the advocacy for mental health, therapy, and the good guys within the “system” was great
⭐️ PRO: love the final wrap up chapters and the MC’s personal growth

A child advocate lawyer is sent to a house to represent a nine year old girl who has traumatic mutism after she witnesses her nanny fall from a window. As soon as Stella enters the house she feels like something is wrong & not just Rose’s mutism. As a little girl, Stella herself went mute after her mother died, so she instantly feels a connection with Rose. However, so many things don’t feel right. Strange things happen, Rose herself is sending weird vibes, the parents act strange. Who’s telling the truth? Without Rose to tell her, Stella investigates & gets more involved in this strange atmosphere. You won’t know what to believe as you read. You just keep going till the end in this addictive drama.

Stella was hired to fight for Rose. Rose is mute after witnessing her nanny fall from a three story window of their home. Ian and Beth are in the process of getting a divorce after learning Ian had an affair with the nanny who was pregnant with his baby. Grandma Harriet has been living with them since her knee surgery. Stella’s job is to determine which parent is best to care for Rose since both want full custody. Before Stella can make that decision she needs to first solve the case of the nanny to establish who murdered her. Stella isn’t placing Rose in the care of a murderer.
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Stella is battles with her own childhood fears. She hopes this won’t interfere with her judgment. Stella starts by interviewing the family members to better understand the relationship they have with Rose. It’s a slow process that provides very little insight.
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This story is about both Stella and Rose. Since Stella faced childhood trauma and had a short episode of being mute she relates with Rose. Stella’s friend knew she was the ideal person to help Rose.
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Sarah Pekkanen delivers an interesting story about a married couple fighting for custody of there prodigy daughter after the husband had an affair with the nanny who was murdered in there home while the daughter stood by and watched the nanny plummet to her death. Sarah Pekkanen is a skilled writer. Her writing voice has grown over the years. Sarah Pekkanen builds up the curiosity level with Stella’s childhood fears, Beth’s glass phobia, Rose’s muteness, Ian’s affair, Harriet’s knee issues and Tina’s pregnancy and death. They’re a peculiar bunch of people living in a big home giving off strange vibes.
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I found Stella to be a reliable source of information considering she wasn’t hired by the family. Plus she’s captured proof by video and camera to prove what she’s witnessed. Sarah Pekkanen was convincing in how she portrayed Stella’s character despite her own battles. Her playing couch detective proved effective in the way Sarah Pekkanen created her character.
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I appreciate the originality of this storyline. With that being said I wasn’t pulled into the story. I liked it, but it was not a compelling read. There was curiosity about the characters and their secrets, but not to the point where I couldn’t stop thinking about them. The Barclays behave suspiciously at least from Stella’s perspective. I found it fascinating that detectives were no longer investigating the death of the nanny, yet in order for Stella to make a decision of custody of Rose she needed to solve the case herself. There’s definitely something strange taking place in the Barclays home. Even with fear rumbling through Stella she seems to put aside her fear long enough to get answers. Except answers don’t come easily.
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It’s a straight forward read with a solid explanation at the end. The surprise confessions were subtle and easily explained. It’s a good read for Sarah Pekkanen fans.

I loved this!! I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I first want to thank St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy! This book kept me engaged the whole time. The plot was a little all over the place. I don’t want to give any spoilers. But Stella’s childhood background with Rose’s made sense but it some how didn’t work 100%.

I can honestly say that after seeing so many raving five-star reviews and intriguing whodunit, claustrophobic plot lines from one of my auto-approved thriller authors, I raised my expectations level a notch more for an earth-shattering reading experience. However, I think I'm a little disappointed due to my exaggerated excitement levels. Perhaps it's related to using a child as an object of the murder plot that made me irritated.
I'm not saying you're going to read something like that. In this book, everyone is a suspect, and each of them has their motives, which is the main element of the story that keeps readers' excitement intact.

The plot revolves around the suspicious murder of the young nanny, Tina de la Cruz, who was taking care of the 9-year-old Rose. She had an affair with her father, Ian Barclay, and got pregnant. She's pushed down from the window, or she accidentally fell down. There are four people who witnessed the incident, as the case is presumed an accident.

The husband, Ian, who had an affair with the girl and had a motive to get rid of her to save his marriage; the wife, Beth Barclay, who seemed to have glass phobia after the incident and may have acted with jealousy and lost control; the mother-in-law, Harriet, who is staying with them for her injured leg, always choosing her daughter-in-law over her son and has every intention to protect the family; and the little Rose, who is suffering from mutism after the incident, is a closed box, an enigma, lately having problems with her nanny. Could this little girl also have violent tendencies?

Stella Hudson, who is recently divorced, a successful lawyer serving as counsel in custody cases, attended the case to decide what will be in the best interest of little Rose. She's the best candidate because, just like Rose, she also lost her voice when she was little after seeing her mother dead. Could she reveal the secrets the Barclays buried to help Rose, or did she already put her life in danger in the expanse of digging out the truth?

This whodunit theme, by putting each of the suspects on the spot, pushes you to make guesses. The worst part for me: I found the perpetrator too early. I also found the other revelation about Stella's life, which was obvious from the beginning, a little earlier. Those facts killed my excitement.

I also think the execution is a little long as it is combined with a trauma victim lawyer's inner turmoil, self-exploration to dig out her mother's mysterious case as she finds herself engaged more with the little girl who has been through the same tragic process. But instead of that, she finds herself experiencing the same process that the dead victim endured, such as threats, pranks, missing objects. At some parts, we feel like we're stuck with the grief of Stella a little more, which affects our concentration on the main case: what happened to Tina, which family member was involved in the situation?

I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars; finally, I rounded up 3.5 stars to 4 for some smart explanations and the idea of the claustrophobic whodunit theme. But I can honestly say I didn't enjoy this book as much as the other works of the author. I expected some more "I never see it coming" twists. But they never came. I hope I'm going to love Pekkanen's next book more. She's one of the most brilliant thriller authors.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

This mystery kept me guessing. By the end, all plot twists were explained in a satisfying way. I’ll be recommending this excellent who-done-it to my friends at the library.

4. 5 stars!
This was a great murder mystery!
Stella is a lawyer representing a minor child, Rose, for her parents pending divorce. While Stella is trying to determine the best recommendation for custody, she is trying to figure out who in the family killed the nanny. Stella is also forced to face demons from her own childhood trauma.
There are so many exciting twists and turns in this fast-paced novel. I could hardly put this thriller down. Great surprises up until the very end.
The only part of this book that seemed not to fit was a love interest out of nowhere between Stella and the detective. It was just thrown in the book with no development between the characters.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this eArc for my review!

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of HOUSE OF GLASS by Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for my honest review.***

HOUSE OF GLASS is hands down one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve ever read. Full stop.

Stella, a recently divorced attorney, becomes guardian ad litem to a mute young girl Rose, who witnessed the death of her nanny. Accident or murder, the cause has yet to be determined. Tasked with representing the nine-year-old’s best custodial interest, the choice between philandering father and ice queen mother, one of whom may have killed the nanny Stella’s work reminds her of her own mother’s death and the traumatic mutism she suffered.

Sarah Pekkanen drew me in from the first page and I don’t think I exhaled until I finished. I wrongly thought I knew the culprit. Tension continued to build from the beginning to the thrilling conclusion. Just when I thought THE HOUSE OF GLASS came to a satisfactory conclusion, the last chapter made me ugly cry.

REVIEW// HOUSE OF GLASS BY SARAH PEKKANEN 📖

I absolutely devoured this book! It was suspenseful, fast-paced, and had me guessing until the ending, aka everything I love in a thriller.

Stella Hudson, a seasoned counselor, is tasked with determining the best custody arrangement for nine-year-old Rose Barclay, whose parents are going through a nasty divorce following the suspicious death of their nanny. It was clear from the very first day Stella walked into the Barclay household that something wasn't right. Stella faces challenge after challenge while she tries to untangle the web of lies that have been spun. She will stop at nothing to get to the truth about what happened, even if it puts her own safety at risk.



I enjoyed the spooky, ominous tones throughout the book, and I think that anyone who loves a good 'who done it' story will devour this like I did.


Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin's press, and Sarah Pekkanen for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.


Expected publication date: August 6th, 2024

ARC via publisher

This book was a bit different! It had the usual! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, revenge, a great who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!! I would recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Its not one of my top favorites but still worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thriller is correct for this story. It keeps you guessing and when you think you’ve figured it out there’s another twist. I hate stories that are predictable and can be easily figured out but this isn’t one of them. Great read!