My Thoughts

What happened in this story will chill you, thrill you and cause you to second guess everything you learn until the final reveal.

Stella Hudson is tenacious to the point of obsession in her quest for the truth of what is going on in the Barclay household.

Stella’s prime objective is to determine what is best for her 9-year-old client even when that puts Stella herself smack dab in the middle of a dangerous situation she never saw coming.

Be prepared for a roller coaster ride through the eyes of our main character as Stella slowly gets closer and closer to exactly what happened and who the perpetrator she has been looking for actually is.
[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

D.C. best interest attorney, Stella Hudson, works as an adolescent advocate doing home studies in contested divorces to determine what is in the best interest of her young clients. Because of her own traumatic history, Stella usually refuses anyone under thirteen; however, the judge who mentored Stella for several years puts in a special request. Rose Barclay at nine years of age has suffered a major trauma after witnessing her nanny fall from third story to her demise. Whether the young woman was murdered has not been determined. Rose’s parents are amid a contentious divorce both wanting full custody while still living in the exclusive mansion along with the husband’s mother.

Rose is not saying what she wants because of a trauma induced muteness. Stella inserts herself into the family life trying to discern who is being truthful, who is lying. and who may be deadly. The old house gives Stella seriously creepy vibes and since Stella just went through a divorce herself, her mental state is questionable. Aspects of the situation bring back haunted memories for Stella of her own family trauma. She has difficulty separating her emotions from the case at hand.

As Stella spends in that house with the family who clearly are not being honest, the more she becomes overwrought and caught up in her unresolved issues. Rose seems like a possible suspect as well since her actions and high intelligence give Stella very mixed signals. Stella is one of those own worst enemy kind of people willing to let go of the husband she loved rather than dealing with personal issues. She acts more like a police detective taking some over top risks and putting herself in extreme danger. I am a fan of this author’s work especially her books written with Greer Hendricks; however, the protagonist in this story seems barely capable of doing her job without deep emotional involvement becoming entangled with her own backstory and taking away from the main plot.

'House of Glass' was an easy read. It was well written with relatable characters. The story flowed easily. However, I did not find that there was a great deal of suspense or mystery. The story was pretty clear cut and somewhat predictable. The characters were fairly likable and relatable, but they were pretty 'cookie cutter' from most "thrillers" I have read. I also found Stella's relationship with Charles to be a bit of an unnecessary distraction. It added to the story as far as making her an empathetic character, but their connections to the past, and the reveals, seemed unbelievable. I did find the last several chapters a bit suspenseful as far as what actually happened in that house, but there were no big surprises. I will definitely read more of Sarah Pekkanen's books if I get a chance. She is definitely a good writer, and I think she will improve as she goes on.

Wow.

If you get a chance to pick up this book - DO IT!

Truly, I love a good suspense thriller - but there’s just something about a psychological thriller that makes it hard to put down. And let me tell you - it was hard to put this down.

The characters, the plot, the heart pounding, the nerve racking feeling that this book delivered was NEXT LEVEL. I was hooked from the first chapter, as the plot evolved so did the characters (& motives) and then everything tied together so nicely.

I read this book any chance I could.. lunch breaks, coffee breaks, before bed, even during my lunch break while I was facilitating training. This book delivered EVERYTHING I love.

I cannot praise and recommend this book enough.
If you like psychological thrillers, major twists, or heart racing short chapters - you need to pick this book up.

Thank you, NetGalley for giving me early access to read this book. I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.

House of Glass was a highly anticipated read for me and I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy! It was a great binge-worthy thriller that kept me guessing all the way through. I was immediately swept up in the storyline, and loved how the suspense continuously built throughout the book. Every single member of the Barclay family seemed to have nefarious intentions, and I didn’t know who to trust. I felt as though the plot lost some momentum through the middle. However, the ending was SO GOOD! I had a few theories about how things would play out, but the ending was a million times crazier than anything I could’ve ever dreamed up.

I loved buddying reading this one with @britt.loves.reading 🤍.

Read if you like:

✨Unexpected twists and turns
✨Untrustworthy characters
✨Intricate plots
✨Messy divorces

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Truly well written with a sinister suspenseful mood. The protagonist was actually thankfully smart. Looking at all options, trusting no one, sticking to her duty of protecting a child even if it is from herself. Her childhood and love life little footnotes in the story were not distracting and I appreciated that. I do think that It’s overkill how the author connects everything. Like everything. I get it. Not at all realistic but sure. The family, their wealth, Washington DC were well represented. I think the killer reveal was more practical and sensible rather than radical and uber interesting but the prose made up for it.

I loved this book and hated that I got busy and couldn’t finish it sooner. I loved the idea of a girl being traumatized and unable to speak. You know there’s something she wants to say about the murder at her house. There are multiple twist in a few different storylines which I also loved. There were a few things I was sure would be left unfinished, but she did great with tying up loose ends. I wish this was a series about Stella working with troubled children and their families.

House of Glass is my first Sarah Pekkanen novel and it will not be my last. I'm at a loss for words on how to describe it... without giving away spoilers. House of Glass is creepy, thrilling, mysterious and I can't recommend it enough!

This book was entertaining and enjoyable to read, As is true with most thrillers, it requires you to suspend judgment and accept the circumstances as the author has written them. In doing so, this book is fun and creepy and well worth the time to read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

PUBLICATION DAY: August 6, 2024

A nanny is dead from a suspicious fall from a third floor bedroom window. A marriage is breaking up. And a child is at the heart of this trauma. Rose hasn’t spoken a word since her nanny Tina was killed. Stella has been hired to determine who is best to retain custody of her once the divorce is concluded - the mother Beth, or the father Ian. Stella vows to do her best for this young girl, even if signs are pointing to all not being well with her - and her family. How will Stella choose who is best to care for Rose? And is anyone who comes in contact with this family safe?

PROS and CONS:
This author is just so readable - the chapters flow, the dialogue flows, the plot escalates…I’m a big fan! The character of Stella is a relatable one, and I worried for her every step of the way. I did think this one could have been a teensy bit shorter?? Maybe a due date for the decision on custody would have sped things up a bit? But overall - it’s a winner!

READ IT?
If you’re into domestic suspense novels - then this one’s for you!!

4.25 Stars

The House of Glass was a book I was very excited to read. I've read previous books from Sarah Pekkanen so I was expecting a twisty thrilling ride. The book was a fairly quick read that followed along an attorney whose job it was to determine the best housing placement for a young girl whose parents were divorcing shortly after the mysterious death of her nanny. The lawyer, of course has her own journey of discovery in her past while we're learning the truth behind what really happened the the nanny and why. The ending was not a huge surprise but was satisfying with a few twists along the way. Overall a solid 3.5 stars. The story of the family seemed to have a more logical ending to that of the lawyer and her own drama.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book for my honest opinion.

I wouldn't call this book a roller coaster, but it definitely kept me hooked with its fast-paced, fascinating story. The author did a fantastic job of casting a shadow over every character, maintaining an air of mystery throughout. While the plot centers on Rose and her family, I found Stella to be the main character, though her development felt a bit shallow.

There’s a lot about Stella’s past that influences her future, but these details seemed glossed over, which might have been intentional to let Rose’s case take center stage. Still, I would have loved to delve deeper into Stella’s relationship with Charles. Their years together were pivotal in shaping her, arguably even more than her tragic past.

Overall, it’s a gripping read with intriguing characters and a plot that keeps you guessing. However, a bit more depth to Stella’s character and her relationship with Charles would have made it even better.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

There’s a place I know where people go … it’s bedrock … twist … twist. House of Glass is a twisty psychological thriller. Stella is a lawyer who must determine the custody of a child in a bitter divorce. The divorce was instigated by the husband Ian having an affair with the nanny… who died by falling out the window of the home.
Rose is mute after the incident so Stella struggles to communicate with her. Rose has that creepy kid vibe through out . Stella also has a dramatic childhood that colors the way she sees this case.
The ending is a little wacky … all truths come out and it ties up into a neat bow.
Thanks to net galley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy to catch your interest book that held that interest until the very end. This was my first novel from this author but it won’t be my last.

This was such a great thriller!

Stella is a guardian ad litem attorney who acts in the best interest of the child in divorce custody proceedings. She has a challenging, and close to home, client in Rose Barclay. Rose’s nanny, Tina, who was pregnant with her father’s baby, fell to her death from the third floor of their home in what was deemed to be an accident. Now Rose has traumatic mutism, as Stella did as a child, which makes determining what Rose wants very difficult. Everyone looks guilty at some point in this thriller as Stella seeks to answer both what happened to Tina and what should happen to Rose. There’s also a really compelling back story as Stella seeks answers to what happened to her mother when she was a child.

I was captivated by this book, and flew through it. I stayed up entirely too late, promising myself just one more chapter. I totally recommend to all thriller enthusiasts!

Run, don’t walk and add this book to your TBR! My fave book of the year so far in 2024 and you need to read it as soon as it comes out August 5th.
Sarah Pekkanen has done it again with her latest twisty psychological thriller that will leave you second guessing yourself throughout.
The book centers on Stella, a court appointed attorney for her 9 year old client, Rose, who is navigating her parents contentious divorce on top of having just witnessed the suspicious death of her nanny.
Stella comes with her own troubled childhood as she navigates between her desire to protect Rose and her own past that continues to haunt her.
This is a book that I could not put down. It’s well paced and keeps the reader engaged throughout. If I had any critique it would be the storyline of Stella and her mentor, Charles. While I like what the author was doing and it added to the story, the final rollout of the information towards the end felt choppy and more confusing than it needed to be.
I want to thank NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced readers copy.

This book had me hooked! From the start I was pulled in and couldn't put it down. I had thought I had a clue how the book was going, despite all the twists and turns. The ending was fast paced and left me shocked.

What a great read!!! I was fully invested from the start! We follow a family of extremely unreliable characters to find out who killed the nanny. I was guessing the entire time and could not figure out who to trust. I had some ideas of who was guilty but my predictions were wrong 🤣 I really enjoyed this one and would recommend to literally everyone! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

3.5 stars
This book was an entertaining read! I enjoyed the setting, sinister characters, and premise.
The two primary twists in the book were predictable, and at times the book seemed to get a bit sidetracked and lost in itself.
Overall a quick, easy, and entertaining read. Thank you for the chance to read this early copy!

I took a few days to digest the greatness that is “House of Glass” by Sarah Pekkanen. The bold colors of the cover of this book brought it to the top of my reading list, but I was quickly sucked into this crazy world and I loved it. There is a chance that some of you might feel Sarah tried a bit too hard to create this spooky-house-vibe, and I felt that too, but overall it didn’t distract me from the overall story.



Due to the trauma of her parent’s divorce and the death of her nanny, Rose is experiencing traumatic mutism. This makes Stella’s job much more difficult as her lawyer attempting to find what parenting arrangement is in Rose’s best interest. Trying to get close to Rose and the entire Barclay clan is a challenge, but Stella is trying her darndest despite flashbacks to her own traumatic childhood and traumatic mutism.



The biggest twist for me came when it was revealed what happened in Stella’s childhood more than what happened to Rose’s nanny. I think that most thriller readers will enjoy unwinding this dual mystery!