After a young nanny plunged to her death, a lawyer tries to uncover a family's secrets and determine who should get custody of their nine-year-old daughter.

This was an intriguing story as Stella tries to figure out who in this picture perfect house may be a murderer or liar. Everyone in the family has secrets and evades the truth, keeping you guessing as to who is truly to blame. I love Pekkanen's ability to make you question everything and everyone. It's an easy, quick read, but not a super memorable or shocking thriller for me.

Thank you Net Galley for having sent me a copy of House of Glass for review. I have always enjoyed Sarah's books and this one was pretty good as well. I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The story def had me intrigued from the start. From the get go, Stella, an attorney was assigned the case to find out who had killed a Nanny. Since both Stella and Rose (the daughter to whom the nanny watched) both had something in common which was " traumatic mutism" so being assigned this case, Stella feels she had some knowledge behind her background to help her solve this case. There were many different suspects to who might have killed the nanny so this story definitely had you guessing throughout most of the story! Rose, man her character was crazy for her being such a little girl. She definitely had a evil side to her!

Overall this was a good read and good thriller if you want a pretty quick read!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In the midst of a divorce and custody battle, 9 year old Rose witnesses the death of her nanny. After witnessing the traumatic event, Rose becomes mute. Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney is assigned to their case to decide who will have custody of Rose. Was the nanny’s death an accident or murder? Rose, her mom, dad and grandmother all act very suspicious and they have motives for killing the nanny so they could easily be suspects.
This one gave me creepy vibes and had me jumping from one person to the next as suspects. Kept me on the edge of my seat and full of twists.
Thank you to @netgalley for this advanced ebook by from @stmartinspress @sarahpekkanen #netgalley #books #noseinabook #booklover #bookstagram #thriller #mystery #dogstagram #girlsbestfriend  #stmartinspress
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I love a book that keeps you guessing and you have no idea how its going to end. This one was that for me.

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney for children who find themselves in custody battles. She typically represents teenagers but when a dear friend of hers asks her to consider taking on Rose Barclay a 9 year old who witnessed her nanny tumble to hear death and has now gone mute, she can't say no (even though she wants to). Since Stella herself experienced something very similar to Rose at the same age, she is hoping she can connect with her in a way others can not.

However, the moment Stella enters the Barclay home, something seems very off. Was her nanny's death an accident? Do her parents have her best interest at heart or is she a pawn in their bitter divorce? As odd things begin to happen to Stella, she can't help but think, is Rose dangerous or is she the victim in all of this?

This book kept me guessing until the very end. As we dive deeper into each character and their story, I found myself wondering if they were the ones pulling the strings and causing the chaos. I just could never tell. You so badly want to trust what they are saying but the author really makes you question and feel leery of everything being communicated. I was hooked from the very beginning and really had no idea how it was going to end, which I loved.

I thought it was a great read.

Evil lurks in many forms and this author had me convinced that a nine year old red head was the devil incarnate. But given more time in the book, the list of suspects grew.
    Rose Barclay witnessed a tragic "accident". Her nanny fell to her death from a window in her house and the incident left her with "traumatic mutism".  Simultaneously, there was much upheaval in the Barclay family: her parents were getting a divorce and waging a custody battle. Because she was unable voice her wishes in regard to who she would live with, the court appointed a lawyer to observe the family and offer her suggestions as to what was best for Rose.
    What better lawyer could there be but one who also had traumatic mutism as a child....she could relate to her anxieties, evaluate her behavior in the home and make a recommendation on her behalf. Stella was meant for this job but it brought back her own trauma and it was crippling at times. Stella struggled with doing the right thing for this child while dealing with her own baggage.
    It was hard to sympathize with the dominating mother, easy to be disappointed in the wandering husband and to question the motives of the doting grandmother.
    The author provided reasons why all the characters would have cause to kill the nanny but, as in all good mysteries, the final chapters just flew by with surprise after surprise.
    Couldn't put it down.

The House of Glass is full of tension and twists. It's eerie and uncomfortable. The story had me guessing until the very end. Stella works to determine which parent should have custody of Rose, but there are many factors to consider. This case also hits close to home and awakens painful past memories. I really enjoy Sarah Pekkanen's writing and she will continue to be an auto buy author for me. .

This was a super solid thriller! I really enjoyed the role of the best interest attorney, as I felt like that was something I hadn’t encountered in a book before. I also loved how creepy the house was, almost a character itself.

I have read and enjoyed a number of books written by Sarah Pekkanen, so I was excited to dive into House of Glass. I was drawn in immediately and when I was done, I even went back and listened to the last hour and a half of the audiobook again because so much happened! Author Pekkanen crafted an an excellent ride full of interesting characters with plenty of dysfunctional family dynamics and secrets and so much misdirection, and I absolutely loved it!

I really liked this one, can’t give it a full 5 stars because I was able to figure out the ending but the lead up was incredibly intense and nail biting. Definitely would recommend!

A thriller full of twist and turns with an ending, I didn’t see coming! I didn’t want it to be over because I was enjoying it so much. If you like The Push, you will enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

A perfect thriller for fans of THE PUSH, Sarah Pekkanen’s new novel revolves around the death of a nanny, the family dealing with the aftermath, and Stella, a guardian ad litem (best interest attorney) tasked with figuring out the best custody situation for Rose, the highly intelligent and emotional child who was one of the last to see her nanny alive. In order to figure out what’s best for Rose, Stella may just have to figure out whether this was foul play or just a terrible accident while navigating a household full of untrustworthy characters, including Rose herself. This one had some twists and turns I didn’t see coming. 3.5/5 stars.

Pub Date: 8/6/24
Review Published: 9/15/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately sucked into the world the author created and was especially intrigued by Rose, who saw her nanny fall to her death. This had so many creepy and unsettling vibes, there was something off about the Barclays house and I was desperate to know what exactly was wrong. ​Stella was the kind of heroine I could root for in a thriller, she was actually pretty sensible and didn’t make too many crazy decisions that had me shaking my head. The story was engaging enough on its own and it still kept me on my toes without a bunch of major reveals. Overall another solid read from the author for me.

Amazing book! A thriller with twists and turns and an ending that I did not see coming. A traumatized young girl is assigned an advocate to determine which parent she should live with in the future as the parents are in the midst of a divorce after an affair and the devastating death of their child’s nanny from a fall from the attic of the home where they all reside. But things are not always as they seem.

I don’t know why I’ve never read a book by Sarah Pekkanen but I have clearly been missing out! To say she’s an excellent writer is an understatement! Random but I noticed she likes the word palpable, a lot 😜 I think she used it 5+ times where I don’t think I’ve ever used it in my small little vocabulary. She’s very descriptive in her writing which I loved & is great with her twists, I think I changed my mind on who was responsible for the nanny’s death at least 10 times. Also some very unexpected things that presented itself towards the end, very clever! This was a great read, Pekkanen had me hooked from the very beginning 😍

Thank you to the publisher St Martins Press (you always seem to have the best books), and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

This book was a good read. It was creepy with the child view and a thriller in one. The one thing I wasn’t a fan of was tying in her own life to this as it made it harder for me to understand and imagine what was happening. I could’ve done without that.

This isn’t the first book by this author but I’d recommend.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC of House of Glass! All opinions are my own.

I have been a fan of Sarah Pekkanen for a long time so I had high hopes for House of Glass and it definitely delivered! Pekkanen expertly creates a creepy atmosphere with a child in the center of it. My only complaint is that I don't think the narrator's dive into her own story was necessary. I understand it helped set up her relationship with Rose, but I don't think the book needed her own realizations about what happened to her mom. That being said, overall, I really liked this thriller and it is perfect for the fall season!

House of Glass is probably one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year. I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was totally wrong. The way the author sets the story out it builds a creeping sense of dread. I read this very fast because I could not wait to find out what happened. You should definitely put this on your TBR!

I have mixed feelings about Pekkanen’s latest novel. It fell slightly short of my expectations.

Things I loved:
The premise - The description hooked me! I was invested in Stella’s mission and dedication to Rose
The writing style - It’s engaging and easy to follow
The cover - I love the colors of the cover and think the image added to the overall ominous vibes of the book

Things I struggled with:
The pacing - The first half was a good pace, but the latter half felt repetitive
Too much fluff - The story might have flowed better with some descriptions cut down. The subplot of Stella’s past felt like a distraction from the central mystery

While this was not my favorite of Pekkanen's novels, I will happily read what she writes next.

Stella is a Best Interest Attorney (A lawyer appointed by the court to represent a child's best interests in family law cases, such as divorce or custody. A BIA's responsibilities include investigating the child's life, speaking with witnesses, and recommending a custodial arrangement to the court). When she’s asked to take on a younger child than usual, she only does so because it’s a favor for a friend. At the time she’s leery, and that feeling progresses the more time Stella spends with the Barclay family. Rose is only 9, but after a devastating event, she’s gone mute. Is there a way to reach her? The case also brings up Stella’s own traumatic childhood and she’s finally ready to investigate that as well as trying to come up with the best course of action for Rose, the only issue Stella sees is that Rose is looking more and more like a suspect instead of trauma victim. Will Stella be able to solve both cases before she becomes the next victim of the Barclay family? Pekkanen knows how to write a story that keeps you on edge throughout and the pages turning well into the night! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Stella is lawyer that specializes in child cases when parents get divorced and they need help figuring out custody. Stella starts to realize that something isn’t right in the house. Stella sees Rose the daughter acting strange and stealing sharp objects and she believes that Rose may have killed her nanny that was having an affair with Ian the father. Also Stella is looking into her mother’s death and if someone caused it. Stella decides to trick the family after discovering that they were reading their notes and protecting Rose. Stella discovers that the grandmother was the one who killed the nanny in order to save her family and the life that she had built. Rose trusts Stella and Stella helps her to escape and Rose decides to scream at her grandmother and point at her since she was unable to speak after her nanny’s death. Rose starts talking again and her parents ban together to help her. Stella learns the truth of her parents deaths and she forgives the man that helped her after high school who has been like a second father to her. This book was very interesting and I am so glad I got it in my BOTM subscription.