Stella Hudson is a good friend of Judge Charles Huxley who took her under his wing many years ago and saw to it that she became a successful attorney. Now, she works in Washington, DC as a best interest attorney, also known as a guardian ad litem.

Her next case is to help decide who gets custody of a young girl, Rose, age 9. She recently witnessed her nanny, Tina, fall to her death through a window. Since then, she does not speak which is called traumatic mutism that can happen after a severe trauma. As it happens, Stella suffered the same thing as a child when she found her deceased mother on the floor.

Stella makes visits to the house visiting with Rose or her mother, Beth, or her father Ian. They are staying in the house with Rose but are working on a divorce and both want full custody of the child.

The police are also working to find if Tina had been murdered and if so, who in the house could have killed her. The characters are all flawed, but which one of them will win custody of Rose?

This book is quite mesmerizing and kept me glued to the story. It’s frightening how this child acts. I was actually afraid of her myself. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have read most, if not all of Sarah Pekkanens books and have enjoyed them all. This was no exception. I guess this could be filed under domestic thriller/suspense, as it definitely had both those aspects.

There is always a twist also, and just when you think you may have it figured out, it's something different. I enjoy that, it keeps me guessing. I liked most of the characters on this book, and while i couldn't really relate to them in any personal way, most were likeable.

Stella is an attorney for children going through divorce. She has a new, young client who's nanny just died at the house. Did someone kill her or was it an accident? That is one of the many questions Stella is faced with during her time spent aoth this family.
I recommend this book and author to anyone who likes a domestic thriller.

Pure perfection. I can’t think of a better phrase to describe House of Glass. From the depth of the characters to the ever ratcheting foreboding, there simply wasn’t a thing missing from this psychological thriller. The plot itself was finely layered while my thoughts were constantly plagued with suspicion. First one character was the suspect and then, with just a turn of phrase, someone else took center stage. No matter what I did, the resolution to this original plot remained firmly—and happily—out of my grasp.

The characters, however, were easily my favorite piece to this dynamite stunner. Genuine and true, each and every one felt as though they could walk right off of the page. From the potentially wicked devil child to her devoted albeit suspicious attorney, their behaviors and actions also felt 100% authentic. Along with the realism, however, there was plenty of ongoing unease that radiated from the creepy setting and ominous events. Who was behind it all? Rose? Or someone else?

The naturally unfurling plot was, in all honesty, immersive storytelling at its best. With a blood-curdling climax and more than one moment that brought me to tears, this book reminded me quite a bit of Middle of the Night, which also won me over hook, line, and sinker. From the spectacular pacing that seemed to swell with each additional short chapter to the ever present palpable tension, the twists were something to behold as the plot went along. All told, it just couldn’t have been better. I’m not exaggerating.

Done and dusted, I know without a shadow of a doubt that this book will easily compete for my top read of the year. And while I’m not all that surprised given that Ms. Pekkanen is one of my favorite authors, this one somehow took the cake in terms of my undying love. With gripping dysfunctional family dynamics, dark secrets, and plenty of misdirection, this thriller was, in a word, perfect. So order your copy today. You won’t regret it. I swear. Rating of 5+ stars.

Thank you to Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Whoa! That was good. I forgot how much I love the “creepy child” thrillers - LOL

Basics; 9 year old Roses nanny has a mysterious death, leaving rose “mute” as a survival method. Her parents are in the middle of a divorce, both wanting sole custody of Rose. Enter BIA Stella, who is given the impossible task of researching the family and deciding who the child should live with after the divorce.

One MAJOR complication, Rose cannot verbally respond as to who she wanted to live with or why. Another complication is that Rose is acting strangely, and collecting sharp objects. With the case of the nanny’s death left as a “cold case”, Stella is suspicious of everyone in the house. What if she sends the child to live with a murderer? What if the child is the actual threat? Stella is handpicked for this case, because she herself had suffered mutism after the death of her own mother. Hoping to connect with Rose, and have her “voice” heard, was a driving force to this mystery.

I felt creeped out and uneasy, several characters giving me the vibes of dishonesty. I was suspicious of every character from the start. Although I had one in particular in my sites, but was tricked into believing exactly what the murderer wanted everyone to believe instead.

This was an exciting, unpredictable thriller. The plot keeps you wondering whether characters are traumatized or just plain creepy, and the topics are handled realistically. The characters and dialogue are well written, and the fast paced story makes it hard to put down!

I devoured this book in under a day!! Wow!! Sarah pekkanen writes the best dang thrillers! And I love that they’re based in DC. This one kept me on the edge of my seat dying to know “who dunnit?”

House of Glass is a book about the dark secrets of the Barclay family and the secrets that surround the death of their young nanny and the nine year old girl, Rose Barclay, who witnesses it. While her parents are in the middle of a bitter divorce, the lies and deception revolving around them are endless.
Stella is a best interest lawyer who is appointed to represent children in custody cases. Even though Stella also experienced a traumatic past of her own, she is determined to uncover the truth about what really happened to the nanny. As Stella begins to learn more about the case and the Barclay family, she realizes they are more troubled than she thought. One of the more interesting mysteries is the eerie Barclay home, which is like a plastic house without any glass. As Stella gets close to unraveling the secrets, she finds herself in more and more danger. The book rotates between the past and present, and you begin to wonder which suspect murdered the nanny. Was it the mother, father, grandmother, or even young Rose. House of Glass is a well written thriller that will keep you guessing with each new twist and turn. This book is one you definitely need to read!

House of Glass was a fast paced (at least the first half and last 10%) murder mystery thriller. Stella has a really interesting job, she is the lawyer that makes custody recommendations for children. But she represents the child, not the parents. Stella gets a new client that hits a bit too close to home (they experienced similar trauma that made them mute) named Rose.

Stella decides to get a bit unprofessional and solve a cold case instead of just make a custody agreement lol. I can see how she was trying to figure out who should have Rose but damn she got crazy for a bit and lost me. Leading up to the ending I was kind of bored with how repetitive it got and all the side quests but the ending paid off for me. I don't read a lot of thrillers anymore and I think it has helped me just enjoy them and stop trying to guess or figure out the ending. I definitely recommend if the plot sounds interesting to you!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen and St Martin’s Press for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

So addicting. I read this so fast and I did not want to put it down. It’s a really fast paced and interesting read that I thought was totally going in another direction. I think this may be my favourite book by this author.

4 stars

I love Sarah Pekkanen’s writing. And from the beginning of House of Glass, I was sucked in. Her writing is so good and her stories are just as good too!

From the beginning I was questioning Rose’s involvement in this story. I knew there was something off and questioned her involvement. But to find out the ending, wow, it blew my mind! Stella is the kind of woman you want on your side in an investigation of this magnitude. She is the kind of lawyer everyone should have.


***Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin;s Press for an ARC copy***

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl whose parents are in the midst of a bitter divorce and who stopped speaking after witnessing the death of her nanny which may or may not have been murder. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. As Stella talks to and observes the Barclays in their historic DC home her feeling of dread increases and brings back memories of her own childhood.

First, I have to say that I didn't realize there was such a thing as a "best interest attorney" but I looked it up and it's a real occupation. Second, I can't believe this book was written by the same person who wrote such mediocre (imo) books as "Gone Tonight" and "The Perfect Neighbors". This one surpassed both of those - again, in my opinion.

I was totally drawn into this story and the sense of foreboding that it engendered. The side story about Charles, Stella's mentor, was also intriguing but I didn't really like how that thread was wrapped up. There's a good mix of characters and the short chapters made the book easy to race through. There are many many reviews of this book so I'm keeping mine short and sweet!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for providing access to the ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: August 6, 2024

Sarah Pekkanen is known for her well-crafted, suspense-filled reads, and House of Glass is no exception. Filled with oodles of twists and turns, it kept me on the edge of my seat, guessing which way things might go, right up til the very end. A great option if you’re in the mood for a delightfully tense beach read this summer.

Laura Benanti did a fantastic job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

House of Glass is a tense thriller following our main character Stella who has been called on the case to help a 9 year old girl Rose through a difficult situation.

Rose’s parents are both fighting for full custody in the midst of a messy divorce, the judge has reached an Impasse due to recent events involving the suspicious death of Roses nanny, a case that has since gone cold due to lack of evidence.

The problem is either parent could be a killer, and Stella is facing the impossible task of finding the safest home for Rose to live in, something even the police couldn’t figure out.

It is clear from the first time Stella steps foot into Roses home that something isn’t right. She senses a dark presence within the home, an unnerving feeling she can’t seem to shake. The more time she spends on the case the more she realizes there’s more than two suspects, anybody could be the killer and she has to race to figure it out whilst also battling demons from her own past that have begun to resurface.

This is a bit of a slow burn but the tension is palpable from the very beginning, throughout. Rose gave me the creeps from the getgo, a traumatized mute young girl who has a habit of collecting sharp objects. I’d class this as unputdownable because I couldn’t stop reading until I had answers. The author does an excellent job of misdirection and providing multiple possible suspects.

This is definitely a bingeable read and I enjoyed the sinister tones throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and saint Martin’s press for an advanced copy!

This was another solid thriller that I’ve been excited to read. I went into this book blind (like I pretty much always do) and was pleased to find out that there’s the promise of a creepy child in this thriller. It’s one of my favourite components in an unsettling book.

There was much more involved than just that aspect, and I thought the author did a great job of bringing all the pieces together. There was a bit of a romance, some family trauma, and a whole whack of secrets to uncover. I wasn’t quite as captivated with the story as I thought I would be, but it was still a good read.

I don’t have much else to say about this one. I recommend you try it out if you enjoy this genre!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy!

Such a good read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this one. It was a different kind of story bc a child is counted amongst the suspects. It adds an added element of tension to the story, a story that seems pretty straightforward.

I also really liked the narrator. I hate when a narrator makes bad decisions and walks into questionable scenarios without questioning them. What I appreciated about Stella is that she was realistic about risks, even if she did them anyway, I felt like the acknowledgment of them made her actions make sense. She’s a well-rounded character that seemed relatable.

Def one I’ll recommend and a def an author I’ll read more of.

House of glass is a thriller that follows Stella a child advocate assigned to help 9-year-old Rose while her parents battle a divorce and custody dispute. After Rose witnesses her nanny's death, she becomes mute. As Stella spends more time with Rose, she realizes things are not quite what they seem.
I really enjoyed this book; it was hard to put down. Entertaining with lots of twist that kept me guessing throughout. I felt a little disappointed with the ending as I was hoping for a bigger plot. The book itself was well written and well put together.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review

Whew - what a ride! This book had me second guessing nearly until the end. Loved the character development and the misdirections. This book kept me hooked from start to finish!

Stella is an attorney who is appointed to represent Rose, a child in a custody battle whose parents both want full custody of her. The case quickly becomes personal for Stella as she sees herself in Rose, since she as traumatic mutism, just like Stella did when she found her mother dead when she was 7 years old. Rose was traumatized from seeing her nanny fall from their home's attic window and die. But as Stella starts to interview everyone in the family's orbit, she wonders if the nanny's death may not have been an accident. Everyone becomes a suspect.

This was a slow burn psychological thriller that pulled me in. I really liked Stella; she still had some trauma from her childhood to work through. All the characters had some depth to them, which also made me question them as potential suspects. The author did a great job of keeping the reader on their toes with so many red herrings!

I’ve read many of Ms. Pekkanen books and enjoyed them. This one I too enjoyed for the most part but there was just something that I can’t put my finger on it that keeps me from “loving it”. I think I felt some plot twists were far fetched but again, I can’t really put my finger on it. I enjoyed the first 50% and then just started to get tired of it. Ms. Pekkanen will continue to be a must read author for me. Thank you for this arc in exchange of an honest review.