So I did accidentally start reading this book after finishing a different book with a creepy kid (I like to go in to books kind of blindly) but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of this one. Once I got to make the 30% mark I couldn't put it down.
This is a great one to consume with your ears. The narrator did a great job with pacing and bringing the unlikable characters to life.

I was provided both a print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a really interesting phycological thriller. It follows attorney Stella as she works a case to figure out the best custody arrangement for young client Rose. Rose's parents have filed for divorce after their live in nanny fell out a window and it came to light that she was having an affair with Rose's father. Rose has stopped speaking after the horrible events in her home, so it is Stella's job to put together the facts and determine what the most suitable and safe environment for Rose will be after the divorce. As she gets to know the family, it is clear that they are hiding something and they know more about the nanny's death than they are letting on. The closer she gets to the truth, the more likely it is that anyone of them could have murdered the nanny including nine year old Rose. As Stella investigates the case, trauma from her own past surfaces, and she struggles to keep her own feelings out of the case she is investigating as her past overlaps her present.

This kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. One second I was convinced it was the daughter, the next it was one of the parents, then it was the grandmother, then in the next chapters I changed my mind again. The author does a good job providing the reader with a good amount of red herrings to keep you guessing but does leave enough clues lead you to the right answer. I also enjoyed learning about Stella's background story, it had you wondering if it was a distraction from the main plot, if she was projecting her own trauma onto the case or if she was doing a better job because of her past. I do think the addition of the romantic subplot was a bit unnecessary, it was a small part of the book so it wasn't that distracting.

Overall I enjoyed this, I thought I had great pacing, and while I normally don't like books with small children in them when it comes to thrillers this one was worth the read.

Stella Hudson is a “best interest attorney,” assigned by the court in divorce/custody cases to ensure the best result for the child. Ian and Beth Barclay are getting divorced, the final straw being Ian’s affair with their nanny, Tina. But Tina is now dead having fallen from a window in the Barclay’s massive house. Rose is the child caught in the middle, but she hasn’t spoken since the death of Tina. Add Ian’s mother, Hannah, to the mix and you have a mess that Stella must wade through in determining which parent should have custody post divorce. Stella had a difficult childhood as well including suffering from “traumatic mutism” just like Rose so she seems to be a good fit to investigate and make the appropriate recommendations. But it is not nearly as straightforward as one would expect as each adult seems to have their own agenda.

This was the first book I have read by Pekkanen, having seen/heard about her earlier works, most of which was positive. I was not all that impressed - there were too many places where the story seemed to get bogged down in irrelevant dialog and description. The story does keep you guessing as to who will be the real bad guy - all the main characters were possible - although I did guess who it was fairly early on and the ultimate reveal was well done. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Publishers for the arc of House of Glass. I’ve read all of Sarah’s books so I was thrilled to get a chance to read this one. In the beginning be know that a nanny feel to her death from an open window in the mansion where Rose lives with her family. Rose’s parents are getting a divorce and are working through a custody battle. Stella is the attorney who was assigned to Rose to find out which parent should obtain custody of Rose. Stella was assigned this case by Charles, who has known Stella for many years and because he knows that Stella will relate well to Rose due to her traumatic mutism. When Stella starts going over to the mansion for visits with Rose, we start to get an uneasy vibe that progresses into creepiness. I do enjoy a creepy kid book. But this was so much more. We get to follow Stella as she collects clues along the way and we also get to visit Stella’s backstory which was her traumatic childhood and the death of her Mom. Two stories unfolding at the same time with breadcrumbs we can follow lead to a tense and gripping novel. There were a few times where I was stunned and shocked at some of the revelations. I read this in one sitting because I needed to see it through. The character development was very well done and the suspense was perfect.

If you’re new to the thriller genre and are looking for a suspenseful read, House of Glass might be a good pick for you. But if you’re a seasoned reader with a number of thrillers under your belt, I’d skip this one. The plot is fairly one dimensional and felt like it dragged. The twist at the end was a bit of a let down after a lot of build up. On the plus side, there is an interesting set up and premise and it is a fast read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

My first solo book read from Sarah Pekkanen. I've previously read and enjoyed all the co-authored books she wrote with Greer Hendricks. This latest book from Pekkanen is a psychological thriller that I liked in parts, but never felt fully invested in.

I personally did not become invested in the lead character, and with the entire novel being from that character's first person pov, I struggled. I felt there was a lot of telling instead of showing or revealing. Giant red herrings throughout - I knew the obvious wouldn't be the final outcome, but it was hard to see past the misdirection. The suspense definitely built to the end, but again much of the resolution was told instead of shown. I didn't hate this book by any means, but overall I won't find it memorable.

ARC received from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

House of Glass by Sara Pekkamen is a psychological thriller that probably will make you think. How far can someone go to protect themselves or their idea of normalcy?

Stella is a BIA who works for the interest of minors. Charles, her mentor, urges her to take up the case where both the parents want custody of Rose. But Rose is mute. Can Stella advocate for Rose without bias? Meanwhile, Stella has to fight her own demons while advocating for Rose.

This book kept me hooked until the end. The twists and turns of the story were interesting, though Stella's inner thoughts were distracting sometimes. However, the author has done an amazing job of writing the effects of trauma even years after the event or events. The grief that someone carries can be traumatic for an individual, and the author has captured it well. Be warned that there are definitely some content warnings with this book, so please look into it.

Rose Barclay is a nine year old with traumatic mutism, witnessing not only her parents' divorce but the events leading up to it--the fatal fall of her nanny, impregnated by her father. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, assigned to determine which of Rose's parents should be given custody of her. But with Rose unable, and unwilling, to assist her, her task is that much harder.

The Barclay estate is beautiful, but each time she visits, Stella senses malevolence. She soon begins to distrust everyone who lives there--Rose's parents, Rose's grandmother, even Rose herself.

Set in the autumn, with cooling weather, falling leaves, this novel is as chilling as its season. As Stella endangers herself to draw out the killer, she also faces her own past--her mother's death when she was only seven, who her mother's last visitor was. Sarah Pekkanen writes impeccable suspense. #HouseofGlass #NetGalley

I really enjoy this author and was super excited to read this one! It definitely did not disappoint. The writing kept me intrigued and engaged with the story. I enjoyed our protagonist and the wide cast of characters. The mystery in the story was a rollercoaster. I enjoyed the psychological elements of the plot. It really kept me guessing. I felt like the plot of Marco, his new girlfriend, and Angela was irrelevant and completely unnecessary. Same thing with the budding romance with detective Garcia.

Such a great thriller!! I thought I knew what had happened, but it went a different way. I loved the suspense and questions this story had. I really enjoyed reading this one. The audiobook was so good too! I really enjoyed the narrator, and the audio gave the story more suspense. Very good! Highly recommend!!

*Thank you @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted e-galley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: ebook and audiobook

😮Creepy kid
😮Creepy house
😮Traumatic mutism
😮Suspenseful - you won’t want to put it down
😮DC setting
😮Quick read

I keep thriller reviews short because I don’t want to give too much away. This book was creepy in the best way! I was reading it at night while my husband was out of town and got sufficiently SPOOKED.

I think this would make a good book club pick! So much to discuss.

I’ve heard mixed reviews about the audio, but I personally really enjoyed it!

A big thank you to @macmillan.audio for my audiobook and @stmartinspress for my eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. House of Glass is out now!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one and finished it in one sitting. Laura Benanti did a fantastic job with the audio and I was sucked in right away.

I had no idea what was going on in the thriller and I kept making guesses and wasn’t sure how it was going to end. I did like the twist and how everything came together.

I found the connection between Stella and Rose interesting and couldn’t help but looking into the theme of traumatic muteness.

The backstory on the Stella and a few other secondary characters helped move the story along and I was really connected to many of the characters because of their past.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this one especially if you are into thrillers that keep you on your toes.

House of Glass
By Sarah Pekkanen
Published: 8/6/24
Genre: thriller

This thriller brings to the forefront that things aren’t always what they seem and people aren’t always exactly who you think they are. Life is complicated and messy for these characters. It was a little slow of a pace for a thriller. I didn’t find the reveals to be particularly surprising, and I wouldn’t say there were really any shocking twists. I liked it better than okay, but less than enjoyed. If I’m being picky, I’d rate this one 3.75 stars. Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I also grabbed a physical copy from BOTM, because I do prefer turning those paper pages.😉 Even though this wasn’t my favorite, I thought The Golden Couple was excellent and will continue to read books by this author.

When the tension is this palpable, something big is bound to happen, right?


Therapist Stella works mainly with young children to get a feel of how their home life is, particularly when a divorce is happening in the child’s life. When she takes a client, a peculiar child named Rose, who reminds Stella of herself, all bets are off. After her nanny mysteriously dies by falling out of a window, Rose becomes selectively mute, made worse by the fighting amongst her parents. As Stella gets to know each member of the Barclay family and each friend surrounding them, she learns that she can’t really believe anything any of them say.

There was such amazing tension throughout this book. There were definitely WTF moments and times where I was second guessing where the plot was heading. There were definitely numerous twists that I didn’t see coming and this kept me on the edge of my seat!
Stella may not have been my number 1 pick as a therapist with everything she had going on mentally in her life (although a good therapist wouldn’t let that interfere), but she truly seemed to want the best for Rose. I’m not normally a fan of unreliable narrators, but this was really well done and even had me wondering what was going on.
I saw the large twist coming, and wish the conclusion had been a little more believable, so this was my big reason for this not being a 5 star read.
However, as far as thillers go, this was a fun one!

After nearly a full month of only reading romance, this was a great thriller to break things up! I've read all of Sarah Pekkanen's books written with coauthor Greer Hendricks, but never any of hers alone. This one did not disappoint and kept my interest from the start!

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-0ld girl who, after potentially witnessing the death of her nanny, has gone mute. Also in the midst of her parent's divorce, her life has been turned upside down. Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney, has been appointed to serve as Rose's attorney in the custody case. But from the moment she lays eyes on Rose, she knows this is no ordinary case. When she steps into the Barclay's historic DC home, she realizes the case is much more twisted than she feared.

I was really impressed with how the author drew the reader in from the start. All the characters had depth to them and just when you thought you had something figured out, something would happen and you'd realize you were wrong. From the atmospheric setting to the unreliable characters, this one was one I couldn't put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital copy. My review is honest and voluntary.

Thankyou netgalley for my ARC copy of House of Glass! I was super excited to read it because this book was already on my tbr! It was fast paced (short chapters-the best!) and overall fun to read. I love a whodunnit! I did predict most, if not all of the twists pretty early on though so the reveal wasn't exciting and that's the sole reason I'm giving it 3 stars! Would still recommend it to a friend and I did end up purchasing the hard copy :)

“Do you think children can be born evil?”

3.5 stars! This is a solid murder mystery with a creepy house devoid of any and all glass, a strange child, concerning family dynamics, and a nanny that plunged to her death in the family home.

The character development was great! I really enjoyed the peek into court appointed special interest attorney Stella’s childhood trauma and how that helped her help Rose Barclay, the poor nine-year-old caught in the middle of the chaos.

The audiobook was fantastic! The narrator did a great job bringing unique tones to each character and also harnessing the angst of the story as the mystery deepened. By the end she had me at the edge of my seat!

“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, I think.”

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This binge worthy thriller left me shocked by a surprising ending, the mark of a truly great thriller for me.

Stella is an attorney assigned to the case of a 9 year old child, trying to decide what living situation will be best for her. Unfortunately, her client Rose is not speaking after witnessing a horrific accident in her home. As Stella interviews the family and friends surrounding Rose, she must sift through the untruths to figure out what is best for the young girl.

Unique plot, sympathetic characters, buried secrets, and a child who may or may not be dangerous? Yes please! Stella’s job was interesting to me, and I enjoyed listening in on the interviews and hearing from all the family members, trying to put the story together myself as I went.

The story was well written, concealing anything that would give away the ending until the very last moment. Pekkanen did a fantastic job setting an eerie atmosphere full of characters who might not be who they seem, and I really enjoyed this one!

I listened to the audio partially, which was incredibly well done and I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Pekkanen has done it again! She is so good at creating fast paced thrillers that have you wanting to binge read 😃 House of Glass is no exception. When Stella is tasked with determining what is best for 9year old Rose, the twists and mysteries that unfold are delightful. Stella is exceptionally perfect for this case as she too experienced a case of mutism after a tragic event in her life- so understanding Rose and how she is feeling allows the story to delve deeper into how tragedies can affect a person. I don’t want to give too much away- just read this book NOW! The only reason it is not a 5⭐️ read for me is that the sections about Stella’s personal revelations just seemed thrown in there to check a queer box. Other than this, fantastic read!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Stella Hudson works as a best interest attorney, where her job is to recommend custody in divorce cases. Her new case is the Barclay family, where their 9 year old daughter Rose stopped speaking after her nanny died falling from the attic. Rose reminds Stella of her own traumatic past, making her want to help determine what is best for Rose. As Stella begins to dig into the relationships and past of the Barclay family, she discovers many secrets it seems the Barclays may kill to cover up. Stella has to solve the mystery of the nanny's death at the Barclay home while finally facing the secrets of her own past.

House of Glass is another stand-out thriller from Sarah Pekkanen. The book slowly peels bank new mysteries and confusing facts that Stella uncovers in her investigation. As Stella believes more and more that Rose or another member of the Barclay family had something to do with the death of their nanny, the book ramps up in intensity. Pekkanen balances this story with Stella's own investigation into her parents death and draws nice parallels that keep Stella and the narrative motivated. I enjoyed this book a lot and its unique perspective of a best interest attorney (taking up a role that is normally a detective). Rose Barclay was a complex character for Stella to examine and the book keeps tossing new twists at the reader throughout the book. Highly recommend this to thriller fans and anyone who has enjoyed Pekkanen's past works.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of House of Glass in exchange for an honest review.