An atmospheric whodunits with a touch of Great Expectations? I'm here for it.

We meet Stella, a Best Interests Attorney who advocates for children when no one in their lives seems to be pure of heart. She thinks she's seen it all, until she meets the Barclays. Their nanny has just died in a terrible accident - or was she murdered? - and seeing as how she was pregnant with Mr. Barclay's child, a divorce is in the works. Caught between 2 parents and an ever-present grandma, Rose Barclay, age 9, will not say which parent she wants to live with more. Will not, or cannot - Rose has gone mute after seeing her nanny fall through a window and hit the concrete patio.

While Stella spends more time than she would like in the Barclay's, a haunted house of horrors, we learn more about her background. Stella is getting divorced, and the only person she can turn to is Charles - who also happens to be the judge who asked her to work with Rose. He's like a father figure to her, having given her a receptionist job at his law firm while she was still a high school student. Raised by her aunt, who clearly resented her after both of her parents tragically died, it seems like Charles is the only one who has always been there for her.

Pekkanen seamlessly weaves Stella's tale along with Rose's as the reader comes to grips as to what really happened with the Barclays. Which one of them is the best person to take care of Rose? Or does Rose need another type of help entirely?

In the end, there are maybe one too many twists, especially in Stella's backstory, to be completely believable and a few details could be edited out. But overall, House of Glass is a taut, fast-paced roller coaster of a novel that earns every one of these 4 stars.

Rose Barclay is 9 years old and witnesses her nanny, Tina, fall to her death. She then suffers from traumatic mutism, in that she won’t talk. All the members of Rose’s family are home when this happens- her mom, dad, and grandmother. It could have been an accident, as the window was low to the ground, but all the members of the household attest that they weren’t anywhere near Tina, when she fell. To complicate matters, Rose’s father had an affair with TIna and now Rose’s parents are getting divorced. Stella, is a lawyer, assigned to Rose’s case. Her job is to figure out what is best for Rose in regards to her parent’s divorce, as far as who she should live with and what visitation rights should be given. Her job is complicated by the nanny’s death, as she doesn’t want to send Rose to live with a murderer. However, she was assigned to Rose’s case because she also experienced traumatic mutism as a kid and can help Rose get over it. There is some intrigue as everyone in Rose’s family is considered suspect by Stella. However, I liked the first 20% and the last 20%. Everything in the middle was such a slow burn, that I was even bored by the story. Overall, just an okay thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader’s copy.

Format:📱 Ebook

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.4

In House of Glass, Stella Hudson becomes the best interest attorney of nine-year-old Rose Barclay, who suffers from traumatic mutism following the suspicious death of her nanny.

✴️ World building: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's a slow start, but it does actually work really well in building up this story.

✴️ Writing style/ flow: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Slower-paced, yet intriguing. Some of the flashbacks are long and it makes it hard to go back to what was currently taking place.

✴️ Character development: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As a survivor of trauma, I could completely relate to the character of Stella. The description of the emotions she had currently and from flashbacks of the past were depicted so vividly.

✴️ Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ The story is unexpectedly spooky around every corner and leaves you wanting more.
* Someone called the cops and said they heard a woman screaming for help, oof! Without spoiling it, this part totally gave me the creeps and I couldn't stop reading!
* When Rose disappears and Stella finds her - okay, this is also creepy. 😅
~ Oooh there's a flirtatious love interest 🤔👀💖
~ The ending! Oh, my heart! 🥹 This book wraps up everything so well.

✴️ Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow! This isn't an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but it's more of a slower and complex character-driven story that is absolutely captivating!

This is the first book I've read by Sarah Pekkanen, and I will definitely be reading more!


*** Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to review. All opinions are my own.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen begins with ad-litem attorney Stella Hudson, a passionate advocate, who takes on the case of nine-year-old Rose, caught in the middle of her wealthy parents’ contentious divorce and nasty custody battle. Complicating matters, Rose has gone mute after the traumatic loss of her nanny, who fell to her death out of a window at the Barclay’s residence. Stella’s work is made more difficult by Rose’s parents and grandmother, who want nothing more than to have Stella out of their way. Determined to help Ruth, Stella uncovers the family’s secrets and lands in danger’s way. There are many secrets that need uncovering to protect Rose from being placed with the wrong parent. Everyone is considered a suspect. With a lot of twists and turns, the author will keep you on your toes.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Berkley

A thriller.. a 9 year old caught in the midst of her parents divorce begins acting oddly. Where is the glass in the house? Why? What happened to her nanny. This book gives you chills as you follow court appointed Stella wading though lies and mysteries to figure out the best interest of this possibly murderous young girl!

When a young nanny falls to her death, the family that employs her comes under intense scrutiny. Rose Barclay, the child who witnessed the fall and is caught in the middle of her parent’s bitter divorce, is appointed a best interest attorney in Stella Hudson. With a child who won’t speak and a family hiding a whole host of secrets, Stella must work to get to the bottom of what went on in the house of “glass”.

Although this was technically a buddy read, I could not help but binge this book in a sitting. Oops. Sarah Pekkanen has a way of setting the scene by creating this very ominous, intense atmosphere that adds an extra layer to the story. Small details, such as the lack of glass, are what helped make the house and people in it creepy AF.

Because Pekkanen spends as much time on her characters as she does on her plot line (something many thriller writers do not do), every character ends up feeling three dimensional and life-like. So much so in fact, that I found myself questioning each and every one of them throughout the story. As twist by twist is revealed, I had no idea what the ultimate outcome would be. For someone who reads a ton of thrillers, that is rare these days.

🎧 This book is phenomenal on audio, narrated brilliantly by actress Laura Benanti. I would suggest doing an immersive read of this book, using both the physical/ebook and the audiobook together for the best reading experience.

Read if you like:
• psychological thrillers
• whodunnits
• large casts
• atmospheric reads
• quick reads

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

House of Glass is another suspenseful book by Sarah Pekkanen. I have read several books written by Pekkanen and enjoyed them all. This book has plenty of twists that kept me guessing how this story would end.

(3.5⭐️) This book was a wild ride. It drew me in from the first chapter, and kept a thread of suspense the entire way through, making this an easy one to binge. Creepy little kid characters are such a draw in a thriller setting, and it worked well here. I do think it was a pretty slow burn for a thriller, and there were times in the middle where it dragged and things felt a little repetitive, and I wanted the story to move more forward than it was. However, the last section of the book really picks up, some things are revealed (not shocking to me but a little surprising), and might’ve been my favorite part of the whole book.

I switched between Audio and E on this and I really enjoyed both. I loved the dynamic between the characters. I found it difficult to trust them all and did not like what they had to say (or did not have to say) through most of the book. There were creepy and chilling scenes that definitely had me on the edge of my seat. I figured out the ending pretty quickly, but it did not stop me from enjoying how the book played out. I liked the story line - a nanny falls (or is pushed) from a window and dies. The child she is watching becomes mute from the trauma. A lawyer is assigned to figure out which parent should have custody in their divorce. The Grandma was with the child when the Nanny died. The lawyer has her own traumatic past, which adds to the drama of the book. Overall, this was really well done and enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copies.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The author is the reason I wanted to read this book. Sarah Pekkanen has become a favorite of mine over the years. I really liked the premise of this story. It is about a best interest attorney for a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny. The child doesn’t speak and her parents are going through a divorce. While reading, I didn’t know who to trust and considered everyone a suspect at some point. And I mean everyone! There were so many layers to this story and I liked how everything tied together. I thought this was a great psychological thriller and really enjoy Sarah‘s writing. I recommend checking this one out next time you’re in the mood for whodunnit that will keep you guessing until the end.

This psychological thriller starts out with the mysterious death of Tina, the nanny to Rose Barclay, the 9 year old daughter of a wealthy New York couple. Tina falls to her death from the 3rd floor attic window of the Barclay mansion, Rose witnessing it all. Ever since then, Rose will not speak and is diagnosed with 'traumatic mutism'. 'Omen' vibes anyone???

As the Barclays' are already in the throes of a divorce proceedings, Stella Hudson is brought in to work with Rose. Stella is a 'best interest' attorney, the type of attorney that is hired to represent the best interests of the child during such cases. This was interesting as I didn't know these types of lawyers existed before.
She usually works with teenagers, but her boss assigns this case to Stella since she had a similar childhood episode when her mom died, that rendered her mute.
Everyone is a suspect at this point when it's discovered that Tina was pregnant with Ian's (Rose's father) baby.
Did the wife kill Tina, the husband, or was it just an unfortunate accident? Rose is creepy incarnate as she sulks around the house, avoiding Stella. Rose collects sharp objects, Rose is reading books about Ted Bundy, and Rose spies on people in their bedrooms.
Could Rose herself be a suspect or just a traumatized innocent?

Stella is on the case and hopes to soon find out, but is haunted by her similar past and dysfunctional relationship with her mother. We go back and forth between the present day and flashbacks from Stella's childhood. There are long stretches like this when the author abandons the original plot and digs deep into Stella's past and the causes of her fears of abandonment and insecurities, all which prevent her from being loved in adulthood. This becomes tedious at times, and drags out Stella's investigation. She runs through the timeline of events again and again in her head until things start to come together. The true conclusion is anti-climatic but there is a good twist with her boss who ended up having a past relationship with her mother, which explains a few things. This is really a story about 2 little girls with similar pasts/conditions that end up being thrown together, like it or not. It wasn't that suspenseful, thrilling, or scary, but an entertaining read.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book at 30%.
It was very slow and kind of boring. I wasn't a fan of Stella and in my opinion she needed to figure out her own demons before she could actually help Rose. I also didn't care for any of the other characters and I just couldn't get myself to keep reading it.
I am sure others will find this book interesting but it wasn't for me.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Stella has been appointed by a judge to evaluate a custody situation of a child. However, this isn’t any normal case. The child’s nanny plunged to her death from t their house. The child is traumatized and will not speak, so she cannot say what she knows. Was it the mom? Was it the dad, who is having an affair with the nanny? Could it be the loving grandmother living with the family, or the child herself?

This book was kind of predictable, but an easy read. I had a hard time getting into it, but there were some interesting parts, such as Stella‘s relationship with the child.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Sarah Pekkanen for an advanced copy of this book.

Sarah Pekkanen continues to deliver in a manner that solidifies her place on my list of “must read” authors. She’s earned another gold medal in ‘House of Glass’ with this 4.5 star read I’m bumping up to 5 stars.

Enthralling, thrilling, and smart I was immediately invested in the story of a young girl, Rose, who tragically witnessed the death of her nanny who fell through a window in the family home, landing on the backyard patio in front of her. Due to this life changing event, Rose is experiencing trauma based mutism. To make things even more challenging, Rose’s parents are going through a divorce in light of the news that Rose’s father had an affair with the nanny. With both parents fighting custody, outside mediation is needed.

Stella Hudson is brought on as a BIA, Best Interest Attorney, to determine what is best for the child. In order to make this determination, she needs to speak with and spend time with the entire family, including Rose, who currently isn’t speaking. Stella’s mentor, Charles, is the one who brought the case to Stella and suggested she take it due to what she experienced as a young girl, causing trauma based mutism in her as well.

The more time Stella spends with the family, the more she questions what really happened to the nanny; people don’t usually just fall through windows on the upper level of a house. If Rose’s mom or dad was involved in the death, it would greatly impact Stella’s decision of who should be granted custody of Rose.

But when Stella sees Rose picking up a shard of glass to put in her pocket, she begins to think the unthinkable. Maybe Rose grew angry with her nanny sleeping with her father, resulting in the final straw in her parents already strained marriage, leading to their divorce. Then Stella realizes all of the glass in the house, including family photos and mugs in the kitchen, have all been replaced with plastic. What has this family done? Who is guilty? And is the family protecting Rose or are they afraid of her?

Again, this was brilliantly told from start to finish! I always look forward to a thriller from Sarah Pekkanen and recommend this to all thriller lovers! This released August 6th so make sure to secure your copy!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to both read then listen to this in exchange for honest feedback. The audiobook narrator did a marvelous job bringing the story and characters to life!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen 🔎🔎🔎🔎🔎
(finished on June 16, 2024)

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on August 6, 2024.

Sarah Pekkanen is becoming one of my favorite authors, and I loved House of Glass. It’s a little bit of a slow burn, but it’s never boring.

“Have you ever tried to read a novel and not enjoyed it, then gone back at another point in time and loved it? The story didn’t change. But you did.”
— Sarah Pekkanen, House of Glass

I liked this book but didn't love it. It just didn't WOW me like her other books have. But it was still good. I did find it easy to figure out. I was spot on correct in who did what and why... But it was still very good. This author always delivers good books.

This is a story about a little girl. In a way it's about two little girls.

Rose who lives in a big house with everything she wants. Possibly not everything she needs though. Her parents are getting a divorce. Her grandma is crippled in a way. Walks with a cane and seems to be crazy about Rose. There is a dead nanny and Rose saw her fall. Rose can't talk, she is mute due to the trauma. She actually loved her nanny.

Stella who is working with the the lawyers to determine who Rose should live with. Stella found her own mother dead when she was just a child and also became mute after. She feels a connection to Rose. She wants more than anything to save her. To protect her. But she is also a bit afraid of Rose.

The house Rose lives in has absolutely no glass anywhere in it. Not the windows, cabinets, no mirrors. Nowhere. Not even the picture frames. Seems Rose might like to collect broken shards of glass.

This story is very good. Very well written and will keep you guessing. Mostly. I did figure out who did what and why. In two parts I figured out the motives. That didn't really take away from the story though. The characters were fairly likable. After you get to know them that is. What took away from this story for me was feelings. I just had no feelings when reading it. No tears, laughter, happiness. Nothing. But again I did like it.

Thank you #NetGalley, #SarahPekkanen, #StMartinsPress, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

4/5 stars.

Interesting novel but failed premise, as I've just finished reading a book about a highly non-oral child, and just because the girl couldn't talk didn't mean she couldn't communicate. If she had just written more messages other than "GO AWAY" this whole book would have dissolved. The plot rested solely on the fact that she was so traumatized she couldn't write anything down other than 2 words. Silliness.

Thank you, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Sarah Pekkanen for an advance copy of "House of Glass." I have been a huge Sarah Pekkanen fan since I first read Gone tonight; so I was so excited to get the opportunity to read House of Glass. The cover alone is intriguing to me. I feel it will definitely catch the eye of a reader to explore its content.

This psychological thriller is about Stella, an attorney that case is to determine custody arrangement for a recently muted girl named Rose after the death of her nanny. Stella having her own childhood trauma is invested to know what really occurred in Barclay House and why strongly all the glass has been removed from the premise. This book has you grasp to your seat and has you wondering what secrets each family member holds.

The House of Glass will become available Aug 6,2024. Thank you again for the advance for an honest review.

A great plot with curious characters. Well paced domestic thriller. It starts with nine year old Rose Barclay "living in hell". While her parents are going through a nasty divorce and custody battle , Rose's nanny falls to her death and Rose sees the body. The question is, was the fall an accident or was it murder? What sinister things are going on in the Barclay household? As her parents and grandmother close ranks and seem to be untruthful to possibly protect Rose, the mystery grows.

Enter Stella Hudson, the child's counsel appointed to Rose to determine what is best for her after she explores all factors and people involved. Stella, has her own history of childhood trauma so she usually doesn't work with younger children but takes the case as a favor for her friend and mentor Charles. Since the trauma, Rose is mute so Stella has her work cut out for her. The home seems to have a negative energy, nothing feels safe and everyone seems to be lying. What has happened in the Barclay home, who is safe and who is not, and most importantly, what is best for Rose? A quite enjoyable read!

Once again Sarah Pekkanen does not disappoint! Stellia is an attorney who helps children in custody battles. She's asked to work on this case by the person she's the closest to. The case involves Rose, a young child who doesn't talk and just witnessed her nanny's death. Stella must interact with the people in Rose's life to see which parent would serve the best interest for Rose.

This book is told from the perspective of Stella. She had no idea what to except but at the end of the day she wants what's best for Rose. However, going into this she doesn't know she may need to watch out for Rose herself. Soon after spending time and talking to the people closest to Rose, she learns there's a lot to unpack here. While working on the case, Stella is reminded of her childhood which wasn't a great one. Her Dad died from swerving a deer and she was there for her Mom's death. She decides she wants to look more into her Mom's death to discover what actually happened.

Sarah Pekkanen does a great job making this a tense story. I had no idea what to except the whole book. I did have some doubts about certain people throughout the book. You could never tell who was being honest and who was lying. It was fun seeing Stella would adapt to the situations around her. She was very resourceful and would try to find ways to uncover information. It also helped she had some side characters helping her along the way.

I did see people say they wish there was more interaction with Rose. I didn't have an issue. I felt it made Rose mysterious and left you to try to figure out what was going on with her. Of course, towards the end of the story the information gets answered so everything gets wrapped up for you. So if you like things left maybe open ended or not wrapped up in a nice little bow you may not like this as much. I overall enjoyed it and it even mentioned details I forgot about.

*Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press & Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*