I liked this book a lot. You think you know what is going to happen and then you don't. Then, as you continue, you think you have it, and then again, it surprises you. NOTHING is as it seems. The chapters are short and keep you wanting more. There is some filler in there, but it's not awful. The story is really well written. I want to give it a 5 ⭐️ rating, but my gut is saying 4.5 ⭐️

This book will be available on August 6. 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this story ahead of the release date.

The main plot of House of Glass revolves around a custody dispute during the divorce of two wealthy people. Main character Stella is an attorney and has been hired to represent the couple's child Rose. It's Stella's job to spend time with the family and then give her recommendation to the court on what she thinks would be best for Rose. Unfortunately the task will be more difficult than usual, as Rose has not spoken a word after witnessing her nanny falling to her death out of her window. Stella experienced a similar traumatic mutism in her childhood, and with flashbacks we get a subplot of a mystery surrounding her own mother.

I was intrigued by the premise right away. Rose was eerie and I enjoy a good creepy child story every now and then. One of my favorite old movies is called The Bad Seed and it was giving that kind of vibe. I've seen many five star reviews for this one but it just didn't wow me. I wasn't as interested in Stella's past story so every time it switched back I think I lost interest. The main mystery had a good resolution but personally I thought it was predictable. But overall I liked it, it was a quick listen, and I think many others will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I had an absolute blast with this one. I love thrillers where EVERYONE is a suspect, because you’re always on edge. And involving possible murderous children? Yep, I’m on edge alright.

I’m not going to say whether I saw the end coming or not, because I don’t really let that affect my rating. (I’ve read too many thrillers at this point to not solve the whodunits anymore; I’m just happy as long as I don’t predict it from the premise alone.) But with more than a couple suspects, I never really knew for sure. And I do love being surprised with other twists and turns along the way.

The pacing of this book was perfect. I usually need dual POV or timelines in books to break things up and keep my focus, but despite this book having neither (except for some flashbacks), I couldn’t put it - or my headphones- down. (Okay I mean I did have to eventually as I work and have two little ones, but I listened to this in all my free time outside of that.)

This is a must read if you’re a fellow thriller lover, and a good one to try if you’re thinking about dipping your metaphorical toes in the metaphorical water!

House of Glass is another hit for Sarah Pekkanen! Fast-paced and twisty, I loved every minute of this wild and crazy ride!

Stella Hudson is a best interested attorney who normally works with teenagers due to her own trauma as a young child, but when a mentor and trusted friend recommends her as the best person to take on the case for 9 year old Rose Barclay she trusts his judgement.

But Stella quickly feels like things aren't what they seem at the Barclay house. Rose had witness the death, and possible murder, of her nanny and is no longer speaking as her parents are going through their divorce. Stella tries to connect and communicate with Rose while conveying she is on her side, but there are so many odd things going on. Why is there no glass in the house, what are the odd noises she is hearing, and why does it seem like no one in the family is being completely honest?

As Stella tries to figure out what's best for Rose, this case also prompts her to work with the Detective investigating the Nanny's murder to not only see if there is more information to resolve that case, but also dig deeper into her own mother's death years ago.

I enjoyed the book a lot! There were a lot of things going on, but they blended well together. And I did not see the twist coming until the moment before it was revealed! Thanks to NetGalley for the advance e-book copy!

HOUSE OF GLASS was a great thriller read. It was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. There were some parts of the novel that I wasn’t as invested in, but it had all the hallmarks of a good thriller novel, which makes it worth the read.

I found this book to be a very character centered thriller, focusing on Stella, a child advocate who is trying to help Rose, who’s nanny died her family’s property. There is family drama and secrets that kept me guessing the whole time. Each character was progressively more complex while Stella tries to figure out the family’s dynamic. It also kept me guessing, which was delightful. I always love when I don’t know who is doing what and the mystery surrounding people’s intentions. I think that’s why people love this genre so much.

My only qualm with the book is that I don’t really care about Stella’s childhood narrative that was wound throughout the book. I think it gave the character a good backstory, but then it turned into a side plot that didn’t hold my interest and ended up making the book a bit too long. I was much more invested in the main narrative. However, for those that like side plots that explore the main character more, you might like these portions.

Overall, if you like character driven thrillers, with family drama, this is the book for you.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoy Sarah Pekkanen's ability to create fully-fleshed out characters (flaws and all). I usually don't enjoy thrillers with kids/ "creepy kids" in the main plot but now I'm thinking I don't mind it, as long as they are well-integrated into the narrative.
This story even successfully wove-in a subplot with a sprinkle of romance. Too often in these cases, one plot becomes more interesting than the other, causing you to speed thru the other, but not here.
Additionally, this story shows how you can use a smaller cast of characters to make the story thrilling without it being blatantly obvious what's going on- Stella is incredibly sharp and observant and I felt I was able to explore my random theories and conclusions about each character alongside here. So even if you "guessed" the end - there is still a lot of doubt before you get there, which I think is a feat in itself
Lastly, I didn't feel like there were any loose ends - at least not obvious ones that would make the plot convoluted.

DMV rep is also highly enjoyable being a local here.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-Arc.

This is a great summer thriller. Lots of twists and turns, compulsive page-turning while still being easy enough to digest with a few poolside cocktails. If you have enjoyed her previous book The Golden Couple, co-authored with Greer Hendricks, you would enjoy House of Glass. Another title that I think has a similar vibe is A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight, where the protagonist is a lawyer and there are multiple married couples with their own issues. I personally found Stella's past to be a little much, and it took me out of the story a bit. I would recommend to skip over most of the synopsis, because quite a few of the twists are spelled out for you there- but if a dead nanny, messy divorce, and a lawyer who is a mute child's advocate sounds interesting to you, then this is a great pick for you!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted (free) ARC.

I think this might be my favorite Pekkanen thriller so far! Such an interesting concept and characters - I loved the twists and how everything fit pretty well.

Oh my goodness, what a ride this was. Not only is there so much going on with the custody recommendation for Rose, but Stella's own childhood questions are answered as well. This one will keep you constantly on edge and guessing. Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for a chance to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

My favorite Sarah Pekkanen book yet! I couldn’t put this creepy thriller down! I loved the layered characters, the twists, and the atmospheric writing. Thank you so much to St Martin’s Press & netgalley for my copy.

Thank you to St Martins Press & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a long time fan of any thriller written by Sarah Pekkanen, and House of was did not disappoint! No one does suspenseful, edge of your seat, crazy plot twists like Sarah!

Highly recommend picking this one up, to all my Thriller girlies!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is a chilling gothic thriller that captivates readers with its expertly crafted portrayal of fragile psyches and razor-sharp suspense. The novel's ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats, constantly questioning every mysterious bump in the night, is truly remarkable.

Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review.
I loved the author’s writing style and the twists. Sarah Pekannen is always so good at providing shocks to her readers.
The only thing I would change is the length: this book could’ve been a lot shorter.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Laura Benanti does a wonderful job with the narration on this book! She is clear and concise and covers all the characters perfectly! I really enjoyed this story! The characters were intriguing and it was hard to figure out the mystery behind what was going on in the house and with the entire family. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers and family drama!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

My rating:
3.5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️

A young nanny Tina is dead. Stella is assigned to protect a young girl named Rose who witnessed the nanny fall to her death. She must decide who has custody of Rose and ultimately tries to figure out what happened to Tina.

This one started off so good and then slowly I started to lose interest. I had an initial theory early on and dismissed it because it felt so obvious in my head. Sadly, what I predicted was what ended up happening.

I think the writing in this was great but at times it just felt a little lengthy and predictable. This was the first book I had read solo from the author. I have read two other books that she co-authored with Greer Hendricks and I really enjoyed those!

There were two main plots that happened in this book and the author tried to tie them in together. I think she did a good job with that but there wasn’t a crazy twist like I was expecting with the similarities in the plots.

Overall while this wasn’t my favorite, I did still enjoy it! I would recommend if you like a slow burn thriller!

Thank you St Martin’s press and netgalley for the ARC!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

Sarah Pekkanen’s previous work such as her novel Gone Tonight have been favorites of mine so I was eager to read her latest mystery thriller release, House of Glass.

Pekkanen portrays a disturbing atmosphere in this book with a dysfunctional family, a character that can be described as a “creepy kid” and a meddlesome grandmother. Stella Hudson, the main character, is a best interest attorney whose job is to decide the future best interests of the child concerning custody, visitation, schooling, and therapy. Stella spends time with 9 year old Rose who is traumatized when she witnesses her nanny falling to her death from a window. As Stella gets deeply involved with Rose’s family she starts to uncover secrets especially regarding the death of the nanny.

When reading this book, I personally appreciated that there were no unbelievable twists in the story. It was mysterious while also not being too insane or unrealistic. Sarah Pekkanen was able to create a mystery thriller that was both captivating as a story as well as having an ending that wrapped up well. It was a page turner that made me anxious for what would happen next. 4 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#houseofglass #NetGalley

This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last. This is a great psychological thriller that I couldn’t put down. I had no idea which direction the story was going to go. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Rose Barclay is a little girl who witnessed the death of her Nanny fall out of a window. She immediately quit speaking. Suspicion of her death fell on Rose. With her parents filing for divorce, a case worker was assigned to recommend who should get custody of Rose. A number of suspects for who killed the Nanny. A deception of a family member tries to control Rose. An exciting conclusion

I really enjoyed this story! Everyone seems to have secrets and be lying in this perplexing whodunit mystery. Add in sinister atmosphere and an engaging, smoothly flowing narrative style, and I couldn't have been happier with this newest book by Sarah Pekkanen.

Stella is a best interest attorney appointed to represent children in custody disputes. She's sent to interview the Barclay family and determine which parent should be awarded custody of 9 yr old Rose in the wake of her nanny's shocking death, an event Rose witnessed and that traumatized her to the point where she's unable to speak. The case brings back memories of Stella's own childhood trauma that closely mirrors Rose's experiences. Both story threads weave throughout the book and form a cohesive, multi layered story of mystery and childhood trauma in both the past and present.

This book was a page turner from start to finish with an engrossing mystery, a cast of unreliable/suspicious characters, an ominous atmosphere, and a child that'll check all your creepy child trope boxes. The plot was unique and nicely paced, maintaining suspense and dropping just enough hints and curve balls to keep me needing to know more.

Sarah Pekkanen has become one of the most reliably satisfying thriller authors I read, and at this point, I don't even read the plot synopis before picking up her books. 2024 has been an outstanding year so far for thrillers, and House of Glass is another awesome addition to the list.

Thank you, St Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.