Another knockout by Sarah Pekkanen!

This one kept me guessing until the very end! A kind of spooky thriller.

I really enjoyed learning about the main characters back story and how it played into the current story happening.

Definitely add this to your TBR!

What an amazing read! I was not expecting this book to be this good! We follow the story of Stella Hudson, a guardian ad litem, to Rose Barclay. She is a 9-year-old girl who's parents are determined to keep her after they've chosen to divorce after an incident that happened at their residence with Rose's nanny, Tina. As a part of Stella's job is getting to know family members as well as others who've dealt with Rose whether it be a teacher or a tutor. As she interviews family members, Stella just had a feeling that there's more to the story. In fact, she did doubt Rose to be a killer as her demeanor changes from being flat to devious. She would find missing items in her purse after being in the Barclay residence. As the story gets halfway, I could not stop reading. I wanted to know what happens next. Stella starts to pick up pieces that she's missed during her investigation, which made her believe that Rose may be innocent and that she's being framed. They say it's always the husband... but was it? Ugh! This was such a good read! Fast-paced and the twists just kept coming. If I thought I figured it out one chapter, the next.. I'm not so sure again anymore.

I loved the setting of this book. I grew up in DC and definitely could picture all the author's description of areas mentioned. That is another piece that I really enjoyed about this. Thank you for my advanced copy!

I actually really enjoyed this. I really felt is was predictable at times, but alas, the twist got me.

I felt it could have been shorter because there was just a lot of back and forth, but overall, it was very enjoyable.

"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."

I LOVE SARAH PEKKANEN, she never misses. I love a thriller about a disturbed child... but I can't say too much more on that without spoiling the plot!! When Rose witnesses her Nanny's death, she becomes traumatically mute... can we solve what REALLY happened?? Loved.

Another thrilling family drama by Sarah Pekkanen. This book is primarily centered around the custody battle of Rose, a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny. While the best interest attorney, Stella, works to determine who should have primary custody, she starts to unravel the truths around the nanny's death and the secrets the family tries so hard to hide.

Sarah has done an incredible job with this story, but I expected nothing less after enjoying many of her other books. The way that she crafted the twists and turns had me on edge throughout the entirety of the book and the ending did not leave me disappointed.

Definitely will recommend any of Sarah Pekkanen's books!

Wow!!!! 4.5 ⭐️ I stayed up way too late, finishing this thriller. It had the perfect mix of everything you want from a story. So many twist and turns, I didn’t know who to trust or who not to trust. The character development was so good and the parallels between the main character and the little girl blew my mind. I highly recommend this book.

House of Glass is definitely one of the best thrillers I have read this year! This was such a fast-paced thriller that takes you on a wild and crazy ride.

Stella, a lawyer, meets with the Barclay family to determine who should receive custody of 9 year-old Rose as her parents divorce. Rose is traumatized after witnessing the sudden death of her nanny Tina and has stopped speaking. As the police investigate if Tina was actually murdered, everyone becomes a suspect, Rose's parents Beth and Ian, her grandmother Harriet, and even Rose herself and Stella question why every piece of glass has been removed from the house and if something more sinister is going on.

I listened to this one on audio, and highly recommend it. Laura Benanti is not only one of my favorite actresses, but is a phenomenal narrator. I was on the edge of my seat as Stella is discovering things about Rose that make her believe she could be harming others and that she could be faking her trauma-induced mutism. I loved all of the twists and reveals throughout the way and was truly satisfied with the ending.

AN INTRIGUING AND GUT-WRENCHING THRILLER READERS WILL LOVE

SUMMARY
Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the murder of her nanny. The trauma has left Rose unable to speak. Stella Hudson is an attorney assigned to assist Rose during her parents' bitter divorce and custody battle. Stella typically doesn't accept cases as young as Rose due to her traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor convinced her to take the case. Stella struggles to decide whether it’s in Rose’s best interest to stay with her mom or her dad since Rose can’t or won't communicate with her.

As Stella gets to know the wealthy Barclays family, she realizes that the circumstances are even more complicated than she imagined. Why has all the glass been removed from the Barclays' mansion? Why is everyone in the family a suspect in the nanny's murder? Who pushed Beth, the nanny, out the second-floor window? Why is the family acting so strangely and keeping secrets about the glass? Could Rose be the killer? Is Stella in danger?

REVIEW
HOUSE OF GLASS is an intriguing mystery thriller. Readers will love the challenge of trying to identify the nanny’s killer.

Author Sarah Pekkanen's writing is suspenseful and gut-wrenching. She keeps you engaged for the entirety of the book, skillfully transporting us into the gorgeous home of a very rich but very troubled family.

Stella’s character is delightfully well-developed and serves as the pillar of the story. I appreciated her willingness and determination to stick with this frustrating case despite all the obstacles she faces and her own past trauma. Rose, because of her lack of communication and suspicious behavior, is a little hard to appreciate, and you can't help but think she just might have pushed the nanny through the window. The rest of the family was also acting cagey, and it was not hard to believe that they also could have done it. Everyone in the family had a strong motive and opportunity.

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillian Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

Publisher St. Martin’s Press/ Macmillian Audio
Published August 6, 2024
Narrated Laura Benanti
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

I LOVED THIS BOOK! In fact, I loved it so much I did not want it to end, but was also dying to figure out what was going on!

The story picks up after a nanny is murdered. The couple she lived with decide to divorce, and our main character, a lawyer, is sent to figure out who their only child, Rose, should live with. Rose is not an ordinary child though, and let’s just say some of the things that happen in this book are very unsettling. Chilled me to the bone unsettling.

I felt like I was in a trance reading this book. I loved the character development, and thought it was a solid read all the way through. I’m so sad it is over, but also feel like I got the closure the story needed!

Stella is appointed as Guardian Ad Litem, when 9 y/o Rose’s parents file for divorce. Her nanny was found dead, and the courts don’t know which parent should get sole custody

Stella is a strong woman, with a troubled past which gives her the empathy to help traumatized children

She realizes quickly that Rose and her family are not quite right - for a start, their manor house contains no glass!

I was really intrigued and excited for this read, but somehow it didn’t click with me. Rose and her family are all pretty unlikable and although we got to know Stella really well, I didn’t feel empathy for her

The writing flows and it was an easy read, and although I liked the resolution, I wasn’t wowed

Thanks to Netgalley and St.Martins Press for access to this eBook ARC in exchange for my honest review

4.75 Stars

This was such an AMAZING thriller! I know I have a gold star thriller on my hands when I sail through and I cannot put it down. I loved the main character Stella, which is a crucial factor needed in order for me to enjoy a thriller (liking the main character), and I felt just as tense and creeped out whenever she went to the Barcley’s house. If you love thrillers, then I definitely recommend picking this book up when it comes out in August.

I finished House of Glass last night and I can't stop thinking about it.

This is has everything I love in a psychological thriller- slow-burn that builds up to an explosive twist, an underlying sense of creepiness and dread, a spooky gothic mansion, lies and secrets, etc etc. Seriously, I ate this up.

The Barclay's look like the perfect family but are just projecting a facade out to the world. They're in the middle of a very messy divorce, their nanny died under suspicious circumstances, and their daughter is suffering from traumatic mutism. And Stella has to uncover the truth when everyone is lying and she doesn't know who trust. Everyone has the potential to be dangerous.

One of my favorite reads this far!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

Sarah Penkkanens "House of Glass" is a well crafted, have you on the edge of your seat psychological thriller that is based around the main character Stella. Stella is a 'best interest' attorney that given her own past traumas is asked to take on a case with the Barclay family. The Barclay family has a young child named Rose and admist a divorce, Stella must determine who the child is better off living with once it is finalized. The book is a page turner from the very beginning and it had me on the edge of my seat. As we dive more into the story we learn that the Barclay family is not at all what that appear to be on the inside. When a nanny 'suddenly' dies inside the Barclay home, to what lengths will the family go to protect their own? When everyone in the home becomes a suspect, who will you turn to? At the end, it is who you least expect.

House of Glass is full of secrets, lies, deceptions, hidden motives, tension and danger. Honestly, just reading the book itself had me a little creeped out at night. The author did a wonderful job in developing and excecuting the plot. The character development was also solid. As you read through the book you will learn that Stella experienced similar traumas allowing her to become so involved in not only determining what is in the childs best interest, but also, discovering the truth that lurks within the House of Glass.


It is my first Sarah Pekkanen thriller and I honestly enjoyed how suspensful it was. If you enjoy twist thrillers, this one is for you.


Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and author, Sarah Pekkanen for an opportunity at receiving this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An easy and fast paced thriller from Sarah Pekkanen and definitely won’t be my last!

After the nanny is found dead to an affluent family in Maryland, the husband and wife decide to divorce. Leaving their young daughter, Rose, stuck in the middle of a messy custody battle. Stella Hudson is called to help with the decision of who gets primary custody as Guardian ad Litem. Her job is to assess the home life and gather enough information in the best interest of child. Stella is reluctant to help but finds out she has something in common with Rose and her determination to help wins out.

Stella soon discovers that this family is not at all what she thought they would be and the death of the nanny could be more than just an “accident”. She must look for clues to solve the death of the nanny before someone else gets hurt.

I especially enjoyed the short chapters and how the author could make me suspect every single character. No one was off limits! It’s exactly the fast paced thrillers I enjoy reading and would highly recommend this to anyone!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy.

This was a good whodunit type of domestic thriller where almost everyone you meet is a suspect. A suspicious accidental death (who killed Tina?!), a second subplot cold case accidental death(!!) mystery, a cast of wonderfully flawed characters who feel so real, AND a creepy kiddo who’s wrestling with traumatic mutism…SOLD!

This was very interesting read. I was super confused with where this was going. I didn’t exactly understand what the main plot point was. I definitely like the twist at the end. However the side story with the FMC was a bit left field.

8-year-old Rose Barclay refuses to talk after the shocking death of her nanny in the midst of her parents' acrimonious divorce. Attorney Stella Hudson is determined to help Rose speak, and discover what really happened. As Stella unravels the secrets of the Barclay family, the past and present collide with shocking consequences. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from.

This one hooked me from the start! Rose scared me so much, something about creepy kids 🫣 I really liked Stella’s character and her hearing her back story. I did get a little bored in the middle, I caught a couple of the twists early on so it was a bit predictable but still very entertaining! I like Sarah Pekkanen’s writing style a lot so she is an auto buy for me! (3 ⭐️)

Available August 6, 2024

✨ Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review ✨

I have a rule, albeit unwritten, that I never take a book to bed to finish unless I've reached at least the 90% mark (only once that I recall did I ever breach that rule, and then only by a percent or two). Until this one. So engrossed was I when it was time to head upstairs to bed that I actually ran back down to grab my e-book reader and cut short my usual bedtime routine so I could see how it turns out - with a little over 25% of the book left to go. To say I was hooked from the git-go, then, is an understatement.

Here's the skinny: An attorney who represents and advocates for children, Stella Hudson is assigned to the case of 9-year-old Rose Barclay, whose wealthy parents are in the midst of a divorce that's as amicable as divorces can get. After a thorough investigation that involves getting to know Rose's parents Ian and Beth, Rose's beloved grandmother Harriet, who lives with them, and Rose herself, Stella will make a recommendation to the court as to who will get custody of Rose. Both parents, of course, want her; and while they're seemingly agreeable to abide by a third-party decision, they're both chomping at the bit to make sure Stella is aware of all their good parental qualities.

Complicating the situation is the recent death of Rose's beautiful young nanny Tina, who somehow managed to fly through a third-story window in the family's century home, ending up quite dead. Rose, who witnessed Tina's fall, was so traumatized that she suffers from traumatic mutism; in layperson's terms, she is unable to speak. But what, exactly did she really see? The police investigation is inconclusive; no evidence was found of foul play - nor was a suicide note. The notion that Tina was pushed, though, raises the question of who did the deed? One of the parents? The grandmother? Or even (gasp!) little Rose?

Stella grapples with those questions as she tries to come to a decision that's fair, equitable and, most important of all, in Rose's best interests. Meanwhile, readers learn that Stella has some issues of her own - some eerily close to the situation she's now investigating. The pace doesn't let up till the end, when everything gets resolved. Therein, though, I have to admit to feeling a bit disappointed. That's not because it's terrible, or the writing started to fall apart; it's only because I was expecting - and really, really hoping - that a different character would be the culprit. Oh well. It still made for a riveting story - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Super good!

When I saw that Sarah pekkanen wrote a thriller on her own, I knew I had to pick it up.
This book was so twisty and had so many turns. It took a bit for the story to get going, but once it did I enjoyed the experience. Reminded me so much of the push.
Stella is a bia (best interest attorney), working with the Barclay family and their daughter rose. The Barclays are such a troubled family and weird things have been happening in their home. Let me tell you the twist I did not see coming. I was shook.

This was a VERY twisty murder mystery with so many good elements. I, like the FMC, suspected each of the family members and had my favorites throughout the story. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist and enjoyed the various sub-plots to the story, though I do wish we had a little more character development of the FMC related to her backstory.