This book started off strong but fell off towards the end. I feel like the last few chapters could have easily been comprised into one

🤩 F I V E S T A R F R I D A Y 🤩 featuring “House of Glass” by Sarah Pekkanen!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney for children in custody cases. As a child Stella suffered extreme trauma and loss herself and acts as a mentor to children who cannot advocate for themselves in tragic and highly sensitive situations.

Stella gets appointed to Rose Barclay, a 9 year old girl who may have witnessed the death of her nanny. Rose’s parents are going through a divorce and each want sole custody of their daughter. Stella must determine who the better parent is and who may be a murderer. However, Rose is unable to open up to Stella using speech due to traumatic mutism. Stella is no stranger to this, because she suffered from it herself when she found her dead mother’s body as a child 🤐!!

The Barclay family isn’t much help either as Stella soon finds herself tangled in a thick web of secrets and lies! Everyone in the family is a suspect after all …

I went into this book totally BLIND because I just knew that Sarah Pekkanen would deliver! And DID SHE EVER 👏!!!! This book made me nervous, anxious, unsettled and beyond creeped out!! The perfect kind of read for a thriller lover like me!

Thank you kindly to @sarahpekkanen @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on August 6, 2024!

Thank you St. Martin’s for the ARC! Publication date 8/6/2024


I loved Sarah’s last release, Gone Tonight so I was very excited to receive this ARC.

Sarah knows how to expertly create complex, realistic!!!, situations. I absolutely loved Stella’s character and her growth throughout the book. I live for a thriller that has a strong, brave, female main character who has overcome immense (relatable) trauma.

This had me on my toes, constantly coming up with theories, and made me stay up way too late on a work night to find out the ending, and I was not disappointed.

This book was fast paced and kept my interest. There was enough intrigue and twists and turns as to who caused the nanny’s death. This is a great poolside read for the summer. Each character was interesting and flawed including the young girl. Thank you NetGalley.

This one started off so strong. I was completely sucked in and could not wait to unravel what happened to the nanny and who was responsible for her death. Rose, the little girl, was incredibly creepy. I was suspicious of her from the very beginning, and I felt that this was going to have some crazy twists that I didn't see coming. She gave me chills with her unnerving behavior. Then, a subplot was introduced and it just felt so unnecessary and really took away from the original theme of the story. This subplot completely took away from the murder mystery of the storyline and I was disappointed. I started losing interest, and found myself rushing to finish the book. I feel that if the author stuck to the original story, it would have been an easy 5 star read for me. It had all of the elements to be such a great twisty thriller.

The first part of this book was a slow build that put you on a roller coaster for the last third of it. There are two storylines that intertwine in ways that are both obvious and not so obvious (until the end). For me, the last third of the book was the best part and redeemed the slow start. The twists at the end, the way everything comes together, the "ending" of two stories really ended this book on a high note. House of Glass was my third book by Sarah Peekanen and was easily my favorite. Fans of her, or those eager to see if they could be a fan, should add House of Glass to their TBR.
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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely love Sarah Pekkanen's books. This one had such a creepy vibe from the very beginning. I was hooked. And while I figured out the twist early on, I was still so enamored and needed to keep reading to figure out if I was correct. Highly recommend this one!

Mark your calendars for August 6th, you DO NOT want to miss this one!!

Read it immediately (my recommendation) or save it for spooky season (which arguably starts Sept 1) because we've got a creepy kids, a possible murder, weird family dynamics, and Stella, a best interest attorney assigned to work with Rose, who is no longer speaking after her nanny has died during her parents divorce. Stella has to figure out where is the best place for Rose to live, but there is a lot of layers to this family to unravel as she does so.

This was a unputdownable suspense that I devoured. I really enjoy this author and was so excited to receive a copy of this one! Short chapters, piecing together the mystery piece by piece with revelations throughout rather than crazy twists.

Landing at 4.5 stars for this one because I did see some of the revelations coming, but that's likely due to how many thrillers I read each year, but still a completely enjoyable ride and I highly recommended this one!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review!
Pub Date 8/6!!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sarah Pekkanen for the ARC of House of Glass.
This is the second novel I have read by this author and she does not disappoint. A creepy kid, a dysfunctional family and a dead nanny = a lot of fun. Everyone is a suspect in this who done it thriller and it will keep you guessing right up to the very end. Overall rating: 4.5 ⭐️

A once picture-perfect family is going through a messy divorce. Both parents are fighting for sole custody. Their nanny plunged out a window to her death, but was it an accident? The nine-year-old girl caught in the middle who witnessed the event has traumatic mutism and collects sharp objects. Could one of the parents be a killer? Best Interest Attorney Stella never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but her childhood mentor, a revered judge, thinks Stella is the only one who can help.

This grabbed me from the start and did not let go! It's super compelling and well-written, tense, suspenseful, and creepy. I loved the author's writing style and how she drew me ever deeper into the puzzle filled with revelations that constantly shifted my suspicions. And the subplot regarding Stella's childhood is also intriguing. I was so invested that I stayed up reading way past bedtime. The book's second half is unputdownable!

All of the characters were so vividly depicted, especially Stella and Rose. Both are complex and layered, and the story examines some facets of childhood trauma through them. This was my first book by this author, but it will not be my last. I loved this!


Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the free book!

It has been awhile since I have read something beside a romcom, and this was a nice break! I love a good whodunnit, and this one is so well written! We have the Barclay family…who was all home at the time of the nanny’s murder…and it could have been any of them. But Stella is there for the best interest of the daughter, Rose. Who is mute, and a little creepy. As Stella gets to know the family to determine the best interest of Rose’s custody arrangement, she starts to investigate who actually murdered Tina as well. It is a slow burn to the finish line, leaving many chapters ending on cliffhangers to force you to keep going! I loved that about the book. And I switched my thoughts on who did it many times. And while I loved that whole storyline….there was something that really bothered me towards the end of the book.

While I like to get to know the characters and their backstories….you have Stella who is going through a divorce herself from Marco. And there are scenes where she is feeling lonely and stuff. But out of no where towards the end of the book, Stella finds herself attracted to the female detective. Like what???? There was no implication anywhere in the book that she was going through some change or self discovery. I feel like almost every book now has some sort of LGBTQ+ character in it and it’s fine if it makes sense in the book. But for our lead character to all of a sudden switch? Felt like a cash grab to me, or the author trying to find a way to weave it into our story to be listed as a LGBTQ+ novel for social points or something. It really took the book from a 5 star to like a 3.5. It was out of no where and forced rushed in at the end. We already had enough side stories with Stella and her divorce, her father-like relationship with her mentor Charles, Marcos mom, the neighbor, etc….it just didn’t make sense.

Bottom Line: Read it! Overall, despite my gripes, I really enjoyed this one.

**I received an ARC copy of House of Glass. All opinions are my own.**

Thank you netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC. 5 stars.
This book had me hooked from the beginning. We are first introduced to Stella who has been assigned as the best interest attorney for 9 year old Rose Barclay. Stella will decide who will receive custody of Rose after the divorce of her parents Beth and Ian. As Stella gets to know the family, including Rose’s grandmother Harriet who lives in their basement, and Rose herself who has become mute after the sudden death of her nanny, many secrets are revealed and she starts seeing a darker side to the family. Was her nanny murdered, was it an accident, was someone in the family involved? And on top of that, Stella notices every piece of glass in the house has been removed and the house has a creepy, dark vibe.
This thriller has many twists and turns that are sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seat! A definite must read!

4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. As soon as I started this book I knew it would be one I wouldn’t want to put down. I flew through it because I was so invested in the plot and curious about the overall outcome.

This book is the epitome of the ideal suspense/thriller for me — creepy, but not too much so. Twisty yet occasionally predictable. The setting was eerie, with many characters suspects in a murder.

I found the story itself to be enthralling, unique, and full of surprises. The characters were interesting, and the deep dive into various forms of trauma was well executed. I liked how everything was tied up nicely and explained at the end as well.

There’s a lot more I could say, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Definitely read this when it comes out!

Pub date: August 6, 2024

I had been in a horrible reading slump, so I was a little worried when I picked this book. I typically love everything by Sarah Pekkanen, but I was in a funk, and I was worried I wasn't going to be able to get into it. Despite being in a reading slump, I was instantly hooked the moment I picked it up! There's something about a creepy kid story that really gets your heart pounding, right?

The twists and turns in this book were unexpected but entirely believable. The pacing was spectacular, giving me just the right amount of information to keep me invested at every moment. That's always the mark of a good thriller for me.

The story begins with Stella, a passionate advocate, delving into the case of Rose, a mute nine-year-old girl embroiled in a custody battle. Uncovering the secrets necessary to protect Rose from being placed with the wrong parent becomes Stella's mission.

The eerie mansion setting adds a spooky atmosphere, even though it isn't exactly haunted. Sarah, the author, skillfully leads readers down one path only to surprise them with clever twists. The plot is full of suspense, and I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. The narration was exceptional, making the story even more captivating.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars-I love Sarah Pekkanen’s books. The blurb on this one was so interesting, a 9 year old girl witnesses her nanny falling to her death. The suspects: mom and dad, going through a fairly amicable divorce (but the nanny was pregnant with daddy o’s baby, so there’s that little hiccup.) The mother in law (lives in the basement- uses cane-chief homeschooler of the child.) Last but not least, Rose the 9 year old who has traumatic mutism after the incident. Enter Stella, the BAI (best attorney interest) whose job is to determine who should have custody. This is one of those everyone is a suspect novels with some childhood trauma for Stella as well. I liked this book, but it was not as good as others I have read by the main character. The ending was just a bit too over the top in my opinion. However, I did like the explanation of the book title. Thank you to three publisher and NetGalley for the arc. I will be looking forward to the author’s next book.

I really enjoyed this who dunnit type mystery with muc me guessing!! Characters were likeable. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the ARC!

This sucked me in from the first page. I like the characters and how relatable they were. I did kind of guess the twists but overall it was still a great read.

I did enjoy reading this and recommend it to others.

Soooooo good! I flew through this. The well written chapters are short and the suspense builds quickly. The twists had me questioning everything. This is a summer must read! I really liked it.
Thank You to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to enjoy a widget of House of Glass.

Wow. What a great psychological thriller!! I love a good whodunnit murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. I went into this completely blind & wanted to read it solely because I love the author. I had a few theories on who did it but I was still surprised at the end. I loved every second of it & couldn’t put it down

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I'm glad to see Sarah Pekkanen is writing solo again, nothing against Hendricks. I found in the duo writing team that the main characters were purposely written as unlikeable. In House of Glass, the narrator is a sympathetic character, Stella Hudson. Stella was orphaned at a young age and found her mother dead, which led to a period of traumatic mutism. Stella's mother died of a suspected drug overdose, but there was an unidentified man in the apartment that night. Stella was hiding in a small closet for hours, which later explains her claustrophobia.

Stella graduated and went to law school with help from a benefactor, a lawyer named Charles. Their initial encounter was somewhat suspicious to me, but we understand why later in the book. Stella's job is to observe families going through divorce and custody negotiations and make determinations to recommend custody to the judge. She usually represents teenagers, but Charles asks her for a favor to help the Barclay's. Rose is 9 years old and afflicted with mutism after witnessing her nanny Tina dying, falling out a window. Rose's mother, Beth, is wealthy beyond imagination. The father was having an affair with the nanny. It was revealed that Tina was pregnant. Then there's Ian's mother, Harriet, who lives in the home and homeschools Rose. Harriet has a knee injury, so she lives with her son's family.

The oddest thing is that after Tina died going through the window, all the glass was removed from the home and replaced with plastic & plexiglass. Stella doesn't exactly buy into the explanation that Beth has developed a phobia. Stella witnesses Rose taking a piece of broken glass and putting it in her pocket. Why is Rose hoarding potential weapons? Is she a child sociopath or is something else going on? It's Stella's job to figure it out. She's very clever but can she outwit whomever may have killed Tina? I was somewhat pleasantly surprised at the identity of the person who was behind creepy things happening in the house.

Meanwhile, Stella is going through a divorce herself because her ex wants kids and she doesn't. She finds herself looking into her mother's death. She also meets Detective Garcia, who offers to help her. There was a little quid pro quo going on that I didn't quite like. But Stella finds herself attracted to her when she's never been into women before. While I was a little skeptical, I liked the idea of Stella moving on with another partner. Stella has to do her job to protect Rose and face danger. The ending was good but a little hard to believe the way it happened. I had my suspicions about the person, but the believability factor was a bit much.

4/5☆ trigger warning for drugs, addiction, and harm to children. (Nothing too violent but the implied threat) book is out August 6, 2024.