A twisty, suspenseful domestic thriller, I could not figure out who to trust in Sarah Pekkanen's latest, House of Glass. The Barclays live a life of privilege, but dad Ian and mom Beth are at the start of a tense divorce - both want full custody of their nine-year old daughter Rose. When their nanny falls out a house window to her death, the police suspect it was not an accident. The incident left Rose traumatized and unable to advocate for herself, so Stella, our protagonist and court-appointed lawyer, must step in and determine the best custody arrangement for her. But Rose collects sharp objects, all glass is removed from the house, and no one wants Stella to be alone with Rose for too long. Stella knows something else is amiss, and she struggles with her own past as she risks everything to find the truth. The ending was so satisfying!

## Book Review: House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is an excellent book that I had the pleasure of reading as an ARC copy. The story is filled with great twists and turns that kept me guessing until the last page. No part felt forced or awkward, and everything was tied up by the end.

The character development in this book is outstanding, particularly the uniqueness of the psychiatrist and the mute girl. Their intriguing plot is something I had never encountered before, which is quite a statement considering I read about 60-80 books a year.

In conclusion, House of Glass is a captivating and well-written novel that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a thrilling and engaging read. This book will definitely be on my top books for the year of 2024!

This started out so well. But it got really slow and dragging in the middle. Felt very dragged out and lost interest .
Story seemed a little too unbelievable.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book

Stella is in charge of determining the best interests of children in nasty divorce proceedings where a decision cannot be made amicably. Her newest client is Rose, a girl who recently witnessed the death of her nanny in her home. The nanny somehow fell through an upstairs window to her death. The circumstances surrounding it are very suspicious and the case is not settled yet. Because of the horrific incident, Rose has become mute and will not speak to anyone. Since she cannot advocate for herself, Stella needs to get to the bottom of what happened and who is responsible for the nanny's mysterious death. She needs to spend time with each family member and determine the relationships that are beneficial for Rose, while Stella is also doing her own covert investigation.

This book was absolutely amazing!!! I have loved the books that Sarah Pekkanen has co-written and I am a huge fan of hers individually too. This story gripped my soul from the very beginning and did not let go until the book was finished. The story is phenomenal and well-thought-out. There are so many suspicious characters that it is hard to know if anyone is being genuine. The writing is perfection and a complete thrill. I highly recommend this book!

When Stella, a child advocate, is assigned the job of deciding custody and visitation rights for divorcing parents, there are a lot of factors to consider. In this case, there is a father who had admittedly had an affair with the nanny, a wealthy mother who spends most of her time doing volunteer work, and Rose, a disturbed child. Oh, and the pregnant nanny died, either by being pushed or falling out of her bedroom window.

When Stella first sees Rose, Rose picked up a shard of glass on the street. When she goes to Rose's house, all of the glass - mirrors, picture frames, etc. is gone. The parents and the grandmother that lives with them seem to be concerned about Rose, but appear to be covering something up.

I listened to the audio book of this and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are a few sub-plots that keep everything interesting and even a little romance that was a surprise.

I definitely recommend this.

The Barclay’s nanny fell out of the attic window and is now dead. But was she pushed, or did she fall of her own accord? Meanwhile, nine-year-old Rose Barclay has stopped talking because of the traumatic experience and everyone is worried about her. At the same time, Rose’s parents are getting divorced, and her grandmother is living with them, recovering from knee surgery. Now Stella, a best interest attorney, swoops in to determine the best placement for Rose when her parents divorce. Stella quickly learns that things are not what they seem in the Barclay household. To start with, the house has no glass anywhere within it. Stella is determined to find out what is happening in the Barclay household and the best placement for Rose.

Sarah Pekkanen has done it again! Just when I thought I knew what happened, the twist came, and I was shocked. I really enjoyed the ending as it wrapped everything up perfectly. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys thrillers! I give this one 4/5 stars.

Stella Hudson is assigned as nine-year-old Rose Barclay’s counsel in her parent’s bitter custody case. Stella only wants to determine what’s best for Rose but it’s difficult as Rose is refusing to speak resulting from the traumatic death of her nanny. The more time Stella spends in the Barclay house, the more unsettled she becomes. Was the nanny’s death an accident or was she pushed. And one thing Stella is sure of is that the Barclay house is a house of lies! She surely doesn’t want to award custody of young Rose to a murderer. Or is Rose, a young prodigy who collects sharp objects and steals mementos, the disturbed one? With each clue Stella gathers, her life becomes more endangered – or is she imaging it? The house definitely seems to play tricks on her mind! She took on this case as a special favor to her mentor, but finding the similarities to her own childhood becomes almost too much for Stella to bear!
I read/listened to this book in one night! It was definitely an edge of your seat page turner with all the twists, turns and creepy vibes you would expect from a classic thriller! Almost everyone was a suspect at some point with the clues constantly pointing to different characters.
Expertly narrated by Laura Benanti who brought such a distinction to each character! I actually double checked to see if there were multiple narrators, because she did such a phenomenal job differentiating between voices.

Sarah Pekkanen is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors. House of Glass is a psychological thriller about Stella, a best interest attorney who takes the case of Rose, a 9 year old girl whose parents are divorcing after her nanny, Tina fell to her death. Rose is unique, in that she is also suffering from traumatic mutism, similar to Stella when she was young. As she looks into what transpired in Rose's household, she encounters more questions every day.

This was a fast-paced thriller and I literally couldn't put it down. I read it in one go while at the pool and really enjoyed it. I think that it was a very unique thriller and Sarah Pekkanen captured my attention once again. The story was well done, I think that the character development was a little lacking but overall it was suspenseful and kind of creepy - but in a good way. I think the development with Stella was a little out there and forced but overall it was a solid, quick read. There were so many great twists and I always love it when I don't guess the ending!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sarah Pekkanen for the eARC of House of Glass in exchange for my honest review. Publication date for House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is 06 August 2024.

House of Glass is a psychological thriller about an attorney called in to help determine the best living situation for Rose, a nine-year-old child caught in the middle of her well-off parent's divorce and custody battle. Unfortunately, getting close to or answers from Rose is no easy feat after she witnessed a murder in her home and is now suffering from traumatic mutism.

This is a hard one for me to review. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed all the secrets, lies, and twists. And I think the author did a great job creating suspense and suspicion around a few of the characters, but I was left wanting/needing more depth from most of them. I think the author threw way too much into this book, slowing the plot's pace way down at times. However, the biggest drawback for me was the narration. I do not think the narrator did this story any favors. She either came across too flat or too dramatic. It really did not work for me. Having said this, I'm still excited to have been selected to read and review this book, and I am still a Pekkanen fan and will continue to seek out and read her work.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, Sarah Pekkanen, and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the advanced reading copy!

SYNOPSIS -- 9 year old Rose Barclay is anything but ordinary. When her nanny, Tina, falls to her death and questions arise as to whether or not this was intentional, Rose becomes even more unique: suffering from traumatic mutism and stewing in complete silence. As her parents file for divorce, a "best interest attorney," Stella Hudson, is coerced into taking the case. Though Rose is younger than her typical clients, they have something important in common: Stella, too, has suffered traumatic mutism in her past. As Stella imbeds herself into the complicated family dynamics, she starts to uncover missing pieces of the puzzle. Why isn't there any glass in the Barclay home? Why does Rose seem to be determined to get her hands on a weapon? And what really happened to Tina?

This was a fast-paced and unique thriller! The premise was super interesting and I loved the perspective of a best-interest attorney! We don't usually get thrillers with such insight into a child's psyche, and this was a cool approach to take. The Barclays were a twisted family, and this was a twisted story. There were some GREAT twists, while some were more predictable and a bit of a let down overall. I was truly on the edge of my seat for this entire book; it was tense and suspenseful and riveting. The unexpected side story added a ton of dimension to the book, as well as to Stella's character. I think this could have a bit more succinct and had a little bit wilder of a twist, but overall it was a solid thriller that I really enjoyed reading!

Looking for a fast paced read you won’t want to put down? I got you. House of Glass is the book you’re looking for.

Beth and Ian Barclay are getting a divorce and fighting over custody of their 9 year old daughter, Rose. Stella is a best interest attorney - it’s her job to recommend the best custody arrangement. To determine this, it’s important for her to learn all she can about the family - and as she starts to investigate the Barclays, she quickly realizes this isn’t a typical case.

Creepy and compelling, I didn’t want to put this one down! Thank you to St Martins Press, Netgalley, and Macmillan audio for the free ebook and audiobook to review!

dnf at 50%

i tried. i rlly tried but this is insufferable. i simply could not go on. the characters are so shallow and superficial, it's so excruciating to read about them. this is so incredibly unoriginal and unimpressive. i struggled with the writing and dialogue. i didn't like a single thing about this book. the main character is supposedly a lawyer but is she really? she read like everything else BUT a lawyer. a detective, a therapist, a broken woman with a savior complex. this might have worked if it was written convincingly enough to suspend my disbelief, but it wasn't. i immediately looked for spoilers im reviews and gauged some of the ending and decided that it wasn't going to be for me at all. this makes me so sad because i was so excited to read this because of the glowing reviews, but clearly, i'm in the minority. However, you might still enjoy it, so definitely check out the positive reviews to see if it's for you!

thank you to netgalley and st. martin's press for an e-arc of this book. all thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.

Kept my attention but got a little too “out there” at the end for me to rate this any higher. But it was overall a fun read.

3.5⭐️ The wealthy, picture perfect family isn’t always what it seems. Stella is an attorney who is tasked to advise on the best living situation for a child named Rose, whose parents are going through a divorce.

I was intrigued by Rose’s story from the start. She is a child who experienced some unknown trauma leaving her mute, without a voice. She also has the need to collect sharp objects…

This story had a very interesting premise, and every meeting with Stella and the Barclay family left me with more questions. The ending had a good amount of thrill and everything wrapped up very well! I do wish I heard more about Rose and her thoughts. It would be nice to dig more into her mind even more. Overall, great psychological thriller!

Okay this was so good! I found myself constantly wanting to pick it up and never put it down. I really liked the idea of the book and haven’t read anything similar in the “thriller” genre. I love the premise of a best interest attorney trying to decide which parent to give custody to and I love the non-verbal aspect to Rose, the child in her case. There was also a side storyline about her mother and the ending ties everything together so nicely in a full circle moment. It was a very satisfying ending to a very good read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital copy for review.

Oh my goodness, this book was so good! It had me on the edge of my seat, I was genuinely freaked out at times, and overall I just could not put this book down! Stella, our main character, has been tasked with becoming best interest lawyer for Rose, a nine year old whose parents are going through a divorce. However, Rose suffers from traumatic mutism ever since her nanny fell to her death from a three story window. Communication is difficult and Rose is completely closed off. However, the more time Stella spends with Rose and her family, the more she realizes that this is far from the perfect family and everyone is a suspect in the nanny’s death, right down to Rose herself.

I don’t say this often, but this was a book that I could not put down. If you like scarier, more disturbing thrillers, then this is not one to miss. I wish more could have been done with characterizations, but that is a nitpick and did not detract from the main story, which was compelling enough to have me reading well into the night. Would highly recommend if you like thrillers!

Stella is a guardian ad litem – she determines what’s in the best interest of the child in custody disagreements.

Rose the client. At 9 years old, Rose has traumatic mutism after seeing her nanny fall from the second floor window and die.

As Stell a observes Rose, she notices the young girl sneaking to pick up sharp objects – a shard of glass, a box cutter. But, as Stella coaxes Rose out of her shell she is not prepared for the secrets the entire family is hiding.

This one had me hooked from the very first chapter, and as more got revealed I could not put this one down!

RECOMMEND I’d also recommend The Wife Between Us and The Golden Couple by this author.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #HouseofGlass in exchange for an honest review.

House Of Glass is a suspenseful, chilling and sinister read. The atmosphere in this book was perfect. It is somewhat of a slow burn, but never did I feel bored, it held my attention from start to finish and I absolutely needed to know the final conclusion.

The characters were all suspects pretty much and my mind kept changing throughout the whole book. I loved how the author dropped little hints here and there to steer you in multiple directions. The tension was slowly building from page to page revealing twists and information at the right time to keep the reader engaged.

I really loved the storyline and the plot. I thought it was well written and well developed. Definitely worth the read.

🎧 The narration by Laura Benanti was really good. She did amazing at setting the eerie and creepy feeling of the house. She was great with portraying the emotions as well. She truly kept me hooked.

𝕽𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖙𝖊 : August 06th 2024

𝕸𝖞 𝕽𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 : ✭✭✭✭

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanaudio, @stmartinspress & @sarahpekkanen for my gifted ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.
House Of Glass is a suspenseful, chilling and sinister read. The atmosphere in this book was perfect. It is somewhat of a slow burn, but never did I feel bored, it held my attention from start to finish and I absolutely needed to know the final conclusion.

The characters were all suspects pretty much and my mind kept changing throughout the whole book. I loved how the author dropped little hints here and there to steer you in multiple directions. The tension was slowly building from page to page revealing twists and information at the right time to keep the reader engaged.

I really loved the storyline and the plot. I thought it was well written and well developed. Definitely worth the read.

🎧 The narration by Laura Benanti was really good. She did amazing at setting the eerie and creepy feeling of the house. She was great with portraying the emotions as well. She truly kept me hooked.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanaudio, @stmartinspress & @sarahpekkanen for my gifted ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I pictured this book as a horror movie in my head. It had all the horror details - a troubled child hoarding glass and weapons. The pregnant nanny who fell out with window to her death - was it an accident or murder? The husband, the married man who got the nanny pregnant and put strain on his relationship with his wife. The wife, who is a bit moody and terrified of glass. And finally. the frail grandmother who will do anything to protect her granddaughter.

Who killed the Nanny and why is the 9-year-old child collecting weapons and reading Ted Bundy books?

So many intriguing characters in his book. I was enthralled until about halfway through. It got to be a bit boring and some parts of it were clichéd. I love the premise of this book. It is an amazing concept. I just thought the execution was lacking. I give it 2.5 stars rated up.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! This is out 8/6/24!

Thriller. Stella is a Best Interests Attorney who is tasked with deciding the best placement for a child during a divorce. In the wake of the mysterious death of a family’s nanny, the wealthy Ian and Beth Barclay are getting divorced and each is petitioning for full custody of their brilliant daughter, Rose, who witnessed her nanny’s death and since then has been diagnosed with traumatic mutism. Stella, who once suffered from traumatic mutism herself, is determined to help Rose and make the right decision for her. But as she spends time with the family she uncovers some disturbing things - flashes of anger from the parents, Rose’s collection of sharp objects, and the fact that there is no glass in the house, from picture frame panes to new plexiglass windows. Stella’s suspicions and paranoia continue to mount and she begins to wonder if the nanny’s death wasn’t an accident, and if so…who’s responsible?

This took me a minute to get into, but once I was in I was hooked. This is definitely a slow burn with tensions building throughout, and the twist was solid and I did not see it coming. There is a b-story twist about Stella’s own traumatic upbringing that I did see coming from pretty early on, but as it wasn’t the main twist I wasn’t too let down. Overall, a super solid domestic thriller!