This wasn't my favorite of Sarah Pekkanen's books (I like The Golden Couple, The Wife Between Us better) but it kept me interested. It dragged on a bit - I thought this was a A Bad Seed plotline, but then there was a twist (not entirely mindblowing, I had considered that person being the culprit) but it was still an interesting read.

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

What a thriller! I tell you what, I literally had every single character pegged as the murderer of this book. Had to read with the light on! Good, good book! Preorder if you love a good mystery! August 6, 2024. Looking up all other books by Sarah Pekkanen now.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Stella is a best interest attorney who has been assigned to the Barclay family to determine which parent should be given custody of their nine year old daughter - Rose.
Rose doesn't speak, ever since she witnessed the death of her nanny, who died under mysterious circumstances.
Everyone in the Barclay family has something to hide, and as Stella gets closer to solving the mystery, she starts looking into her own mysterious upbringing.

This was such a great read.
The characters, the mystery, the side mystery of Stella's past, I was hooked on all of it.
This was a twisty read that kept me guessing.

Laura Benanti did an amazing job narrating!

Oh. My. Goodness.

I have been looking forward to this book for a while now, and it did not disappoint.

The storyline for this book is a little different to start with, which is always a win for me to begin with, but it finishes well- which makes it a five star for me. Because often a premise can be fantastic, but as we well know, finishes poorly. But this, this is well written, has some nice twists, and has one guessing for the duration of the book.

I would definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys a good storyline, a bit of a domestic thriller (but not the typical husband/wife stuff), and provides just enough intrigue to keep you guessing, without making it unbelievable.

I absolutely loved it! I was hooked from the first moment through the end. The twists, turns and details uncovered never stopped. The author could absolutely have gotten me to believe nearly anything!

The narration was also great, perfect for the book. Totally enjoyable.

Advance reader copy provided by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4 ⭐️
HOUSE OF GLASS
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller
📖 352 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 😱🎹🕵🏻‍♀️🚔🐴🔪🩰🏡📖👵🏼👩🏼‍🌾💊💉🐿️🫗
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 8/6/2024

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱? 👍🏼

🩷𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🩷

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinpress for the #gifted copy!

HOUSE OF GLASS is a suspenseful, wild ride that kept me hooked from start to finish—definitely a bingeable thriller! I enjoyed the supporting characters, & the abundance of suspects kept me constantly guessing. The creepy house setting enhanced the atmosphere, & the numerous motives made it hard to know who to trust! The red herrings scattered throughout the plot kept me on my toes.

Told solely from Stella's POV, the narrative delves into her personal struggles & growth, which I found compelling. I appreciated how Stella's own experiences paralleled the case she takes on with Ruby, adding layers to the story.

Although I guessed the ending, the eerie journey was thoroughly enjoyable. The twists & turns 🌀, combined with Stella's development, made this a binge worthy read.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ single POV
◽️ creepy house setting
◽️ PTSD/ flashbacks

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: The Barclay family appears perfect, but they hide dark secrets. After their nanny dies under suspicious circumstances, 9 year old Rose, who witnessed the event, stops speaking. Lawyer Stella Hudson, despite her own past trauma, takes on Rose's case to uncover the truth. Inside the Barclay's grand home, Stella discovers a twisted web of lies & danger. As she delves deeper, everyone, including Rose, becomes a suspect in the nanny's death.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio (#MacAudio2024) for the ARC/ALC!

“Evil isn’t just a word; it’s a tangible, dimensional thing. It slithers through the air, shifting molecules and displacing energy as it considers various hunting grounds…”

Sarah Pekkanen is one of those authors I will always drop everything to read! Seriously every book of hers is better than the one before. With “House of Glass”, I was especially grateful I had the audio too because I did not want to put this book down! The story started off strong, with a mysterious feel to it and did not let up til the end. I loved Stella and enjoyed trying to figure out what the deal was with Rose. And a house literally with plastic in place of glass (windows, mirrors etc) and a child hiding sharp objects had me thinking I knew where this story was going…but I actually had no clue!

”I believe evil is a natural force, like a hungry virus perpetually swirling through the air and seeking places to infiltrate. Most of us bar the door against it. Others welcome it in…”

”House of Glass” releases August 6, 2024! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Sarah Pekkanen's new book, House of Glass, should really be called House of Red Herrings becasue she takes the reader on a wild ride.

"Nine-year-old Rose Barclay watched her nanny fall to her death. Was she pushed or was it an accident? With her parents also in the midst of a divorce, Rose stops speaking. Stella is an attorney assigned to custody cases to look out for the children's best interest. She finds a family where every one is deceptive. She has no idea who to trust and wonders if she is the one who needs protection."

Stella is there to help Rose and keeps looking for answers but cannot zero in on who is responsible for the nanny's death. She doesn't want to recommend custody for a murderer. Pekkanen spends a lot of time in Stella's head, especially with her similar backstory. There is a lot of misdirection. You will not guess the killer or the ending. Pekkanen throws in a couple of extra twists too.

Great audio narration from Laura Benanti. You really get Stella's fear and confusion.

I like Pekkanen's writing style. Psychological thriller fans will enjoy this one.

Oh man, Sarah Pekkanen does it again. This book hooked me from the very beginning. From untrustworthy characters to twists and turns (but nothing overly outrageous), this book is a must-read for me. The sinister premise is spine-tingling without being outright scary, making it the perfect thriller. I found myself thinking about it constantly and picking it up every free minute I had. If you're looking for a gripping read that keeps you guessing, add this one to your list. 4.5 stars!

I received both a digital and audiobook copy of this book. I found myself enjoying the digital copy more than the audiobook.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Sarah Pekkanen for the ARC!

This book was so good. So many twists and turns. Stella is an attorney and takes on a case of a dead nanny. A family is going through a divorce and they have a 9year old child. Everyone here is lying and the families house is made of plastic. Weird I know, but really good.

This is a very exciting book and I was definitely sucked in quickly! It is full of suspense and some great twists! I enjoyed the overall story and thought that the book was well written. I love books with surprises, and this delivered.
I received an advance reader copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook!?

This was an interesting thriller and I loved the idea of a court appointed attorney for a child in a messy divorce case. I work in child welfare so I have worked with folks in that role, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen any dig in quite as deep as Stella did. I did think the book moved slowly for most of it, but I did enjoy the ride. I started with the audiobook and while I think the narrator did fine, I enjoyed the book a lot more when I switched to kindle. Rose’s nanny just died, fell out the window right in front of her. Rose’s parents are getting divorced since the nanny was pregnant with her father’s child. The divorce is messy and media has been involved with the unsolved death, and Stella has been assigned to determine what will be best for Rose. It’s clear there are secrets in this house and Stella is determined to figure them all out no matter what is happening. But the problem with secrets is that there is always someone determined to make sure they stay kept.

I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was very good. After a nanny falls to her death from the affluent Barclay residence, it seems like an accident at first—but is it? In this intriguing whodunit, everyone has a motive, and no one can be trusted.

As Ian and Beth Barclay go through a messy divorce, lawyer Stella is brought in to determine the best interests of their young daughter, Rose. However, Rose has her own secrets that make her a potential suspect. Amidst an eerie atmosphere and a dysfunctional family of liars, it’s up to Stella to uncover the truth.

From the very beginning, the suspense in this story is palpable. With masterful writing and a sinister tone throughout, this is a binge-worthy read that will keep you hooked.

I really enjoyed the audiobook version and the narrator, When a nanny falls to her death from the opulent Barclay residence, it appears to be an accident—but is it really? In this unique whodunit, everyone has a motive, and no one can be trusted.

Amid Ian and Beth Barclay's bitter divorce, Stella is brought in as a lawyer to determine what’s best for their young daughter, Rose. However, Rose has her own secrets, making her a potential suspect. With a foreboding atmosphere and a family full of deceit, it’s up to Stella to uncover the truth.

From the very beginning, the suspense in this story is palpable. The brilliant writing and sinister undertones will instantly draw you into this binge-worthy read.

This was a great, quick thriller to dive into! Loved the narration, and the two twists that i definitely did not see coming! I would definitely recommend this to not only new thriller readers, but all!!!

🎧🎧 Book Review 🎧🎧 I had two jobs as a social worker: one was on the inpatient psychiatric ward and one as an outpatient therapist with domestic violence and child abuse. I had the wildest stories every day working on the psych ward and ended up loving it! However, my dream job of working with individuals who experienced trauma in the household was absolutely heartbreaking and so hard to leave in the office at the end of the shift and this book reminded me of those days. Stella Hudson’s challenging new case as a guardian ad litem for a nine year old brings her own history of trauma to the surface. Sarah Pekkanen writes the residual effects of childhood trauma perfectly; realistic but with a beautifully hopeful tone. This fast-paced psychological thriller is gripping from the start and Laura Benanti does an absolutely flawless job breathing life to Pekkanen’s extraordinary writing. With just the right amount of unease and endless twists, the only predictably in this plot is that Stella cannot trust anyone!

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?
This was a fun, spooky book that kept me guessing until the end!

Wow-Riveting! Here's a great example of a well written whodunit from a very different angle -- the book's main character is not a detective, but a child welfare lawyer. She's been tasked with recommending custody in a difficult divorce proceeding over a child prodigy who has been unable to speak since the unsolved death of her nanny.
The book's jumping off point is the main character's appointment by the judge, her long time mentor who is confident she'd take the child's welfare seriously. Boy does she ever. The author unfolds a complicated and compelling tale about the secrets held by every family member involved and how she tries to solve the riddle to the child's silence, the key she thinks to making the right custody decision. I found the story fun to read from beginning to end and highly recommend it.

I love a good mystery that doesn't heavily rely on ridiculous twists that come out of left field, and that is precisely what I got with this novel. I had not read anything by this author before reading this book, but once I finished, I added her entire back catalog to my TBR. I found this to be a thrilling mystery that kept me riveted until the final reveal. I had the pleasure of reading an ARC and listening to an ALC while reading, which really elevated the experience.

The story begins with the mysterious death of a young nanny named Tina, who plunged to her death from an open window. Was it suicide, or was she pushed? This question sets the stage for a rollercoaster ride of secrets, lies, betrayal, and creepy behavior from a little girl who cannot (or will not) speak.

At the heart of the story is nine-year-old Rose Barclay, a troubled young girl who witnesses the possible murder of her nanny and then stops speaking. After Tina's death, Rose's parents - Beth and Ian - have decided to get a divorce because it's revealed that Ian was having an affair with Tina. A custody battle breaks out, and this is when Stella Hudson, a no-nonsense attorney, is tasked with spending time with the family and determining which parent Rose would be better suited to live with.

As Stella delves deeper into the Barclay family's lives, she begins to unravel a few secrets, and she realizes that Ian, Beth, Harriet (Ian's mother who lives with the family), and even Rose herself are all hiding something - but what? It's not long before Stella begins to wonder if any of them can be trusted. With each twist and turn, the tension builds, leading to a reveal that even I didn't suspect until over 2/3 of the way into the book.

The story itself is both chilling and captivating, drawing readers in with its intricate plot and deeply flawed characters. But it's not just the mystery that makes "House of Glass" so compelling. Pekkanen also delves into themes of family, trauma, and the lengths to which people will go to protect their loved ones and themselves.

What makes the novel shine are the fully fleshed-out characters. I loved Stella - she was tough and determined, but I also liked that we got to see a more vulnerable side of her through the subplot regarding her sad and troubled past and the investigation into her mother's death years prior. The side characters are also very well fleshed out. The Barclays are your standard wealthy family with many secrets I loved unpacking. I especially loved Stella's connection with Charles, who acted as both Stella's mentor and as a sort of father figure to her.

As far as the audiobook goes, it's narrated by Laura Benanti, whom I adore. I've seen her on a few TV shows and in a production of "She Loves Me." Benanti's performance perfectly captured the complexity of Stella's character. Her ability to differentiate between the other characters without resorting to caricature was impressive and added to the overall enjoyment of the audiobook.

In the end, I really enjoyed this one. I found it to be a chilling and atmospheric thriller full of family secrets and intriguing characters that kept me riveted until the final page. This novel is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and suspense. I can't wait to check out more by this author.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC! I loved loved loved this. From the first chapter, I was pulled in and intrigued by the MC’s and the story the unfolded as the story progressed.
This has all of the creepy “my kid might be a psychopath” vibes, and I enjoyed it very much!