3.5/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening 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 listening to!

Beginning of this book might shape your opinion in an interesting way and you would read this book with that opinion in mind. Just like the narrator thought all along. But when you started to get the glimpse of the truth, you would be shocked. People do all sorts of things just to be able to protect what they have; however, the cunningness this culprit showed could be considered evil

Nanny fell off the 3rd floor window. Mom was in her room, dad was working in his office. grandma and Rose were outside. It couldn't be anyone from the house; this was a pure accident. This was such a tragedy when mom and dad were about to get divorce. Stella was there to figure out which parent would be the better option for Rose after divorce, but she found herself in the middle of this murder "mystery". Was it "weapon" collecting Rose? She couldn't be. right? Or was it the mom who couldn't deal with dad having an affair with nanny?

What you will find at the end of this book is far more sinister than anything you can think of. Not every weapon is used to attack. Not every silence is to conceal guilt.

HOUSE OF GLASS started off with a bang! I really enjoy solving a good mystery and this one had all the elements that kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed that the author included Stella's past into the story, so I could better understand her character as she gathered information on Rose and her family members. I highly recommend getting yourself a copy of this exciting story, you won't be disappointed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted ALC .

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

This was an easy listen. I liked the interlacing of the two stories past and present and how the author keeps you guessing. I did feel like it dragged on a bit but a solid audiobook.

Okay so this book was good. Did I love the ending? No. I think there should have been more red herrings. There wasn’t a lot to go off of since there weren’t many characters.

However, this kept me intrigued the whole way. I loved the mystery behind the glass objects, the windows being replaced, and what the heck Rose was keeping from everyone.

The pacing was a tad slow, I could have used a bit more intensity, but overall I liked it.

The narrator was great and the audiobook was perfect!

This was okay but very slow feeling. At first, I was more interested and slightly creeped out but I felt it was way longer than it needed. I totally guessed the big twist but it was still enjoyable and I liked the audio format. But I was ready for it to wrap and wish it had been a bit more fast paced, shorter. Maybe more surprises. Overall, not my favorite but still an entertaining listen.

I am a fan of Sarah Pekkanan's writing but this one fell flat to me. Between the overdramatization of the details to the melodramatic reading in the narration, I did not finish this one.

The second storyline was a distraction and it just detracted from the story, which felt familiar overall.

I will read this author again, I am unlikely to listen to the narrator again.

Thank you to #StMartinsPress for the #ARC provided through #NetGalley.

This was SO good. Loved how the past and the present were woven together. Great twist and super satisfying ending!

Stella, who is an interest lawyer, who is assigned to a new case to 9 year old Rose whose parents are going through a divorce and her nanny recently died at her home too. Stella goes beyond looking for the best interest of Rose and digs into why the nanny died. The story is a bit creepy and leads you down to not knowing who to trust. In addition to this case, Stella finally looks into the case of her mom's death and learns so much about her past. I found the attempt at romance for Stella was a bit out of place and didn't really add to the book and didn't provide any glimpse of what's to happen. Overall, a great enjoyable psychological thriller.

Laura Benanti did a great job with the narration and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio @netgalley for a copy of the book.

3.75 stars

This is another solid and engaging thriller from Pekkanen.

Young Rose needs some help, and Stella is just the one to provide it to her. Rose has stopped speaking after the suspicious death of her nanny at the family's home. Stella, who also had a traumatic childhood event that led to her long silence, will now use her investigative skills and empirical experience to find out the truth behind this strange death and Rose's silence.

I enjoyed this overall, but I wanted a lot more Rose content throughout and fewer references to Stella's past which, at some point, felt a bit overwrought. This is a good beach read: entertaining enough with little focus required.

When and where accessible, I recommend the audio version.

Loved it! 4.5. I am a big fan of the writing duo of Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks, and this was equally satisfying. Lots of twists figuring out main mystery and the FMC character's relationships and history. The questions surrounding the young girl are handled with sophistication. And I just loved Stella--you don't always adore a character in a thriller, but I wanted all good things for her in the end. The narrator did a nice job overall and I thought a nice job slightly changing voices throughout, especially the voice of Charles which made me want him as a friend as well. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the AAC and the opportunity to share my review.

House of Glass started off as what felt like a standard mystery/thriller. After reading a lot of books in the genre I felt pretty confident that I knew where this one was going. The farther I got into it the more I appreciated some of the layers that were added. They might not have necessarily felt important to the main mystery, but they added some interesting heft to the story that made the world feel richer. There were definitely times I felt frustrated reading this if only because the main character made a lot of choices I wouldn't have made and jumped to a lot of conclusions I wouldn't have, but it fit the story nicely. In the end I wasn't totally surprised by the turn of events but it was still pleasant to find the story went in a direction I hadn't originally expected it to go.

I did listen to this as an audiobook and I thought the narrator was great.

Thanks NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. The narration was excellent, and the storyline was full of twists and turns. Sarah Pekkanen never disappoints.

Thank you, #Netgalley and #MacMillanAudio, for this ARC

This is my 9th book by Sarah Pekkanen, and, since she's only written about a dozen, I guess you can call me a fan. House of Glass, like all her others, is a great read full of interesting twists and well developed characters.

A mystery with a murder, a mute child, wealth, privilege and a determined, yet reluctant, lawyer assigned to determine the best interest of the child, this one has enough thinking to require the reader (or listener) to pay attention. It felt similar in story to remind me of Barbara Michaels and Lisa Scottoline, which is never a bad thing. Smart and well paced, I can easily recommend this one. And, while we're at it, please check out all of Pekkanen's writing, including those with partner Greer Hendricks.

Stella is a lawyer who is assigned by the court in custody cases to represent the child. She decides who should get custody of the child based upon her assessments. She is assigned to analyze Rose, a nine year old who has recently experienced trauma after her nanny fell from a window at her house and suspiciously died. Stella realizes this won’t be a typical case, after visiting the home and discovering that Rose has gone mute and that there is no glass in the house to be found. Who are the Barclays protecting?

Ouuuuuu Pekkanen does it again! I loved the creepy elements of this thriller, with Rose becoming a suspect in the nanny’s murder. Her being mute and the suspense surrounding her fascination with weapons added to the intrigue right from the start. You didn’t know who to trust and I also found the dive into Stella’s own past quite interesting. The ending was a bit far fetched in my opinion, but action packed!

I enjoyed this psychological thriller! There’s murder, family drama, trauma, and suspense! What’s not to love? The main characters, a custody lawyer and a nine-year old girl, have connected trauma that is explored through both past and present experiences. The plot is somewhat predictable, but that doesn’t necessarily turn me off to the story. I was hooked from the start and appreciated the extra twist thrown in towards the end.

Thank you to Sarah Pekkanen, MacMillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

꧁𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖꧂

𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒

𝐁𝐘

𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐇 𝐏𝐄𝐊𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐍

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio

Pub Date: 08/06/2024

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Song: Things That Break by Miranda Lambert

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for my ARC of this novel by one of my fav authors.

Well well well…Sarah, you’ve knocked it out the park with this one. 🏟️. I stayed up all night finishing it.

This book has a ton of characters that all had a suspicious vibe about them, yet I liked all of them, a rarity for me. I was intrigued by everyone, because they all had their own story…and motives. Plus you’ll want to find out why Beth doesn’t allow glass in the house (I never knew a fear of glass was a thing).

There was a surprising amount of character depth packed into these 352 pages.

Love that Stella is a Miranda Lambert fan too! I don’t really like country music that much but I love her music.

The twists were fun and easy to follow too which I loved. I hate when authors write something so twisty that it becomes convoluted and ruins the book. You won’t have any of that in this book.

Added bonus - I live in Maryland and love taking day trips to DC and since SP lives in my neck of the woods it’s always a treat to have places I’ve been referenced in her books.

Read this if you like mysterious books with odd/creepy kids. It’s got a similar atmospheric vibe to Baby Teeth.

I'm a bit conflicted about this one. The tension and the idea behind the story, that of a young girl who isn't talking after her nanny dies under mysterious circumstances, was entertaining. I also thought Stella, the main character, was interesting. But some elements didn't add up for me (I can't say much because they're spoilers), which caused me to round the story down about a star. It was interesting and well-written, as Pekkanen's novels always are.

Overall, this one was a good read!

Stella is an attorney who represents and protects children in divorce cases. She is presented with the case involving 9-year-old Rose, a peculiar girl who has gone mute. Rose's parents are in the process of a divorce after her father had an affair and impregnated their nanny. To add to the already weird situation, the baby unexpectedly dies. Things continue to get weird for Stella requiring her to investigate further. The closer Stella gets to the truth the more danger she gets herself into.

This really started fast paced and had me hooked. Towards the middle things slowed down and the focus changes to Stella and her history/traumas. Some parts felt predictable while others left me guessing. Overall, the storyline kept me on my toes.

I listened to the audiobook of "House of Glass" and felt the narrator did an outstanding job expressing emotions and making the listener feel how the characters were feeling. She was able to keep my attention and keep me listening.

Thank you, Sarah Pekkanen, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A nine-year-old girl witnesses her nanny plunge to her death.

Did the nanny commit suicide or was she pushed?

After witnessing this horrific event, the 9-year-old girl is now mute.

The book unfolds from the POV of the child's best interest attorney, who also experienced mutism from childhood trauma.

Although the book's premise was intriguing, its pacing was slow and lacked the thrill factor I was seeking.

Only one of the book's many, many characters were well-developed.

I prefer fewer in-depth characterizations.

I listened to the 11-hour audiobook that easily could have been a 9-hour book.

The book was narrated by Laura Benanti.

Although Laura Benanti's narration was crisp and clear, her voice had a YA vibe.

I am a Sarah Pekkanen fan so perhaps my expectations were too high.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.