Spoiler alert: I am one of Sarah Pekkanen's BIGGEST fans, whether she is writing solo or with Greer. Within the first few pages, I knew that this novel would not disappoint! A wealthy couple is seeking a divorce while an investigation is in progress circling around the death of their nanny. I could tell you what happens, but then I would have to kill. Did the mute child push the nanny out the window? The parents? The granddaughter? In Pekkanen's signature style, she kept me guessing, and I loved every minute of it.

I was excited when I heard about Sarah Pekkanen’s new book House of Glass, since I’d read several of her collaborative novels with Greer Hendricks and found them to be excellent thrillers. I wasn’t sure, at first, how I felt about House of Glass. It took me a few chapters to get into it, and I’m not entirely sure why. But once I did get into it, I was hooked. I read this in a single day, that’s how much I didn’t want to put it down! Tense, thrilling, with enough clues to help you figure out the mystery if you try, but not so many that it feels obvious from the very beginning. Plus, being a native of the DMV (the area comprised of DC, and the surrounding MD & VA suburbs) I am always tickled to read books that are set here and DO IT WELL. (There was a book I read last year that decidedly DID NOT do it well, and I remain bitter.)

On to the plot! Stella Hudson has been appointed the best interest attorney for a young girl whose parents are going through a contentious divorce and fighting over custody. It’s not just a nasty court battle though – one month earlier the girl’s nanny (who happened to be pregnant with the husband’s child) fell out of a third-story window at their house. 9 year old Rose Barclay witnessed her nanny fall to her death, and has been suffering from traumatic mutism as a result. She’s being homeschooled by her doting grandmother, and her parents are still cohabitating while their less-than-amicable divorce works its way through the court system. Stella starts working on Rose’s behalf, trying to figure out the solution that will be best for this traumatized child, but notices that things in the Barclay residence aren’t what they should be. All the glass has been removed from the house, none of the adults seem to be able to tell the entire truth about anything, and Rose has been collecting sharp objects from anywhere she find them. Stella begins to wonder whether Rose was a witness to the nanny’s murder or actively involved herself.

Like I said, this book has high tension and a twisty, engaging plot. You’re kept guessing until near the end, and then the climax is frightening and exciting and satisfying all in one. If you enjoyed The Golden Couple or The Wife Between Us, give House of Glass a try, you won’t regret it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read this book.

I absolutely loved this story. The twists and turns had their own twists and turns. I loved the parallel stories of Stella and Rose, and their own journeys through traumatic muteness. While I at first thought Marko's subplot was wasted, I appreciated where it went later with the SVU Detective Stella met. I really enjoyed the story with Charles and was as eager to follow that as I was of Rose's.

I look forward to reading more from Pekkanen!

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney who assists in deciding what is in a child’s best interest, typically in custody cases. Stella had a traumatic childhood of her own after losing her father at a young age and watching her mother struggle with substance abuse, eventually succumbing to it. Because of the trauma she experienced as a child, Stella does not typically work with children under the age of 13 as she sees too much of her young self in them. She agrees to make an exception to this rule when asked by her friend and mentor, Charles. Charles also happens to be a judge and was told about the case of a young girl who was going through a similar trauma response to the one that Stella went through after her mom’s death. Stella reluctantly agrees to take the case of nine-year old Rose Barclay who witnessed her nanny’s death, can no longer speak, and collects sharp, deadly objects.

The Barclays were a happy family until the death of their young nanny, Tina. Tina’s death unlocked many family secrets including an affair and an unplanned pregnancy. As Stella spends more time with the Barclays, it becomes apparent that any one of them could have killed Tina and each of them had reason to want her dead. As Rose’s behavior becomes more erratic, Stella begins to question if the one she has been sworn to protect, could be a danger to herself and to her family.

This was a great read! At different points, I found myself suspecting each of the family members and I didn’t find out who had actually done it until Stella herself realized what had happened. I thought Stella was such a relatable character. I really enjoyed learning about her relationship with her mom and her relationship with Charles. Stella’s quest to find out about her mom’s death was a sub-plot, but one that I really enjoyed. Stella’s relationship with Detective Natalina Garcia also warmed my heart :) I will read anything that Sarah Pekkanen writes and I enjoyed this book just as I did her others! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next :)

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

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of House of Glass. Possibly my favorite Sarah Pekkanen novel to date, House of Glass follows Stella Hudson, family interest attorney, who is tasked with determining the best interests of nine year old Rose Barclay. Rose’s nanny was recently killed on the family estate, and while ruled an accident, Stella isn’t quite sure that is what happened.
This was a solid slow-burn crime/family thriller that ended tied with a nice bow. And while that’s normally how I like it, I was expecting a last-page shocking revelation that never came, which almost knocked it down a star for me ;).

4.5 Stars - Pub 8/6/24

Poor Rose, her parents are divorcing, her nanny is dead, her grandmother is worried about her, and she may or may not be a dangerous child.
Luckily, Stella is here to try and figure out everyone’s story. Along the way, she discovers her own story.
Not going to give anything away, well written suspenseful thriller, wrapped up very well. Clever, and I didn’t guess the end!

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl that collects sharp things. Is she a danger to herself and those around her, or is her collection for some other reason? That is what Stella is put on the case to find out and to decide where it would benefit Rose the most to live, with her mom or her dad? Stella has the hard task of cutting through all the lies and veils put over everyone's eyes to make this family look like a perfectly normal family to everyone on the outside.

Rose has gone mute after she sees her nanny splayed out on the concrete after a fall (push) from the third story window of their home. They way that Stella knows how to deal with Rose and how to relate to her is something you don't really see with an attorney in most cases. Who could have pushed the nanny? Rose's grandmother that lives with them at the time has claimed that she and Rose were out in the garden when it happened. And mom and dad capable of pushing the nanny? They both have alibi's for what they were doing at the time. I have to admit as things begin to unfold, I was shocked at some of the revelations. We also get to learn about how Stella is so connected to this case and can put herself in Rose's place and relate to her so well.

So, which parent will get more time with Rose? Who was the one that pushed the nanny out of the window? You will not regret reading this book. It will keep you turning the pages and guess the wrong person until the end. I was shocked and didn't see it coming!

I have never read a Sarah Pekkanen book but I can tell you I was shocked at the plot and how well this one was thought out. I can tell you that when I get the chance though, I will be going back to read more of her works. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed it.

Sarah Pekkanen strikes again! House of Glass is dark and twisty in all the best ways. Flawed, yet still (somewhat) likable characters and a fast paced story line made for a very enjoyable read. I can’t wait for her next thriller and this one isn’t even publishing until August! A very solid 4.5 (rounding up for Goodreads).

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for he ARC in eschange for an honest review.
Stella is a BIA representing Rose, a young girl who is in the middle of her parent's divorce. Rose is a witness to the death of her nanny falling from the third floor window. Rose has been silent since the death. Stella is determined to reach Rose, putting her in the center of a murder nystery
I really liked the characters in this book They were well characterized. The book is well written, with twists well integrated into the plot.

I enjoyed this! At times it was a little slow but overall it was a great read. I look forward to anything by Sarah Pekkanen and have enjoyed all of her books.

Thank you for the arc NetGalley and St Martins!

Katie’s divorce was, in a word, humiliating. So when her friend Bess offers a fresh start—a resident caretaking job at a nature preserve—Katie accepts. No matter that she’s not exactly a “nature person.” How hard can it be? But from day one, something feels off. Katie’s new farmhouse looks as if the last caretaker barely moved out at all. When a frantic, terrified woman arrives late at night, expecting a safe place to hide, it’s clear caretaking involves way more than Katie bargained for. Suddenly, Katie is no longer sure who she can trust: the brooding groundskeeper, the daily regulars—hikers, dog walkers, bird-watchers, photographers—even Bess.
As Katie digs deeper for clues in what the last caretaker left behind, she must discover courage she never knew she had—and decide how much she’ll risk to do the right thing.
It was brilliant.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an advance copy.

I seem to love everything Sarah Pekkanen writes, and House of Glass was no exception. While many of the characters were not that likable, they all added to the suspense of who killed Nina. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing, even if you can see it all clearly when the killer is revealed.

The House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is interesting. Attorney Stella is hired to watch out for the rights and interests of the Rose a little girl who nanny was just killed, and her parents are fighting for custody. Stella does not like to take on small children but this one she cannot say no.
Rose will not talk so it is even harder to find the underlying cause of things. Who killed Tina, the nanny? What is really going on with the parents and what about the grandma Harriet?
This book is full of twists and turns, and it is written very well. I enjoyed the story and all the suspense.

Whoa... what a twisted psychological thriller! I probably would have given the House of Glass 5 starts had I not been so disturbed by the psychological manipulation and use of the 9 year old character, Rose. This story had all the elements of a good suspenseful, page-turning suspenseful thriller. The book was a page-turner that kept me up at night... more than just reading, even in my dreams! I really enjoyed the short chapters that kept the story moving along.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC opportunity to read this book.

I’ve gone back and forth on my rating of House of Glass. I’m between 3 and 4 stars but went with 3 because ultimately I just didn’t care enough about the characters. I found the book easy to put aside at times yet a page turner at others (especially good in the middle).

Interesting story of an attorney who is representing a child who has become mute when her nanny dies. Everyone is a suspect, but nobody may be responsible because it was an accident, that has to be determined. The child is a prodigy and not the typical 9 year old, her family is constantly surrounding her not letting Stella spend alone time with her. We also find out about Stella's past childhood as she was mute when her mother died, and is only now ready to find out what she can about that death. This is one of those books that made me think about the mystery and the characters when I wasn't reading, that doesn't happen for me very often. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced read.

Received this book through Netgalley and although a slow start it really got interesting as it went along. They looked like the perfect family and rich but all was not well inside the house. We follow little Rose Barclay and what her family is like. You never know what goes on behind closed doors. Enters Stella who is catching on pretty quickly. She is the attorney in a custody battle for Rose but there is more than meets the eye. Also, another like in this book - a surprise ending. Didnt see that coming. So place this one on your TBR list as it will be released in August.

Stella Hudson is a lawyer who takes cases assigned to her by the court. She represents children that are caught between two parents, and helps determine what is in their best interest. She is given a horrific case in which little Rose, 9 years old, may have witnessed the death of her beloved nanny.

Rose and her parents live in a sprawling mansion and her paternal grandmother lives with them as well. As Stella embarks on this cat and mouse game with this mysterious family, she has a hard time ascertaining what is truly going on in this house. The kicker here is; Rose has stopped speaking, after her nanny falls from a second story window in the house and dies.

I can’t say enough about Pekkanen’s superlative writing, as she has mastered the craft of delivering the best suspense/thriller novels out there. This book will have readers gripping the edge of their seat with mystery, eeriness, and intrigue. I felt frustrated with Stella because she shouldn’t have been doing home visits alone. I wanted to yell, “get out of that house!” so many times as if watching a horror flick.

The characters are interesting and well built. We delve fairly deep into Stella’s life and as she navigates her way through this case, she has some personal struggles to overcome. She is a likable character. We aren’t really supposed to like Rose’s parents, but at times it’s easy to feel bad for them even though they may have just done something frustrating. Creating that perplexity makes the story that much more compelling. We have to figure out who killed the nanny and the best court recommendation for Rose. Great ending too!

I am so thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.

This is just Sarah, writing without her usual partner. It doesn’t matter though, because she tells a great story!

The parts with Stella’s family derailed the story a bit, but other than that, this was a great read! Is it weird to say I’d love to see a prequel from the eyes of the nanny?

Great book, fun read. I would definitely recommend this!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I am so happy to have the opportunity to read this book. The whole time I was reading it, I was wondering who killed Tina? I was not expecting the ending and it surprised me. Also, I had no idea of a career as a BIA. That's an interesting career! 4 stars!!