I was super excited about this book. This book currently has 4.34 stars on Goodreads. For me, it started off good. I was interested and it kept me wanting more. But there were ebbs and flows and at times I felt the story dragged. The overall conclusion didn't feel worth the wait/build up. I enjoyed the main character, Stella, but the other characters didn't hold my interest. Overall, I wanted to love this book but it was just okay for me.

WOW!
This book was a fast paced, thrilling read. Loved the short chapters. Very engaging characters.
Stella is asked to evaluate a nine year old girl, whose parents are getting divorced. Oh, did I mention the nanny plunged to her death from a third floor window? Everyone is a suspect. Everyone!

The author does a good job at keeping you guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A must read for thriller fans!

Stella is a Best Interest Attorney for Rose Barkley a child caught in the middle of a divorce and the murder of her nanny. Stella's investigation follows all the twists and turns of long buried family secrets and a family in which no one is what they seem.
A fast-paced twisty mystery that had me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed the writing style and the deep insights into each character. I highly recommend House of Glass.

A captivating book! Good twists and turns as well as a backstory. The author showed me a career I never even knew existed yet was the perfect role for the center of this story. I was left wanting a bit more, though

I have been in a reading slump as of late, and wow this one pulled me right out of it. I LOVED it. This is a tense thriller that grabs you right away and keeps you guessing throughout. What would you think if you stepped foot into a house and noticed not one single piece of glass was kept within? Something obviously isn't right, and Stella is determined to figure it out as she fights for her young client's wellbeing and future.

A definite bingeable read that I HIGHLY recommend reading. This book is out August 6th, 2024!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

I read this book via Net Galley and am so glad I did. I was kept in suspense until the very end about who killed the young nanny who worked for a family exceptionally good at keeping secrets. Stella, the guardian ad litem in the custody case for a pending divorce, is swept up in the intrigue as she tries to discover why the little girl she's representing won't speak and why the child is collecting small things (like a piece of broken glass and a box cutter) that could be used as weapons. Is the child a killer, or is she simply terrified of being killed? The writing is solid, and I liked that the protagonist has an unusual occupation that offers lots of potential plot ideas for more Stella novels.

Stella is a guardian ad litem, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. When nine-year-old Rose witnesses her nanny’s death after falling from a window, Rose can no longer speak. Stella, who had traumatic mutism herself as a child, seems like the perfect lawyer to represent Rose when her parents decide to divorce following the horrific event. Stella realizes quickly that there is more to this case than a simple fall from a window - could someone in the house have murdered the nanny? She starts to suspect everyone – Rose included.

Some readers may feel uncomfortable with the suspicion placed on Rose, who is after all just a child. But I found the story captivating, the characters interesting, and the story kept me guessing until the end. I’ve mentioned this before, but lately I have been looking for unique stories, and this was definitely something I’ve never read before. Don’t go into this thinking you’re getting a thriller; it’s more of a slow burn work of psychological suspense but it was very well-done. I’ve been really enjoying Pekkanen’s solo work lately and can’t wait to see what creative story she comes out with next!

A special thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

The sign of a great novel is when you revisit various parts of the story in your mind after you've finished - this is DEFINITELY one of those! Sarah Pekkanen's artful storytelling kept me riveted, and guessing, right up to the end!

Things are not always as they seem, and this story reminds us of that in so many ways.

A Best Interest Attorney, Stella Hudson, with her own traumatic childhood is assigned to a case of a nine year old girl, Rose. Rose becomes mute and begins collecting sharp objects such as knives and shards of glass after her nanny falls through a window to her death. Was it an accident or murder?!

Sensing a creepiness throughout the house, Stella realizes that lies abound, and she's determined to learn the truth - even if that puts her in danger. As she discovers more about the circumstances surrounding the nanny's untimely death, it becomes clear that certain oddities are mirroring her experiences. She wonders if that's coincidental or something to worry about. Everyone is a suspect it would appear, although it also seems everyone is a victim.

Prepare yourself for many twists and turns, and to blow through this book in record time!

ARC copy provided courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

I definitely recommend this incredibly suspenseful read. During the first half, I found it challenging to put down, though it did get a bit slow towards the ends. As a fan of "whodunit" mysteries and stories with an unreliable narrator, this one certainly lived up to my expectations and did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was super predictable. I knew right away who did what and what the twist was. I was honestly expecting more

Delightfully creepy and suspenseful (but not too scary)! Sarah Pekkanen has officially become a must-read author for me. I loved this book — the tense plot, the cast of characters, the DC setting, the multiple plot twists. So good!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Stella is an attorney, but also a child advocate. In her role as a BIA, it is her job to make a recommendation, such as in a divorce, what outcome (custody) is in the best interest of the child.

Stella is offered an interesting case by her friend (and Judge). Rose, a young prodigy of a child, is currently mute, given the horrific situation that happened within the Barclays home - her nanny (Tina) has fallen out of a third story window and died. The twist is - Tina was pregnant with Ian’s child at the time of her death. Coincidentally, Stella also had a case of mutism when she observed the death of her mom through a closet door, where she was hiding, at a very young age.

Stella has conversations with a lot of people in Rose’s life - Beth (Mom), Ian (Dad), Harriet (live-in grandmother), the principal at school, the therapist, piano instructor, Tina’s boyfriend (Pete), and Tina’s best friend. Stella tries her best to demonstrate she is a friend and ally to Rose, but feels as though she doesn’t make any headway.

Stella struggles as she involves herself more with the Barclay’s, she starts to experience some of the “odd” situations that Tina reported to her friends; she is awoken one night to the police beating down her door due to a 911 call and she also swears she hears different voices in the Barclays home.

Who killed Tina, what custody decision is in the best interest for Rose and can Stella stay alive long enough to make her recommendation to the court?

Another winner from Sarah Pekkanen! I have been reading Sarah since her debut when she wrote women's fiction and fell in love with her work back then. When she transitioned to thrillers, I absolutely loved those as well and found her ability to pivot genres to be incredible and remain a strong voice in both. House of Glass captivated me from the beginning - who doesn't love a rich family behaving badly?

This one doesn't release until August but I know it will be another hit for Pekkanen!

It seems like I’m in the minority with this book. I didn’t really like it all that much.

It wasn’t that it was a bad book. I can’t exactly explain what it was that I disliked. Everyone said it was really fast paced, but I didn’t think it was fast paced at all.

I also just could not find myself take care about the main characters backstory at all. For some reason every time she had flashbacks or thoughts about her childhood I just felt like it should be in a different book. It was relevant because of childhood trauma, and how that helped her bond with the children, but at the same time for some reason every time it was talked about, to me it, felt out of place.

I also found the romance that was thrown in at the very end really strange and that felt completely out of place and irrelevant. It just felt very forced.

I also, unfortunately, felt like it was very predictable. I had a feeling the person that did it was the person that did it the whole time.

The whole thing just felt very predictable and a little forced to me. I had a hard time continuing it because I kind of got bored. I hate to say that because I know how hard authors work on their books, but I think that this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this arc.

One of the best thrillers I've read in a long time!

In House of Glass, we're introduced to Stella, a best interest attorney who is appointed to help Rose Barclay. Rose is a 9 year old girl who witnessed the murder of her nanny, Tina. Immediately following her nanny's murder, Rose becomes mute. Stella had a traumatic childhood and is appointed to help Rose by her mentor, Charles. Beth and Ian are Rose's parents and are in the middle of a bitter divorce. Stella is appointed to determine who is the murderer and who is the victim. Harriett, Ian's mother and Rose's grandmother, also lives with the family and is helping homeschool Rose until she's ready to go back to school.

But who is Stella protecting, herself from Rose or Rose from a murderer?

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my e-ARC of House of Glass.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
👀 look at everyone with suspicion
🪞 have a phobia of glass
🥰 love psychological thrillers
🤥 can spot a liar from a mile away

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.

A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. 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?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help. 

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found. 

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was such an interesting premise! The entire story was a new to me concept. I had no idea that this job Stella does existed, but I love that it’s a thing. Stella doesn’t trust Rose, and neither did I for more than have the book even though I wondered “is this too obvious?” Overall though, Sarah does an amazing job of upping the ante with every new twist she introduces. I had myself second guessing over and over again trying to figure out what happened to poor Tina! Overall, this was a solid read that really keeps you on your toes!

This was a 3.5 star read for me. There was a whole lot going on here … a main character tortured from trauma at a young age, divorce, a young woman mysteriously dead, a fractured family and a seriously disturbed child. I would have loved if the author focused a bit more on the death and the disturbed child.

This was a quick read and enjoyable, despite being predictable. There were only so many ways this one could have gone.

This review was also published on Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. While I liked the pace of the book and the writing, I didn’t find the plot captivating. This felt like a long read and I wasn’t overly impressed/shocked by the conclusion. The sub-plot also didn’t seem necessary or to tie in well with the main plots. Points to the author for.character development and keeping me guessing, but overall a little disappointed.

This book was just okay for me. It wasn't particularly ground-breaking and the reveal at the end wasn't particularly surprising. The love interest thrown in seemed unnecessary. 3stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book in exchange for my review. This book was quite an amazing thriller, and it didn't disappoint! I have read other books by Sarah Pekkanen (including the books she has written with Greer Hendricks and as far as thrillers go, she has the formula down for sure! I am looking forward to reading her next book!