As in novels she's cowritten with Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen has crafted a suspenseful thriller that will keep readers guessing where the real evil lies for most of the novel. Stella Hudson is a lawyer who works determining the the best situation for a child in custody cases and presenting her recommendations to the court. She suffered childhood trauma, losing her both her parents at a young age. When her mentor and father figure Charles asks her to take on the case of Rose Barclay, a young girl whose nanny died after falling through a window at the Barclay estate, Stella is leery, but agrees. As soon as she arrives at the estate, she senses a darkness there. Rose is mute due to the stress of her nanny's possible murder and her parent's acrimonious divorce and custody battle, but the more Stella spends time with Rose, the more she suspects Rose may be the evil presence she feels pervading the house. Or is she? Pekkanen sweeps the reader along, with fully realized characters and a creepy setting, easily visualized through her descriptions. Thank you to NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for a review.

There has been a lot of drama at the Barclay house, the husband has been having an affair with the nanny, the wife has filed for divorce, the grandmother moved in after having had surgery, and the nanny either accidentally fell out the window or was purposely pushed to her death. The Barclays daughter Rose has been left mute after all of this tragedy and Stella, who has experienced trauma mutism herself as a child, has been called in to be the best interest attorney. Stella realizes right away that the Barclays are not going to be forth coming and Stella is going to have to sort through the secrets, lies, and manipulations before making her judgement. The author has done a great job of making everyone a viable suspect and the high level of suspense is maintained throughout the story. I found it to be a highly entertaining read.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen had me at word one. This suspenseful psychological thriller took so many twists and turns with the plot, that Just when you could swear that you knew who killed the nanny, you find that you know nothing of the sort.

This mystery that made my heart race from the suspense has us meeting the protagonist, Stella Hudson, a best-interests lawyer who provides opinions on parental fitness for custody disputes. We learn of her Rough childhood and the trauma that she overcame, leaving her in a unique place of empathy for other children who are experiencing similar traumas.

Even though she rarely takes cases involving young children, she agrees to take 9-year-old Rose’s case, as Stella was asked from an old friend and mentor. She usually only takes cases of children over the age of 13.

Soon, Stella is reminded why she doesn’t usually do cases with younger children involved, as the more research and interviews that she completes, the weirder and more terrifying things get.

Will Stella be able to protect Rose and ensure that she is safe in her future?


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!!!

Lawyer, Stella, is tasked with representing Rose, a child client with traumatic mutism after witnessing the death of her nanny. Stella arrives at the house and surprised that there is no glass anywhere. As she gets to know the family, she realizes they are hiding something and starts to believe that Rose may have been responsible for her nanny’s death. 4 stars

Stella was a lawyer hired to determine who a child named Rose should live with as her mother and father were in the process of divorce and both parents wanted full custody of her. It was Stella's job to get to know the whole family as well as Harriet, Rose's grandmother who lived with them. The family had just experienced the trauma of their nanny Tina. dying on their property by falling through an upstairs window. Police were investigating her death while Stella did her job getting to know the family. Strange things were happening in the Barclays house. Stella felt she needed to get to the bottom of these happenings. Rose had traumatic mutism from the death of the nanny, but Stella thought there was more going on with Rose since her behavior was rather peculiar. The more Stella observed the family and the deeper she dug to find answers the more bizarre the whole families behavior became. The tension builds to a mind-blowing conclusion. I enjoyed the fast pace of the story and the intertwined story of Stella's long buried past. Rose could not speak so Stella had to use Rose's facial expressions and body language to figure out Roses thoughts and feelings. I felt this definitely made the story more interesting. #HouseofGlass #SarahPekkanen #StMartinsPublishingGroup

Thank you, St. Martin's Press for letting me read this advanced copy, and BRAVO to Sarah Pekkanen for this page turner that kept me guessing until the end.
Rose Barclay is rendered mute after she loses her nanny, Tina, due to a tragic accident in her home. But was it an accident or murder? Ian, Rose's dad, was having an affair with Tina, and he and his wife are in the throes of a divorce. Ian's mom has been living with the trio, and she makes her disappointment in her son very clear. All three adults in the Barclay home seem very protective of Rose, but are they really protecting themselves? Stella Gordon, is the lawyer hired to represent Rose's best interests in the divorce, while at the same time grappling with events in her own childhood that are only now starting to unravel. I could have never guessed where the twists & turns of this book were going, and I was up late to finish. All In all, the House of Glass does not disappoint.

I totally enjoyed this book - its another amazing mystery from Sarah Pekkanen. Stella works as an attorney that helps assists families when they are in custodial issues. Stella is asked to work on the Barclay case by her Mentor Charlie, who is a local judge. The Barclays have been all over the news due to the suspicion regarding the death of her nanny. Rose Barclay is the 9 year old daughter in the midst of. her. parents volatile custody battle. Rose's parents have both been looked at as possible suspects for the death of the nanny. The Barclays live in a huge mansion and have a lot of money. As Stella gets to know Rose and the family she learns that there is so much more then anyone ever thought. I want to thank Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Book: House Of Glass
Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub Date: August 6, 2024

This is quite the page turner. And it’s told in first-person! That rarely happens anymore. It is a slow burn but so worth it. The author creates tension in every chapter….and I was petrified of Rose. Yes I was scared of a nine-year-old child. Mind ya business. My heart raced when Stella searched Rose’s room. I was on the edge of my seat until she safely got out. The setting is perfect. Who wouldn’t be unnerved pulling up to a large ominous house devoid of any and all glass. I adored Stella and how smart she was and how she approached her job. I also now realize that I really enjoy the “evil child” trope. Think Push or The Perfect Child. I did think the ending was a little drawn out which is why I knocked it down to four stars. But even so it’s a bingeable book that will cause you to lose sleep until you finish it.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is August 6, 2024.

First of all I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Martin’s Press for allowing me the opportunity to read advanced copy of Ms Pekkanen’s next novel,House of Glass. She certainly has written another great book full of suspense and wondering who did what to whom. Nine year old Rose is suspected of killing her nanny,but did she? If not her,who did? There are several suspects to choose from. Read this wonderful book and see if you can guess the killer.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of House of Glass in exchange for my honest review.

After the nanny is killed, attorney Stella immerses herself in the family to try and determine who killed her. And Rose, the 9 year old, is a suspect along with her entire family and a few others.

I never really knew who to believe!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was entertaining psychological suspense. The story kept me guessing and did end up surprising me. A quick and satisfying read.

House of Glass kept you interested and on the edge of your seat. It was a guessing game of whodunit. Great book!

Sarah Pekkanen does it again!

Nine=year old Rose Barclay witnessed the possible murder of her nanny. Her parents are in the midst of a heated divorce. In comes Stella, a best interest lawyer, whose job is to make recommendations to the court about Rose's custody. When Stella steps into the Barclay's gated home, she quickly discovers something odd - there is no glass in the house. Not even windows.

Stella realizes that finding out what happened to the nanny is central to helping Rose. Because something is going on with Rose. She has refused to speak since the nanny's death. Stella finds that the little girl is collecting sharp objects and hiding them. Was the nanny murdered or was it just an accident? Did the Barclays have something to do with it? And which parent has the best interests of Rose in mind...or is something more sinister going on with Rose?

This was a page turner.! I really liked the main character, Stella. She stopped at nothing to find out the truth. The author's writing style made for a really suspenseful and captivating read. She managed to keep things realistic and relatable. It's a crazy ride that will keep you guessing until the very end!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is awesome! This author nails it every single time. All the twists and turns in this story are unbelievable. Just when you think it’s all wrapping up and completed, another twist! It was such a fantastic read, I couldn’t put the book down! 5 star read of 2024!

A dead nanny pregnant by the husband - A crazy mom - a domineering grandmother and a 9 year old girl who witnessed it.. Rose was a child prodigy - reading beyond her years, an accomplished pianist, however since witnessing her nanny's dead body she has not been able to speak. Her parents are divorcing and each wants sole custody - Enter Stella Hudson who is a lawyer who advocates the best interest of the child. This particular case is most challenging for Stella. She herself found her mother's dead body when she was just a child and the tragedy also left her mute as well. Stella recovered and wants to help Rose. Rose has other problems - she collects glass shards, knives and other trophies. I don't want to give away too much of the book, but things are never as they seem. I was kept guessing until the end!
I wish to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.
I have read another by this author - The Golden Child was 5 star for me and will definitely put her other books on my wish list!

I love Pekkanen's books so this was a no-brainer request for me! Young nine-year-old Rose is Stella's newest client. She watched her nanny, Tina get pushed out the glass window and plunge to her death. Now she has "traumatic mutism" which Stella also suffered from after seeing her own dead mother. As Rose's parents are involved in a custody battle, Stella must make a recommendation to the court about who will retain custody of her. As Stella begins to piece together the puzzle that involves the entire family--as each has a motive--she is drawn further into the enigma that is Rose as her parents and grandmother all have a motive for wanting Tina to "go away." It's one of those great thrill rides that keeps you guessing until the end as everyone appears to be guilty!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This is one of the rare times that I wish that I didn’t read the book description. Not that it isn’t accurate, but it set me up, believing this was the basic story. No spoilers, but I disagree. It is the story of Rose Barclay, a young girl who witnessed the tragic death of her nanny. It has left her unable to speak, and her parents, in the midst of their fight for sole custody.
Enter Stella Hudson, a lawyer assigned to present the court with her findings regarding Rose’s best interests. Which parent should have full custody of their daughter?Or would she be better served by a joint custody arrangement? Stella soon learns that their house is full of secrets and finding the truth, and making the best decision won’t be easy.
There is a lot of this story, devoted to Stella, which I did not anticipate. She had a traumatic childhood and many secrets regarding the loss of her parents come into play. I really felt like Stella’s life was the main focus of this story. Yes, what happened at the Barclay house certainly is important to moving the story along, but it just seemed to open up more of Stella’s wounds.
Don’t get me wrong it was an enjoyable read just much more ‘Stellafocused’ than I expected. But perhaps that is just going to be the way I felt.

Wow! Great read! We got to solve a murder case… I really enjoyed the story and the back story. It was fun figuring out who was guilty and unravel the truth!

House of Glass was a page turner from start to finish! It kept me guessing the entire time and I continued to guess wrong. The creepy house and questionable child had me intrigued. I thought the ending wrapped up perfectly without any loose ends. I really enjoyed that the main character had a unique career as a guardian attorney. This book was exactly what I look for when I want to pick up a thriller.

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley!

Sarah Pekkanen is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited to get to read an advanced copy of her latest book. A nanny is killed in an affluent family’s home. The nanny was having an affair with the husband. Who killed her? The wife? That’s too obvious. The mother-in-law? The husband? The creepy nine-year-old? A lawyer is immersed in the family’s life because she needs to decide who gets custody of the child who, by the way, has traumatic mutism. The lawyer’s backstory and need to solve her own personal mystery was not as interesting as the main story. I also thought her random interest in the female police detective was forced and inauthentic.