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?

Reading the blurb was exciting. And I could not wait to dive in.

Rose is nine. She isn’t talking right now because she saw her nanny fall out of the window and die. Rose was already stressed with her parents' contentious divorce, and she seems to be in shock, but Stella Hudson, who has been appointed the attorney in the divorce who will be her advocate, sees Rose a bit differently. She also witnessed a horrific murder as a child and didn’t speak either for a while.

Stella gets a bad vibe as soon as she enters the house. There is no glass. Not windows, picture frames, nothing. Everyone seems very tightly wound and they are obviously all lying about something.

Everyone is a suspect. Even Rose. And as Stella’s past trauma comes back in a horrific way, her life may end just like the nanny’s did.

I loved this book. I was propelled on by some of the best, nasty characters ever! All in one really good book.


NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press August 06, 2024

4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney. She is assigned to Barclay case which involves 9 year old Rose who is in the center of a custody dispute after her nanny dies at their home. The twist is that Rose has gone mute since the accident and Stella must find a way to connect with Rose and decide who gets custody but as strange things start to happen, Stella starts to question exactly what happened to the nanny, was it an accident or something more sinister is happening.

I really enjoyed this book. It keeps you guessing.

I’m not at all surprised with what Sarah Pekkanen has come up with in this book, and by not surprised, I really mean the opposite. All of her writing is so good with suspense peaking at just the right times, holding on for just the right amount. This book is no different. I love the timing of the twists in this read. Just when I think I figured out the nanny’s killer, there’s a plot twist!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen did keep me guessing. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was proved wrong. There were many red- herrings to throw me off track. The last few chapters that were the "after" portion of the main story weren't really necessary, however. It seemed like she had to keep stretching the story to reach her page quota. Her new found relationship with the detective wasn't really very strong compared to the rest of the story. She could've stopped way before that point and it would've been sufficient. That would be my only gripe. Worth the read, but you can always stop before the last couple of chapters and be pleased.

this is a page turner, a physiological l thriller, that will keep you guessing until the end. it was hard to put down, I read it in two days.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a psychological domestic thriller. And I was so in the mood. It was my favorite type of thriller too — smart - self-reflective- skillfully written- with some powerful beautiful prose.

Stella Hudson is a child advocate lawyer, who is trying to determine the best disposition for nine year old Rose Barclay during her parents divorce. Both Barclays are fighting for physical and legal custody of Rose.
The father, Ian Barclay, had an affair with their nanny, ‘Tina de la Cruz’ (she was pregnant). The nanny either fell or was pushed from the third floor window of their house: ‘to-her-death’.
‘Seems’ like Ian had a strong probable cause to eliminate his Nanny/pregnancy problem. Yet Ian’s wife, Beth Barclay, had motive too. (jealousy, rage) … etc.
The more I kept reading — it seemed like everyone in or near the plexiglass house was a suspect.

Stella had a traumatic past herself. Her father died in a car accident, and then her mother died of a drug overdose when she was seven years of age. Like the little girl Rose, Stella also lost her voice after her mother died.
Stella had been living with her aunt after her parents died.
“Of all the ghosts I carry with me, my mother’s haunts me most”.
Stella has one person in her life - Charles -who she can truly confide in. I found their friendship interesting from the start.

Stella had a list of people she wanted to interview about the case.
Ian and Beth Barclay, Rose’s piano, teacher, and schoolteacher. And possibly some of the nanny’s (Tina) friends.
“The pieces of the story different people provide will start to fit together and form an image”.
“This shattered battling family is united when it comes to the little girl who is obsessed by weapons and who hides a book about a sadistic serial killer beneath her pink comforter”.

Favorite except:
“Evil isn’t merely a word”.
“It’s a tangible dimensional thing. It slithers through air, shifting molecules and displacing energy as it considers various hunting grounds. Once it homes in on a target, its malevolent arc of electricity affixes to its prey”.

Totally enjoyable!!!

5 STARS for this extremely tense psychological thriller. I've read and enjoyed other books by Sarah Pekkanen but this one takes the cake!

Stella is an attorney who is assigned to advocate for little 9 year old, Rose, after her nanny's sudden death out their 3rd story window. The death was ruled an accident but was she pushed or did she fall? Who is to blame for her tragic death? Ian and Beth Barclay, Rose's parents, are filing for divorce and Stella's job is to figure out which parent should obtain custody of Rose. This is no easy task when it seems like everyone is hiding secrets.

I just loved the way that Sarah is able to intertwine Stella's back story of trauma with Rose's. There were so many pieces to the puzzle that kept me guessing throughout the entire book until they all snapped into place near the end. All of the characters were well developed and I found myself liking them all (even those I didn't want to).

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah Pekkanen knows what I want from a thriller.

This was one of those, "guess I won't be sleeping until I know how this ends" books.

I found the premise to be unique and the "who dunnit" aspect kept me very compelled to finish quickly. Would recommend to anyone who likes a good domestic thriller.

I am so glad I got to read an ARC of this book! House of Glass was the perfect psychological thriller! Usually, I'm able to guess some of the twists and turns, but this book kept me on my toes from beginning to end.. I had no idea who the "bad" guy was because they were all so perfectly "off" but not enough to pinpoint who did it. 🤔

Stella, the MC, had so much childhood trauma, and it was really heartbreaking seeing her relive it. I'm so glad she got the answers she so rightly deserved at the end of the book, and maybe even a little love. 😍

Now I'm going to go put An Anonymous Girl at the top of my short TBR list.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I highly suggest that if you're a fan of psychological thrillers, or even if you're not, come August- buy this book!

This is the second book I’ve read from Sarah Pekkanen, and I really liked it! I enjoyed following along as Stella tried to figure out who murdered the nanny. The back third or so of the book everything really picks up and was really good! I can’t say I was completely shocked by the twists (although one I didn’t see coming!!), but that didn’t take away from it at all for me.
I couldn’t give it 5 stars because I do feel like the beginning and middle tended to drag in certain spots and also became repetitive, especially when it came to Stella’s inner dialogue. This made certain sections feel longer than necessary. I also don’t really like when characters explain every little detail at the end of the story, essentially repeating everything we already know and have figured out. It just seems unnecessary and repetitive.
Overall though this is a really good book, and I will read more from Sarah Pekkanen in the future!

I love Pekkanen’s writing style. This one is a page turner that kept me guessing until the end! Rose Barclay is a little girl who witnessed the murder of her nanny -or she possibly did it herself! Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve Rose’s best interest in her parents’ ugly divorce. Lies, murder, a whole cast of suspects- Stella is trying to solve the case while dealing with her own childhood trauma. This is a good one that I could not put down! I just reviewed House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen. #NetGalley

What a wild ride! I thought I had it figured out, but there were quite a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. I felt so deeply for little Rose and I was totally sucked in to the family drama. I would definitely recommend this thriller for fans of Pekkanen!

Stella Hudson is a lawyer who represents the interest of children whose parents are being divorced. The product of a difficult childhood, she represents a unique perspective on the rights of the children.

Her latest case involves a wealthy married couple and their young, but highly intelligent child, Rose. But there is a problem. The girl's nanny was recently pushed (or did she jump?) from an upstairs window. It seems like everyone is a suspect.

I have read several books by Pekkanen and her partner, Greer Hendricks. But this was the first solo effort I had read. I wasn't disappointed. The book is very well plotted. The ending is a bit of a surprise. The novel moves along briskly. It's a great read.

A page turner. Twists and turns. Well written interesting characters. Suspenseful. Creepy. Keeps you guessing until the end. Everything a psychological thriller reader loves ✔️

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really fast-paced and eerie Sarah Pekkanen classic with a traumatized child's welfare at the center.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Sarah Pekkanen for my advance copy! Publishing on August 6, 2024

Was veryyy excited to read this thriller with all its incredible reviews but the story really fell flat (not .. thrilling). And the random love interest at the end? Meh

I liked this book a lot…at first.
Then it became predictable and I just wanted to finish it to confirm my suspicions. Overall a good book, but honestly felt like there was a last minute push to add an lgbt agenda in it. It didn’t feel authentic, like someone said, here you need to add this in before we can publish it. Just didn’t fit the story line of her mourning her ex husband and her recent divorce

3.5 stars rounded down. I was so excited to read this book. I saw the glowing reviews and the fact that it is a thriller. I thought, oh boy, I can't wait. I really did love the first half of the book, but then something seemed to happen and the book started to drag. The story became more about the investigator than the family.

Stella is a BIA (best interest attorney) who is sent in when couples are divorcing and an impasse is reached as to who should get custody of the child. Rose is the child in question. She witnessed her nanny die after falling, tripping, or being pushed from the 3rd floor window of the house. Her parents, Beth and Ian, cannot agree on who should get custody. Also involved is Harriet, Ian's mother, who lives with them. Rose is also mute due to the trauma which is why Stella was chosen for this case, as Stella suffered trauma induced mutism as a child when she found her dead mother.

The first half of the book flew by. It's creepy and interesting. I read quickly trying to figure out who actually pushed the nanny to her death. Then, the book veers off, focusing more on Stella and her past than the family she is investigating. A love interest is also thrown in which really threw me as it was during investigating the family. I'm reading happily and all of a sudden the author veers off to sparks flying. I'm like WTH. This flat second half of the book is why I rounded it down to 3 stars. Also the ending is predictable and not much of a wow moment. Overall it is a good book.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it. Publication date is in August. I do recommend this book.

Thank you St. Matin’s Press, Sarah Pekkanen, and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for an honest review.

All I can say is wow. This book was fantastic.

Meet Stella. She is a best interest attorney. Her clients are minors whose parents are going through a divorce. It’s her job to decide who she thinks should have custody of the child. She usually represents teenagers. However, Charles, a man who is not her father but has been a father figure to her, asks her to take on a 9 year old client, she reluctantly agrees.

That 9 year old client is Rose Barclay. Not only are her parent’s divorcing and going through a nasty custody battle, but she also witnessed her nanny falling to her death from their 3 story home. Ever since she witnessed her nanny’s death, she has been mute.

What happened to the nanny? Was she murdered? Did she trip and fall? No one knows.

While Stella is interviewing everyone in Rose’s life to see who should have custody of her, she discovers she is being lied to and nothing is what it seems.

She begins to suspect that the nanny was murdered. But who murdered her? Was it Ian, Rose’s father? Or Beth, Rose’s mother? Or could it even been Harriet, Rose’s grandma? Or perhaps it was Rose herself?

As Stella starts to discover the secrets that the Barclays are desperate to hide, she realizes that someone is trying to scare her away. Is she in danger? Will she suffer the same fate as the nanny? Or is it all in her imagination?

I finished this book in 2 days. It had me hooked from the beginning to the end. This was definitely an edge of your seat thriller. 4.5/5 stars. I totally recommend it.

I'll be honest - I wasn't sure if I was going to like this. It was a combo murder mystery / psychological thriller, but also had a touch of a horror vibe. I ended up loving it. I couldn't stay away, just wanting to know how it all turned out. It didn't disappoint. Highly recommended.

I was given an advance review copy, but this is my honest opinion.