This book had an interesting premise. It was a book club pick that had me invested enough to see it through which justified 2.5 stars. Unfortunately the delivery fell completely flat for me. I feel like the ideas were planted very early on to make us suspect Rose, which to me made it blatantly obvious it was not her. We also were suspicious of Harriet right from the start, so I was hoping we would get a WOW turn of events and completely throw us off, which was a let down when it ended exactly as predicted early on.

Additionally there was so much extra information that I felt had no substance to the story-pretty much Charles and every story line pertaining to him specifically. His character could have been eliminated and it wouldn’t have taken anything from the storyline. The change up in her sexuality and a random new infatuation with the detective was so random to me and again added no value. But the thing that annoyed me most was the title. It might as well have been called house of plastic or house of plexiglass or even house of no glass would have better fit.

Stella Hudson is a “best interest attorney” assigned to determine the best environment for nine-year-old Rose. Her parents are going through a divorce and the nanny has recently died at their residence. Because of her own troubled childhood, Stella is highly motivated to navigate the trauma Rose has witnessed and determine whether Rose had any hand in it.

The story has all the makings of a great thriller; creepy little kid, unreliable characters, secrets people are tip-toeing around, a large cold house, etc. It begins fantastically, but seemed to lose momentum towards the end and the twisty conclusion was one I did not particularly see coming, but also did not find it super believable. I thought Stella was a strong character as she worked through the mystery surrounding Rose and her family. However, Stella has a backstory that somewhat stands outside of the main one. There were many moments throughout the book where it felt like two different books.

House of Glass is entertaining, but not a story that I think will stay with me.

This is one of my favorite thrillers I've read this year! The suspense is done spectacularly and I had a hard time putting this down! I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

For those who like a tense, character-driven psychological thriller with some delicious twists and turns, this book is for you!

Narrator and main character Stella is a positively fascinating character. She is an attorney who works as a Best Interest Attorney. If you don’t know what that is, don’t fret! I didn’t either, but I found it compelling and also I’m grateful that positions like this exist in the world. Essentially, Stella is there as an advocate specifically for the child impacted by this divorce and the things going on in the household. She works independently to assess the home situation and makes a recommendation to the court as to what would be best for the child.

In this case, the child at the center of the case is a prodigy named Rose, who witnessed her nanny’s death and hasn’t spoken since. This comes in the middle of a contentious divorce between her parents, who are rich as sin and live in an opulent glass house. The beautiful nanny, Tina, plummeted to her death from one of those glass windows. Of course before that, she had a torrid affair going on with Ian Barclay. Since Tina is dead, the details of the affair predominantly come from Ian. Never trust a man who claims the affair was a one time thing, amicable when it ended, or that the mistress is “crazy”. All of those can be true, but none of those can be true as well!

In this case, the affair is impossible to deny because Tina was pregnant at the time of her death. Oh, Ian… You really got yourself into it this time. You’d think that the mother, Beth, would be sympathetic. She isn’t, though. The money is actually mostly Beth’s money. Beth herself is fragile and slightly unhinged. She’s deathly afraid of glass ever since the nanny’s death, which Stella and I both found suspicious. Apparently fear of glass is a real thing, though. The poor cook for the house can’t even use a glass measuring cup. Unfortunately for Beth’s new phobia, she lives in a literal house of glass. Ian, being the stand up cheater that he is, is going through the process of replacing the countless windows in the house with plexiglass. This is weird, if you ask me. It’s actually not a house of glass, then. It’s a house of plastic. Somehow this feels claustrophobic even imagining it.

The story has a finite number of suspects, which actually made the mystery more interesting. The timeline between the nanny’s fall and when she was discovered seems to eliminate some of the suspects, but introduce others. Namely, Rose is a strange child and there is something creepy about her. I found myself pondering if it is possible that Rose did it. Others seem to think so, and are working hard to protect her from that suspicion becoming more substantial. Meanwhile Stella has quite a backstory of her own that was an absolute roller coaster.

A tense book that I found full of surprises!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my advance copies. Opinions are my own.

Thank you to Sarah Pekkanen for getting me out of my reading slump!

Stella has been through a lot - when she was a child, her family was torn apart after the death of her father. Her mother, unable to deal with the loss, turns to drugs and eventually succumbs to them, leaving Stella in a closet, mute from what she has experienced.

In the present day, Stella is a guardian ad litem, who helps children that are going through a hard time. Stella is recently divorced and relies on her friend Charles, who gave her a job when she needed on the most. Stella typically takes on the cases of older children due to her own background, but as a favor to Charles, takes on the case of Rose, who saw her nanny die and is now mute.

I LOVED this book. I had no idea who to trust and I could not wait to find out what was really going on. Rose's parents and grandmother aren't to be trusted, but I also found myself wondering if I couldn't trust Charles and Stella as well. And as the novel progressed, I had to wonder if Rose was really the one I couldn't trust.

While this book didn't make me laugh or cry, which is how you get 5 stars from me, I absolutely devoured in nonetheless. I loved that there was a main mystery but also another side story that really added to the overall effect.

There was a tiny little romance element added into the last 20% that I found completely unnecessary, however overall this is an excellent read and I can't wait to check out more from this author.

This book really shows that some people can be truly EVIL.

Rose Barclay is a 9 year old girl who is suffering from traumatic mutism. She literally can no longer speak. This started for Rose after witnessing her nanny Tina dying and even "possibly murdered." This all occurred in the midst of her parents divorce.

Stella Hudson is the attorney who has been assigned to Rose's case. She has been appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. Stella has her own traumatic childhood that led to her having a period with mutism and is why she doesn't normally take cases of kids under 13 years of age. Her job is to determine which parent is better suited to take full custody of Rose.

As Stella is meeting with Rose's parents and grandmother who lives with them after not fully recovering from surgery certain details around Tina's death, cause doubts as to whether it was an accident or not. While a case against this being a murder has not come to fruition, everyone remains a suspect, even Rose herself.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the audio version. Pekkanen has a way of setting up the scene in the story. It was very ominous and intense which I felt added another layer to the story. I also think she does a great job with character building and development and she had me very leery of Rose till the end. There was definitely a creepy factor to the characters.

I felt like this was an original story line, which is hard to do these days when so many of the same tropes and stories are over used. The narrator, Laura Benanti, did an amazing job with the audio book and I highly recommend that medium to read/listen to this book. The chapters were short and the mystery had me hooked. If you are in a reading slump, I bet this book will be the one to get you out of it!


Thank you St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the #gifted early copy!

I’ve enjoyed Sarah’s books, both co-written with Greer Hendricks, and this latest solo novel, House of Glass. From the fast paced thrills, to the over-the-top plot that made for a fun escape read, this definitely helped me escape from yet another reading slump.

🎧I did an immersive read with the print and audio formats, and thought the narration by Laura Benati was great! She really added to the tension, and kept me engaged with the story. I have actually listened to a few books with her narration, and would definitely recommend!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧
-fast paced
-unlikeable characters
-all the family secrets

*many thanks to St Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen. This psychological thriller pulls you into a tense, eerie atmosphere from the very start. Pekkanen's writing is sharp and suspenseful, with a plot that slowly unravels layers of secrets and deceit. The story centers on a woman uncovering disturbing truths about her life, and while the premise is gripping, some of the twists felt predictable. The characters are well-written, though at times, I found their actions a bit frustrating. Overall, House of Glass is an engaging read that builds tension steadily, making it an enjoyable, if somewhat familiar, thriller for fans of the genre.

This started slow for me but then as we watch Rose’s interactions with Stella this picks up. It became quite a thriller as we learn more about the family’s dynamics. A number of twists in this will keep you reading.

This was a slow burner for me. I have enjoyed her other books quite a bit more. It read slow and I did not always think the characters were consistent.

Thank you to St. Martin's for an advance reader's copy of House of Glass!

Stella works as a best interest attorney who prefers to work with teens, but is appointed to Rose Barclay to determine the best course of action in working through Rose’s parents ugly divorce. Rose recently witnessed her nanny dying, having fallen from a window, and has since developed selective mutism - another reason Stella was chosen for this case, her own traumatic past may very well be the key needed to determine how to help Rose.

Once Stella starts visiting the Barclay house, however, she is finding out that nothing is how it appears. For starters, there isn’t a single piece of glass to be found - everything is plastic. And then there’s speculation that the nanny did not jump or trip out of the window, rather that she was pushed, and everyone involved has a reason to want the nanny dead - Rose included.

Now, Stella needs to work hard to determine where the real threat lies, with the parents? Or with the child she is supposed to be protecting?

This was a tense, foreboding, and toxic slow burn that I could not get enough of!

It’s not often that a setting plays such a strong role in a thriller, I normally find that to be a trait of horror books (which House of Glass does skirt along the lines of). I loved the house, the personality that it brought to the story, and the added layer of unsettling that it brought to not just Stella, but me as a reader.

While Sarah does have a classic red herring, she drops enough crumbs to make you second guess your obvious thoughts and left the ending not quite as easily solved as one would think.

3.5 rounded up.
This was a fun thriller and a quick read. It will definitely keep you guessing and second guessing what's really going on in this house.
I found the parallels with our main character and the child she is tasked with protecting and evaluating to be interesting, but I felt like her investigator approach probably went well beyond her job description and what's acceptable.
If you like creepy kids, untrustworthy characters, and family drama, give this a try for sure!

This was an excellent family mystery from Sarah Pekkanen, a genre she does well. I liked the main character and I wonder if this could be turned into a series as it definitely has the potential for more books in my opinion. I did not guess the killer beforehand which is always a huge plus when you read a lot of mysteries like I do. I’ll definitely read her next book.

I recommend this if you like intriguing family oriented mysteries or if you’re a fan of any of the authors many other mystery novels.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.**

This is my favorite Sarah Pekkanen book yet! I was enthralled throughout the entire book and the plot kept me guessing. The idea of an evil child is so innately creepy! This author is quickly making her way to the top of my list! One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year.

This book had me up late several nights with my heart pounding! I read this story so quickly. However, I did not love the ending.

This is a captivating read that combines elements of mystery and family drama, making it a compelling addition to contemporary literature. The author skillfully weaves together rich character development with an intriguing plot, immersing readers in a world filled with secrets and revelations.

One of the standout aspects of the book is the way it explores the complexities of family relationships. The characters are well-developed, each with their own flaws and strengths, which adds depth to their interactions and conflicts. The emotional resonance of their struggles feels genuine, drawing readers in and making them invested in their journeys.

The pacing of the story is generally well-done, with moments of tension and introspection that keep the reader engaged. However, there were a few sections that felt slightly drawn out, impacting the overall momentum. Despite this, the author’s ability to create a vivid atmosphere and to build suspense more than compensates for any slow moments.

This book has me guessing the whole time . I really enjoyed it and recommend it. The side story of the main character was interesting also. I love when endings are wrapped with a neat bow.

I really went into this book with so much hope. I wanted to love it because the premise is one that usually works for me. I’m all about domestic thrillers set in a big house with unreliable characters.

It started off ok. I was intrigued by the mystery that was presented but as the book went on it started to feel more tedious than interesting. I feel by trying to keep certain things a secret for so long, it actually detracted from the eventual reveal.

I enjoyed the writing just as I did in her other book, Gone Tonight. However, Gone Tonight was a much more cohesive story with very thrilling scenes and a better payoff.

Entertaining mystery with some intriguing characters! This story involves the death of a nanny, a divorce, a smart but complicated child, and a lawyer tasked with recommending the parental custody arrangement after the divorce. I really enjoyed the first half - it kept me very engaged! The second half was fine and the book wrapped up nicely but I think I was expecting a big twist that didn’t really come!

A fast paced and easy read with some predictable parts. I enjoyed the lead female Stella and her no nonsense ways. The take on the family and their avoidance of glass was a unique way to divert the readers attention.