Another fantastic read by Sarah Pekkanen, there is a reason why I always look forward to her new books. House of Glass is another excellent story by this wonderful author in typical fashion Sarah's writing style has me turning the pages well into the late nigh. I really enjoyed the multiple layers within the characters some unexpected and most quiet interesting.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is an excellent story I really enjoyed.

The characters are well crafted and fleshed out.

The story left me surprised so many times.

There were some twists and turns I was not expecting.

One not to miss!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen was entertaining, and I needed to figure out who committed the murder. This well-written psychological thriller kept me guessing. I listened to the audiobook, which added to the story. I would recommend the audiobook. I don't want to give too much away, but this would be a good book to add to your list.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen on NetGalley.

Published: 08/06/24

Stars: 4.5

Another hit.

Fabulous storytelling: a beginning, middle and end. Pekkanen let me come along on this ride going one way. This started with a traumatized child, family drama brings in a court appointed attorney, and all the while a creepy tale is unfolding to the end.

I loved House of Glass. All my emotions were checked off. My creep meter is still recharging. The author brings in an interesting psychological diagnosis for the child, as well as the attorney, and they worked beautifully.

When I think thriller -- this is what I want. Sign me up for more Pekkanen.

Enjoyed this book a lot! Really enjoyed the twist at the end. I’ll be looking for more from this author

House of Glass
Sarah Pekkanen

Believe it or not, I haven’t read Sarah Pekkanen before and if you haven’t you should. Our narrator is a child advocate lawyer, Stella Hudson. I will let you judge how reliable she is but she doubts herself. Her new client, Rose is in desperate need of Stella’s particular brand of help.

Stella’s childhood circumstances make her uniquely suited to be Rose’s advocate according to her mentor, Charles. There is no simple custody issue here. Someone in Rose’s home may have murdered the nanny. Rose’s mother, Beth comes from a wealthy family and they live in a creepy house on a creepy estate with Rose’s father, Ian and Ian’s mother, Harriet. There are other side characters with ties to Rose or Stella that move the plot and are fleshed out well.
Of course, Stella’s past is woven in throughout the story but without tricks other than the perspective of children and secrets of adults.

The author does excellent work of creating full characters, none without flaws or misconceptions. It’s the type of book where the actions of characters and plot twists are not convoluted while fate had lined up characters in their perfect storm. Not all children are weak, adults strong but multi faceted and surprising in a good way. Your past does not have to determine your future.

I was so glad I invested my time in this story and was not let down in the end. My thanks to the author for a great read and St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy.

“House of Glass” by Sarah Pekkanen follows Best Interest Attorney Stella Hudson, as she looks into where nine-year-old Rose Barclay should live after her parents divorce- a divorce stemming from the mysterious death of Rose’s nanny. As Stella spends more time with the family, she begins to feel something sinister in the home. Was the nanny’s death an accident? Or did one of the Barclay’s get rid of her? And most importantly, is Stella now too in danger?

This book was such a twisty read! Every time I thought I had things figured out there were just enough little hints to keep me guessing!

I loved Stella as a main character. She was layered and I love that in a main character, especially seeing the glimpses into her childhood and how her past informs her present. Rose, too, was a unique character. I’ve never thought much about trauma muteness, but it made for an interesting twist!

In the end, this book was a solid 4 star read for me! It was a fun mystery that I didn’t want to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy! This book is out now!

“Glass House” is a riveting tale that delves into the deceptive veneer of a seemingly perfect family, revealing the intricate web of lies spun within the walls of their opulent home. The story unfolds with the tragic death of a young nanny, an event shrouded in mystery and suspicion. Was it an unfortunate accident, or did someone within the household orchestrate her demise? This question serves as the catalyst for a suspenseful journey through the Barclay family’s darkest secrets.
At the heart of this domestic thriller is Rose Barclay, a nine-year-old girl who becomes mute after witnessing what may have been the murder of her nanny. Her silence is a fortress guarding the truth, making her both vulnerable and enigmatic. The complexity of Rose’s character adds a haunting depth to the narrative, as readers are left pondering the weight of the secrets she harbors.
Enter Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney with a traumatic past of her own, who typically avoids representing children younger than thirteen. However, compelled by her mentor, she takes on the case to advocate for Rose. Stella’s character is meticulously crafted, embodying resilience and determination. Her journey through the Barclays’ “plastic house”—a peculiar structure devoid of glass—mirrors her own quest for transparency in a situation where opacity reigns supreme.
The author masterfully constructs an atmospheric setting that enhances the novel’s tension. The historic Washington D.C. home of the Barclays, with its iron security gates and gilded interiors, becomes a character in itself, reflecting the family’s obsession with appearances and control. The absence of glass in the house is a metaphor for the lack of clarity and openness among its inhabitants, each of whom could be implicated in the nanny’s death.
While the plot is undeniably suspenseful, keeping readers guessing at every turn, it does not quite reach the heights of the author’s previous work, “Gone.” Nevertheless, the characters in “Glass House” are intriguing, each with motives that blur the lines between victim and perpetrator. The mother, father, grandmother, nanny’s boyfriend, and even little Rose are all suspects in a chilling game of trust and deception.
In conclusion, “Glass House” is a compelling psychological thriller that explores the dichotomy between external perfection and internal chaos. It is a story that captivates with its atmospheric tension and complex characters, though it may leave fans of the author’s earlier works yearning for more. Despite this, the novel stands as a testament to the genre, proving once again that in a world built on lies, the truth can be the most elusive element of all.

I didn’t see a single twist coming with this book. I also had the wind knocked out of me reading several scenes of this book. I’ve never read a book that made me second guess my entire existence before.
I can’t wait to read more by this author!
@sarahpekkanen is now an auto buy author for me!

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

This is my second Sarah Pekkanen thriller and she's definitely becoming one of my favorites. This fast paced thriller is centered around a creepy little girl and the guardian ad litem who is tasked with deciding her fate. Nothing is as it seems and this one kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had a few theories along the way and the ending should have been obvious, but I was wrong! I really enjoyed the flashbacks to the MC's own childhood and the glimpses of the drama in her present life. I sometimes find secondary storylines annoying and unnecessary, but I was truly interested in Stella's personal journey. Overall, a solid and quick paced thriller.

Rose’s nanny is dead. Did the nanny jump or was the nanny pushed? If pushed, who did it? Nine-year-old Rose who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak Stella Hudson has been appointed to serve as counsel for Rose. Stella doesn’t want him the case because of her own background of having a traumatic childhood. When 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. The family is more troubled, than she feared. Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide. Then danger wraps around her. Her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. Who killed the nanny? Will Stella survive the secrets?

The author has written a chilling, and creepy novel. It is a suspenseful, dark novel. I enjoyed the suspense — it was a different novel for me to read. In that I don’t find this type of novel to be creepy.

Riveting, tense, and propulsive psychological thriller with lots of twists, turns, and red herrings to keep you guessing! The character development was spot on, and the pace was fast! I was hooked from the very beginning and did not want to put this one down.

House of Glass is a mesmerizing, atmospheric thriller that had me captivated from the first page to the last. The way the author weaves mystery, tension, and psychological depth into the story is nothing short of masterful. Every twist left me breathless, and the eerie setting heightened the suspense in ways I didn’t expect.

What truly stands out is the complex characters and how deeply their motivations and fears are explored. You find yourself second-guessing everyone, unsure who to trust, and that unpredictability kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The writing is sharp, evocative, and laced with just the right amount of foreboding to make you feel like you’re in the story’s haunting world.

This book is a must-read for fans of thrillers, suspense, and dark mysteries. It’s an absolute page-turner that will stay with you long after you’ve finished!

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Why is it that when a mystery thriller plants the seed that a child is responsible for all the tragedy around them, it is the most terrifying of reads? The Barclays claim to be just another ordinary wealthy family BUT when their young nanny is found dead and their daughter, Rose stops talking, it is up to the best interest attorney, Stella Hudson to figure out what is the best future for the child.

This book had me hooked and it played with my head in a very good way. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, a little seed of doubt would begin to whisper. For me, those become the best kind of reads in this genre.


Publication Date 06/08/24
Goodreads Review 31/08/24

Quick Take:

This is my first Sarah Pekkanen book and I will absolutely be checking out more! This book started out super strong with creepy house vibes, creepy kid vibes (I thought of The Push by Audrey Audrain in the first half of this book) and a lot of unreliable characters! It is faced past and majorly page turning, which I love in a thriller.

There were a few elements that I could have done without as the book went on - some back story of the main character and her childhood that I felt was necessary to understand her character but also took me out of the main story sometimes and a love interest that I could have done without. But overall, this was a fun, wild ride and I cannot wait to read more from this author - I have a few on my shelves that I will now be moving up on my TBR!

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Stella Hudson takes on the case of nine-year-old Rose Barclay, who stopped speaking after possibly witnessing the murder of her nanny amidst her parents' bitter divorce. As Stella dives deeper into the troubled Barclay family, she uncovers dark secrets that blur the line between victim and perpetrator, putting her own life at risk.

I had mixed feelings about House of Glass. The beginning drew me in, but the second half of the book was boring. While the plot seemed intriguing at first, the main character, Stella, came across as dull even with her complicated past. The twists were predictable, with clues that were too obvious. Even if the twists were easy to guess, the journey to uncover them could have been more engaging. I wish we had more of Rose’s perspective or additional scenes featuring her. Stella felt too naive and Rose’s parents were one-dimensional. The only reason I gave this low three stars is that the writing style kept me reading, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

This was my August buddy read with my friend, Jenny.. She was off to the races and made me eat her dust, but lucky for me, this was a bingeworthy read that didn't leave me too far behind.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, for the ARC.

This was my first book by Sarah Pekkanen, but it won't be my last. This was a thrilling, family suspense that had me guessing until the end.

Pekkanen did a great job of making the cast of characters all viable options to be the villain. The pacing was solid throughout, and you were never quite sure how things were going to pan out. An enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I really like this author and was excited to get approved for this book. Stella is an attorney that works with children, never under 13 to help place them in the best situation after trauma. She was recommended by her close friend to help this young girl who lives the perfect life with the perfect family. The nanny fell from the window and died right in front of the girl. Now the girl won’t talk, parents were in the middle of divorce and Stella needs to decide what is best for Rose. Strange things are happening and Stella needs to figure out what really happened to the nanny and who is the culprit of all the problems.
Twists and turns- definitely recommend!!

Great story that grabbed my attention from the first page. A whodunnit with a twist, that will keep you guessing (and reading) until the very end.

@BookstagrambyKate and I accidentally buddy read this together, and it was so nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of! Big thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for my early release copies of this book! Sarah Pekannen is always one of my most anticipated authors!

From the start, I was invested because our MC, Stella, deals with divorces (I love courtroom drama) and she works with the children to ensure their best interests are represented. This leads the way to another main character, Rose, the child at hand.

The whole time, I was trying to figure out WHODUNNIT!? I came close, but I didn’t fully guess it! Sarah did a great job of making everyone a suspect.

Another thing that I really enjoyed was Stella’s backstory and how it played into Rose’s case. There were some really great twists thrown into that subplot, too!

The narrator of the audiobook did a great job keeping me invested and on high alert ‼️