Stella’s job is to act as counsel for the child in custody cases. Her newest client, Rose, on top of her parents divorcing, witnessed her nanny fall to her death. Now left with a pressing mystery as well as a custody dispute, Stella finds herself in a house made entirely of plastic, unsure who to trust, if anyone.

This was a good book. There were some great red herrings, mixed in with a lot of tension and suspense. I was genuinely surprised by the ending, and by the other huge twist that came in the story. I would recommend this book.

This book wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t as thrilling as I was hoping for, but it was a good and easy read. I would recommend this for people that want a quick and easy popcorn thriller to read.

I didn’t find this to be thrilling. I will say it was easy to read and the pacing was good, which made it easy for me to continue to read. The first 1/3 of the book was very entertaining and I thought it would be up there for me as far as thrillers go. Unfortunately that reveal was predictable from the very beginning.

The blurb of this one sounded right up my alley, but for me the story fell flat.

Stella is a guardian ad litem, assigned to a case with a child who has experienced the death of her nanny. Rose saw her nanny fall from the attic window at her house and hasn’t spoken since. As Stella meets the family and interacts with them to determine the best option for custody for Rose with her divorcing parents, she also starts to piece together what happened to Rose’s nanny.

I usually love “perfect family” thrillers, but this book was full of characters I didn’t care about. I didn’t find Stella very interesting, and the pieces of her past that are explored as a side plot didn’t grab my attention. The author tried to make all of the characters in Rose’s family untrustworthy, and she started on a plot path that she redirected at the end. I think the novel actually would have been better if she had stayed the course with the redirect instead of trying to give a twist at the end.

I didn’t love this one and found myself completely disinterested in the last 10% of the story, after struggling to get to that point.

This author never disappoints, I have enjoyed every single book I’ve read by her.

House of Glass is a fast paced thriller that has you on the edge of you seat the whole time. It keeps you guessing and second guessing who could have done it.

This was a good suspenseful mystery including family secrets and drama. There was an extra storyline that made it a little confusing and seemed unnecessary, but overall I enjoyed listening to this twisty tale! If you like her books, you’ll enjoy this one!

A fast paced thriller about a family going through a messy divorce/custody battle, a suspicious death and a lawyer caught in the middle.

I’m really split down the middle with this one. It was fast paced, well written and kept me guessing pretty much right up to the end! Everyone was a suspect!
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The downfall was the big reveal. It was almost comical, it felt silly to me. And this is just a personal thing, but I don’t like when someone finally gets caught and just immediately admits everything. I like a little more.. deny till you die.

Overall, not a 5 star read but maybe a good one for a book slump or something quick.

Sarah Pekkanen's House of Glass is a psychological thriller focusing on a family named Barclay whose nanny fell to her death at her place of employment, and now it is up to Stella Hudson, a woman whose past is fraught with horrors, to sort what happened. It is up to her to decide whether 9-year-old Rose Barclay is safe with her father, Ian, or mother, Beth, or Grandmother, or if Rose played a role in the nanny's untimely death. Stella is what you call a best interest attorney or guardian ad litem. It is up to Stella to represent the children in any divorce proceedings.

Pulled into this case thanks to her mentor and friend Judge Charles Huxley, Stella is supposed to assess Rose's world and make reports back to the court who will determine who Rose will end up with. But as Stella gets a better look into the home, and Rose's living situation, she notices that Rose seems to be collecting sharp objects. Why? Here is what Stella has been told. Rose, who is 8-years-old, witnessed death of her nanny Tina in the midst of her parents' contentious divorce and immediately fell into traumatic mutism.

It seems as though Ian, the father, had an affair with Tina, and Tina ended up pregnant. Stella normally doesn't accept clients under 13 due to her own traumatic childhood of finding her own mother murdered when she was a child, which also sent her into a phase where she was unable to talk to anyone. From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, sprawling D.C. home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far creepier, than she feared.

And there’s something off about the house itself: its a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found. As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays hold close, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present collide in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny’s boyfriend, and yes, even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from? From bestselling thriller writer, Sarah Pekkanen, comes a new, riveting novel filled with buried secrets and page-turning twists.

Stella is an attorney for custody dispute cases to determine which parent is best suited to have the primary physical custody of the child or children in their court case. This particular case which is a special favor to her long time friend and mentor will be an unexpected upheaval for Stella since there are many similarities to her childhood struggles which she still has unresolved difficulty with today. The child in question, Rose, a little slip of a girl is nine years old and is suffering from traumatic mutism after witnessing her nanny fall to her death from her third floor bedroom window. Currently being looked at as an accidental fall by the police, there is still some suspicion that the case could still be a possible murder as the mother, father and the grandmother were all home at the time of the beautiful and young nanny's horrifying death. Stella didn't want to become personally involved in the case but when she meets vulnerable Rose plus the cold, distant mother, the overly friendly father and the shrewd but disabled grandma, Stella can't help herself from falling into some unhealthy, old habits that could possibly have some longtime harmful consequences to Stella's own fragile mental state. The family, all want the case hurriedly over but they're unwilling to be completely truthful or cooperative with many of her questions which leads Stella down a dark and dangerous path that could possibly ruin Rose's young life but also, unexpectedly put Stella's life in mortal danger as she unveils many of the secrets of the "House Of Glass"!


This was such an entertaining low-brewing mysterious thriller that I enjoyed so much. I loved all the characters (good and bad) who were all complex and developed very well. The novel caught my unexpected attention from the first page and I really had a hard time putting this book down because of the way each chapter would end on the precipice of something new happening. I appreciated how the author 'Sarah Pekkanen' wrote this tantalizing novel and I'm excited to read many more of her prior books as well as future books. I applaud how different and dark this story was yet it wasn't depressing or a tear jerker, just a marvelous mystery/thriller meant to be tastily enjoyed. There was one part that I didn't like (personal opinion only) with the detective handling the case in the last few chapters. I thought these developments were completely unnecessary and distracted me leaving myself with more questions than answers about Stella's stability in her personal life and it became off-putting to me although it may not affect other readers at all. With that said, it certainly didn't take away from complexities and entertainment value of the story. I highly recommend this novel and I am now another new fan of this talented writer!


I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this novel a rating of 4 1/2 TANTALIZING AND CLEVER 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

Sarah Pekkanen’s "House of Glass" is a captivating psychological thriller that enthralls with its intricate plot and complex characters. Set against the backdrop of a luxurious but unsettling estate, the novel delves into themes of secrecy, betrayal, and the facades we build to hide our true selves.

Pekkanen masterfully crafts a suspenseful narrative that grips from the very beginning. The story revolves around a seemingly perfect family living in a pristine house, whose carefully constructed world begins to unravel as hidden truths come to light. The tension builds steadily, with each revelation adding depth and intrigue to the storyline.

The characters are richly developed, each bringing their own motivations and secrets to the forefront. Pekkanen’s portrayal of their psychological complexities adds layers to the story, making the reader question who can truly be trusted. The pacing is well-balanced, maintaining a steady rhythm that keeps readers eagerly turning pages.

The novel’s setting is vividly described, enhancing the atmosphere of unease that permeates the narrative. The house itself almost becomes a character, its glass walls symbolizing the fragile boundaries between privacy and exposure.

Overall, "House of Glass" is a riveting read that showcases Sarah Pekkanen’s skillful storytelling and keen understanding of human nature. It’s a compelling psychological thriller that will keep readers guessing and leave them pondering its implications long after the final twist is revealed.

I thought this book was a fun bingeable thriller. I learned a lot about traumatic muteness. I enjoyed the twists and wanted to abandon my responsibilities and read it in a day. I also have enjoyed this authors other books and the DC setting. I had read mixed reviews of the book but I really enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy.

Thank you for the gifted copy.

Sarah Pekkanen did it again - another twisty thriller that takes the reader on a wild ride!

The thing I loved about this book is that I really didn't know how everything was going to pan out. I had my ideas but they kept changing as I read. I was SURE I knew what happened, but then I would change my mind again and again.

I'm already looking forward to the next book by this author!

The Barclay home felt like a mysterious character in itself, with its strange family dynamics creating a constant sense of tension. Rose’s unsettling behavior and Grandma Harriet’s enigmatic presence added to the intrigue. The growing threat to Stella provided a captivating undercurrent, and the subplot involving her friend and mentor Charles enriched the narrative further. While I didn’t find this as compelling as last year’s Gone Tonight, it was still a solid, well-crafted psychological thriller. The ending wasn’t particularly surprising and felt a bit clichéd, but overall, it was an engaging read.

What you think you see and hear is not what it always seems to be . This family looks perfect from the outside , but on the inside something or someone is a psychological threat to everyone's well being . This was an intriguing story with many layers , pulling the reader in , making the characters seem suspicious , makes for a good who dun it read . I really enjoy this author's work.

Psychological/domestic drama that is suspenseful and kind of creepy. Stella, a best interest attorney, is tasked with determining the best custody arrangement for Rose, the traumatized nine year old child in the middle of her parent’s bitter divorce. Rose hasn’t spoken since the death of her nanny. Everyone in the household is a suspect in the nanny’s death, including Rose. The police investigation has gone cold, having turned up no evidence pointing to the guilty party. Stella must wade through all the family lies and deception to determine what is best for Rose, even if that means inpatient treatment. This is a well written, well paced read that presents readers with a cast of flawed, complex characters and a suspenseful storyline that keeps them turning pages from beginning to end.

I absolutely love Sarah Pekkanen's writing. House of Glass is about a lawyer, Stella, who is hired to be an advocate for a little girl, Rose, whose nanny has been murdered. The story was very interesting and though I figured out who did it, I still enjoyed the story.

I have read a few books by Sarah Pekkanen and truly enjoyed them, so I was very excited to read House of Glass, her newest release and kept me at the edge of my seat. The nanny is dead and we have a full house of suspects. Sella, the attorney assigned as the best interest attorney for Rose, the 9-year in the house is assigned to help . Can Stella uncover what the residents of the house are hiding and help Rose? But is Rose part of the problem? Her parents are in the middle bad divorce. Stella is not used to working with kids this age, but because of her history, she may be just what Rose needs. However, what happens when Stella finds herself in danger?

I truly enjoyed reading House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen, It was a captivating psychological thriller with suspects at every turn. The father, the mother, the grandmother and Rose herself. Stella needs to help Rose, but her own trauma is not helping. I kept turning the pages and was excited to see how it would all turn out.

Happy reading!

Loved this book! Full of twists and turns, mostly unexpected. I enjoyed the subplots as well, and appreciated how they were woven into the main plot and had a satisfying conclusion. Definitely recommend this one… it wasn’t my first Sarah Pekkanen book but it was my favorite!

This initially gave me Bad Seed vibes and then turned into something much more! Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney charged with determining which one of Rose Barclay’s parents will get custody of her following their divorce. But first Stella must figure out what happened to the nanny and why Rose has stopped speaking. The best interest attorney character is one I have not seen in a book yet, and I loved it. There is a second storyline centered around Stella’s childhood and her own mentor, because of course there is! This gave so much insight into who Stella is and why she makes the decisions she does. This was a quick and engrossing read that I couldn’t put down. Thank you @stmartinpress and @netgalley for my gifted copy.

Thank you, NetGalley, St-Martin’s Press and the author Sarah Pekkanen
This novel was a roller coaster ride, I was never sure if there was a killer, was it an accident! who was protecting who.
Could a child do this?
Until the very end, I did not know who had done it!
Page turner
Recommend