House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen was a ride! This author is autobuy for me and never disappoints. Unsolved murders, mysterious elements all to the backdrop of family drama, sign me up. Great story, interesting characters and intriguing plot points. I really enjoyed my time with this book.

Whoa, creepy central! Sarah Pekkanen is a master of ratcheting up the ominous creepy tension. Stella Hudson reluctantly agrees to be the guardian ad litem/lawyer for Rose Barclay, a nine-year-old who witnessed the death of her nanny, who fell through a window of the family's third story home. The Barclays live in a spacious mansion, but they are divorcing, and Stella must decide what is best for Rose. Rose is suffering from traumatic mutism and hasn't spoken since her nanny's death. The police could not arrest anyone, but Rose's parents, grandmother, and even Rose herself are under suspicion.

As Stella digs into Rose's life, she finds the Barclay home unnerving. There's no glass anywhere, not even in a picture frame, and she soon realizes her young charge is hoarding sharp weapons. Rose's parents appear to be hiding something about their daughter, as does her grandmother, who is Rose's alibi for the incident. The Barclays empty (and glass-free) home makes for a wonderful and eerie setting.

The small cast of characters keeps you guessing; I love a thriller where you have an inkling but can never be sure. There's nothing quite like a rich, slightly off family, and a spooky kid. Now Stella seemed more like a PI rather than a lawyer, but I guess we have to let that one go. She's drawn to Rose due to her own childhood trauma, and the book explores Stella's own past, as well as her relationship with a cop who is both investigating the nanny's death and helping Stella look into her mother's long ago death. I could totally see these two characters reappear in another book!

This is a quick page-turner that looks at childhood trauma, divorce, and family secrets coupled with an atmospheric and tense story.

Thriller

Holy buckets, this was a good book!

Stella gets called in to consult on a custody case. Ian and Beth are getting a divorce, and both want full custody of their daughter Rose. The problem is that their nanny recently fell/was pushed out a window on their property and died, causing Rose to go mute.

Having experienced traumatic mutism as a child, Stella is both fully experienced in this and the best advocate for Rose. The problem is this brings up unresolved feelings for Stella. There is also the possibility that Rose could have been the one to push the nanny out the window. Or was it truly an accident.

The investigation into the family forces Stella to deal with her own past, while also dealing with an ex-husband who has a new girlfriend. Stella is dealing with a lot and then strange things start happening to her as she is looking into the family. These odd occurrences mirror what happened to the nanny before she died. Could a young girl really be responsible? There were only 4 people in the house when the nanny died, so the suspect list is small.

This was another great novel from Pekkanen and cements her as a go to thriller writer in my book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

3.2/5 ⭐️

Sarah Pekkanen's latest solo novel is a gripping psychological thriller that captivates from start to finish. Known for her collaborations with Greer Hendricks, Pekkanen steps out on her own in this story about Stella, a best-interest lawyer assigned to a custody case after the suspicious death of a family nanny. As Stella unravels the mystery of the nanny's death, the suspense deepens, especially when she discovers that Rose, the young girl at the center of the custody battle, has been acting in disturbing ways since the tragedy.

While this latest novel has its moments of intrigue, it ultimately feels like a fairly average psychological thriller. The plot, centered around a custody case and a mysterious death, follows familiar tropes and doesn't offer many surprises. Although the pacing is steady and the main character, Stella, is relatable, the story lacks the depth and originality that could have set it apart. The abrupt romantic subplot feels out of place, and while the clean content is a welcome change, it doesn't do enough to elevate the book beyond a standard, predictable read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book kept me on my toes and I could not put it down and finished it in one day. I had to know what was happening in that house. I really enjoyed the writing and the characters. I don't want to give too much away. I went in blind and really enjoyed the thrill ride.

“A suspicious death, a silent child— the blueprint of my childhood is being drawn all over again. Everything I’ve held tightly inside for three decades is jarring loose.”

Pekkanen has co-written books with Greer Hendricks (An Anonymous Girl and The Golden Couple) but this was my first book by just her and I really enjoyed it— probably more than the joint books.

First of all, I think it’s great that I can read a secular psychological thriller and have no swearing or graphic sexual content. The Golden Couple had a lot of f-words so it must be Hendricks’ contribution of the duo and I appreciate that Pekkanen does her own thing.


The joint books both looked at dysfunctional marriage in the context of a therapist character. This book was a little different. There is still a divorce in the plot, but the main character— Stella— is a best-interest lawyer tasked with determining which Barclay should get custody of Rose.

What makes this a psychological thriller is that the family’s nanny (Tina) had recently “fallen” to her death out of the third story window of their house after her affair and pregnancy with Mr. Barclay came to light. It was never determined to be a murder, but both parents and the live-in grandmother were suspects.

Before Stella can report back with what is best for their daughter, Rose, she needs to figure out what happened to the nanny. She can’t send Rose to live with a murderer.

“Every detail of the Barclays’ seven-bedroom home and manicured gardens is flawlessly curated. And every person I’ve encountered here is deeply damaged.”

But things take a turn when Stella notices Rose collecting sharp objects. In fact, her parents have removed all glass from their house. She also discovers Rose is reading a book written about Ted Bundy.

Could Rose actually be behind Tina’s death?

Stella’s own traumatic childhood makes her the perfect person to figure this out. Ever since Tina fell to her death Rose has been mute. Stella, herself, was mute for awhile after she found her mother’s body as a child. She is determined to be an advocate for Rose and not assume the worst about her when she can’t speak for herself.

“Rose is losing everything, just as I did. Her voice is gone. Her family as she knew it has split into fragments. She left her school. Soon she’ll lose her house. Those are the tangible things. She has also lost her joy. her sense of safety has vanished.”

But will her open-mindedness lead her into inescapable danger?



Pekkanen does a really good job of making you second-guess your predictions. I felt like it moved at a faster pace than the joint books and kept my interest the whole time. I also found the main character to be more likeable than the other characters’ books.



Probably my main negative of this book was when— out of nowhere— the author decided that Stella should suddenly be attracted to the female detective that had worked the nanny case.

Stella just finalized her divorce and the author mentions that Stella “had never been attracted to women before” but then out of the blue she comments on the detective’s “knockout smile” and says “She may just be doing her job, but I like it that she seems to care.”

It was so out of left field that I re-read the paragraph multiple times because I thought I was interpreting it wrong. But nope. It felt like Pekkanen, after writing most of the book, suddenly realized she didn’t have an LGBTQ character and decided she needed to add some diversity so she threw it in. It felt very unnecessary.

Why couldn’t she have just been a really good friendship that comes Stella’s way to help her through the difficult divorce and case that that stirred up bad childhood memories. A love interest seems very abrupt and cliche.



This is my second recent book with a mute character. If this type of story interests you, you would probably like Mike Omer’s book called Please Tell Me. It is about a little girl who was kidnapped and then found, but she is now mute and her captors are at large. Using play therapy they try to unlock what really happened to her.

I think it’s interesting to think about that book and this book in light of what I’m currently reading— the non-fiction book by Abigail Shrier called Bad Therapy. It sheds a little different light on the perspective of therapy that is encouraged in both fiction books… well and really any psychological thriller that utilizes the therapist trope.


A couple other random comments:

- When Charles comes back for his briefcase of money and she asks him to describe it he says: “Smart of you to check. It’s dark brown. A couple years old.” Considering how much money was left in there, the smart thing would be for her to require more than the most vague description of any briefcase that ever existed.

- I am very intrigued by this Nest candle. I love candles. Probably too much. And I can’t imagine spending $80 on a candle. So if you have used Nest candles, please deliver your honest review to me on whether or not these candles are worth buying more than the average candle at Bath and Body Works or Kohls. Please and thank you.

- Stella talks about texting 9-1-1 and I had never heard of this. It seems like a helpful but also not helpful thing so I looked it up. It’s only offered in some counties and I downloaded the list but it’s super long and not easy to sort so I have no idea if I can text them where I live. BUT when I looked it up, it also seemed like calling 911 is definitely the better option if you are able.



Recommendation

I definitely recommend this book! I thought it was a really good psychological thriller that kept me guessing. My negative thing was pretty minor and didn’t arise until a decent way through the book.

Paired with the fact that there is no swearing or sexual content, this is a great option for all readers.

I may not read more of their joint books, but I would definitely read more solo Pekkanen books!


[Content Advisory: no swearing or sexual content (other than the reported infidelity); there is an introduction of same-sex attraction 77% through the book]


**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

This was excellent! A child traumatized so much by the death of her nanny she doesn’t speak is at the center of our story, and Stella Hudson is sent to help determine which parent she should go live with. But is she really traumatized or is there more going on? The more time Stella spends with Rose Barclay the more she questions what really happened to the nanny, what is really going on in this house, and is she even going to make it out alive herself.

Pekkanen has outdone herself again with this one, I could not stop once I put the audio on and I loved it all the way through. I questioned everyone in here at some point and figured it out right before it was revealed, and the ending was extremely satisfying. The audio was excellent as well, loved this one so much and definitely recommend it!

I absolutely could not put this book down! I'm pretty sure I read it in 4 hours. SO many twists, so many potential suspects that I didn't know what to think & just when I thought I had everything figured out... BOOM. Massive twist.

I would read anything Sarah Pekkanen writes and this was no exception. (The Golden Couple and The Wife Between Us are my two favorite thriller books of all time).

“EVIL ISN’T MERELY A WORD-IT’S A TANGIBLE, DIMENSIONAL THING” period.

I have been a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen's books, but this one was not my favorite. I think it is a good one for newer thriller readers. I felt that the plotline was a little predictable and I had deja vu reading about a character running through a house trying to escape a killer because the way it was done has been done that way so many times before.

I absolutely loved Rose's character and how that storyline developed. I love books with creepy children. I don't want to give any spoilers but I liked the plot twist involving her character.

Overall, I would recommend it to new thriller readers, but for people who read a lot of thrillers, it felt repetitive of a lot of things that are already out there.

House of Glass was EXCELLENT! From the characters to the unique plot, I read through this book fast. This is one of those novels that plays like a movie in your head. Highly recommend!

<i>House of Glass<i/> is a fascinating family centered psychological thriller. It brought about a new perspective of seeing into a family - possibly one of a killer. The main character, Stella, is a Best Interest Attorney, meaning she needed to get deep into the family and everyone they associate with to make a decision on the Rose's best interest due to divorce. Because the parent's are getting a divorce right when there was a death on their property - Rose's nanny - there are a lot of cards at play here.
Rose may have witnessed the death and now she isn't talking. She's actually physically mute due to trauma. Stella wasn't just randomly chosen to represent this girl, she too witnessed a trauma and because mute as well for a short time as a child.
Both Rose and Stella need each other to heal from their wounds. I really enjoyed how this played out. The writing kept the reader guessing. There really where characters that were presented as unreliable and therefore easy to peg the death on, because this may not have been accidental.

This book was a joy to read. I enjoyed the way the story flowed and I had a few moments that kind of made me question a few things. The characters were very interesting and I had smile quite a few times. This author really knows how to tell a story that will captivate you from the very beginning. I highly recommend this book and this author.

Thank you NetGalley & Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity to read this book!
What made House of Glass unique is that unlike most murder mysteries, the murder suspect was a young child caught up in the middle of a messy divorce. Stella, the main character, is an empathetic lawyer determined to figure out what’s best for the young Rose, pulling on her own life experiences to figure this case out. Stella’s past is full of surprises and character’s with secrets that she has to figure out as she races against the clock to make a life-altering decision for Rose.
The twist in this book doesn’t come from the main storyline which fascinates me, but was a major twist nonetheless.
Easy, great read for mystery / thriller lovers!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What I loved about this one:
- short chapters that kept the pace quick
- unreliable characters
- family secrets
- a creepy mansion

What I didn't love:
- nothing!

This was a great thriller perfect for the beach or for on vacation because it's easy to binge. The pacing stays quick and keeps you on your toes guessing until the end. Absolutely loved and recommend!

✨𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄✨

House of Glass by @SarahPekkanen

🪟 This is my favorite book by this author so far! From the very first page, I was completely drawn into the story. I love thrillers that involve children because they either make me feel protective or give me the creeps. What’s fascinating about this book is that you’ll be constantly questioning the child, Rose, throughout the entire story. She doesn’t speak, so you won’t know how she fits into the plot until the very end. I won’t spoil anything… you’ll just have to read it yourself.

🪟 There were a couple of red herrings that weren’t fully explained, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book.

🪟 I especially appreciated how Rose’s situation was tied to Stella’s (the lawyer/guardian ad litem) backstory, adding depth to the narrative.

🪟 I loved the constant second-guessing, the secrets, and the twists. You’ll find yourself suspicious of everyone! The ending was fantastic and took me by surprise in the best way possible.

🪟 This is a real page-turner! I think any thriller lover will enjoy it.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Stella is a court appointed lawyer assigned to Rose in the middle of a custody dispute. What is best for rose? Which parent should she live with? What really happened to her nanny who dies tragically by falling out the window?

Stella is racing against time to solve what is really going on here. Will you be able to guess what's happened? I know I didn't!!

Did I ever love this book!!! What an absolutely insane tale of a death of someone and trying to figure out who did it. Who is crazy? What is really going on here? You will be flipping the pages so fast to find out.

Thanks for NetGalley and St Martins press for this arc

This was an entertaining read. I could predict the twists, but still enjoyed it. The storyline focuses on the main character’s childhood as well as the present in solving a murder.

This book was okay, but not great. I started it on a vacation and had a hard time jumping into it again after the trip was done. Maybe it was just a case of right book, wrong time, but this book simply wasn't the book for me during this time. I've heard lots of good things about it so I wish I would have enjoyed it as well!

In the midst of her parent's bitter divorce, a nine-year-old girl witnesses the possible murder of her nanny and refuses to speak. A best interest attorney is called in although she has a strict rule about not taking clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood. The family is more troubled than realized and with everyone lying, how can the truth be revealed?

I have read everything by writing duo Pekkanen and Hendricks but this is my first read by Pekkanen alone. I was drawn in right from the beginning and there was twist after twist. I will now be checking out Sarah's previous books because I enjoyed this one so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

I must say that this book had me guessing until the end. And that does not happen often.

The story of a court appointed attorney who works with child custody cases. The main character, Stella, finds herself investigating a family whose nanny recently died. Was it an accident or otherwise? And the child, Rose has an form of trauma induced mutism. Stella, who suffered from something similar as a child, finds herself embroiled in a case like no other.

I liked the side storyline of Stella, learning about her own childhood as well.

The story kept me switching my thoughts on who do it, until the end. I really enjoyed this book.

Rating a 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.