I love stories about seemingly perfect families hiding... something.
But creepy children and psychological suspense aren't really my bag.

HOUSE OF GLASS follows Stella, a best interest attorney, trying to figure out what her custody recommendation will be for 9-year-old Rose. One challenge is that Rose is not currently speaking. Another is that the family's nanny just fell to her death on their property, and the identity of her killer (if it was a homicide) is unknown. Stella has her own childhood trauma to contend with.

This story kept me going, but ultimately it just wasn't really for me - I wanted more tension/suspense. In that sense, author Sarah Pekkanen's last book, GONE TONIGHT, was more up my alley. To be sure, I don't think HOUSE OF GLASS is a bad book, it just wasn't the best fit for me personally, which I probably could have guessed based on the synopsis (but I read it anyway because I've enjoyed the author's books in the past!).

Also, I was very excited to get to finally listen to a book narrated by Laura Benanti. And... I did not love the narration. It just felt needlessly dramatic - I'm not sure if that's a mismatch between Benanti and me (say it ain't so) or because the plot of this one wasn't a home run for me. Will try again!

I received an advanced review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. \

3.75/5 rounded to a 4/5 for Goodreads

The Barclays: Rose, Beth and Ian, experienced a death in their home. The death was a nanny who cared for Rose, whom witnessed the murder. This has all happened in the mist of Beth and Ian's divorce and custody battle. Stella Hudson is the best interest attorney around and has been assigned to the case to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She normally does not accept clients under thirteen because of her past childhood trauma, but Rose was different. Both Rose and Stella stuffer from "traumatic mutism". With both of them sharing this coping mechanism, maybe Beth is able to reach Rose and find out what truly happen the nanny. Was the murder an accident? Was it on purpose? Who killed the beloved nanny?

Overall, I felt there was a good balance between the Barclays and Stella's story. The ending is what made the book though, I was guessing to the very end. The twist was incredible and made my heart happy. I would recommend this book to the people who enjoy psychological thrillers.

House of Glass is an engrossing psychological thriller that you might be afraid to read alone in the dark.

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, charged with making a recommendation in the best interest of a child at the middle of a custody battle. 9-year-old Rose Barclay is her new client. Rose witnessed the horrific death of her nanny and now has traumatic mutism - a rare condition Stella was also afflicted with after losing her mother at a young age. As Stella seeks to understand Rose and uncover all the secrets surrounding her, she digs in to her own past, finally looking for answers to her mother’s death. There’s something sinister at the Barclay mansion, is it the stoic little girl that collect sharp objects and doesn’t speak? Or is it the adults protecting her or protecting themselves?

Thrillers and mystery lovers won’t be disappointed by Sarah Pekkanen’s latest.

Stella is in the final stages of her divorce when her old friend and mentor asks her to take a special case. Stella is a best interest attorney for children who are in the middle of custody battles when their parents are divorcing. Right off the bat, Stella knows this will be an interesting case when she spies the young client she will be working with pocketing a piece of glass she picks up on the street.

Stella’s past and present interconnect as she gets completely submerged in the custody battle between Ian and Beth Barclay. When their nanny falls to her death months before and no leads in the case have given the police a break into the investigation surrounding her death; Stella goes on a mission to find out who killed Tina (the nanny) and hope the truth will help her better determine which parent Rose should be awarded custody to.

This was a great book. The story kept my interest though it was slow sometimes. Having only 4 possible suspects in the case surrounding the nanny’s death didn’t leave much room for surprise when the real killer is found at the end of the book, but it was enjoyable and I will continue to read books by this author as she is very talented and keeps readers entertained. Solid 4 star book.

4.5⭐️
Really good book, 10/10 recommend!!
Every chapter kept you wanting to read more and more to figure out who the killer was and what actually happened. Very captivating, well written, heart warming ending book! It really got me when Rose ran to Stella❤️

This book was perfect to get lost in for a day or two and I did really enjoy the writing and the subject. It reminded me of other thrillers where the nanny finds themselves in a house with seemingly off things going on, but it was enjoyable even if familiar. I saw the end from a mile away though and could easily predict the "twists" throughout so while I liked the book, I was hoping for a bit more. Thanks for the advance copy!

Sarah Pekkanen has, no doubt, produced another page turner. You've got all of the elements going here - a suspicious murder, an affair, a creepy, old house, a parents' divorce, a troubled child, and a past shrouded in heartache and mystery.

Our protagonist, Stella, whose voice is also used to relate the story, works as a best interest attorney. It is her job to decide which parent or guardian would provide the best environment to a child in a contested divorce. She usually does not accept cases involving children younger than 13, but her mentor and father figure, Charlie (also a lawyer), has personally asked her to take on this case.

The child at the center of this case, nine year old Rose, has witnessed a death at her family's estate. The girl's nanny, Tina, was either pushed or jumped to her death at the Barclay's historic, sprawling mansion from her own third floor lodging's window. Rose is now suffering from traumatic mutism as her parents are trying to finalize their divorce proceedings and both vying for custody of their only child.

Pekkanen gives the reader so many viable suspects for the nanny's death - Beth, Rose's mother; Ian, her father; Harriet, Rose's paternal grandmother; Rose's oddly acting piano instructor; the nanny's boyfriend; perhaps even Rose herself. Wow...we have quite the plethora of possibilities. Not to mention that the entire atmosphere surrounding the estate just emits creepy, chilling vibes to Stella each time she visits to make observations to try to wrap up her case.

It's interesting how Pekkanen weaves an interesting subplot into this thriller's main plot about our main character, also. The similarities between the two provide nice character insight.

This thriller will definitely keep you guessing. I loved Pekkenen's The Golden Couple, also, and House of Glass grabbed my attention and held it just as Golden Couple did.


Grab it August 6th and do a little sleuthing of your own. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Absolutely loved this book! From the first chapter to the end, I couldn't stop reading. I guessed some of it, but there was still a lot to uncover throughout the book! Can't wait to read more of her books.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen was not my first book by this author but has been my favorite. I really enjoyed the FMC and how we learned about her childhood and that she also was not able to speak after a traumatizing event in her life. I liked the involvement of other individuals in her life, her ex husband and the lawyer that has helped her in her life.

Stella is hired to perform an analysis on a family that is divorcing and has a young daughter that has lost her ability to speak after her nanny tragically passed away. This book has creepy vibes, from the house to what is happening in the house. The characters were all interesting. At first I thought it was similar to the book Baby Teeth, but House of Glass definitely has some different twists and turns.

I enjoyed the two story lines and the characters in this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen for an honest review.

Wow, wow, wow! This book had me on the edge of my seat from chapter one. Sarah Pekkanen is an amazing author and will keep you guessing until the very end! I highly recommend this book if you like twists and turns.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the advanced copy of House of Glass in exchange for my honest review.

Right away I was pulled intrigued by this one because of the little girl who refuses to speak. Back when I taught kindergarten, I had a student who had selective mutism, and it’s not something you see in books all too often. This time around, its trauma induced, and I needed to know more!⁣
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I loved how all the characters in this book had me questioning whether I believed them or not, even the little girl. They all had possible motives for murder. Without giving spoilers, I will say the little girl reminded me in many ways of another evil child from another book- so if you have read this one, message me and we can chat! ⁣
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There were so many layers to this one, including how the attorney’s history, is wrapped up into the overall story. No matter how many times I thought I had this one worked out, I was still caught off guard by all the twists and turns. The ending was perfect & I loved how it all played out! So many secrets I didn’t even begin to guess!

📖 Book Review 📖

📱”House of Glass" by Sarah Pekkanen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
published August 6, 2024

The nicest, perfect couple with a beautiful, gifted young daughter…but someone murdered the nanny. Pekkanen has a way of writing thrillers that makes me doubt every character. When the nanny falls out of the attic window suspension falls on everyone in the household. Stella is a best interest attorney and her new client is 9 year old Rose Barclay. Rose has stopped speaking after she witnessed the death of her nanny and her parents are in middle of a nasty divorce. Stella must spend time with the family, together and independently to best determine how to help Rose. The Barclays have some secrets and their house gives off an eerie feeling- especially when Stella notices there is no knives, glass, nothing sharp at all.

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This is not my favorite book ny Sarah Pekkanen. I found this book to be a little slow so that caused me to lose interest. I unfortunately didnt't care what happened. This could be wrong book at the wrong time for me. I do look forward to see what the Author writes in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital arc

“𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭.”

Sarah Pekkanen has been on my radar since she co-wrote The Wife Between Us with Greer Hendricks. I loved all her co-writers that I read; this is my first of her solo work and it didn’t disappoint.

Pekkanen had me intrigued with the setup of this story right away: a pending divorce, a Best Interest Attorney assigned to a child who appears to suffer from traumatic mutism, due to an accidental death of the nanny, and a house that has no glass within it. I loved the short chapters - Pekkanen has such a skill for dropping just the right amount of information and leaving it on a cliffhanger that makes it hard to put down; sometimes the reveals end up being massively important, other times they are just to keep the momentum going, both of which work well. The paranoia grows consistently, as Stella tries to assess the best parental fit for Rose, a task that is made more difficult by her suspicions that the nanny, Tina’s, death was not accidental. Pekkanen made me feel eerie of Rose, yet also sympathetic for her, which is not an easy task; the lines between Rose’s trauma, her mental health, and just generally being a kid were so blurred that she made just as plausible a suspect as the adults. I never felt like the story dragged, even if it is a bit lengthy, right up to the satisfying conclusion (even if I wanted a bit more of a gasping twist). Once I started, I couldn’t put it down, reading it in a day.

House of Glass is a story of damage, grief, trauma, vulnerability, and illusions. It is a solid psychological mystery that keeps Pekkanen on my must-read author list. Thank you to St. Martin’s and Raincoast Books for the ARC!

Many thanks to @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copies. Out now!

I loved Sarah's previous novel "Gone Tonight," so I was so excited to read this one. Unfortunately, it was just okay for me. This was actually my first audio book ever, so maybe it was that I'm not real sure. This book was not bad, so if the synopsis sounds good, I definitely recommend it.

Ian and Elizabeth Barclay are going through a divorce, and they both want sole custody of their daughter Rose. Rose has not spoken since her nanny jumped out of the window of their house and died. Or did she jump? Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney and is appointed to figure out which parent would be the ideal fit for Rose to live with. As soon as Stella sees the Barclay house, she senses something is not right. The whole house is made of plastic and there is not an ounce of glass in the whole house. Everybody is a suspect to Stella as she gets to know the Barclay family and what really happened to the nanny.

Pekkanen does not disappoint! This was a definite page turner, I finished it in one sitting because I just had to know WHO WAS THE KILLER! I really thought I had guessed right and was totally wrong. Kudos to the author for subverting me and also wrapping everything up so nicely. All questions I had were answered so that was a huge bonus! I usually hate it when some questions are left open ended in a thriller, ugh!

Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a good domestic thriller to read!

The original story where the nanny died in mysterious circumstances and then she was brought in to decide who the child should live with was good and interesting. However there were too many storylines thrown into this one and I found my interest waning. I didn’t need the side story of what happened to her mom or even the extra romance. I wish it would have just stayed as the original story. I found myself bored by about 60%.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my review!

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? This was quite the thriller. Once I started I could not put it down and the ending blew me away. Highly recommend!

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney. A court appointed attorney whose sole purpose is to decide what is best for children caught up in difficult custody cases. Stella’s latest case involves a vulnerable young girl, Rose Barclay, aged just 9, who has witnessed the death of her nanny. The imminent divorce of her parents has compounded her distress, to the point where she is suffering from traumatic mutism; making Stella’s job extremely challenging.

The Barclay family dynamic is unnatural, stifling and damaging, Rose’s parents’ and grandmother’s behaviour feels off. All of which adds to the existing tension, that builds as the story progresses. A feeling of unease permeates through the pages. There is a relatively small cast, so the reader gets to know them all extremely well, they are well developed.

I really enjoyed Stella’s character. She is complex, and clearly carries a lot of emotional scars due to an unstable, troubled childhood. Her experiences add another layer of intrigue to the plot, and further pressure to her situation.

I found the book to be highly engaging and gripping, the sinister undertones helped me to turn the pages very quickly, eager to learn the truth. It’s a highly recommended, 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ psychological thriller, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This unputdownable thriller hooked me and didn’t let go. I read it in one day because I just HAD to know what happened. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I will definitely be choosing this book for next month’s book club.