What a ride! This thriller takes you back to Stella’s childhood and her trauma and that links you to Rose’s current trauma. As Stella tries to determine what is best for Rose she makes one shocking discovery after another, both personally and professionally.
The author kept the pace moving even with going back and forth from then to now. I feel like she also set this story up to be the beginning of a great series.

House of Glass is a semi-thrilling mystery novel that follows Stella Hudson, a Best Interest Attorney tasked with creating a custody recommendation for 9-year-old Rose Barclay. While Rose and her family (Father, Ian; Mother, Beth; Paternal grandmother, Harriet) are dysfunctional and messed up on their own (messy divorce, old money, secrets, etc), the true mystery of the story lies in solving the questionable death of Rose's nanny, Tina. While working with the family to get to know them and form her opinion on how Rose should divide her time between her parents, Stella becomes wrapped up in the mystery of how Tina "fell" through a glass window to her death. Because she witnessed Tina's death, Rose has stopped talking entirely, making Stella's job that much harder.

While I really enjoyed the central plot of the book that followed Stella working with the Barclay family to help Rose while simultaneously uncovering what *really* happened to Tina, the book lost me when it started diving deeper into Stella's own backstory of a mysterious family member's death. I love it when depth is given to characters in mysteries, as mystery/thriller novels often forego emotional depth for plot twists and thrilling aspects, but I found myself wondering why the author chose to make Stella's background *that* complicated. I think in this instance, less is more. We already were learning about Stella as a character through her interactions with the Barclays and through her job as a BIA, so when we started learning about her childhood, it felt disconnected from the rest of the mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

"Is evil a natural force in some people, or is it created by man?"

"I believe evil is a natural force, like a hungry virus, perpetually swirling through the air and seeking places to infiltrate. Most of us bar the door against it...Others welcome it in."

There are quite a few fascinating plot points in the very manipulated perception in the House of Glass by acclaimed thriller author Sarah Pekkanen.

Stella is a "best interest" lawyer. She represents children caught in the middle of bitter divorces. Her mentor, a beloved judge, asks her to represent 9 year old Rose. Rose's rich parents are not only embroiled in a nasty custody battle over her, but they are in the headlines since Rose's nanny, Tina, fell to her death through her bedroom window. Was it a horrible accident, a devastating suicide...or was she pushed to her death?

The first thing Stella notices is "nothing in this house is made of glass." No one's breaking through glass anymore. The second, and more important thing, is Rose. She doesn't speak, diagnosed with traumatic mutism from Tina's death. It's why Stella is perfect for this case. She couldn't speak after her mom's death either.

Voice actress Laura Benanti, is such an engaging storyteller. She makes you feel all of Stella's drama and with the writer's eerie settings and subtleties, has you following Rose's every move as she becomes more unhinged and suspect.

Reading and listening I was fascinated at how Stella's Mom's death played into the story. It's with such nuanced precision that we see how it lets Stella's perception be manipulated to not see the truth. Like a house of glass, we have to thread carefully through this story because when it cracks open it's a sharp reveal.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own

House of glass is a slow burn domestic thriller. I had such high hopes for this book after reading Gone Tonight, which I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations. While the first half of the book pulled me in, the rest of the book felt predictable. I guessed most of the plot twists and as my whole reason to read thrillers is to be surprised, it just didn’t do anything for me and it felt drawn out. I did enjoy the MC, Stella, an interest attorney.

While the book was my cup of tea, the audiobook was done so well. I loved the performance by Laura Benanti, she is a new narrator but I look forward to listening to more audiobook done my her.

****Many thanks to St. Martins Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for my gifted copies.

House of Glass is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you glued to the pages. From the moment I started reading it, I found myself unable to tear myself away. The story follows Stella, an attorney who specializes in representing children's legal interests, particularly in custody disputes as a court-appointed guardian ad litem. When her friend and mentor, Charles, asks her to take on the case of a nine-year-old girl, Stella hesitates because of her own unresolved childhood trauma. However, she ultimately agrees, becoming entangled with the Barclay family who are going through a bitter divorce after the father's affair with the nanny, who later died under mysterious circumstances.

As Stella digs into the case, she becomes determined to uncover the truth about the nanny's death and the family's reactions, all while considering the possibility that the young girl she represents, Rose, might have serious mental health issues if not directly involved in the nanny's murder. This case forces Stella to confront her own traumatic past, leading to a personal and deeply engaging journey. House of Glass is a compelling and intricate story that delves into the complexities of family, trauma, and the quest for truth.
This book has the potential to deeply engage and captivate its readers. I cannot recommend the story enough for fans of psychological thrillers and mysteries. Five stars all the way! Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A nanny dies suspiciously, and her nine year old charge is the number one suspect. And it appears with good reason-Rose collects sharp objects, and has been rendered mute since Tina died. But it turns out Rose is not the only one who might have wanted Tina dead- Rose's dad Ian was sleeping with Tina, so now he and Rose's mom Beth are getting a divorce. There's a lot of duplicity and unanswered questions in House of Glass, and into this mess comes Stella-Rose's court appointed attorney who will decide which parent Rose should live with. Stella senses immediately something is "off" with all the Barclay's- even their house has ominous vibes. The more time Stella spends with Rose the more convinced she becomes Rose was behind Tina's untimely death, and begins to fear for her own life. House of Glass pays homage to The Omen (remember Damien???) but has its own quirks and insights. The plot moves at a brisk pace-short chapters and plenty of dialogue help-and with a family who seem to thrive on dysfunction you'll want to hurry through to find out which Barclay was motivated to kill. Sarah Pekkanen is known for co authoring several psychological thrillers with Greer Henricks, but she more than holds her own in House of Glass. It's a terrifying look at a family unraveling and the lengths people will go to to hold onto what they believe is rightly theirs. House of Glass is the best kind of suspense-tension that builds incrementally, with an ending that is a total surprise.

I was hooked from the first page of this book. So many different elements made this thriller pack a big punch. The psychological aspects of this book helped to create such a sinister story and the short chapters made for a fast read.

Thank you to St. Marten's Press for sharing HOUSE OF GLASS with me. This one is out now.

I love Sarah Pekkanen, she's always a slam dunk for me and this one is no different. I had no idea this was going the way it did and that's huge for such an avid thriller reader like myself. I highly recommend this one!

I love psychological thrillers, and this was a good one!
You follow Stella who is a best interest lawyer, as she is introduced to the Barclay family. The Barclay’s are an affluent family with a nine year old daughter Rose.
Rose is no longer speaking, after witnessing the tragic death of her nanny. As Stella gets to know the family more, she is faced with more questions than answers as she tries to decide what’s best for Rose when it comes to her future living arrangements. Ian and Beth are in the process of going through a divorce when their nanny is tragically killed.

This isn’t your normal family and this isn’t your normal house. Rose seems far from normal. But why? What happened that day when Tina fell? What is really going on behind closed doors? The author did a fantastic job of keeping me guessing.

This book also has another subplot going on, as you learn more about Stella’s parents and the traumas she had to deal with as a young girl herself. I thought this added to the story quite nicely.
I enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an early copy

This read can get a bit long winded and slightly predictable, but it has many twists and turns that overall maintains your interest.

House of Glass is the newest thriller by Sarah Pekkanen.

“Fart takes many forms. It’s a great motivator. A powerful deterrent. If a person lives within it for a long time, it can change the contours of their world.”

Tina the nanny of a nine year old girl, Rose, falls from a third story window to her death. No one is sure exactly what happened, and the little girl who is potentially the only witness is now not speaking. Stella, a best interest attorney is called in after being deemed the best person to help Rose. But first Stella has to figure out who is lying and exactly what happened to Tina, when everyone is a suspect.

House of Glass is not filled with huge twists and turns, or a lot of big plot points but I found myself unable to put this one down the whole time I was reading. I kept going back and forth as to who I believed, and what I thought actually happened to Tara that made her fall from the window.

Thank you St Martins Press for this eARC copy through Netgalley to read and review.

House of Glass is a gothic domestic thriller focused on Rose Barklay, a nine-year-old girl suffering from traumatic mutism after witnessing the death of her nanny who fell from an attic window. Her parents are in the middle of a pending divorce and each is seeking full custody.

Stella Hudson has been appointed by the court to be Rose’s guardian ad litem in order to make recommendations based on the best interests of the child. Moreover, Stella is in a perfect position to understand Rose as she too suffered from traumatic mutism as a child after discovering her mother’s body.

In order to fulfill her duties, Stella has to spend time with Rose and her family. The family home is a character in itself, with a heavy and sinister atmosphere filled with secrets and lies. Why has all of the glass in the home been replaced with plastic? Why does everyone want to stop Stella from spending time alone with Rose? And what really happened to the nanny? Was her fall an accident or not? Rose’s parents, her grandmother, and even Rose herself cannot be ruled out as suspects.

I liked the novel as it was a well-plotted, quick read. My only real issue involves the side plot involving Stella’s history, which took away from the main plot and quite frankly could have been a separate book. The ending was also too pat given what had gone on before. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. I liked that there was only a handful of characters, which are so much easier to remember. The storyline was good and kept me guessing what really happened!

When 9 year old Rose's young nanny falls to her death through a glass window, Rose is a witness to her death-or was it her murder? Stella, a best interest attorney, is assigned Rose's case as her parents are going through a bitter custody battle and has an unusual connection to her: Stella, like Rose, experienced traumatic mutism. Rose, who is by all accounts advanced beyond her years, is suddenly unable to speak after witnessing Tina's death. When Stella arrives to meet the family she immediately feels something is off and soon discovers all glass has been removed from the house-including picture frames, windows, doors, etc. As Stella gets to know the family and Rose, she finds herself increasingly in danger and discovers Rose has a collection of objects to use as weapons. Stella's own past begins to collide with her present and as her job is to protect Rose's best interests-Stella finds herself wondering if they all need protection from Rose? Told against the backdrop of DC and the suburbs, Sarah Pekkanen's newest release is one of her best yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Sarah Pekkanen is an auto buy author for me and this book absolutely did not disappoint! The twists and turns will leave you gasping and tearing through the pages!

This was most definitely a page turner thriller that was very hard to put down. It had such an interesting premise that kept me guessing. A glassless creepy mansion, a murder and a strangely mute child will definitely hold your attention. Also, the audio book has a fantastic narration that is hard to stop listening to. Highly recommended!

A well written psycholgical thriller novel. While not action packed, it certainly was one to tug on emotions and keep the reader engaged.

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney who has been assigned to observe a family which includes two parents in the midst of a divorce and their 9 year old daughter, Rose. Stella will get to know the family and make her recommendations for the custody of Rose. The biggest challenge, however, is Rose cannot talk to communicate. She recently witnessed her former nanny fall out of a window and die. She has not spoken since the tragedy and no one knows the truth about how she fell out the window. Was it an accident or otherwise?

There are a lot of dysfunctional family dynamics and decit woven into the story which makes it easy to envision how each of these characters could have played a part in the death of the nanny, including Rose. The story kept me coming up with different theories how this could play out and really, it could have had many different endings.

Overall, fantastic flow to the story, great character development which allowed me to have a lot of good and bad emotions for the characters. I was satisfied with the ending and would definitely recommend to fellow psychological thriller readers.

I enjoyed this psychological suspense story of a BIA (best interest attorney) representing a young girl whose nanny has been murdered. Was Rose's mother to blame? Her father? Her grandmother? Or Rose herself?

With a limited group of suspects, this book does a good job of keeping you guessing. Overall, a solid beach read with a twist on the usual domestic suspense premise.

Stella Hudson is an unusual type of lawyer. She generally works at the behest of divorce court judges to advocate for children at the center of the most difficult and contentious custody cases. As a best interest attorney, or guardian ad litem, her sole focus is on what’s best for the children she represents.

Her devotion to her career is partially due to her own troubled childhood. As such, she usually only takes on teenagers, as younger children too often prove an unsettling reminder of that tough time in her life. But when her mentor asks her to take on the case of eight year-old Rose Barclay as a personal favor to him, she can’t say no.

Rose’s parents, Ian and Beth, are locked in a bitter custody dispute, each seeking sole physical custody of their daughter. Their divorce was seemingly set off by the tragic death of Rose’s live-in nanny. Young, beautiful Tina de la Cruz had plummeted to her death from the window of her attic apartment in the Barclay’s historic Potomac mansion, while Rose and her grandmother Harriet had been gardening below. The investigation into Tina’s unattended death revealed not only that she’d been pregnant, but that she’d been having an affair with Ian and wanted him to leave Beth for her. The police had taken a good hard look at all the Barclays, but there was no proof that Tina had been the victim of anything more than an unfortunate accident. The scandal had proven too much for the Barclays’ marriage though, and so Stella has been asked to intervene in their child custody arrangements, thoroughly investigating the family in order to make the best choices for Rose.

The atmosphere in the Barclays’ home is poisonous as the adult members of the household maneuver around one another, each with their own secret agenda. But Stella notes, with growing unease, that Rose just might be the most sinister figure of them all. As Stella interviews all the important people in Rose’s life, with her position granting her access to information she likely wouldn’t get otherwise, she learns more and more unsettling things about her young client. Even Rose’s therapist, Dr Gina Markman, feels the need to preface her evidence with caveats:

QUOTE
“Art is subject to interpretation,” she tells me. “People can look at the exact same image or read the same book and come away with very different impressions.”

“I understand.”

“Often, what we see in art is a reflection of us. Of our optics. Our mindset. Have you ever tried to read a novel and not enjoyed it, then gone back at another point in time and loved it? The story didn’t change. But you did. This is an insight into who we are at any given moment and what we bring to our unique intersection with art.”

She’s preparing me for something. What am I going to see in that folder?
END QUOTE

The more Stella investigates the Barclays, the more convinced she becomes that Tina was murdered. But which of them did it, and why? None of them will tell her the truth, and at least one of them is ready to kill again.

This inventive thriller had me in a figurative headlock one Sunday afternoon as I ignored everything else in my life in order to race to the end of the book, desperate not only to unravel the Barclays’ secrets but also to unlock the mystery of Stella’s own childhood. The way the two stories converged was breathtaking, and I felt personally invested in Stella’s ongoing happiness, especially as she grappled with thorny issues of both honesty and forgiveness. Most of all, I loved her commitment to doing the right thing, especially for troubled, vulnerable Rose:

QUOTE
But I won’t stop fighting for Rose. If this case ends in the way I fear, I’ll work to get Rose the best possible help. The Barclays have means. They can afford for Rose to stay inpatient at a place where the caregivers are knowledgeable and kind, where ample time is taken to find the best combinations of medicines, intensive therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. There are such places for children who seem beyond hope.

And every once in a while, with massive early intervention, a child manages to emerge and live a productive, healthy life. They are the outliers, but who’s to say Rose won’t be among them?
END QUOTE

I’m not sure whether House Of Glass was meant to be a riff on the Agatha Christie classic Crooked House, but I found this book just as gripping as its predecessor. Smart, compelling and above all compassionate, this felt like the 21st century update of a murder mystery that was definitely of its time. Fortunately for us, there are better modern alternatives to literally dying of shame, as Sarah Pekkanen so wisely displays in this excellent novel.

Stella is a child advocate working to decide which parent should have primary custody during a divorce. The child is unable to speak so that makes Stella's job all the harder. From the moment she stepped foot in their home she knew something was off. This is going to be one difficult job.

Well written characters that seem like real people with real problems. Fast paced. I was hooked from the start. I felt sympathy for all the characters at one time or another.

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin;s Press for the arc.