🔎 The way this book grabbed me, and wouldn’t let me go! This page turner by @sarahpekkanen is out today! Thank you to @stmartinspress for the sneak peek.

🔎 In the vein of The Push this has an undercurrent of ‘is she or isn’t she’ evil element, that sets the tension tight as a rope throughout the whole novel!

🔎 Our MC is a lawyer hired on behalf of a child to make a recommendation to court— about what her custody arrangement should be after a divorce. The MC has her own interesting back story as well, making for a twisty-turny tale.

🔎 I was reading this and another book over a weekend, but this ended up getting all my attention! I couldn’t put it down! There was a point in the middle it got a LITTLE sluggish, but overall I really enjoyed this read!

Wow wow wow! Pekkanen writes magic again! I absolutely love her mystery/thrillers. This was the perfect case of who did it.

I loved how emotionally connected that the main character, Stella becomes with Rose and her situation/story. I thought that the author did an amazing job keeping us guessing throughout.

It left me on the edge of my seat.

I did think some certain situations felt unfathomable, which I know can be an “issue” for some readers, but I think it made the story more exciting and unpredictable.

This story leads the reader on a merry chase! And I enjoyed it! I knew something was wrong in this house and with this family but I just had no idea what kind of twist was coming! And everyone, including the nine year old Rose, is a suspect.

Rose’s nanny has recently died. She fell or was pushed out her bedroom window. Now her parents are getting divorced. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella’s mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help. As Stella comes closer to discovering the secrets surrounding this family, she knows she herself is in danger and time is running out.

I enjoyed how this author slowly reels you in. She creates such a web of deception and lies! Did Rose kill her Nanny? She keeps sharp objects hidden everywhere. And now she is not talking. What about Rose’s parents? Affairs were had!!!! And what about the grandmother? She has some unique ideas about who should have custody. You need to read this to find out!

The narrator, Laura Benanti, is not really my favorite. She tended to speed up during the intense sections. And, in general, too dramatic for me.

Need a good thriller with a twisted ending…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Wow! This one grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let go. Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? Hold on to your seat for a pulse-pounding thriller that will leave you guessing every step of the way!

House Of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is utterly propulsive and addicting!

How did the nanny die? It could have been an accident, or she could have been murdered at the hands of her boyfriend or by anyone in the Barclay household. It's Stella Hudson's job to assess the Barclay family and ascertain who gets custody of nine-year-old Rose after her parents’ divorce - all while trying to get to the bottom of the nanny's death. To make matters more difficult, Rose has been afflicted with traumatic mutism.

Main character Stella has a methodical and analytical mind that breaks down every decision, constantly weighing the pros and cons - and I want to read more of her! The Barclay's are a bunch of unlikable yet memorable characters, each plotting, lying and cunning to get their way. House Of Glass is a character driven psychological thriller at its absolute finest! Although it was never "just" a thriller; it had romance and a mystery encased alongside the main plot for added depth and character development.

This audiobook will go down in history as one of my very favourites! Laura Benanti did an outstanding job with her narration! She embodied Stella and made the story so believable! She had a knack at heightening the suspense with her diction, tone, and the punctuated use of her voice. Absolutely phenomenal!

House Of Glass is utterly thrilling and atmospheric. And I didn't guess the outcome at all!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

House of Glass is a book with creepy suspense, questionable characters, and a protagonist who never lets her override her mission to help others. Stella was the best part of this book for me. She has a life filled with loss, but she works every day to improve other children's lives rather than wallowing in her own plight. She was the reason I kept reading.

I would recommend this book to people who love domestic suspense and thrillers and readers who appreciate the unreliable characters trope. This is 4 star read, rounded up from 3.5. I wasn't too invested in the plot, as much of it dragged, and I've never heard of a lawyer who works as minimally as Stella (one guardian case at a time, that's it?).

This psychological thriller gripped me from the beginning and kept me engaged and turning pages until the very last one. The atmosphere felt claustrophobic with much of the setting in a glassless home with a sense of foreboding lurking within. The writing, setting, plot, and messy characters were all perfection.

Stella Hudson works as an attorney appointed to serve in the best interests of children in custody cases. She meets a nine year old Rose Barclay during a very difficult time in her life. Not only are her parents fighting for custody of her, but her nanny has just mysteriously fallen from a window of the family home resulting in her untimely death, with Rose as a witness. Questions are spiraling around this family and the cause of death surrounding the live in nanny. To make matters worse Rose is suffering from traumatic mutism as a result of witnessing something so horrific. Stella only takes on this case because of her beloved mentors request. Usually she only serves in the interests of children over thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood. As soon as she starts this case she begins seeing parallels between this case and her past.

This eerie house is holding secrets and Stella must try to unravel what each of the family members is telling her and what the truth actually is. Will her past warp her view? Who can she trust when it seems everyone is lying?

I loved every minute of this story! Thank you so much to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. If you love a good mystery or thriller you should definitely check this one out.

What an amazing book! It was well-written and engaging. And most importantly the book had a great plot. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next, I was always wrong. My number one read for 2024!

I really enjoyed this thriller from Sarah Pekkanen, as I have her previous books that I've read. This is a mystery/thriller that seeks the killer of the family's nanny, that incident resulting in the traumatic mutism of the child. It also involves the traumatic past of the lawyer in charge of determining who will have custody of the child after her parents' divorce is finalized. This is the kind of book where everyone has a motive, and I didn't have a clue as to the outcome until the author started leading me in that direction. I also didn't see the information revealed about Stella's past (and present), so it was all a fun ride for me. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!

Fear can take many forms.

Stella Hudson is a DC area best interest attorney, a lawyer who is called in by the courts to recommend the best resolution to conflicts regarding a minor. Having survived a difficult childhood herself, it is a job about which she is passionate…her life might have been quite different if someone had served as her advocate after her mother’s untimely death. Her life now is pretty rocky too; she and her husband are finalizing their divorce, with a key factor having been her unwillingness to have children. She is approached to take on a new client, a nine year old girl named Rose Barclay who is suffering from traumatic mutism…a total though hopefully temporary loss of the ability to speak after seeing her nanny fall to her death from a window. Normally Stella refuses to take cases involving young children given how closely they reflect her own childhood trauma, but her mentor and de facto father figure Judge Charles Huxley strongly encourages her to break her rule in this case. As someone who had lost her voice as a result of the circumstances of her mother’s death, Stella may understand Rose better than anyone else could. But as she meets the Barclay family and observes their interactions and current relationships, she develops definite misgivings. Rose’s parents Beth and Ian are in the process of a divorce, though still sharing the family home along with Ian’s mother Harriet. Given that Ian had been having an affair with and apparently impregnated TIna de la Cruz, the nanny who subsequently fell out of a window in the palatial Barclay home and plunged to her death, the situation has been fodder for salacious news stories and local gossip. There is also the curious fact that all items made of glass have been removed from the Barclay home (picture frames, wine glasses, mirrors, windows…anything made of glass has either been replaced with plastic or just taken away). Beth says it is because after Tina’s fall she has developed a phobia about glass, but Stella suspects otherwise when she sees Rose furtively grab and pocket sharp items. The more time Stella spends with the Barclays, the more she senses that things are not what they seem and that the atmosphere is poisonous. Was Tina’s death just a tragic accident, or did someone push her? Was it Beth, the jealous wife? Ian, the philandering husband trying to conceal their affair? Or could Rose be a deeply disturbed child? Stella’s mission to help Rose was always going to be a challenge….but now lives could depend upon her figuring out what is happening at the Barclay home.
If you are looking for a psychological thriller chock full of family secrets and hidden motives, House of Glass will be right up your alley. The character of Stella, an unusual sort of protagonist, coping with the parallels between Rose’s situation and her own traumatic past adds a layer of mystery to the unfolding plot. Does Stella’s own experience make her better equipped to handle Rose and her inability to voice her feelings and wishes, or does it add to the confusion? She has buried a lot about what happened to her years earlier, unwilling to deal with her memories, but working on this case is bringing things back that she has no choice but to investigate. The wealthy Beth and the handsome but blue collar Ian on the surface seem to have had the perfect life, but while both love their daughter deeply there is more to their relationship’s collapse than just Ian’s affair. A divorce can get nasty for all parties, and often it is the children who suffer because of it….and Rose is certainly dealing with more pain and ugliness than any nine year old should…but is she truly a victim? Lots of twists and turns in the plot, and all manner of suspects each of whom lies or shades the truth as Stella tries to sort through it all. A couple of plot lines creep in towards the end that seemed a bit superfluous, but all in all it was an engaging story that was hard to put down, perfect for fans of authors like Sally Hepworth, Frieda McFadden and Peter Swanson. Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me early access to a copy of House of Glass.

We initially meet Stella, who is working with the Barclay family as a favor to her mentor, Charles. Stella's role is to assess the best environment and future living arrangements for Rose. Between her parents approaching a divorce, and the tragic death of their nanny, Tina, it's been decided that a best-interest attorney is needed for Rose.

The main mystery here is what really happened to Tina. That part of the story I enjoyed. The Barclay home is simmering with unease, and there are many weird quirks that all the characters have that make them interesting and creepy. Even Tina herself was hiding things. But I do wish some of this had been explored more. We see Stella investigating and it sometimes felt like she was deeply overreaching based on her role, but then other aspects weren't given much time.

My biggest issue with this story was the side stories. There is obviously a reason that Stella is taking this case as a favor to Charles. We know we will see some of her current life and parts of her backstory. But for me, it just overtook the main portions of the book and it felt like the story became less about Rose and more about Stella.

There is also another portion where Stella is meeting someone new, possibly romantically, and while I was happy for her character, it really didn't make any sense to have it in the story. This part also makes the mention of Marco at the beginning seem unnecessary.

If you enjoy stories that deal with child prodigies, twisted family dynamics, murder, and old secrets finally seeing the light of day, you would likely enjoy "this one. As Rose's secrets are being revealed, so are secrets that Stella has never known of. "House of Glass".

When a book gives you the chills when you are reading it then it has to be good. This book was a great psychological thriller. I had goosebumps reading it.

The intricate telling of the Barclay family and the potential murder of their nanny was chilling. Everyone was a suspect in the possible murder of the nanny; the mother, the father, the grandmother and even the little girl Rose. The author did a phenomenal job telling this story. As I was reading it, I was literally suspicious of every single character. And the way Rose was portrayed was truly creepy. The ending was literally perfect. I did not see it coming but truly appreciated it.

Thank you to St Martins Press for the gifted arc through netgalley for my honest review.

I swear Pekkanen can write the absolute best thrillers!
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is a gripping, suspenseful read that will keep you reading late into the night! I was captivated from the first page to the last!
I loved this book, full of intrigue and suspense, and once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down!

This book kept me on my toes and I couldn’t put it down. The suspense and story line really captivated me and drew me in.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen,, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

3.5⭐️ This is a twisty book! It was very slow in the beginning and was overly detailed throughout, but it picked up around 60% for me and was a crazy ride from there! I figured out a few “twists” but it was still a fun read. The author created a suspenseful (and slightly creepy), atmospheric story!
Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Wow! Thank you Netgalley, Sarah Pekkanen, and St. Martin's Press for the ebook. What a fantastic read! A true cat and mouse thriller with creepy house vibes! This book had me turning pages throughout the night and had me guessing till the very end!!

I was SO excited when I got this ARC on NetGalley, St Martin’s press was super nice to say yes!:)
I’ve read all of Sarah’s books. This one has to be near if not the top. DEFINITELY the most psychological and creepy. I was thoroughly pleased with how this book turned out, though I did not enjoy the meaningless “relationship” she put in at the end for the main character. It was unneeded and I feel like it took away from the story just to be “woke”. Other than that, this book was phenomenal.

**Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen, and St Martin’s Press for my free ebook copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

I loved this book. I felt all the feelings and emotions; I was confused, freaked out, annoyed, and angry. From early on I thought I had figured out who killed the nanny, but towards the end things seemed to fall apart then come back together to a clearer picture.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to be kept on their toes while also being creeped out!!


**Possible Spoiler**

The ONLY beef I have is towards the end, OUT OF NOWHERE, a potential romantic relationship sparks that, in my opinion had no leg to stand on. There was no foreshadowing that this relationship could happen. It really felt like it came out of left field, very random and unnecessary.

But despite that, I still give this book a 4.5 😀

Who killed the nanny?
Nanny, Tina de la Cruz, is having an affair with Ian Barclay, her employer. She’s certain he will divorce his wife and marry her. Then she fell or was pushed from her third floor quarters in the Barclay’s mansion.
Beth and Ian Barclay were the picture perfect couple. They had a storybook courtship. They live in a mansion. They have an adorable nine-year-old daughter.
The façade collapses when Tina’s body ends up on the backyard patio. It’s discovered that she was pregnant with Ian’s child. A divorce is eminent.
Enter Stella Hudson. She is a “best interest” attorney. She represents children involved in contentious child custody cases. Her rule is never a child under twelve but as a favor she will represent Rose. She has stopped talking. The police think she saw the crime and shock is the reason she’s mute.
Stella will have to decide who gets custody of Rose. Could her recommendation place the child with the murderer? Then she learns that Rose may be more unstable than anyone imagined?
As Stella uncovers the secrets she puts herself in harm’s way because her unresolved past is similar to Rose’s present.
Everyone who might want the nanny out of the Barclays lives is a suspect. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose, since they were all in the mansion the day the nanny died.
Will Stella discover the truth before she meets the nanny’s fate?
This was a page turner. The secrets in this family were riveting.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

A creepy house, creepy kid and a mystery. What’s not to love?! This book had me guessing until the end!!