Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opprtunity to reada complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

Stella Hudson is a what is known as a best interest lawyer, she works for children at risk to determine what is the best decision for thri care and comfort in situations like divorce, etc. Stella's new case is a little girl named Rose who witnessed the death of her nanny Tina and hasn;'t spoke a word since, and to make matters worse, Rose's parents are in the midst of a bitter divorce. Stella feels that this case is one she must take, as she remembers finding her mother deceased when she was a young girl and being mute with fear. But when Stella first sees Rose, she sees something that disturbs her and makes her wonder if the little girl is scared od someone or someone to be scared of. As Stella delves into the case, and meets with the parents and the paternal grandmother whom lives in the home inher own granny-suite, she wonders if everyone is who they seem to be. Is Rose dangerous or in danger.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an interesting plot and the characters were well written. I will defintely be on the lookout for more books by this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ House of Glass

I originally received House of Glass as a pre-read through NetGalley and was hooked from the very beginning. It had everything I look for in a psychological thriller, especially one for spooky season! I recently revisited it by picking up the audiobook from my library, and it was just as captivating on the second read. This story is a twisting maze of lies, suspense, and chilling characters, and it kept me guessing until the very end.

The plot centers around Rose Barclay, a haunting nine-year-old who’s stopped speaking since she witnessed her nanny’s death—an event shrouded in mystery. Rose collects sharp objects and moves with an eerie silence, leaving you questioning whether she’s a victim or something more sinister. Stella Hudson, a lawyer with a traumatic past, is reluctantly assigned to Rose’s case, setting off a chain of dark revelations.

Sarah Pekkanen crafts each character to feel unsettlingly real, layering family secrets, betrayal, and buried trauma within the walls of the Barclays’ grand DC home. And speaking of the house, its bizarre lack of glass only adds to the creepy atmosphere, hinting that nothing is what it seems behind its gilded doors.

The book balances chilling twists with deep psychological insights, keeping you suspicious of everyone—from the mother to the father, grandmother, even Rose herself. The mystery runs so deep that I found myself constantly changing theories. Each family member is hiding something, and House of Glass reveals just enough to keep you on edge without giving everything away.

Overall, House of Glass has secured a spot as one of my top reads of the year. It’s a suspenseful, atmospheric thriller that’s perfect for anyone craving a gripping, eerie mystery. Highly recommend! #thriller #spookyseasonreads #bookstagrammer #bookreview

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Pekkanen for the ARC!

This book was so, so good! I love that this is told through the perspective of a BIA (Best Interest Attorney). It was such a fresh and new take on just an average police detective or investigator.

I think Pekannen does a really great job of having the reader second guess what they think they know all the way until the final reveal. I kept going back and forth thinking I knew who did it, and I was wrong.

I also think Pekkanen does an amazing job of ending pretty much every single chapter on a cliff hanger. It makes the reader want to just devour this book in one sitting. “Just one more chapter” often turned into reading about 5 or 6 more. The chapters in House of Glass are pretty short in my opinion as well which I actually prefer in a thriller because I think it helps keep a good reading pace and helps the readers not experience a lull in the book.

In the ending, every single storyline is tied up in a bow so that the reader feels like this book truly comes to the conclusion and feels like our main character (Stella) can begin to start moving on in her life.

One of the best books I have read this year and I 100% recommend this to others.

This is a twisty thriller that had me captivated from the first page! Sometimes I find thrillers to be poorly written however this one was very well written and the character development was great. This wasn't a predictable story, it was completely original and captivating. The surprises were believable, and made me more interested in the story as it went on.

I enjoyed the perspective that this story took, including some of the mixed media that came in towards the second half, such as the reports. The writing really pulled me in at the beginning, and I read this novel in very few sittings and could have easily read it in one. I think the pacing, while a bit slower and more akin to a suspense novel, was good overall. Suspense can only lead so far for me, and as the second half of the book came about, I was anticipating a much quicker pace to ensue.

Sadly where this story fell flat was in its reliance on telling rather than showing. I also think that the premise at times seemed too simple or predictable, and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, which it did not. I think this story could have incorporated multiple perspectives, such as Rose's to amp up some of the suspense and thrill, and it would have perfectly hit the spot.

In general, I think that this is a very accessible mystery/thriller that many just getting into the genre alongside long-time readers could pick up, be sucked into, and thoroughly enjoy, so I will certainly be recommending it to my friends and family.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an early copy of this title in exchange for a honest review.

This book has a bit of that gothic thriller vibe that I love so much. A creepy kid living in a seemingly haunted house, who is obsessed with serial killers and collects sharp objects, is the focus of a child custody lawyer, who is tasked with observing her and making a recommendation as to her custody. I couldn't help but think of Ashley Audrain's evil little girl in The Push. The main incident in this story begins when the child's nanny falls from the upper floor window of their house. After it happens, the little girl stops talking. When the lawyer comes to get to know the family, she suspects that the fall was not an accident, and maybe the little girl pushed her. I thought Pekkanen did a great job building the tension as she slowly revealed little details of the mystery; however, I felt that she got a little off track by trying to connect the lawyer's own childhood trauma to her case. I think she could've gotten away with writing a straight psychological thriller without adding the details of the lawyer's personal life. I still liked it overall and I would recommend it if you are into character-based thrillers.

Sarah has become one of my auto buys. Her books just instantly draw you in! I really enjoyed the short chapters and trying to figure out if she was pushed or murdered. The love story at the end was a bit different but I still really enjoyed the book.

House of glass is an exciting thriller. The backstory is great and it leaves you constantly wondering what happened. I would highly suggest this book if you like thriller. I love Sarah pekkanens other books so I was super excited for this one. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Stella is a best interest attorney appointed to helping children who’ve experienced life altering situations because she witnessed something unfathomable when she was younger and has dedicated her life to helping those in need.

Stella is appointed to help Rose, a nine year old girl who witnessed her Nanny fall from the attic window and plunge to her death feet away from where her and her grandmother were picking tomatoes. As a result of witnessing the horrific accident, Rose has gone completely mute and it’s Stella’s job to comfort Rose and to figure out what happened.

Rose’s parents are getting a divorce; it’s up to Stella to decide who gets custody of Rose, but their house gives off an eerie vibe, and someone is taunting Stella. Is it Rose, or someone else entirely?

This was an addictive family drama that kept me guessing until the very end. I’ve enjoyed Pekkanen’s books the last two years and can’t wait to see what she writes next!

This one had so many levels - a disturbed child, divorcing parents and a death! This one kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was paced well and kept me guessing. I never fully committed to my guesses on who was at fault in this story.

While families often look "Perfect" to others, what happens behind closed doors is very different!

The Barclays only appear to have the perfect life. They are a wealthy family living in a beautiful home in DC with their nine year old daughter Rose and Rose’s grandmother. That not so idyllic life is in the midst of a divorce. Best interest attorney Stella Hudson works with children in custody cases to determine what is the best living arrangement for a child of divorce. Tragedy strikes when the Barclay’s nanny crashes through an upstairs window and falls to her death. Rose witnessed the death and is so traumatized that she is left non verbal as a result of the incident. What did Rose do or see? Was her nanny’s death an accident, suicide or murder? The house and the Barclay family are full of secrets and lies. Just when you think you know the facts the truth will come out in a surprise twist. This ARC was provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whether writing by herself or with her partner Greer Hendricks, Maryland-based author Sarah Pekkanen has a knack for creating complicated, empathetic, curious heroines and putting them into dangerous situations. In House of Glass, her protagonist is lawyer Stella Hudson, who’s tasked with determining which parent is best for nine-year-old Rose Barclay. But Rose hasn’t spoken ever since her nanny Tina fell out of a window and died. Or was Tina pushed? Rose’s father Ian was having an affair with Tina, and she was pregnant. Rose’s mother Beth is guarded and on edge. How is Stella supposed to recommend one of these parents, when one of them could be a killer?

Even though House of Glass takes place in the present day, because the Barclays are wealthy and live in a sprawling old Potomac home, the novel has a gothic, haunted feel. Pekkanen adds touches such as a doll that looks just like Rose, spiraling staircases, and creaky floors to enhance the gothic atmosphere. Beth supposedly has a “glass phobia” that requires all the glass in the house being replaced with plastic. There’s even a creepy old lady—Harriet, Ian’s mother, who walks with a cane after botched knee surgery.

As Stella investigates, the case brings up her own issues—she also developed selective mutism after her mother died of a drug overdose. And as she gets to know the Barclays, she starts to suspect that Tina’s death was murder, and that the killer could be nine-year-old Rose herself.

Creepy kid stories are wonderful, and Pekkanen does a fabulous job with Rose, who reads books about serial killers and likes to collect sharp objects. Her pacing is wonderfully slow; she draws out the tension until it’s brittle enough to snap. At the same time, Pekkanen adds in the complications of Stella’s personal life—her divorce, prompted by her unwillingness to have children; her relationship with the judge who gave her her first job; the truth about her mother’s death. And the specifics of the D.C. locale are a treat for those of us who live or lived there.

Pekkanen has created many memorable characters over the years: Stella, Avery Chambers in The Golden Couple, Jessica Farris in An Anonymous Girl. They all live in D.C., and they’re all inquisitive and supportive. Maybe in her next mystery, Pekkanen can throw them all together.

🔍🪟Book Review:
Title: House of Glass
Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars

What do you do when you're a best interest attorney/guardian ad liem for children, but your current client is mute? Rose Barclay, 9 years old, has traumatic mutism after witnessing her nanny, Tina, fall out of a third story window to her death. Stella Hudson is tasked with determining which parent, Beth or Ian, should receive custody of Rose after they file for divorce. Rose has information that Stella desperately needs to make the most accurate decision, but Rose is not sharing anything verbally. As the story advances, Stella realizes that Rose has been communicating in other ways, but Stella doesn't see it at the time.

Stella not only investigates the parenting of Rose, but she stumbles upon evidence that Tina's death was not merely an accident. Someone in this house has aided in her death, but who is guilty? Rose, Beth, Ian, or even Harriet, Rose's grandmother and Ian's mother? All the signs seem to point toward Rose, but has it been set up that way intentionally?

Although I didn't believe that Rose was the troubled, violent child that she was being portrayed as, I didn't see the true culprit! Great suspense and twist ending! I enjoyed this book and haven't been disappointed by this author yet!

Published: August 6th, 2024

Thank you, @netgalley and @stmartinspress , for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I never considered myself a fan of the suspense genre, but this book has changed my perspective entirely. This psychological thriller is a masterclass in suspense, brimming with unexpected twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.

The story revolves around Stella, a Best Interest Attorney, who is assigned to advocate for Rose, a nine-year-old girl who may hold the key to solving the mystery: the death of her live-in nanny. Complicating matters, Rose’s parents are embroiled in a bitter divorce, and since the incident, Rose has inexplicably stopped speaking. Stella's mentor believes that she might be the only one capable of breaking through Rose’s silence and uncovering the truth.

On the surface, the Barclays appear to be the perfect family, but as Stella delves deeper into their seemingly idyllic life, it becomes clear that beneath the polished exterior lies a web of secrets. The more she learns, the more it seems that everyone, including Rose, has something to hide. What truly happened to the nanny? The suspense builds as every character emerges as a potential suspect.

This book had me completely hooked from start to finish; it’s the kind of story you can’t put down because you need to know what happens next. If you’re looking for a gripping read that challenges your perceptions and keeps you guessing, this psychological thriller is a must-read.

Thank you to Netgally and St. Martin's Press for the review copy in exchange for my honest review

This is definitely an unusual an excellent book. I've recommended it to friends and family, and they have enjoyed it as well. I certainly didn't see the twists coming.

3.5 Stella, a woman who determines who gets custody of the child in a custody dispute. Nne year old Rose deals with a great deal of stress, her nanny has supposedly jumped out a window, and Rose is now mute. Stella has no idea what she is getting herself into, because there is much going on under the surface. Appearances can be deceptive.

This did pull me into the story, mostly because of young Rose, wanted to learn what the final decision would be. Something that I felt could have been better is to make me feel how the house was scary, cloying. It didn't, it was tell not show.

On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.

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?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. 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.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?

I was hooked straight from the beginning to the end This is a creepy dark and menacing domestic psychological thriller. Why does Rose have so many sharp objects? Why isn't the house not made out of glass and changed into plastic? Why is Rose reading a book by Ted Bundy?

The family is very dysfunctional. There are too many dark secrets lies and danger. I thought that it was a fast-paced read. Everyone is a suspect.

The characters are all well done. My favorite character was Stella. Rose is such a creepy kid. Rose is suffering from traumatic mutism and hasn't talked since the nanny's death. Who killed the nanny?

This is a gripping suspenseful read and I loved the twists.

I want to thank Netgalley, St. Martin's Press
For the copy of this book and exchange for an honest review.

This book had an interesting premise. It was a book club pick that had me invested enough to see it through which justified 2.5 stars. Unfortunately the delivery fell completely flat for me. I feel like the ideas were planted very early on to make us suspect Rose, which to me made it blatantly obvious it was not her. We also were suspicious of Harriet right from the start, so I was hoping we would get a WOW turn of events and completely throw us off, which was a let down when it ended exactly as predicted early on.

Additionally there was so much extra information that I felt had no substance to the story-pretty much Charles and every story line pertaining to him specifically. His character could have been eliminated and it wouldn’t have taken anything from the storyline. The change up in her sexuality and a random new infatuation with the detective was so random to me and again added no value. But the thing that annoyed me most was the title. It might as well have been called house of plastic or house of plexiglass or even house of no glass would have better fit.

Stella Hudson is a “best interest attorney” assigned to determine the best environment for nine-year-old Rose. Her parents are going through a divorce and the nanny has recently died at their residence. Because of her own troubled childhood, Stella is highly motivated to navigate the trauma Rose has witnessed and determine whether Rose had any hand in it.

The story has all the makings of a great thriller; creepy little kid, unreliable characters, secrets people are tip-toeing around, a large cold house, etc. It begins fantastically, but seemed to lose momentum towards the end and the twisty conclusion was one I did not particularly see coming, but also did not find it super believable. I thought Stella was a strong character as she worked through the mystery surrounding Rose and her family. However, Stella has a backstory that somewhat stands outside of the main one. There were many moments throughout the book where it felt like two different books.

House of Glass is entertaining, but not a story that I think will stay with me.

This is one of my favorite thrillers I've read this year! The suspense is done spectacularly and I had a hard time putting this down! I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.