This was filled with so many grip-your-book moments!

I really enjoyed the eerie tension that permeated this story. It is not filled with twists and turns but rather questions that seem impossible to ever find an answer to. Everyone is a suspect which had me anxiously awaiting the final revelation. I liked that the characters, despite being suspect, were all relatable. Ms. Pekkanen’s writing flowed, giving this book a quick pace yet also creating a dark, gloomy atmosphere at times that had me ensuring my door was locked.

What an exciting, intense and suspenseful read! This is the type of book which keeps the reader guessing. Very well done!

I was so excited to get an early peek at one of my favorite authors' new book! Rich family with a creepy kid?! 🙋‍♀️ It was a fun, easy read that I really enjoyed! Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my copy!

Rose is a nine year old girl who has been through her fair share of trauma. This all causes her to be mute. She can’t speak about what happened when her nanny was killed. Tina, the nanny was pushed out of a window, but who did it? Everyone has an alibi. Ian, the husband, has been unfaithful in the past. Beth, the wife, is an absent mother. Harriet, Ian’s mother, is there for moral support while the family navigates tragedy. Stella is the lawyer put in place of Rose’s care while her parents Ian and Beth go through a divorce.

Who killed Tina? And what secrets will be uncovered?

If I read it in a day, it’s a 5. That’s part of my ranking! This story had me invested. I didn’t trust anyone…but I was right about one of the characters in the end. Thank you Net Galley, Sarah Pekkanen, and St Martin’s Press for the advanced readers copy! Pub date 8/6/24!

Why are books (like movies) with creepy children so engaging?! This book sucked me in, and I just HAD to keep reading. Definitely a good story with questions until the bitter end.

I did dock a star for the romance because it was so completely out of place. The story didn't need it, so it felt cheap, like Pekkanen threw it in there to be "relevant". Why can't a young woman just be a successful young woman?

House of Glass was my fourth Pekkanen thriller and it didn't disappoint!

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney. She works with children during their parents divorce to decide whom to award custody to when an agreement cannot be met. Stella herself had a traumatic childhood, losing her father at a young age and finding her mother dead of a heroin overdose at the age of 7. She went to live with her aunt who never really showed her much love. Stella doesn't take on clients under age 13, but in the case of 9-year-old Rose Barclay, she makes an exception. Rose has traumatic mutism- she isn't speaking because of the trauma she's witnessed. Stella takes her on as a client because she suffered from traumatic mutism as well after her mother passed. Rose has witnessed her live in nanny, Tina, fall from the 3rd story window of the house to her death. Her parents are in the process of a divorce and are fighting over custody of her all the while she's being homeschooled by her maternal grandmother. Something sinister is going on in the Barclay house, you just don't know who is at fault. Tina didn't fall out of that window on her own accord. Everyone in the Barclay house is hiding a secret, including Rose herself.

I enjoyed this novel and somewhat had it figured out whom Tina's murderer was. However, I feel that it was a bit lackluster. There was all sorts of buildup for this grand finale, and it was a bit of a let down in the end. There was a lot of good, anticipatory buildup throughout the novel and Pekkanen did a great job setting the scene. Because of the ending and overall lack of twists, I deducted one star for a total of 4 stars. Overall, a great thriller. I binged it within 24 hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest psychological thriller by Sarah Pekkanen, with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Laura Benanti. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Ian and Beth Barclay are going through a divorce and their young daughter, Rose, is caught in the middle as they each fight for sole custody. They are all living in the same house, along with Ian's mother. But the divorce and custody aren't the only issues the family is facing. Rose's nanny, Tina, recently fell (or was pushed?) from an upper window to her death, witnessed by Rose who now suffers from traumatic mutism. Stella is hired to be Rose's best interest attorney, responsible for deciding who should get custody. Stella herself had a traumatic childhood and feels like she is the perfect person to advocate for Rose.

I loved this one! I found myself suspicious and questioning everyone's motives. It was chilling, creepy, and kept me turning the pages and listening to the audiobook whenever I couldn't read it. Just why was all the glass removed from the house? Why is Rose collecting sharp objects? What really happened to Tina? Stella's backstory is another mystery as to what really happened to her mom. All these questions and plot lines are perfectly laid out and the ending very satisfying. I really enjoyed learning more about the role of a BIA - what a responsibility. Another great book by this author!

I looked forward to reading this novel, especially because I have enjoyed other books by Sarah Pekkanen and because most reviews were really glowing. However, for various reasons this book really fell flat for me. Although the premise was an interesting one (nanny falling out a window to her death, a custody fight over a precocious — and pretty creepy — child), as was the backdrop for the storyline, many of the events that occurred were unrealistic. Additionally, the ending — which seemed way over the top to me — really weakened my overall reading experience. Nonetheless, I do look forward to reading other works by Pekkanen.

Totally a page turner! I loved how Stella's story and history were woven into her work with Rose and Rose's family. At times, everyone was suspicious, and I honestly didn't figure things out. Lots of twists and turns, and this was a really good story that wrapped up the loose ends well.

2.5 stars, rounded up

For the majority of this book, I was bouncing back and forth between 3 and 3.5 stars, but the ending brought it down to a 2.5 for me.

First, let’s talk about what I disliked:

I found this to be pretty repetitive and did often skim when we were being given the same idea/information we’d already been given. I never felt like I was missing anything when I skimmed, either.

I didn’t connect with any of the characters and found most of them to be pretty uninteresting and underdeveloped. The only one I found slightly compelling was Rose. The silent, creepy kid thing was working for me for the majority of this story.

Stella’s entire backstory felt unnecessary to me by the end. I think it was supposed to justify the unprofessional decisions she made during her present case with the Barclays, but it didn’t do that for me. I understand that characters in thrillers are often meant to make bad decisions and I accept this as part of the genre, but occasionally I just can’t suspend my belief enough and this was one of those cases.

Stella’s story was also where I became the most annoyed in the end. The first thing she comes to learn about her mother’s death was predictable (which is fine) but then the added reveal with what happened to her dad made my eyes roll so far back into my head that it hurt. It felt very soapy and that’s not something I enjoy.

The reveal with what was happening with the Barclays was also predictable and the dialogue after Stella figured it out also came across as cheesy and soapy.

MILD SPOILER:

The final nail in the coffin for my overall dislike of this story was the absolutely random and unnecessary romance with the detective in the end. And her final line to Stella (“you’re a puzzle”) made my previous eye-roll seem like a warm up.

Now, what I did like:

This was a very fast, very easy read. I flew through it in just a couple of sittings and was interested in where it was going for most of the story. It was entertaining for a good portion and held my attention.

I also thought that the pacing was decent, even though I’ve seen a few reviews that complained about it. I disagree because we were pretty consistently being given new information and the repetitive sections that could have slowed the story down were typically pretty short so it wasn’t too severe of a pause.

Overall, this one just wasn’t for me. I’ve seen that a lot of people have really enjoyed it and I wish that could have been the case for me as I’ve been a fan of Pekkanen’s work in the past, particularly her work with Greer Hendricks. Maybe the next one will be a winner for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

I found this book to be a fast and hard to put down thriller book! A dead nanny, a mute child who supposedly witnessed the murder, a best interest attorney investigating what really happened. I was intrigued by all the characters in this story, especially the little 9 year old girl named Rose.

I thought the setting of the mansion with no glass in the house was so spooky. I also loved the backstory of Stella and how a few parts of the book focused on her and her past.

There were actually a couple really spooky moments in this book that really freaked me out. Almost gave me paranormal vibes, which is the only way to scare me! I loved how it was fast paced and had cliffhanger chapter endings, which kept me hooked!

I started to suspect the twist at about 60% in so I wasn’t super shocked by the ending. But this still ended up being a good one and I enjoyed how everything played out.

I definitely recommend this book! This was my first book by this author and I can say it won’t be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sarah Penkanen for this arc.

What an amazing book, I have had this book saved iiin my amazon wishlist for months!!! I absolutely did not expect the ending which just made the story even better. I give this book 5 stars all day long!

This book was a smash thriller! I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, and I genuinely did not expect what was coming until the absolute end. Highly pleasurable reading. Thanks to @netgalley and @sarahpekkanen for the advanced copy. All mystery lovers - go out and get this one next week!

🪞House of Glass - Sarah Pekkanen

4 ⭐️ - It’s giving “The Push” vibes and I love it. The mystery, the dead body, the creepy (maybe evil?) child; I enjoyed it all. This one is quick, addictive, and perfect for upcoming spooky season. I am definitely a Sarah Pekkanen fan and I’m already looking forward to what comes next!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of House of Glass!

I’ve been a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen’s co-written novels for years and was enthralled at the premise for House of Glass and the opportunity to read and review this one. House of Glass follows Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney assigned to help settle a custody battle in the wealthy Barclay family. Her client is the nine year old Rose Barclay, who’s gone mute since a terrible accident occurred. The family nanny fell out a second story window and died, leaving more than a mess of mystery and curiosity behind. Did she trip and fall, or was she pushed? And if she was murdered, who was responsible?

Stella begins her appointment with the usual goal of figuring out what is best for Rose, yet finds herself tugged more and more into the little oddities of the Barclay family that leave her less than sure that the death was anything but an accident. Could it have been either of Rose’s charming, performing parents? Her harried, protective grandmother? Or most disturbing, could Rose have even done it herself? Disquieting turns await in the pages of this dark and delectable thriller. Stella is our rock, the outside force of good who walks into a house without a single shard of glass, made up of people who are as fragile as they are phony.

This is one of those novels you end up reading in one sitting because it’s just too good. The premise is simple enough, but once anyone is a suspect and everyone has something to hide (or protect?), the ending can’t come soon enough. The strange and anxious Barclay household is not one to linger in, but it sure makes for an entertaining and eerie playground. Pekkanen proves herself a master of the murder mystery, and doesn’t disappoint. This is the perfect book to take with you into the fall season - plenty disconcerting and a major thrill. If a chill runs up your spine, that’s called intuition. Lean into it.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for allowing me to read a copy of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen. I have read other books by this author and have loved them. This book was a good psychological thriller that was hard to put down. The title was true too the story takes place in a house with no glass. The storyline and the characters were easy to follow I cant wait to read another book by this author.

4.5 stars
4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) Wealthy child Rose had a nanny who was killed by falling out a window, or she was possibly pushed. Since that day, she has not said a word but acts suspiciously and collects weapons. Stella is child advocate lawyer that is assigned to her case to determine which parent she will live with after their divorce.

Stella was fabulous. She had her own broken past that she used to help others. Rose was her most difficult client and the questions that arose each time she visited became very troubling. I was hooked to the story from the start. The mystery was high with little aspects such as Rose’s family having absolutely no glass or breakable objects in their house. Each member seemed to have something to hide, including Rose, and the lengths Stella took to get the answers to was nothing short of impressive.

I highly recommend this one to those that love a deep, emotionally-driven mystery!

AUDIO REVIEW: I couldn’t put this one down! Laura Benanti did a great job holding that mysterious tone while also giving the touching moments their due.

3.5 stars rounded up

Nine-year-old Rose Barclay has been afflicted with traumatic mutism ever since her nanny fell (or was pushed) to her death after crashing through her attic bedroom window. Rose’s father was sleeping with the pretty young nanny, and now her parents are getting divorced, each of them seeking custody of Rose. Stella Hudson is the child advocate attorney serving as counsel for Rose’s best interest. But this case is far more twisted than Stella bargained for, and it’s starting to look like someone in the Barclay house might be a murderer. It could be any one of them, maybe even little Rose!

I love a good creepy child plot, and Rose is definitely creepy with her sinister, silent facial expressions and penchant for collecting and hiding sharp objects. The Barclays’ house is atmospheric and the idea of a completely glass-free house is a clever one. I would have loved if the author had leaned in harder on those aspects, as I never really connected with Stella’s backstory and found it fairly predictable. Still, short chapters make this a quick read, and when the action really takes off around the 80% mark, I couldn’t wait to see how everything would play out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.

This is a fantastic, suspenseful story!

A nanny is dead and everyone in the household is a suspect. When Stella is appointed Guardian ad Litem to the daughter, Rose, we find out just how conniving and sinister a person can be.

I love how this was written and that it isn’t just a story uncovering a murder, but how Stella’s life and backstory intertwines. It shapes her as a character beautifully, and I could see this becoming a series.
This story has a lot of pieces and parts, twists and danger, secrets and lies, trauma and hope. It’s about trauma, and trust, and healing. It held me captive from the start trying to put the pieces together. It’s thought provoking and emotional. Fantastic!

“The things we try to bury are often the things that need the most sunlight.”

I am sorry but I could not get into this book. I tried to read it twice and only made it to chapter 4. I just don't care for the main character, and I find it a bore. Just thriller than doesn't do it for me. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book even though it wasn't for me.

(I will not be sharing my review because I just had to DNF it.)