4.5
I really enjoyed this mystery/thriller! Stella is an attorney and assigned to make the best custody decision for the Barclay’s- a rich family with a nine year old girl, Rose. At first, Stella doesn’t want to take the case. After the mysterious death of the nanny, the family is in the public spotlight. Rose, who witnessed the nanny’s death, is withdrawn and no longer speaks.

Stella has reservations due to her own childhood trauma, but is drawn to the case and feels protective of Rose. She quickly realizes that the Barclay’s are not what they seem. Each member acts suspiciously, especially Rose. Stella realizes that she needs to solve the mystery behind the nanny’s death before she to make her court determinations and get the best help for the troubled girl.

There were a lot of twists and turns with this one! I sped through it quickly and was very satisfied with the final who-done-it.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review!

I wanted to love this but unfortunately it fell a bit flat. I really love the other books by her but this one I couldn’t connect with.

First of all I would like to thank the publisher St. Martins Press and Net Galley for the advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

House of Glass was a twisty story that kept me on my toes. I would consider this a 3.5 star book. I really wanted to like it but there were multiple good conclusion points in this book, and it just kept going. The budding romance story arc did not add to the story, and felt a little forced. I will say there were multiple story lines going and each of them had a really good twist factor, and an overall very creepy vibe to the book. I can definitely see this being a popular spooky season read!

This one was on my shelf for awhile before I got to it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. A compulsive read, I had to know what would happen next!

Stella Hudson represents kids when it comes to custody cases. Often, she's the only one who listens to what the child themself has to say, or has their best interest at heart. She's the best at what she does. So when her mentor comes to her, asking her to take on the case of 9-year-old Rose Barclay, Stella breaks one of her rules and agrees. Rose is younger than other child Stella has ever worked with, but that's not the only thing that makes this case different. Rose has traumatic mutism, something Stella herself suffered from after finding her mother's body. It means having to face feelings she's put behind her, but she may be one of the only people qualified to reach Rose.

From their first interviews, it's clear that the family has a story, one they're sticking to when it comes to their nanny's death. The event that led to Rose's mutism, and the Barclay's divorce. It's also clear that they're hiding a secret, and as Stella seeks to keep Rose safe, she has to ask herself who she's keeping her safe from - her family, or herself?

Stella watches as Rose collects weapons - a set aside box knife, shards of glass. Watches the way she can go from interested and open, to non-responsive or even darkly angry. Sees the over-reaction from the family, who has banned any glass object from the house, going so far as to replace all the windows too.

Something evil is hiding in the plastic house, and Stella hopes she can get herself, and Rose, to safety before it's too late. Especially when it seems like Stella is being targeted herself.

While this was a compulsive read, I didn't connect fully on an emotional level. There were thriller aspects, and I could find no fault with the writing, it just didn't grab me and completely hold me captive in the way some thrillers can. I hope whatever block was there for me doesn't find you, because that lack of emotion on my end was the only thing that kept this one from being a 5 star book.

Stella is a best interest attorney and her job is to determine the best placement for a child. Her newest client is Rose Barclay, a precocious nine year old. What makes this case especially complicated is that Rose's nanny has recently died under suspicious circumstances and the death has caused Rose to start acting out of character; she's become mute and secretive.

Rose's mutism resonates with Stella. She experienced the same thing during her childhood when her mother died, so she desperately wants to make the right decision. Though the more she learns about the Barclays and investigates the nanny's death, she isn't sure who needs protection from whom.

This one kept me guessing the whole way through! There were times I felt like I had no idea what was going on. I kept changing my mind about who was a victim and who was a suspect. I spent the entire book on edge, waiting, expecting something to happen at every moment. And just imagine! A house without a single piece of glass in it! Is that even possible? House of Glass has this great creepy house vibe that provides a nice backdrop for the book's other elements. And you'll love to hate Rose's family.

However, Stella and her life story feature heavily in novel, almost to the point of distraction from the rest of the story. The ending, while satisfying, was possibly a bit too poignant and tidy. Although that didn't take too much away from my enjoyment of the book. Overall, House of Glass was a fast, enjoyable read with a fresh, original feel, that kept me glued to the pages until the end.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Sarah Pekkanen, and Netgalley for an advance digital copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and given voluntarily.

4½ stars rounded up to 5 stars

Recommend for fans of:
Thrillers, Suspense, Mysteries, Gothic Fiction, Women's Fiction, General Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Psychological Thrillers

A fast paced, read in a day thriller that was the perfect mix of twisty but not too scary. I was guessing what was going to happen until the end. An auto read for me!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin Press for the advanced reader copy.

Mind blown. I was skeptical how this would end since I thought I had it all figured out. The parallels between Stella and Rose really added to the story.

This was my second book by Sarah Pekkanen and it did not disappoint! The twists were juicy and I was rooting for the correct characters the whole time, which is a win in my book! I kind of had a hunch of who was behind the mysterious acts that occurred when we are first introduced to this story and the ones proceeding it, but I couldn't foresee the chaos that would ensue when our main character, Stella, solves the case. This was just the book I needed for a quick, summer thriller!

This was my first book by Sarah Pekkanen, and since I really enjoyed it and her writing, I will definitely be checking out her backlist and look forward to new releases from her in the future. Overall, this was a solid thriller that kept me guessing throughout and on the edge of my seat.

I liked Stella as a main character and how the book not only explored the current mystery of Tina's death, but included stuff from her background surrounding her mom's death when she was a child. There was one bit with Charles that I had assumed, but things ended up a lot more detailed than my initial guess.

That romance at the end did seem to just come out of nowhere. Overall though, no big complaints and a book I'd recommend.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my #gifted ARC of House of Glass! #HouseOfGlass #SarahPekkanen

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐏𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟱★

This book had me hooked from the start! This was my first time reading a book by Sarah Pekkanen and I am now hooked. This was such a creepy book that was so addicting that it was so hard to put down. It was so atmospheric and the premise was truly like anything I’ve read. The twists and turns were NOT what I expected at all. I love when a book totally throws you for a loop, and this one did just that. I found that the pacing was perfect too. This was truly an amazing thriller.

💜Atmospheric
💜Bingeable
💜A Twisty Thriller
💜Family Secrets

Posted on Goodreads on August 1, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around August 2, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on August 6, 2024
**-will post on designated date

I loved this author's book Gone Tonight. I was super excited and appreciative that I got a sneak peek at Sarah Pekkanen's new book. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press! This book is full of twists. You root for Stella who is a conflicted character when she is tasked to be the attorney for a child after surviving her own childhood trauma. It was a fast read. I enjoyed this book but did not love it as much as I'd anticipated going in. The ending threw it for me.

As usual Author Pekkanen doesn’t disappoint. Aptly titled, House of Glass delivers in several ways, educating us on various topics such as childhood muteness brought on by some sort of trauma. The main character Stella is a lawyer liaison to a mute 9-yr old child. assigned to protect her best interests in a custody divorce. How to do so is a challenge when Rose, the child, can’t or won’t speak after the death of her nanny, who either fell or was pushed from an upstairs window. She is also hostile towards Stella, who discovers that the child collects items such as shards of glass, and other items that can be used as weapons, why? There are a lot of questions about what is going on in the affluent Barclay household.

The secondary plot involves the lawyers own childhood which has some similarities to Rose’s. She was also mute after a trauma, and both story lines are equally compelling. One has to admire Stella’s commitment to the child’s safety, and her purpose, even as she battles her own demons.

I strongly recommend this to fans of psychological suspense,
My thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC to read and provide my honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen so I was ecstatic that I got to read an ARC of House of Glass. Holy cow, it did not disappoint!

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney who's working with the Barclay family to determine the best custody arrangement for Rose, the nine-year-old daughter. Rose possibly witnessed the death of her nanny and has stopped speaking. The Barclay house is creepy and the parents both have secrets.

The story twisted and turned and while I'm not afraid of the dark, I felt uneasy staying up late to finish this book. There was something about reading it in a quiet, dark house that just had my hackles up.

This was a book that had me guessing until the very last page! Every time I thought I had it all figured out, I was wrong! I truly could not put this book down and would recommend it to any thriller lover.

"But I saw it. I know what this shy-looking girl collected off the sidewalk and concealed to keep." ~Stella Hudson

Stella is a best interest attorney assigned to Rose, a 9-year-old girl who became mute after her nanny (Tina) fell to her death from a window. Rose’s parents each want sole custody of her. Stella may be the only one who can help Rose because she also had traumatic mutism as a child. Did Rose witness what happened to Tina? Did she really fall or was she pushed?

Okay y’all, I couldn’t put this down! Poor little Rose is so traumatized she can’t speak, yet she’s collecting sharp objects, and reading a secret book, SHE HAS NO BUSINESS READING, disguised as Anne of Green Gables. Rose. Is. Creepy! I alternated between feeling sorry for her and thinking she was evil. Stella on the other hand, is endearing and affable. Her traumatic past is slowly revealed and her dedication to Rose and advocating for children in general is laudable. She’s also smart and clever, documenting events as they happen and thinking things through rationally, although some weird things happen that make her doubt herself.

This is my first book by Sarah Pekkanen and I was IMMERSED in her atmospheric writing. The sinister vibe was in full effect one minute and the next I wondered if it was really there! Pekkanen is a master of doubt and misdirection. I alternatively listened to the audio and physically read the book. Laura Benanti performed emotions perfectly including Stella’s increasing suspicion and fear, alongside her fierce protective and empathetic nature. The audio definitely adds a chilling element; I couldn’t listen if I wanted to sleep! Mixed in with the mystery and suspenseful anxiety was emotion and heart. I actually became teary at one point and that RARELY happens to me in a thriller. HOUSE OF GLASS is entirely riveting, brimming with unease, tension and uncertainty that doesn’t let up until the intense and shocking conclusion!

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for the gifted eARC, ALC & physical copy. All opinions are mine.
____

Potential spoiler content warnings below.








































⚠️Content warnings by me: childhood trauma, manipulation, gaslighting, Mention of: fatal motor vehicle accident, alcoholism, drug addiction, drug overdose & infidelity

Nine year old, Rose, deals with more stress than a little girl should have. Her nanny recently died from falling out of a two story window and now Rose is mute. Her parents are going through a divorce and Stella is the one who determines who gets full custody in the custody battle. No one can be trusted and everyone is a suspect, including Rose.

Creepy child who is untrustworthy? Count me in!
While I did enjoy it and will recommend it, it’s wasn’t my favorite and there was no “wow factor” there for me.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
352 pages
Out 8/6/24

Picture perfect family on the outside. A family full of lies and deceit on the inside. A young nanny who plunged to her death.. was she pushed? Was it an accident? Rose, A nine year old that isn’t speaking & has a weird obsession with sharp objects. Stella, a lawyer with her own trauma filled background, is tasked to figure out which parent or family member is most appropriate for Rose to live with after this tragedy of her dead nanny & the new found divorce of her parents. Everyone is a suspect. Who did it?

I’m a big Sarah Pekkanen fan. I love her work with Greer Hendricks as well so as soon as I saw this was an option for an ARC on Netgalley I of course had to request! This book caught my attention from the very start. I loved the flashbacks to Stella’s own traumatic childhood & seeing how she uses her trauma to do good in her job.

Thank you @sarahpekkanen @netgalley & @stmartinspress for the eARC of this amazing new release!

Read if you like:
✨Domestic thrillers
✨Creepy kids
✨Family drama
✨A shocking ending

#sarahpekkanen #thriller #augustreleases #booklover

From the first page, this book had me hooked! I didn't want to put it down, until 3/4 of the way through when it turns out the main character decides that she is a lesbian. Now, if I know ahead of time that is what I'll be reading about that's fine, but to just spring it on me, I almost quit reading right then. The only reason I kept reading is that I had liked the story up until that point.

I first stumbled onto Sarah Pekkanen when I found a book she'd co-written with Greer Hendricks.  I instantly fell in love with their dual novels.  When I saw she had a book of her own, I knew I had to read it.  Since then, I've started devouring everything she's written or co-written.  So far, I have not been disappointed once.  

House of Glass gripped me right from the start.  A tragic death, a mute child, and a rich family are all catnip to me when it comes to thrillers.  I want all the details and, even more importantly, all the dark family secrets.  Because you just know a family like this has a few tucked away.  In addition, the author has a very smooth and easy style of writing that draws you in and makes for a fast read.  


Stella is a mixed bag of a character.  She has her own past trauma that she never truly dealt with.  But, instead of letting it drag her down, she uses it to her advantage, as a way to break through to Rose.  Hoping that their shared trauma might bond them together.  

Rose is an interesting little girl.  Smart, talented, and horribly traumatized, she retreated within herself in order to protect herself.  As her story unfolds, and you discover the truth, it's both worse and better than you thought at first.  I know that sounds odd, but for me, it was the truth.  Still horrible, but with a bit of relief at the end.  

I will admit, that I was absolutely convinced of the worst as I was reading this.  However, I kept hope that I was wrong.  That said, the back and forth of, "Oh my god, no," and "oh wait, maybe not" is what kept me plowing through this book, hoping to find out which was true.

An exceptionally twisty and suspenseful book, House of Glass really kept me on my toes.  I cannot wait to see what the author has in store for us next.  Her domestic thrillers just get better and better with each one.

Phew. This was a psychological thrill ride with a dash of horror. The atmospheric writing and tension setting worked wonders and some scenes had the air on my arms standing up. The house creeped me out for no tangible reason and I was cringe-reading some of the scenes following Stella trying to get into Rose's head and figure out all the secrets this family is holding. The characters are so well written and I loved the juxtaposition of the current case that inspires Stella to look more into her past trauma. A spine-tingling and action filled ending made this such a great book.