WOW! What an incredibly tangled, twisty story; I couldn't put it down! The author, Sarah Pekkanen is one amazing writer and you should definitely keep an eye out for her books.

The characterization was top notch in this one. I could feel the tension building up in the characters by their actions. and words. Pekkanen also managed to have a secondary story involving the main character, Stella, that slowly unraveled along with that of the young girl she was sent to help. In the end, all the questions were answered, but the author skillfully made me doubt what I thought I knew all along the way.

5 stars!

I liked the way the author had the FMC's past intertwined with Rose's past. I thought the depiction of childhood trauma was done well.
The book felt a bit long at times and it did take me longer than usual to finish it. But, it still kept me interested enough that I wanted to finish it and find out what would happen in the end. It kept me guessing and trying to figure out the twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen. This is my first book by this author and let me tell you it won't be my last! I loved this suspenseful story. It was brilliant! Stella became alive for me and I felt like I really got to know her. This was probably due to the sub-plots in the story. I feel like I would like to read another book about Stella. This book was unpredictable and it all made sense in the end! I gave it a 5 star rating and highly recommend it!

I absolutely love Sarah Pekkanen books. House of Glass did not disappoint.
Multiple characters, unexpected twists, and kept me on the edge the whole time.
I will always recommend this author. And can't wait for her next book.

After the death of her nanny, 9 year old Rose becomes mute. In wake of her parent’s divorce and the death of Tina, Stella (a best interest attorney) is called in to help decide the custody of Rose. Stella immediately starts to notice there’s something off about this family that appears to be picture perfect. The family claims Tina accidentally fell to her death, but is that actually what happened?

I love a good domestic thriller and this one did not disappoint. From marital problems to a suspicious death, House of Glass has it all.

Even though I guessed who was behind it all quite early on, I was still flipping pages to see if I was correct. I also found myself questioning everyone because this is a story where no one can be trusted. Not even 9 year old Rose.

This was an enjoyable, fast paced read that kept me on the edge of my seat.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is a very intense, emotionally dark book, that you just can't put down. I enjoyed this author's writing style, as it flows very will, making reading easy. The story has many layers, that just build upon each other..

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio (#MacAudio2024) for the ARC/ALC!

“Evil isn’t just a word; it’s a tangible, dimensional thing. It slithers through the air, shifting molecules and displacing energy as it considers various hunting grounds…”

Sarah Pekkanen is one of those authors I will always drop everything to read! Seriously every book of hers is better than the one before. With “House of Glass”, I was especially grateful I had the audio too because I did not want to put this book down! The story started off strong, with a mysterious feel to it and did not let up til the end. I loved Stella and enjoyed trying to figure out what the deal was with Rose. And a house literally with plastic in place of glass (windows, mirrors etc) and a child hiding sharp objects had me thinking I knew where this story was going…but I actually had no clue!

”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…”

”House of Glass” releases August 6, 2024! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

This book was definitely compelling -- I finished it in less than 24 hours, because I wanted to know who committed the murder and what on earth was going on with Rose. After finishing it, though, I realized that the book was lacking in a couple of areas.

First, I really liked Stella's character. She's personable and sympathetic. However, at times I found her anxiety to be a little over the top. For someone who deals with children/teenagers enduring awful situations, she's really jumpy. I realize the point of the book was that this case made her more so. But at times it was a little hard to buy that she didn't have a thicker skin, considering the fact that she's the lawyer responsible for making sure children are safe after seeing the terrible things their families put them through.

Also, Sarah Pekkanen did such a good job of putting doubt in the reader's mind about Rose's intentions that the "back pedal" (for lack of a better term) that happens later feels inauthentic to the character Pekkanen herself has created. At times, readers are supposed to believe that Rose might, in fact, be capable of horrific crimes. Pekkanen crafts such a compelling argument that readers may have a hard time believing anything else.

Third, the romantic element feels unnecessary to the story. It just doesn't fit with the rest of the book. I wonder if this is a way to try to make sure Stella gets some resolution as far as her love life is concerned, but I wasn't concerned at all with her love life. I was only worried about the case with Rose. So the romance just felt completely out of place.

The reveal of the guilty party was well done, though, and I really liked that Pekkanen gave Stella a lot of agency. This character is a lawyer, but she's not walking into a situation blind. She takes precautions to protect herself and make sure she protects Rose too, and she does so over and over again despite her doubts and fears about what might actually be happening.

If you're looking for a fast read, this one definitely fits the bill.

Looooved the premise of this one! The character position (Best Interest Attorney) was a unique plot point that worked fabulously in this book. Add in a creepy house, a mute child, and interesting family dynamics and you’ve got yourself one heck of story! I enjoyed the red herrings placed throughout the book and was genuinely surprised by the ending because of them. The lead characters back story was an interesting one and in my opinion, it enhanced the story. I’m hopeful that setting up the character in this manner means sequel, because I found her job fascinating. My thanks to the publisher for the advanced reader in exchange for my honest review!

Sarah Pekkanen's new book, House of Glass, should really be called House of Red Herrings becasue she takes the reader on a wild ride.

"Nine-year-old Rose Barclay watched her nanny fall to her death. Was she pushed or was it an accident? With her parents also in the midst of a divorce, Rose stops speaking. Stella is an attorney assigned to custody cases to look out for the children's best interest. She finds a family where every one is deceptive. She has no idea who to trust and wonders if she is the one who needs protection."

Stella is there to help Rose and keeps looking for answers but cannot zero in on who is responsible for the nanny's death. She doesn't want to recommend custody for a murderer. Pekkanen spends a lot of time in Stella's head, especially with her similar backstory. There is a lot of misdirection. You will not guess the killer or the ending. Pekkanen throws in a couple of extra twists too.

I like Pekkanen's writing style. Psychological thriller fans will enjoy this one.

Oh man, Sarah Pekkanen does it again. This book hooked me from the very beginning. From untrustworthy characters to twists and turns (but nothing overly outrageous), this book is a must-read for me. The sinister premise is spine-tingling without being outright scary, making it the perfect thriller. I found myself thinking about it constantly and picking it up every free minute I had. If you're looking for a gripping read that keeps you guessing, add this one to your list. 4.5 stars!

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

This is a story about an attorney, Stella, who is investigating a divorcing family to determine who should have primary custody of Rose, their nine-year-old child. This child, may or may not be evil. And, to complicate matters, a questionable fatal fall from a window has occurred in the house. Stella, herself, has childhood trauma that she has never been able to thoroughly process.

The plot is not straightforward. A lot is going on. But, it is well-written and easy to follow.

I found the process that Stella uses to determine the custody recommendation interesting. The smallest detail could be meaningful. I had no idea that so much would be involved. Because of Stella's own childhood, she throws herself, heart and soul, into the investigation.

The other characters, mother, father and grandmother, are all multi-layered. They seem to want the best for the child but they also have their own agenda. It's hard to decide who is trustworthy and who is truthful. Things are not always as they seem.

The last part of the book was very intense. There were a few surprises for me, some explanations that I needed. Everything is tied up neatly. I prefer that, as opposed to endings that leave the reader wondering.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Oh so quickly I thought I was smarter than the author and knew where this was going! Oh so much by the end of the book I found out I was wrong! The assumptions made and the twists combined for a story where the reader is at the mercy of waiting the story out. One thing I didn't really like was all the extra stuff after the end of the main storyline. I don't really feel like I needed it and dragged down the ending. Again, me of the anti-tied-up-with-a-bow ending club! But until that point, it was a stellar book and I loved that there were always several possibly ways the story could have gone.

This is the story of a murdered nanny who was having an affair with the father of the child she was in charge of. Everyone is a suspect, including the 9 year old girl. The main character is an attorney assigned to find the best placement of the child as the parents navigate a divorce. I enjoyed all the suspense as each person was looked at as a suspect. There was also an interesting backstory about the attorney and her childhood. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

Synopsis: Best interest attorney Stella is assigned the case of nine-year-old Rose who has traumatic mutism after the mysterious death of her nanny.

Thoughts: House of Glass is a slow-burn whodunit thriller that kept me guessing until the end! I feel like all thriller readers have read multiple versions of who killed the nanny, but this was a really unique take! This book has a super eerie setting that felt suspenseful and claustrophobic, a cast of characters who cannot be trusted, and plenty of misdirection to throw the reader off the trail again and again. While not a fast-paced page turner, the sense of foreboding laced throughout kept me fully engrossed in the story.

Read this if you like:
🪟 suspenseful whodunit
🪟 claustrophobic setting
🪟 trust issues
🪟 creepy kids

Stella Hudson is a lawyer that represents minors. This case intrigued her. Rose is a 9 year old girl that isn't speaking after witnessing her nanny's death. As a child, Stella had traumatic mutism so she thought she could help her. Ian and Beth Barclay are Rose's parents. They are going through a nasty divorce and each of them filed for full custody of Rose.
Did the nanny fall out of the window? Was she pushed? Ian was having an affair with the nanny and she was pregnant with his child. Did he find out and push her out the window? Could it have been Beth or Ian's mother, Harriet? Or is it even possible that Rose could have pushed her?
Stella thinks that Ian, Beth, and Harriet aren't being honest with her. There are a lot of twists and turns before we find out what happened to the nanny. Will Rose begin speaking again?
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting thriller and I loved the idea of a court appointed attorney for a child in a messy divorce case. I work in child welfare so I have worked with folks in that role, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen any dig in quite as deep as Stella did. I did think the book moved slowly for most of it, but I did enjoy the ride. I started with the audiobook and while I think the narrator did fine, I enjoyed the book a lot more when I switched to kindle. Rose’s nanny just died, fell out the window right in front of her. Rose’s parents are getting divorced since the nanny was pregnant with her father’s child. The divorce is messy and media has been involved with the unsolved death, and Stella has been assigned to determine what will be best for Rose. It’s clear there are secrets in this house and Stella is determined to figure them all out no matter what is happening. But the problem with secrets is that there is always someone determined to make sure they stay kept.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a really creepy, utterly gripping, and deeply emotional psychological thriller!! I was instantly hooked and could not get enough of this book. The eerie atmosphere, no glass mansion, high tension, family secrets, lies, drama, and the mystery behind what happened to the nanny kept me guessing and flipping the pages so fast. This is my first read by Sarah Pekkanen and I can safely say it will not be my last! I absolutely loved it so much and another book to add to my favorites for 2024!! 💜💜💜💜💜

When a nanny falls to her death from the opulent Barclay residence, it appears to be an accident—but is it really? In this unique whodunit, everyone has a motive, and no one can be trusted.

Amid Ian and Beth Barclay's bitter divorce, Stella is brought in as a lawyer to determine what’s best for their young daughter, Rose. However, Rose has her own secrets, making her a potential suspect. With a foreboding atmosphere and a family full of deceit, it’s up to Stella to uncover the truth.

From the very beginning, the suspense in this story is palpable. The brilliant writing and sinister undertones will instantly draw you into this binge-worthy read.

I really enjoyed this! The storyline and pace of the book were great and the twists, while not necessarily earth shattering, weren't easily guessed. I liked Stella's character and enjoyed the side story about her mother's death and how it was woven throughout. This was my second book by Sarah Pekkanen and I'll be on the lookout for more. If you like family drama thrillers with creepy kids and houses this is probably for you!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this book