This was just an OK thriller. I'd say it was more of a family drama than even a thriller story. It had such potential and was on it's way to another five star rating for this author from me, but the ending was a bit of a let down. I didn't find the reveal that believable but man it sure had the potential for a great ending. I'd say up to the 80% mark was a perfect read and I was loving it which is why I settled on the three star rating.

***Thank you to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for the E-Arc of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.***

there’s nothing quite like a creepy kid story! i love the character building and attention to details, it’s like you’re immersed within..

this is my second Sarah Pekkanen novel and i can honestly say she’s becoming a new favorite of mine!

Stella is a best interest attorney for wealthy family. The family's nanny is murdered in the house and the couple is in the process of a divorce. Stella's job is to figure out with which parent is best for the child to reside with. This story had me on a roller coaster of what was possibly going on. Pekkanen had me totally engaged from the get go with this new thriller. Thank you to Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @macmillan.audio & @stmartinspress for my complimentary digital and audio copies. My thoughts are my own.

BRIEF SUMMARY: When nine-year-old ROSE witnesses the violent death of her nanny, Rose immediately stops talking. She also begins to act strange, collecting broken glass, among other things. Even though she lives with three adults, including her parents and her grandmother, could it be that Rose doesn’t feel safe?

STELLA is a best interest lawyer, assigned Rose’s case. It is Stella’s job is to determine which parent Rose should live with when her parents divorce. Stella is hesitant to take on such a young client, but agrees when her mentor asks her to handle it. But when Stella meets the family, she realizes that they ALL have secrets. Did one of them murder the nanny, or are they protecting Rose? Strange things start happening, and soon, Stella fears for her own safety.

MY THOUGHTS: This is an atmosphere page-turner that kept me reading into the night! The mystery unfolds in layers, as Stella makes some connections to her own life while she works to untangle the mystery of who murdered the nanny. (I wasn’t as interested in Stella’s story and that impacted my overall rating. I wavered between a 3 and a 4, but finally decided on a four because I really liked the premise of the book.)

The house is large and creepy, and the characters are all unlikeable. I didn’t particularly care for Rose or Stella, but that did not impact my enjoyment of the story.

This books was ok. It felt a bit predictable at times. I did enjoy the book but I just wasn’t all that vested in it. The side story involving the MC was a bit random as well as the love interest at the end.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the earc

I love a good mystery that doesn't heavily rely on ridiculous twists that come out of left field, and that is precisely what I got with this novel. I had not read anything by this author before reading this book, but once I finished, I added her entire back catalog to my TBR. I found this to be a thrilling mystery that kept me riveted until the final reveal. I had the pleasure of reading an ARC and listening to an ALC while reading, which really elevated the experience.

The story begins with the mysterious death of a young nanny named Tina, who plunged to her death from an open window. Was it suicide, or was she pushed? This question sets the stage for a rollercoaster ride of secrets, lies, betrayal, and creepy behavior from a little girl who cannot (or will not) speak.

At the heart of the story is nine-year-old Rose Barclay, a troubled young girl who witnesses the possible murder of her nanny and then stops speaking. After Tina's death, Rose's parents - Beth and Ian - have decided to get a divorce because it's revealed that Ian was having an affair with Tina. A custody battle breaks out, and this is when Stella Hudson, a no-nonsense attorney, is tasked with spending time with the family and determining which parent Rose would be better suited to live with.

As Stella delves deeper into the Barclay family's lives, she begins to unravel a few secrets, and she realizes that Ian, Beth, Harriet (Ian's mother who lives with the family), and even Rose herself are all hiding something - but what? It's not long before Stella begins to wonder if any of them can be trusted. With each twist and turn, the tension builds, leading to a reveal that even I didn't suspect until over 2/3 of the way into the book.

The story itself is both chilling and captivating, drawing readers in with its intricate plot and deeply flawed characters. But it's not just the mystery that makes "House of Glass" so compelling. Pekkanen also delves into themes of family, trauma, and the lengths to which people will go to protect their loved ones and themselves.

What makes the novel shine are the fully fleshed-out characters. I loved Stella - she was tough and determined, but I also liked that we got to see a more vulnerable side of her through the subplot regarding her sad and troubled past and the investigation into her mother's death years prior. The side characters are also very well fleshed out. The Barclays are your standard wealthy family with many secrets I loved unpacking. I especially loved Stella's connection with Charles, who acted as both Stella's mentor and as a sort of father figure to her.

As far as the audiobook goes, it's narrated by Laura Benanti, whom I adore. I've seen her on a few TV shows and in a production of "She Loves Me." Benanti's performance perfectly captured the complexity of Stella's character. Her ability to differentiate between the other characters without resorting to caricature was impressive and added to the overall enjoyment of the audiobook.

In the end, I really enjoyed this one. I found it to be a chilling and atmospheric thriller full of family secrets and intriguing characters that kept me riveted until the final page. This novel is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and suspense. I can't wait to check out more by this author.

I thought I had this one figured out, but in the end I was surprised by the overall outcome.

There is always something that adds an eerie feeling to a story when you spend so much of the time wondering if there is something darker to a child character. I’ve read a few and they always create an unsettled air. This book continued that trend for me. I never could make up my mind about Rose, and it was really intriguing to see how Stella was going to work things out, especially with her own traumatic past. I admired how committed Stella was to her work and the strength she found to push through the biggest challenges she faced in Rose’s case in the name of finding answers.

There were a lot of external subplots happening in the book that, while interesting and in some cases relevant, it made things feel chaotic for me at times when the main story was already its own brand of chaos. Overall though, I thought the pacing and unraveling was well done.

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

New author to me! This was a very interesting and I learned a lot from this book. I know it is fiction but it sure struck me as very real.
I thought the author did a super job on this book. it just seemed so real.

Great job Sarah! I'm going to look into some more of the books you wrote. This was a fantastic read! Your descriptions were spot on.

Loved reading this book!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC! I loved loved loved this. From the first chapter, I was pulled in and intrigued by the MC’s and the story the unfolded as the story progressed.
This has all of the creepy “my kid might be a psychopath” vibes, and I enjoyed it very much!

You can always rely on Sarah Pekkanen for a great ride. House of Glass was a real page turner and I couldn’t put it down. I don’t know if it’s a thriller or a psychological suspense story but it had all the elements that you would expect from both.

The story centers around what appears to be a perfect family - wealth, a beautiful home, a nanny to look after nine year old Rose, parents and a grandmother. The one big problem here is that the parents are getting divorced and oh yeah, the nanny has just been murdered. The story is told from Stella’s perspective and she is charged with determining who should get custody of Rose. She acts like a detective, trying to determine what happened to the nanny and who would be the better parent to gain custody. Rose is not much help because she’s in shock and can’t or won’t speak. Interestingly, Stella went through a childhood trauma and was unable to speak, so we learn about what happened to her along the way.

As soon as Stella enters the house, she knows something is off here. There is no glass in the house, including mirrors, and the windows are plexiglass. The characters are all very interesting and well defined. The book grabs you from the first page and literally you won’t be able to put it down. And, if you think you have it figured out, guess again. I thought I did and I was wrong.There are plenty of twists to keep your attention and on the edge of your receipt.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really liked the synopsis and it started off strong and intriguing but the last few chapters including the plot twist dragged on for me. I still liked it and would recommend it but my likeness of the book faltered 75% of the way through.

I found this to be a good book. It was a little predictable but there were enough twists throughout to keep me reading and wanting to know what happens next. If you like a thriller, you will probably enjoy this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is a highly recommended novel of psychological suspense.

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney (BIA) in Washington D.C. who is appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. Normally she doesn't accept clients under thirteen, but it is believed that Stella is the best choice to help nine-year-old Rose Barclay. After witnessing the death or murder of her nanny Tina de la Cruz, Rose immediately stopped talking. Stella also experienced traumatic mutism as a child after the death of her mother. The police are investigating the case, the parents are in the midst of divorcing, and Stella's job is to interview the family and observe how they interact with each other to determine what would be best for Rose.

The Barclay family seems far more troubled and secretive than Stella expected. They all have motives and are suspects in Tina's death. Ian, Rose’s dad, was having an affair with Tina, who was pregnant with his child when she died. Beth, Rose’s mom, is very guarded and claims to have a glass phobia now so all glass in the house has been replaced with plastic. Harriett, Rose’s grandmother and Ian's mother, has been staying with them while recovering from knee surgery. Even Rose herself is a suspect as she is secretly collecting sharp objects that could be used as weapons.

House of Glass is very well written. The suspense, tension, and sense of dread slowly build as characters are introduced. I appreciated following Stella's actual investigation which further increased the tension as no one is trustworthy, everyone is a suspect. It really is an unpredictable, excellent plot that held my complete attention.

This was a five star rating until the end when a totally unnecessary relationship that added nothing to the plot was introduced. It felt completely out of place, like it was added after the novel was already written to fulfill some requirement. I'll be looking forward to Pekkanen's next novel. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

A who-dun-it type book with a couple of (obvious) twists. A nanny fell/was pushed to her death, and there are multiple witnesses. This goes through the suspects to get to the truth. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

After a nanny plungeing out a window to her death turns into a cold case, attorney Stella Hudson is assigned as a best interest attorney for the youngest family member, Rose, whose parents are going through a divorce. After getting to know the family, Stella can't help but dig deeper into the mystery of who pushed the nanny.

This was such a great book! The plot was quite unique and was pretty fast-paced and kept me hooked. I loved how Stella had her own side story; the background and character development for her was perfect. As far as the culprit, I suspected everyone at some point, and the author did a fantastic job of red herrings and making the ending a surprise. Looking back, everything that led up to the conclusion made perfect sense to me with nothing seeming far-fetched. I finished in less than a day, as I could not put this one down.

Awwww this was such a cute story. I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. It was just so easy to get into these characters lives and you just can't help but fall in love with them. I can't wait to see what's next from this author.

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year. Stella is a lawyer who is supposed to evaluate 9-year-old Rose Barclay and her living situation to see which parent should be granted custody of her after their divorce is final. Rose's Nanny, Tina, dies after a mysterious fall from her third floor window. This accident has left Rose unable to speak. Stella has a lot of issues she has to deal with related to her childhood and her recent divorce. Rose is a strange child who has no friends, the parents are strange and Grandma who lives with them and tutors Rose is also strange. The combination of these things made for a great page turner that I really enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this great thriller.

House of Glass is the kind of psychological thriller I really like. The character development is well-done, and the main character has a back story that is interesting and relevant to both her personality and the current plot. The sense of foreboding is well-developed and the twists are ones of emotion and psychology as the MC learns more and starts to fit the pieces together. I appreciated that there weren't a ton of subplots and red herrings, but the suspense was still maintained. The writing is excellent, and the author is especially good at developing a sense of dread that exists in the house. I listened to half of this, but the narrator sounded so desperate all the time, I switched away from the audio. This is definitely a book I'll be recommending to readers who like psychological thrillers, and we'll probably use it as a selection for our store's thriller book club.

This was a quick read! Ther Barclay family’s nanny has fallen through a third story window and died… was it an accident, or was she pushed? Everyone in the family is a potential suspect in House of Glass.

When nine-year-old Rose’s parents file for divorce, attorney Stella is assigned to the case to help determine what custody arrangement would be in Rose’s best interest. The kicker: Rose hasn’t spoken since the incident with her nanny.

This was a very intriguing story and an interesting premise. To be honest, the level of intrigue in the set up (e.g., a mute girl and a house with no glass) didn’t quite have the level of payoff in the end that I would’ve hoped. There was a lot of telling vs. showing in the final 10% of the book as the story wrapped up.

I did thoroughly enjoy it, nonetheless. I also enjoyed portions of the book via audio, and found the narrator did a great job imparting the right amount of emotion into the read.

This is akin to a fun spin on The Silent Patient, if you enjoyed that book. Good read!

I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s press, and the author for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Stella Hudson is an attorney appointed to represent children in contested divorce cases to help the court make custody determinations that are in the best interest of the child. Her most recent case is hitting a little close to home. Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl suffering from traumatic mutism after seeing her nanny fall to her death at the family home. After spending some time with the family, Stella starts to suspect that the nanny's fall wasn't an accident and everyone in the creepy mansion is a suspect—including Rose. But Rose's situation is especially fraught for Stella who also suffered from traumatic mutism as a child after discovering her mother dead in their home. Rose's case brings up questions from Stella's own past and she struggles with making the right recommendation for Rose and working through her own traumatic past.

I liked the character development in this book, especially Stella. And I liked how Pekkanen wove together the past and present story lines. I also liked the general who-done-it theme which kept me guessing until the end—even when I thought I had figured it out, turns out I was wrong. The narrative was compelling, and I love a troubled child theme. I also liked the short, fast-paced chapters, which made the book a quick and easy read. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.