Member Reviews

Kudos! I'm discovering a newfound appreciation for her solo works, distinct from her collaborations. This latest one kept me glued to the pages with its captivating narrative and the subtle undertones of menace. The abundance of red herrings had me convinced we were on the verge of a major revelation akin to 'The Push,' leading me to suspect the daughter. Brilliant! I relish when stories take unexpected turns, leaving readers guessing despite the breadcrumbs scattered throughout. The ensemble cast was superb, each character shrouded in ambiguity, keeping me on my toes. The protagonist, in particular, resonated with me, seamlessly weaving into the intricate dynamics of the family. Overall, a stellar slow-burn thriller.

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Loved reading House of Glass! Stella is a "best interest attorney" commissioned to study the life of a 9 year old Rose, who's parents are divorcing following the mysterious death of Tina, her nanny. We learn throughout the book about Rose's dad, Ian, and his affair with Tina. We learn about Rose's grandmother, who is acting as her homeschool teacher. Paralleling this story is a thread about the trauma in Stella's own childhood, and the father figure that has been a mentor to Stella since the trauma occurred.

This book has some interesting twists and turns, and ultimately, a surprising and satisfying ending. It's a quite compelling story, and I read it in record time. I'd love to see House of Glass made into a movie!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review House of Glass.

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House of glass was a psychological thriller about an attorney who must decide the best living situation for a nine year old girl who's parents are divorcing and fighting for sole custody. A nanny has fallen to her death out a window at the Barclay's residence where the 9 year old "Rose" lives. Stella is the attorney who speaks on the child's behalf during the custody battle after the judge is at and impasse. Stella has to work with Rose to gain trust so she can figure out placement. The problem is, Rose has stopped speaking due to the trama from the nanny falling out the window. Stella finds herself reliving her own trama as a girl and facing the truth about her parents deaths. The book has a lot of plot twists and keeps you guessing until the very end. I kept going back and fourth trying to decide who could be trusted with Rose and, if Rose was the one who was causing all the issues. It was a page turner learning about the past of both Rose and Stella.
Thanks NetGalley and St Martins Press for the early preview. I can't wait to recommend this book to friends.

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"House of Glass" had good potential. The main aspects of a dead nanny, a divorce proceeding , and the child with traumatic mutism would have been a wonderful story all on it's own. There was an addition of a subplot that seemed unnecessary and slowed down the overall pace of the book. There was a lot of lingering on unimportant details that did not seems to serve a purpose in moving the plot along.
I was intrigued by the "why" surrounding the "plastic house"....why has all of the glass from the mansion been removed?
I was most gripped by the author's ability to create tension and suspense when the grandmother realizes that the best interest attorney has figured out what has place in the Barclay home. At this point the tension builds nicely and the action picks up considerably.
The conclusion of the book was not all tidy like one my think but pretty close.
Rounding up to a solid 3 star read.

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

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This book gets you in its grips you from the very beginning. You want to be sympathetic to Rose. but you don't know if your sympathies are well placed. Stella obviously takes her job very seriously and want to make sure she gets things right for the safety and well-being of Rose. Everybody is hiding something - so what is the truth. Even Stella has secrets of her own. A very engaging read with lots of twists and turns. Very much enjoyed this book.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me a chance to read and review this book.

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This was twisty and surprising! It starts off with a nanny who has jumped to her death while nannying a young girl, who stops speaking after the accident. I wasn’t sure where this was going but ultimately guessed the ending. It was still incredibly entertaining, and I recommend this for fans of the authors previous books that were written with Greer Hendricks.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free copy of House of Glass in exchange for an honest review!

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It’s never easy to write about a child witness and his/her emotions, but Sarah Pekkanen does so with gravitas and sensitivity, and House of Glass is an explosive account of murder, betrayal, gaslighting, and a small child in the middle of it all. I can’t give too much away, but the human dynamics in this story is what is so compelling, and pick this up if you enjoy twisty but poignant thrillers.

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I have really enjoyed Sarah Pekkanen when I discovered some of her previous books that we co-authored. I figured her own works would be just as good, and this was.
While this one took me a little bit to get into, it was a good thriller. Sarah delivers the twists and makes you want to keep reading. This was entertaining and kept me guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and thr author for the advanced copy. Now to read her other titles!

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“House of Glass” by Sarah Pekkanen is a domestic thriller that had me completely enthralled! Stella is a best interest attorney assigned to a 9 year old girl who has stopped speaking after witnessing the death of her nanny. Her parents are going through a divorce and both want full custody. Stella’s job is to determine who the child should live with. As soon as Stella meets the family she is surprised to know that the perfect exterior is far from accurate. The family has secrets and Stella is struggles to determine who is lying.

I devoured this one in a single day, it is easily one of my favorite books from this author. I really enjoyed Stella as the main character, and loved her character development as she wrestles with issues in your own life as well as protecting this little girl. Thank you so so much to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

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This was very well written and kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the read. Since there were so many unknowns, and some jump scares, it made me keep anticipating the unexpected - even in parts of the book which weren’t meant to be “scary”. The characters were all well written and easily all suspects.

The back story of the main character was also interesting and added to some of the dark feel and suspense in the book. The only piece that I didn’t love was how rushed the new love interest felt. I wish a little bit more build up were there.

All in all, this was a solid 4.5 star thriller!

Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC of #HouseofGlass by #SarahPekkanen in exchange for honest feedback.

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House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
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Stella is a best interest attorney who has been appointed by the court to give her assessment on which parent young Rose should live with. Rose cannot speak for herself due to the trauma of seeing her nanny die. But from the moment Stella enters the home she senses not all is as it appears.
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What I liked:
-There was a lot of great mystery and intrigue here. How did the nanny die? Why is there no glass in the house? What does Rose know?
-I love a good mystery where I can’t trust anyone, and House of Glass was just that! I distrusted probably every single person the book introduced me to at some point, including a cop.
-The suspense was a great tension that kept building and building.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my second solo book of Sarah’s and I will definitely keep reading her books.

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Sarah Pekkanen is one of my favorite authors! I was happy to see that she as coming out with another book. House of Glass does not disappoint! Stella Hudson, an attorney who has been chosen to help decide the best interest in a custody battle for a child, has bitten off more than she can chew. Not only does she have to figure out what is going on with this child, but she has to figure out what is going on in this house! Full of twists and turns, I did NOT expect this ending! An excellent read!

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Good thriller that kept me turning the pages and getting no sleep! The suspense build up was there. Thank you net galley!

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The story follows Stella who is a Best Interest Attorney as she covers her latest assignment. It is a family with a young girl who may or may not have killed her nanny.

The story is woven with intricacy and a compelling story line. I was fairly certain I knew what was happening until the end, but was quickly proven wrong. Though I felt the conclusion fit the story well and didn't feel contrived as some of thrillers can.

I appreciate the side stories that were included, but couldn't help but feel they were page fillers at some points.

All in all a good thriller!

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Good and interesting. I enjoy how this author writes thrillers and is able to surprise me with some twists.

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This book kept me thinking about it all during the day! I could not wait to get back to it! The story was spun in such a way that I was kept guessing the whole way through. One of my favorites reads of the year.

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If this one isn’t at the top of your TBR for August, it needs to be. When Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney, is asked to take on a divorce case that resonates a little too close to her own childhood trauma, she begins to reexamine her own trauma.

The Barclays are on the verge of separation with their impending divorce while trying to process the death of their pregnant nanny. Nine-year-old Rose, a sharp object klepto, is suffering from traumatic mutism and may or may not be involved in her nanny, Tina’s mysterious death. This peculiar mute little girl gave me the creeps since page one.

This is the first of Pekkanen’s I have read and I love her writing style and vivid descriptions of both scenery and characters. Pekkanen’s haunting imagery lets the reader easily visualize mannerisms, moods and tension in this heart stopping thriller.

All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Sarah Pekkanen presents a gripping tale of deception, intrigue, and the complexities of family dynamics. The author skillfully weaves together a suspenseful narrative centered around the mysterious death of a young nanny and the subsequent investigation into her demise.

The story is narrated through the perspectives of Rose Barclay, a traumatized nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder, and Stella Hudson, a seasoned attorney appointed to untangle the web of lies surrounding the case. From the outset, readers are drawn into the Barclays' world of privilege and secrets, where nothing is as it seems.

One of the strengths of the novel lies in its well-developed characters, each with their own motivations and hidden agendas. Rose's silence and collection of sharp objects add an eerie layer to the narrative, while Stella's own troubled past lends depth to her character as she navigates the complexities of the case.

While the plot is undeniably engaging and filled with twists and turns, there are moments where the pacing feels uneven, and certain plot points are not fully explored or resolved. Additionally, some readers may find the resolution of the mystery to be somewhat predictable or lacking in surprises.

Overall, "House of Glass" is a compelling thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final page. Despite its flaws, it offers an intriguing exploration of the lengths people will go to protect their secrets, and the devastating consequences that can result. 3.5 Stars

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Loved this book so much! I thought the killer could have been any one at different times throughout the book. It kept me guessing and wondering what was about to happen the whole way through. The main character definitely feels like she could have a series about her in her role. Would love to read more about her!

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Psychological thriller. Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney, is assigned to evaluate which parent Rose Barclay should live with once her parent's divorce. Stella and Rose share in common that both suffered childhood trauma and experienced mutism, causing Stella to dig deeper into her trauma. Rose, however, expresses some scary behavior, including violent outbursts and collecting household items to use as weapons. As Stella spends time with the Barclay family, she finds herself in danger. There are some intense moments that propelled the story, some good Deja vu moments that had me guessing wildly, but the wrap up was too convenient and didn't really give me that fist bump moment I was anticipating. I rate 3.5 rounding up though because the story had some great potential.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author

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