Sarah Pekkanen’s House of Glass is a masterfully crafted psychological thriller that grips you from the very first page. With its intricate twists and unsettling atmosphere, the story delves deep into themes of trust, betrayal, and survival. Pekkanen’s sharp prose and tightly woven plot make this a compulsive read that keeps you guessing until the jaw-dropping conclusion.

For fans of domestic suspense, this is an absolute must-read.

I enjoyed this read and although it wasn't my favourite thriller I did read through it quite quickly and was surprised by some of the twists. This was my first Sarah Pekkanen novel and I think that I will definitely be picking up another one of her books.

I've give this a 3.5 out of 5.

I enjoyed this audiobook. I’ve been a fan of other Sarah Pekkanen novels, and this one fit right along with the others. A quick and twisty story.

They are the perfect family…or are they? Everyone that knows them from the outside thinks so but anyone that enters their house begs to differ. They discover a household filled of lies and secrets that have been covered up. Nine year-old Rose witnesses the death of her nanny during a time of stress and turmoil…her parent’s divorce. Immediately after, Rose stops speaking and begins to gather sharp objects. Stella, an attorney hired to check on the welfare of Rose, discovers that all of the glass in the house has been replaced with plastic…the windows, the picture frames, glass panels in the door, etc. She also discovers that some of the weird occurrences that the nanny experienced are happening to her. Who is out to get her? What has she done wrong? Who is safe in the house and who is succumbing to its mysterious ways?

If you like thrillers, you’ll find that this book surprises the reader multiple times. Just when you think you’ve discovered what’s happening, you look to the right, and the author gives you a left jab out of nowhere!

Rose Barclay is obsessed with sharp objects. She is a nine-year-old girl who apparently has selective mutism. Perhaps this is a trauma response to her parents impending divorce. Previously, the Barclay’s nanny died under suspicious circumstances, with the niggling suspicion that Rose had something to do with her death. Rose’s mother has set a very unusual environment at home. Things that would be glass objects have been modified to be plastic in one form or another. Their home is best described as a plastic house. Strange indeed.

Stella Hudson is an attorney who becomes involved with the Barclays as a favor to a friend. When she approaches the house, she can sense a strong sense of evil emanating from the house. Trauma no doubt exists there, and the situation makes Stella often think of her own disturbing past. In fact, as the story develops, Stella’s memories of the past are woven into the story that is the present.

So, Stella is there to do her job, despite presenting as a bit damaged by her own past. Meanwhile, the nanny’s death is still suspect, and she must wonder who she can trust. Who she can believe. Then nine-year-old Rose and her proclivities must be taken into consideration. This book was the perfect example of how no one could be trusted. Certainly kept me on my toes with twists and turns that captivated my attention..

House of Glass was an exceptionally captivating read. The audiobook narrative’s pacing was impeccable, and the storytelling was of the highest caliber. The unreliable narrator added an intriguing layer to the plot, making it an unforgettable experience. The pervasive eerie atmosphere throughout the book further enhanced its suspenseful nature. As an avid reader of Sarah Pekkanen’s works, particularly those co-authored with Greer Hendricks, I am always thrilled to have the opportunity to explore her solo endeavors.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

Laura Benanti is a top notch performer, and shines as the narrator of this twisty story.

I read this AWHILE ago and remember being relieved that my fear of broken glass is mild in comparison to some of the fear of characters inside.

This book had an intriguing premise and the mystery started off strong. There were quite a few creepy elements that added to the overall vibe. However, the pacing was also pretty slow as the main story took a detour to develop Stella's backstory more. It added to the overall plot and Stella's relationship with Rose, but it also made the book drag.

Stella is a best interest attorney, who is trying to determine who 9 year old Rose should live with. Her mom or her dad? And with Rose's former nanny plunging to her death, everyone in the Barclay family is a suspect. Even Rose herself.

Overall, this book was good, and I enjoyed it. It was just pretty slow and took a while to get to the action. I wish there had been more scenes with Rose and the other Barclays, and less backstory about Stella. However, the last part of the book was action packed and the reveal was great.

Review to come, I accidentally got this one and didn’t download before archive. Will read and update

Once again another great thriller by this author! I thought the plot line was original in that our main character was brought on to observe a family to see who the little girl would be better off with for full custody. But this family isnt a normal family and has gone through lots of trauma recently causing the little girl ruth to go selectively mute. As our main character observes and interacts with this family she is reminded of her own upbringing and similarities to ruth but she can’t question that strange things are going on as well and who is the ring leader. I wont say anymore because thrillers need to know little as possible but this one kept me on my toes and guessing the whole way. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator!

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its suspenseful plot and unexpected twists. As a fan of Pekkanen’s work, this book certainly did not disappoint.

What I Loved:
Suspense and Twists: Pekkanen masterfully weaves a tale full of suspense and unexpected turns. The plot is intricately crafted, keeping you guessing until the very end. Each twist adds a new layer of intrigue, making it hard to put the book down.
Character Development: The characters are well-developed and complex. Their motivations and secrets are slowly revealed, adding depth to the story and making their actions believable and engaging.
Atmosphere: The setting of the house itself adds to the eerie and tense atmosphere. Pekkanen’s descriptive writing brings the house to life, making it almost a character in its own right.

Audiobook Experience:
Narration: The audiobook, narrated by Laura Benanti, enhances the suspenseful experience. The narrator’s ability to convey the tension and emotion of the characters adds an extra layer of depth to the story. Their pacing and tone keep you engaged throughout, making it a compelling listen.

Overall, House of Glass is a thrilling and suspenseful read that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers. Sarah Pekkanen delivers a story full of twists and turns, making it a perfect read (or listen) for anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

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Sarah Pekkanen’s House of Glass is a gripping exploration of family dynamics, secrets, and the complex web of relationships that define our lives. Set against the backdrop of an opulent, yet enigmatic glass house, the narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, revealing the intertwined fates of its characters.

Pekkanen masterfully crafts tension, as the protagonist grapples with her troubled past while attempting to navigate her present. The author’s keen eye for detail brings the setting to life, making the house almost a character in its own right—reflective, transparent, yet hiding dark truths. The emotional depth of the characters is compelling, as they confront their vulnerabilities and the weight of their choices.

The pacing is well-balanced, with enough twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Pekkanen’s writing is both poignant and thought-provoking, encouraging readers to ponder the nature of trust and betrayal within families.

Overall, House of Glass is a captivating read that combines psychological intrigue with rich character development, making it a must-read for fans of domestic thrillers.

Another winner from Sarah Pekkanen. I have been a fan of her books for years when she was writing with Greer Hendricks. Sarah is an author who I will always read anything she writes. I really enjoyed this book and the audio was great.

Pure perfection. I can’t think of a better phrase to describe House of Glass. From the depth of the characters to the ever ratcheting foreboding, there simply wasn’t a thing missing from this psychological thriller. The plot itself was finely layered while my thoughts were constantly plagued with suspicion.

This book had an interesting premise. It was a book club pick that had me invested enough to see it through which justified 2.5 stars. Unfortunately the delivery fell completely flat for me. I feel like the ideas were planted very early on to make us suspect Rose, which to me made it blatantly obvious it was not her. We also were suspicious of Harriet right from the start, so I was hoping we would get a WOW turn of events and completely throw us off, which was a let down when it ended exactly as predicted early on.

Additionally there was so much extra information that I felt had no substance to the story-pretty much Charles and every story line pertaining to him specifically. His character could have been eliminated and it wouldn’t have taken anything from the storyline. The change up in her sexuality and a random new infatuation with the detective was so random to me and again added no value. But the thing that annoyed me most was the title. It might as well have been called house of plastic or house of plexiglass or even house of no glass would have better fit.

For those who like a tense, character-driven psychological thriller with some delicious twists and turns, this book is for you!

Narrator and main character Stella is a positively fascinating character. She is an attorney who works as a Best Interest Attorney. If you don’t know what that is, don’t fret! I didn’t either, but I found it compelling and also I’m grateful that positions like this exist in the world. Essentially, Stella is there as an advocate specifically for the child impacted by this divorce and the things going on in the household. She works independently to assess the home situation and makes a recommendation to the court as to what would be best for the child.

In this case, the child at the center of the case is a prodigy named Rose, who witnessed her nanny’s death and hasn’t spoken since. This comes in the middle of a contentious divorce between her parents, who are rich as sin and live in an opulent glass house. The beautiful nanny, Tina, plummeted to her death from one of those glass windows. Of course before that, she had a torrid affair going on with Ian Barclay. Since Tina is dead, the details of the affair predominantly come from Ian. Never trust a man who claims the affair was a one time thing, amicable when it ended, or that the mistress is “crazy”. All of those can be true, but none of those can be true as well!

In this case, the affair is impossible to deny because Tina was pregnant at the time of her death. Oh, Ian… You really got yourself into it this time. You’d think that the mother, Beth, would be sympathetic. She isn’t, though. The money is actually mostly Beth’s money. Beth herself is fragile and slightly unhinged. She’s deathly afraid of glass ever since the nanny’s death, which Stella and I both found suspicious. Apparently fear of glass is a real thing, though. The poor cook for the house can’t even use a glass measuring cup. Unfortunately for Beth’s new phobia, she lives in a literal house of glass. Ian, being the stand up cheater that he is, is going through the process of replacing the countless windows in the house with plexiglass. This is weird, if you ask me. It’s actually not a house of glass, then. It’s a house of plastic. Somehow this feels claustrophobic even imagining it.

The story has a finite number of suspects, which actually made the mystery more interesting. The timeline between the nanny’s fall and when she was discovered seems to eliminate some of the suspects, but introduce others. Namely, Rose is a strange child and there is something creepy about her. I found myself pondering if it is possible that Rose did it. Others seem to think so, and are working hard to protect her from that suspicion becoming more substantial. Meanwhile Stella has quite a backstory of her own that was an absolute roller coaster.

A tense book that I found full of surprises!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my advance copies. Opinions are my own.

This book really shows that some people can be truly EVIL.

Rose Barclay is a 9 year old girl who is suffering from traumatic mutism. She literally can no longer speak. This started for Rose after witnessing her nanny Tina dying and even "possibly murdered." This all occurred in the midst of her parents divorce.

Stella Hudson is the attorney who has been assigned to Rose's case. She has been appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. Stella has her own traumatic childhood that led to her having a period with mutism and is why she doesn't normally take cases of kids under 13 years of age. Her job is to determine which parent is better suited to take full custody of Rose.

As Stella is meeting with Rose's parents and grandmother who lives with them after not fully recovering from surgery certain details around Tina's death, cause doubts as to whether it was an accident or not. While a case against this being a murder has not come to fruition, everyone remains a suspect, even Rose herself.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the audio version. Pekkanen has a way of setting up the scene in the story. It was very ominous and intense which I felt added another layer to the story. I also think she does a great job with character building and development and she had me very leery of Rose till the end. There was definitely a creepy factor to the characters.

I felt like this was an original story line, which is hard to do these days when so many of the same tropes and stories are over used. The narrator, Laura Benanti, did an amazing job with the audio book and I highly recommend that medium to read/listen to this book. The chapters were short and the mystery had me hooked. If you are in a reading slump, I bet this book will be the one to get you out of it!


Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the #gifted ALC!

I’ve enjoyed Sarah’s books, both co-written with Greer Hendricks, and this latest solo novel, House of Glass. From the fast paced thrills, to the over-the-top plot that made for a fun escape read, this definitely helped me escape from yet another reading slump.

🎧I did an immersive read with the print and audio formats, and thought the narration by Laura Benati was great! She really added to the tension, and kept me engaged with the story. I have actually listened to a few books with her narration, and would definitely recommend!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧
-fast paced
-unlikeable characters
-all the family secrets

*many thanks to St Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of "House of Glass" by Sarah Pekkanen. Listening to this audiobook was an immersive experience, and the narration was excellent—perfectly capturing the tension and emotions of the story. Pekkanen's writing is gripping, with a plot that mixes suspense and psychological intrigue in just the right amounts. The characters, especially the main protagonist, are complex and well-developed, which the narrator brought to life with great nuance. While the story had a few predictable moments, the audiobook kept me hooked throughout, thanks to its pacing and the narrator’s ability to create an atmosphere of unease. Overall, "House of Glass" is a captivating listen for thriller fans.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advance listener’s copy of House of Glass!

Stella works as a best interest attorney who prefers to work with teens, but is appointed to Rose Barclay to determine the best course of action in working through Rose’s parents ugly divorce. Rose recently witnessed her nanny dying, having fallen from a window, and has since developed selective mutism - another reason Stella was chosen for this case, her own traumatic past may very well be the key needed to determine how to help Rose.

Once Stella starts visiting the Barclay house, however, she is finding out that nothing is how it appears. For starters, there isn’t a single piece of glass to be found - everything is plastic. And then there’s speculation that the nanny did not jump or trip out of the window, rather that she was pushed, and everyone involved has a reason to want the nanny dead - Rose included.

Now, Stella needs to work hard to determine where the real threat lies, with the parents? Or with the child she is supposed to be protecting?

This was a tense, foreboding, and toxic slow burn that I could not get enough of!

It’s not often that a setting plays such a strong role in a thriller, I normally find that to be a trait of horror books (which House of Glass does skirt along the lines of). I loved the house, the personality that it brought to the story, and the added layer of unsettling that it brought to not just Stella, but me as a reader.

While Sarah does have a classic red herring, she drops enough crumbs to make you second guess your obvious thoughts and left the ending not quite as easily solved as one would think.

I thought the audio was good, it was super easy to digest and performed well.

Any book by Sarah Pekkanen is an automatic read for me, and this one was so good! With creepy family, tragic past, depth of characters, and a mystery that continues to unfold, House of Glass was a five-star read in my book.