What happened to Tina, the nanny? We have the cheating husband Ian, sus mother Beth, also sus grandmother Harriet who has a seemingly tight relationship with our young, smart, sneaky, trauma induced mute 9 year child Rose. Stella who has her past traumas as well, is tasked to assess Rose on her future wellbeing.

this mystery thriller has me guessing from the beginning, thinking I knew the who from the beginning, but that wasn’t the case in the end. I always say there’s something about thrillers with creepy little kids, and Rose was just that. I’ve read one other book by SP and she knows how to bring the creepy, suspenseful, twisty mystery thrillers! I’ll just say don’t focus on one thing because those twists will catch you off guard!

The audiobook was also amazing! New to me narrator Laura Benanti brought the thrill factor throughout the story with each character as well. She was a great narrator! She definitely left me wanting to continue to listening nonstop!

As a best interest attorney, Stella is accustomed to working with teenage clients. But her beloved mentor has asked her to take on the case of nine year old Rose Barclay because he believes Stella's own past trauma makes her the best advocate Rose could hope for. Rose's nanny recently died under suspicious circumstances, and Rose has been unable to speak since. Stella suffered from traumatic mutism as a child as well.

But as Stella begins to spend time with Rose and her family at their beautiful mansion, she begins to feel like perhaps she has more in common with the deceased nanny, Tina, than with Rose. Just like Tina experienced strange goings-on at the house, Stella is likewise having uncomfortable encounters. Encounters that make her wonder whether Rose is a victim or the perpetrator.

Pekkanen masterfully weaves a tale of suspense, skillfully manipulating tropes and reader expectations to create a labyrinth of red herrings. The isolated, imposing mansion with its absence of any glass items serves as a chilling backdrop for Stella's investigation. Perhaps a few too many extraneous characters were introduced, but overall I thought the author did a good job balancing Stella's professional and personal investigations.

The narrator's performance was exceptional, bringing the characters to life with distinct voices. While one accent might have been overemphasized, it didn't detract significantly from the overall listening experience.

If you're looking for one last beach read mystery/thriller too end the summer on, House of Glass is a great pick for your beach bag.

This review will be posted to Goodreads on August 3, 2024 and to Instagram (@goodquietkitty) on August 5, 2024.

This book was 👩🏽‍🍳💋everything I want in a thriller and more❤️ Very psychologically thrilling and had me shocked multiple times!!! The similarities/mirrors between Stella’s past and Rose’s present were done impeccably and I loved the tie in!!

Here are the vibes:
✨A wealthy multi-generational family living under one roof
✨An affair with the nanny
✨Suspicious death of said nanny
✨Divorce with a child custody battle
✨A Best Interest Lawyer with a past
✨A now mute (possibly homicidal) creepy child
✨…AND MUCH MUCH MORE

This was soooo fun to read and super exciting that I can only imagine how cool and thrilling the audiobook would be!

Definitely look out for this one when it comes out!!!

⭐️HOUSE OF GLASS, comes out AUGUST 6TH⭐️

5.0⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review❤️

I LOVED this book so much! I was so sad when it ended. Sarah Pekkanen is a master of suspense and thrills! The characters are so well written and established in the story. I found myself changing loyalty to each character as they were explored as potential perpetrators of the nanny's death. Rose in particular drew my interest. She is so complex even in her mutism. Stella is so thorough in her investigation. I couldn't believe the twists and turns that I went on through this book. I will defiinitely be reading more from Pekkanen!

Laura Benanti is by far one of my favorite narrators. I have listened to several of her audiobooks, and this one is one of the best! I felt immersed in the story as she told it from Stella's point of view. I was trying to guess, along with Stella, what the heck was going on in the Barclay house. The parts of the story where she read the emails and reports being written got a little choppy, but I think an expected translation from print to audiobook. This is a great story and Laura did not disappoint!

House of Glass is a dark and twisty psychological thriller that centers around the mysterious death of a nanny and the impact of this death on Rose, the young child she was caring for.

The story is told from the perspective of Stella Hudson, an attorney who has been assigned to Rose’s case. Rose’s parents are getting divorced and it’s Stella’s job to determine what the custody arrangement should be. Rose has been mute since the nanny’s death, which makes the case all the more challenging, and Stella realizes just how unusual this case is when she observes Rose picking up a dagger-like shard of glass off the sidewalk and hiding it in her pocket. Stella can’t fathom why Rose would want such a thing and it really kicks her investigation up a notch as she tries to figure out what is going on in Rose’s home life. Since the nanny’s murder remains unsolved, Stella feels like it’s her job to make sure she isn’t potentially assigning custody of this child over to a murderer. The more Stella observes this family and digs into what really happened to the nanny, the more disturbing and downright chilling the story gets.

I love a good psychological thriller especially when there’s family drama as well. I was hooked from the moment Rose reached for the shard of glass and when Stella goes to Rose’s house and sees that there is no glass whatsoever in the entire house. 😱

Pekkanen’s writing is fantastic, with vivid descriptions that deliver the creepiest of vibes at times. There are also plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing what really happened all the way to the end and Stella is battling some personal demons of her own that really help to flesh out her character and add additional layers to the story.

I also thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook, which was narrated by Laura Benanti. I’ve always loved Benanti on Broadway but didn’t realize she also narrated audiobooks so that was a real treat.

Unfortunately, after making it to 50%, I have no desire to continue. I usually love Sarah's books, but this one just isn't working for me at all. I was fully invested in the beginning, but now I am dreading picking it up. The narrator did a fantastic job with what I listened to.

I do have several friends that I think will like this, so I won't hesitate to recommend it. It just didn't work for me.

Ghoul Von Horror's Reviews > House of Glass

House of Glass
by 

Sarah Pekkanen (Goodreads Author)


Ghoul Von Horror's review

Aug 02, 2024  ·  edit


did not like it

bookshelves: 1-star-hated-it, audio-book, forgettable, gay, netgalley, not-worth-the-hype, read-books-2023, started-great-ended-meh, thriller-s


TW/CW: Language, divorce, gory scenes, death of parent, drug addiction, alcoholism, toxic parent relationship, drug overdose, cheating, anxiety, depression, grieving, drunk driving

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?
Release Date: August 6th, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 352
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Always enjoy this writers writing style

What I Didn't Like:
1. Repetitive
2. Book feels like it lost focus
3. Too many plotlines
4. Ridiculous story

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

I love the relationship between her and her ex. So cordial and polite during the divorce.

I really thought the briefcase was going to go differently, like she stole the briefcase and there was money in it.

Stella's mom dies in the usual way that thrillers kill off their drug addiction parents. This is the 3rd book I've read that it's happened like that.

Gosh I hope this isn't like one of those things where Rose is the one that killed Tina and the grandma is protecting her.

Do I understand the situation right that Stella took Rose to go look at these baby squirrels and then her friend calls her to tell her a box cutter is missing, but Stella doesn't go back to the house to see if Rose has the box cutter. I mean wouldn't Stella be the one responsible since she took her out of the house that she got a box cutter. I don't know dude why wouldn't you go back and make sure that she didn't have it she's only 9 years old it would be weird for her to steal one. Stella hears the news that the box cutter is missing and she dismisses it and we move on.

Typical woman in a thriller - - living on a few cookies and a half beer. I love that all women in thrillers barely eat anything but men are never mentioned about how little they eat.

There's no way it's not Harriet. Harriet mentions that her husband had cheated on her many times and then Ian had mentioned that his father had died but after Harriet mentions that women know what a man stepping out and women aren't going to put up with it anymore says "I've been there. Trust me we women don't get fooled twice" so I'm wondering if she murdered her husband because he was cheating. I think she killed Tina because she overheard her on the phone talking about being pregnant and she didn't want the family to break up since she loves Beth so much

Another mention to Stella not being hungry when she puts bread in the toaster. Why?

Okay so now Lucinda's squirrels have been killed. Stella is approached by her and decides to call the phone number but it's blocked so I'm just like why can't you start 69 it and see what happens. Like yeah your phone number is blocked but the other number won't be blocked cuz it's a private number. Or you could call back from Lucinda's number. Also Stella says that Rose is the only one that knows about Lucinda and that's not even true because she had to let Rose's parents know where she was taking her so three people know (Ian, Beth, and Harriet).

By page 280 suddenly Stella is starting an attraction to the Detective Garcia. Why? Where is this book going? It's so all over the place. Ah.

Charles was Stella's mother's lawyer and and they used to use together because he used to do heroin too but he didn't get addicted. She called him the day that she was feeling down which is the day that she died and as he was comforting her he tried to kiss her but her mother said no because she missed her husband too much. In the end of all this Stella's mother ended up dying of a drug overdose like it was rolled. No mystery! This was completely unnecessary! I am so glad that we broke from the mystery of the little girls a killer or not to jump into did Stella's mother die of some other cause. Oh and Charles was the one to take care of her financially.

Honest to God I am so confused by what's happening in this book. For almost all the book Stella was convinced that Rose was like dangerous and killing people and everything suddenly it changes after she gets a phone call from Harriet saying that they're going to cancel the divorce and they're just going to live separately but on the same property and Rose is just going to stay with them and she's going to home school her. Now Rose is this victim she has to go rescue from these villainous people try to drug her. Can't build up that Rose is this like murderous child who killed her babysitter to now she's this innocent child who's being drugged up and she's the victim.

Harriet has a bad knee and difficulty walking, but threatens Stella with a taser gun saying if she shoots her she'll pee herself or Harriet will have to drag her into the elevator after she's collapsed. I'd love to see that. If my options were that peeing myself or collapsing, I'd take the option of being shot over willingly riding an elevator upstairs to my death. How ridiculous. Like Harriet can drag a person into the elevator.

Weirdly enough though Rose does have the phone - the phone that was Tina's that disappeared the night she died.

Omg omg it's just a taser! I seriously don't know why she's scared of a taser and a woman that's almost 30 years older than her. She was just faking her leg being hurt.

Like It isn't enough to learn more and more about this book but the last few pages we now find out that Charles was the one that that caused Stella's dad's death. Any normal person would question how this person was around when two people died. Ludicrous.

So I guess Stella is now dating Garcia. So completely out of left field.

No Garcia Stella is not a puzzle. She is the most generic person to ever breathe.

Final Thoughts:
This book feels very disjointed. On one hand we have the story of this murder of Tina, the housemaid and maybe a girl who murdered her. Randomly 60% into the book we jump into now we're trying to solve what happened to Stella's mother even having flashbacks to when she was a little girl. I don't understand why. It seems all over the place. Can we just solve one thing before we jump into another mystery? I swear this is my problem with most modern thrillers is that we can't keep focus on what the book is about. Why do we have to have eight different story lines in one 300 page book?

No joke though if I wouldn't have finished this book then I wouldn't have been mad or felt like I missed anything. It was so mid and basic. I spent too many times rolling my eyes when reading.

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Thanks to Netgalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Childhood trauma is inevitable, though its impact varies for each individual. Stella Hudson's trauma, stemming from losing her mother to drug addiction, has led her to a career as an attorney specializing in child advocacy. Her latest case involves nine-year-old Rose Barclay. Rose's parents, Ian and Beth, are in the midst of a divorce, and Stella has been called in to determine Rose's final custody. Both parents have agreed to abide by Stella's decision as a neutral third party. During her investigation, Stella gets to know the parents, Ian's mother, Harriet, who lives with the family, and, of course, young Rose.

Divorce isn't the only dark shadow over the Barclay family. Rose's young nanny, Tina, recently met a tragic end, falling from the third-story window of the family home and plummeting to her death. Rose witnessed this event and has been so traumatized that she hasn't spoken a word since. Beth was equally impacted, developing a phobia of glass that has led the family to replace all the windows with plexiglass. Ian was affected in a more personal way. Before Tina's death, he had been involved in a passionate affair with her. The investigation into Tina's fall found no obvious sign of foul play, but the question lingers: was the young nanny pushed? If so, who was responsible? Was it the father, Ian, or the scorned mother, Beth? Or, most disturbingly, could the quiet young Rose be the one responsible for the tragedy?

Sarah Pekkanen has a knack for crafting page-turning thrillers centered on compelling family dramas, and her latest book, House of Glass, is no exception. After enjoying her previous standalone thriller, Gone Tonight, I was eager to dive into her newest release and was thrilled to receive both a physical and audio copy from her publisher. Pekkanen skillfully plays with genre conventions, using familiar tropes to present tantalizing red herrings. I'll admit, I thought I had the plot figured out, only to be surprised by an unexpected twist at the end.

House of Glass hooked me from the start, drawing me into the mystery of a mute child whose perspective may hold the key to the truth. This irresistible puzzle kept me reading non-stop. I had noted some uneven pacing in Pekkanen's previous novel, but House of Glass showed no such inconsistencies. It's sheer fun, popcorn reading at its finest—slightly over the top but thoroughly enjoyable.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is a riveting psychological thriller that delves into the dark secrets of a seemingly perfect family. The story centers around Rose Barclay, a nine-year-old girl who stopped speaking after witnessing the possible murder of her nanny during her parents' acrimonious divorce. Enter Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney specializing in child custody cases, reluctantly taking on Rose's case due to the insistence of her mentor, a respected judge.

From the moment Stella enters the Barclay family's opulent and eerily plastic home, she senses something deeply wrong. The family's facade of perfection quickly unravels as Stella delves into their lives, uncovering a web of lies and hidden traumas. Each family member, including Rose, becomes a suspect in the nanny’s mysterious death.

Pekkanen masterfully builds tension, intertwining Stella’s investigation with her own troubled past. The narrative is filled with well-timed twists and a haunting atmosphere that keeps readers on edge. The character of Stella is particularly compelling, as her personal history and emotional struggles add depth to her role as an investigator and protector.

House of Glass explores themes of truth, deception, and the psychological scars left by trauma. The Barclay family's dynamic is complex and disturbing, making the unraveling of their secrets both thrilling and chilling.

Sarah Pekkanen’s sharp writing and intricate plotting make House of Glass a standout in the psychological thriller genre. It’s a gripping, suspenseful read that will keep you guessing until the very end, questioning who can be trusted and who is hiding behind a perfect lie.

Stella comes into the Barclay home to assess the situation for the daughter, Rose. Their nanny fell to her death out of a window in the home, the parents are getting divorced, and now Rose suffers from traumatic mutism. Stella has come to find out what is best for Rose, and as someone who herself suffered from traumatic mutism as a child, she can understand Rose at a deeper level. But she notices something, the house no longer contains anything made of glass, why would that be, who are they trying to keep safe?

I really enjoyed this story and as an audiobook it kept me entertained. Stella may only be there to assess what is best for Rose, but she’s also curious about what happened to the nanny. The police have no leads, and in a family who would lie to save one another anyone could be a suspect. Passing the suspicion around, you think Stella has figured it all out until she hasn’t.

Stella has a complex past and we learned a lot about it and there was a lot of story of her life progressing. Felt like a first of a series, and 8 hope we get to see more of Stella down the road.

I always love Pekkanen's books and House of Glass was definitely intriguing and held my interest. There were a few different storylines going on in this novel and mostly I enjoyed that. At times, I wanted less about Stella's past and more about her current case, but it did all work together nicely.

I had inklings about what really happened to Tina, but Pekkanen was fantastic at constantly throwing me off and making me question everything. I loved the strange and aloof characters, the interesting dynamics between Stella and the family, Stella's career, and the descriptions of the eerie home. At times, it almost felt like there might be horror elements woven through and I thought that added a nice element to the story as well.

I listened to this novel on audio and felt it was well done. I liked the narrator and appreciated the sense of drama she brought to the story. She helped me visualize the setting and I think it would translate really well to the big screen.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but think it may ultimately be a bit forgettable for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for the copy.

This was a rarity for me: a five star review for a thriller. I do like them but they are usually palate cleansers and I accept that about them. They typically earn four stars from me unless I find them dull because they often lack something that makes them more meaningful for me. Sometimes it is character development; at other times it is believability.
House of Glass, however, had all of that. I really liked Stella, the protagonist. She had a backstory that drove her to do her best to find out what was going on. She is a lawyer who needs to make a custody recommendation in a divorce where there was a murder of the little girls nanny. I was as invested in Stella's story as I was in Rose, the little girl's. I was with Stella as she got to know the family and all the secrets its members kept. I really hope that there is another book with Stella, as I really enjoyed learning about her as she solved the mystery.
The narrator was good, reading the text with inflection, keeping me engaged when I was listening to the audio.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for providing me with this advance reading copy/audio in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a fun book! It really kept me on my toes and I really could not figure out what was going on until the end. I really loved the main character, Stella and her growth through the novel.

I was able to listen to this on audio and I think Laura Benanti as the narrator did an amazing job setting the tone!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

Big thanks to both NetGalley & Macmillan audio for the ALC copy of this great thriller!!
This one is out Aug 6!!!

This started off super great with a quick, fast pace that I really loved. I was very ibntrigued with the story & how the MC & subject were connected on some levels. The middle did get a tad slow for me, but by the end it picked back up & was ready for all the action!!

I think Pekkanen did a fantastic job painting all the characters as potential villains to disguise the real cuplrit. The twists were definitely fun throughout this book.

I really enjoyed the way this wrapped up & thought Macmillan audio did a fantastic job with the narrations!!
Recommend this one!

I like my psychological thrillers twisted and complex and THE GLASS HOUSE by Sarah Pekkanen is all of that. There’s a lot going on in this book with dual mysteries to solve and it all kept me turning the pages. I alternated between the print and audio versions of this book and both delivered a gripping reading experience.

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney assigned to evaluate a client whose parents are in the midst of a contentious divorce and custody dispute. The child, Rose Barclay, is 9-years-old and suffering from traumatic mutism after her young nanny died from a mysterious fall through her bedroom window. Stella’s first visit to the Barclay home reveals something bizarre - all the glass has been removed from the home and replaced with plastic or plexiglas. She also notices that Rose has a penchant for pocketing and hiding sharp objects. Stella soon begins to wonder if Rose could be capable of murder.

Stella has her own personal mystery to solve. Orphaned after losing both parents as a child, Stella is searching for answers about her mother’s death. As each piece of information is slowly revealed, Stella discovers that her own life holds many secrets and deceptions.

Both storylines play out simultaneously keeping the reader engaged and wondering what the next twist will reveal. Laura Benanti’s narration is smooth as silk with many layers as the tension builds. This is a taut thriller that will keep you guessing until the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

i think this is my first book by this author. I found that the book was a little dragged out and predictable (this is not meant to offend author, just honest opinion). I did find that the protagonist was really relatable. The audiobook narrator was good as well.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

House of Glass, written by Sarah Pekkanen and narrated by Laura Benanti, is a psychological thriller that I could not put down!
Stella our main character, is a best interest attorney. She is hired to get to know Rose, whose parents are getting a divorce after the death of Rose’s nanny. But as Stella gets to know the family, she recognizes a lot of similarities between herself and Rose, and what they have both gone through. At the same time, some of the things she is told concern her. She knows that she is supposed to decide what is in Rose’s best interest, but how can she do this when she is worried about Rose’s own actions?
This was my first book that I have read by this author, but it will not be my last! I loved the mystery, the character and plot development, and really enjoyed the way that Stella recognized similarities between herself and the family she was working with. I think it really added to the mystery and suspense! I definitely recommend this read. Thank you to NetGalley, and to the author, narrator, and publisher of this book for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my #gifted ARC and thank you Macmillan Audio for my #gifted ALC of House of Glass! #MacAudio2024 #macmillanaudio #HouseOfGlass #SarahPekkanen

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐏𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢
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.

I totally think it’s best to go into this one blind, but if you want to read a description, you can swipe for a full description.

💜Atmospheric
💜Bingeable
💜A Twisty Thriller
💜Family Secrets

🎧I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Laura Benanti. She was truly flawless. I could not have picked a better person to narrate this book. I highly recommend this one on audio if that option is available to you. You will not be disappointed!

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

"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 and 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

5.0 stars

I really enjoy Sarah Pekkanen when she writes with Geer Hendricks but had never read anything that she had written alone until last year but I fully enjoyed "Gone Tonight" so I asked for an arc of this and was lucky enough to receive one. I fully enjoyed this novel. It is mostly a phycological thriller with a tiny bit of horror thrown in for good measure.

Stella never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help nine year old Rose who witnessed the the could be murder of her nanny. As Stella begins to look into what Rose witnessed things begin to look darker than Stella could ever imagine.

This was an excellent novel filled with suspense and a bit of dread.