A great faced paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
This one had me guessing till the very end. The audiobook was well done and kept me entertained while cleaning and doing laundry. Add this one to your tbr

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin press for my gifted audio book.

Phew. This was a psychological thrill ride with a dash of horror. The atmospheric writing and tension setting worked wonders and some scenes had the air on my arms standing up. The house creeped me out for no tangible reason and I was cringe-reading some of the scenes following Stella trying to get into Rose's head and figure out all the secrets this family is holding. The characters are so well written and I loved the juxtaposition of the current case that inspires Stella to look more into her past trauma. A spine-tingling and action filled ending made this such a great book.

Note: I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend that route to amp up the tension!

Stella has been assigned to be a guardian ad litem for a young girl, Rose, whose parents are getting divorced after her father had an affair with the young nanny, and got her pregnant - the same nanny who suspiciously fell to her death from her attic room. While Stella's role is to determine what the best living situation is for 9 year old Rose, she is immediately plunged into the mystery of the super eerie house and the bizarre death of the nanny; how can she figure out what the best post-divorce custody situation is for Rose if she cannot figure out who killed the nanny (you don't want to give full custody to a murderer). Was it one of the parents, the grandmother or even Rose herself? While digging into this mystery Stella's own life is being threatened and secrets from her dark childhood are coming to light.

Sometimes going in blind to these novels is the way to go and for this one I am so glad I did! This was what I would call a light thriller; it hit all the right notes while keeping me totally entertained. I had both the audio and the book but since I was reading something else at the time I started with the audio and with the first chapter I was hooked. While this novel wasn't the most twisty turny unpredictable book, it had enough that I needed to know what happened and put down my other book so I could quickly finish this one. It's fast, it's fun and totally bingeable (a popcorn thriller) with a dose of family drama thrown in to make it more interesting. I think this is a good August book because if you are sitting by the pool or beach you can throw in your bag and ignore your kids for a few hours (so I guess I would call it a Spindrift and chip thriller rather than popcorn one because that's what I generally eat at the beach).

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Wow!! Just…wow!!
Psychological thriller with lots and lots of layers, lots of twists, wonderful character development, and lots of guessing as to who did the deed!!??!!

We OPEN up with a nanny plunging to her death. Was it an accident? Was it murder?? Who knows??

When Stella Hudson is assigned to the case, this is exactly what she wants to find out! But her client is Rose, a very young girl, who has been rendered mute since the event.
Since Stella had a similar event when she was just a child, her mentor feels this is the perfect case for her! But Stella’s interests lie in the child, as she is a children’s advocate when the child’s parents are getting divorced. She’s the one who comes in to evaluate the home life of the child, and gives her opinion of who the child would be best suited to live with…

But, the more time Stella spends with Rose, the less sure she is of what’s going on, and where her best interests lie. And, the more Stella is feeling frightened of the entire situation…

As she investigates, she tries to also find out what exactly happened with the nanny. And the more she learns, the less she actually wants to know.

The husband and wife are still living under the same roof, with Rose, and the husband’s mother. But Stella ‘feels’ that there is something here this t is amiss, she just can’t pin it down! And the more closely she watches Rose, the more afraid she is, as she sees some really strange things happening right before her eyes 👀!!

Don’t blink! Don’t breathe! Hold on to your seats! And don’t miss this one!!

All the stars ✨🌟⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟✨⭐️ for me!!

#HouseOfGlass by #SarahPekkanen and narrated beautifully by #LauraBenanti.

⭐️⭐️⭐️. This is due for release on 8/6/24! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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The title of this book is a compelling reason to pick it up. Will this be a literal glass house, or more metaphorical? What we find in this case is a house with no glass at all! It is a complex situation, but the genesis of the changes from glass to plexiglass was the nanny's fall from through the window of her third floor attic room. Yes, that will give you the heebie jeebies!

Our narrator is Stella Hudson. She works as a Best Interest Attorney (BIA). Her client (Rose Barclay) is a 9-year-old with traumatic mutism from the death of the nanny. Rose lives in the house with her parents, Beth and Ian who are "separated in place," and her paternal grandmother Harriet. As Stella spends time gathering information to make a recommendation she cannot help but feel an evil presence in the Barclay home. Despite the opulent surroundings, it is not a pleasant place. Could the menacing presence be one of the family members? Could it be Rose?

This book got off to a strong start for me, but it seemed a little crowded -- character-wise. There is an additional plot thread connected to Stella's past and that seemed to overly complicate the narrative. Not my favorite from Sarah Pekkanen, but I will look forward to seeing what she writes next.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars. This thriller had me on the edge of my seat, and honestly it was hard to guess the ending which I really loved. The twists at the end were believable and didn’t feel like they came out of left field which I always appreciate.

As a fan of Laura Benanti, I was so excited to listen to her narrate a thriller. I will say, I’m used to hearing her voice in musical form, so this was different but I enjoyed it. I think Laura’s theater background definitely shows in this because I thought she narrated every aspect perfectly. It kept me engaged and helped the story flow.

Storywise, I liked the whodunnit feel to this. Listening via audiobook, I didn’t have a guess early on, so I was surprised with the outcome. I thought the story maintained a decent speed in that it didn’t lag or move too fast for me. The characters were interesting, especially Rose. I also liked the time laps between Stella’s past and present, felt like that helped me get to know her more as a character, while also adding a sense of suspension to her life too.

House of Glass
By Sarah Pekkanen
Narrated by Laura Benanti

Thank you so much @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress for the gifted ALC. #MacAudio2024

About the book 👇🏽

On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.

A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

✨ My thoughts:
I loved this audiobook, I devoured it. This was easily a five star listen! I am so happy I chose this for my July Book of the Month box too because I definitely want to keep a copy for my shelves. I was a little nervous about this one because the author’s last big was a big miss for me but this one reminded me of how great of a writer Pekkanen really is! I loved that this story felt fresh and man was it twisty. I don’t want to spoil anything but when it was all revealed I just kept thinking “I should have known!!” But I’m actually glad I didn’t know because it made the book that much better for me. If you’re hesitant to pick this one up because Gone Tonight wasn’t a hit for you, don’t be. This one is worth the read and/or listen. Get ready to spend your money because House of Glass is out 8/6/24!

Happy reading 📖 🎧🏠

Although somewhat predictable, I thoroughly Enjoy listening to this audiobook. Made my summer Road trip much more enjoyable. Thank you, NetGalley and McMillan, audio for the arc of this audiobook.

I started listening to this book and I’m 44% in and I’m just not interested. The main character doesn’t interest me the case that she’s working on seems too far-fetched. I’m just really not interested enough to finish this book. I’m very sorry but I can’t give an honest review because I can’t get even to the 50% mark.

Sarah Pekkanen never misses! This was such a twisty thriller. I truly didn’t know what to think as the whole family could be guilty. Such a fantastic story.

This wasn't my favorite of Sarah Pekkanen's books (I like The Golden Couple, The Wife Between Us better) but it kept me interested. It dragged on a bit - I thought this was a A Bad Seed plotline, but then there was a twist (not entirely mindblowing, I had considered that person being the culprit) but it was still an interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a thriller! I tell you what, I literally had every single character pegged as the murderer of this book. Had to read with the light on! Good, good book! Preorder if you love a good mystery! August 6, 2024. Looking up all other books by Sarah Pekkanen now.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Stella is a best interest attorney who has been assigned to the Barclay family to determine which parent should be given custody of their nine year old daughter - Rose.
Rose doesn't speak, ever since she witnessed the death of her nanny, who died under mysterious circumstances.
Everyone in the Barclay family has something to hide, and as Stella gets closer to solving the mystery, she starts looking into her own mysterious upbringing.

This was such a great read.
The characters, the mystery, the side mystery of Stella's past, I was hooked on all of it.
This was a twisty read that kept me guessing.

Laura Benanti did an amazing job narrating!

Oh. My. Goodness.

I have been looking forward to this book for a while now, and it did not disappoint.

The storyline for this book is a little different to start with, which is always a win for me to begin with, but it finishes well- which makes it a five star for me. Because often a premise can be fantastic, but as we well know, finishes poorly. But this, this is well written, has some nice twists, and has one guessing for the duration of the book.

I would definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys a good storyline, a bit of a domestic thriller (but not the typical husband/wife stuff), and provides just enough intrigue to keep you guessing, without making it unbelievable.

I absolutely loved it! I was hooked from the first moment through the end. The twists, turns and details uncovered never stopped. The author could absolutely have gotten me to believe nearly anything!

The narration was also great, perfect for the book. Totally enjoyable.

Advance reader copy provided by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4 ⭐️
HOUSE OF GLASS
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller
📖 352 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 😱🎹🕵🏻‍♀️🚔🐴🔪🩰🏡📖👵🏼👩🏼‍🌾💊💉🐿️🫗
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 8/6/2024

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱? 👍🏼

🩷𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🩷

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinpress for the #gifted copy!

HOUSE OF GLASS is a suspenseful, wild ride that kept me hooked from start to finish—definitely a bingeable thriller! I enjoyed the supporting characters, & the abundance of suspects kept me constantly guessing. The creepy house setting enhanced the atmosphere, & the numerous motives made it hard to know who to trust! The red herrings scattered throughout the plot kept me on my toes.

Told solely from Stella's POV, the narrative delves into her personal struggles & growth, which I found compelling. I appreciated how Stella's own experiences paralleled the case she takes on with Ruby, adding layers to the story.

Although I guessed the ending, the eerie journey was thoroughly enjoyable. The twists & turns 🌀, combined with Stella's development, made this a binge worthy read.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ single POV
◽️ creepy house setting
◽️ PTSD/ flashbacks

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: The Barclay family appears perfect, but they hide dark secrets. After their nanny dies under suspicious circumstances, 9 year old Rose, who witnessed the event, stops speaking. Lawyer Stella Hudson, despite her own past trauma, takes on Rose's case to uncover the truth. Inside the Barclay's grand home, Stella discovers a twisted web of lies & danger. As she delves deeper, everyone, including Rose, becomes a suspect in the nanny's death.

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 :)

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.

Great audio narration from Laura Benanti. You really get Stella's fear and confusion.

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!

I received both a digital and audiobook copy of this book. I found myself enjoying the digital copy more than the audiobook.

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