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?
This was a fun, spooky book that kept me guessing until the end!

Wow-Riveting! Here's a great example of a well written whodunit from a very different angle -- the book's main character is not a detective, but a child welfare lawyer. She's been tasked with recommending custody in a difficult divorce proceeding over a child prodigy who has been unable to speak since the unsolved death of her nanny.
The book's jumping off point is the main character's appointment by the judge, her long time mentor who is confident she'd take the child's welfare seriously. Boy does she ever. The author unfolds a complicated and compelling tale about the secrets held by every family member involved and how she tries to solve the riddle to the child's silence, the key she thinks to making the right custody decision. I found the story fun to read from beginning to end and highly recommend it.

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.

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!

This might be the surprise of the year so far for me. I was expecting a typical “popcorn read” type of thriller. Nothing wrong with that, of course, because sometimes that fits the mood, but I was expecting more of a predictable conclusion. And I was wrong!! There were plot twists I didn’t see coming. I was worried that the chapters focusing on Stella’s past would pull too much from the present conflict with Rose, but I think it actually added to the overall tone and created more unreliability to keep the reader on their toes. Definitely recommend for fans of thrillers and mysteries!!

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. I really enjoyed the narrator, she may be one of my favorites.

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, Macmillan Audio, and the author for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book has me HOOKED. I really liked this author's writing style and the audiobook narrator was great! There wasn't a good place to stop listening, because the intrigue did not stop, so I finished it in a day.

House of Glass

Y’all. This one was a WILD ride. I’m not a regular thriller reader but I enjoy trying one every now and again. A great, trust-no-one adventure that I could not put down because I had to know how it all played out!

Stella is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve Rose, a traumatically mute 9-year old girl reeling from the tragic death of her nanny, caught in a custody battle between her divorcing parents. Stella navigates all the relationships around Rose as she tries to figure out what’s best for Rose and what really happened to the nanny.

Highly recommend if you’re looking for a fast paced family drama thriller!

I alternated between the ARC and ALC. The narrator did a fabulous job building suspense and suspicion with all the characters.

Thank you to Macmillan audio and St. Martins Press for this ARC/ALC! House of Glass is on shelves August 6, 2024! My opinions are my own.

Twists and turns greet you from the very beginning in this exciting thriller by Sarah Pekkanen. Stella, an advocate assigned to determine who Rose, a nine-year-old should live with after the divorce of her parents. In addition to investigating the best placement for Rose, the situation is complicated by the fact that the nanny, Tina with whom the father was having an affair, fell/was pushed out of the third story window and this has contributed to Rose not uttering another word.

At various points in this novel, I found myself pointing the finger at each character. The evidence was stacked up nicely for me only to be found incorrect in the end. In the last few chapters, I honestly could not stop listening as I found it even more compelling.
I listened to the Audiobook which was provided by MacMillan Audio through NetGalley. Overall, this was a fun ride, and the narration by Laura Benanti added to the suspense. Many thanks for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book had a great premise, and at the beginning I was intrigued by the sinister young girl and the eerie house setting. But ultimately I felt indifferent about this story. It was repetitive and overly long towards the end, and I also didn't see the point in giving the main protagonist a separate mystery to solve involving the death of her mother. There was a lot going on with the addition of her own childhood trauma and pointless secondary characters and it felt like too much. I also wasn't a huge fan of the narration. The narrator had a "sing-songy" voice that didn't seem to fit with the overall vibe of this story. This one just wasn't a favorite for me.

great mystery, very cool concept the list of suspects. i enjoyed it very much! can't wait for more from this author

House of Glass revolves around what seems like a perfect family but inside is nothing but a perfect lie. Rose Barclay is a nine year old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny in the midst of her parent’s divorce. Since then she has stopped talking and started collecting sharp objects. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. From the moment Stella passes through the iron gate and into the plastic house with not a single piece of glass to be found, she realizes the Barclays are far more troubled and twisted than she feared.

I loved this book! I actually was listening to the audiobook alone for the first half and then decided I needed the hard copy so I subscribed for BOTM to get it and I’m so glad I did!

There are so many questions unanswered throughout the book that it keeps you engaged! Truly everyone was suspect to me and I feel like I had legitimate reason for it.

The last 10-15% shocked me and I love that in a thriller! I think any thriller or suspense lover should read this hands down! I don’t usually give 5 stars to thrillers but this was definitely a 4 star until the ending and then it gave me the 5⭐️ feel so bravo Sarah P. ! 👏

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity to listen to this ALC copy!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This story is about the suspicious murder of a young nanny, Tina de la Cruz, who was taking care of the 9-year-old Rose. She had an affair with her father, Ian Barclay, and got pregnant. She's pushed down from the window, or she accidentally fell down. There are four people who witnessed the incident, as the case is presumed an accident. But is it?

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for advanced reader and listener copies of House of Glass in exchange for my honest opinion. I listened to the beginning and ending, and read about 15% in the middle. I thought Laura Benanti did an excellent job with the narration!
It’s #thrillerthursday and this upcoming book will definitely take you for a thrilling ride! The female protagonist works as a child advocate, and she is working on a case where the parents are getting divorced and custody of the one daughter needs to be determined. Add in that the daughter’s nanny recently died in a horrible accident at their house, and the child has not spoken since the accident. The advocate looks into the nanny’s death in addition to investigating her own childhood trauma.
House of Glass is the right blend of a slow burn that is also twisty enough to be bingeable. I switched from audiobook to digital copy because I was at a loud restaurant waiting for a friend and I couldn't just sit there waiting - I needed to know what was happening. I predicted one of the twists, but there were MANY more that surprised me. I had to suspend my disbelief for a few things, but overall it was a good read. If you like books with hidden secrets to uncover, this book will be right up your alley! Pour yourself a glass (hah!) and enjoy.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen delivers a gripping psychological thriller wrapped in a family drama that keeps you guessing until the end. The story centers around a young girl named Rose Barclay, who has become mute after witnessing the potential murder of her nanny amidst her parents' bitter divorce. Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney with her own troubled past, is reluctantly drawn into the case, uncovering layers of deceit within the seemingly perfect Barclay family. Pekkanen's portrayal of the Barclays' gilded but deeply flawed world, combined with the eerie, glassless house that symbolizes their hidden secrets, creates a tense atmosphere that grips the reader. The novel excels in its intricate plotting and character development, as Stella navigates through a maze of suspects and hidden motives. The resolution is both surprising and satisfying, making House of Glass a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Thanks you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an arc of House of Glass in exchange for a review.

This book started out slow and methodical. I wasn't sure what to make of what was happening and this excited me no end!

Stella is asked to help a family with a divorce. A little girl, 9 year old Rose, witnesses the death of her nanny and the death has affected her so badly, she has mutism. The death is ruled accidental but the parents are splitting and they both want full custody. It's Stella's job to assess the family and make her recommendations.

Everyone is lying. The house has nothing in it that can be broken. It seems odd that a house has no mirrors and no glass in the windows. Everything down to the glassware is made from plexiglass. Nothing they say rings true and there is something more to Rose and Stella is determined to get to the bottom of it...

It was exciting. The story was full to bursting with threads and you can't see where they will all end up but it the author is a true artist and it all makes sense when you get to the end and it will BLOW YOUR MIND!!!!!

The more we learn about the family, the more you can see they are hiding something but you can't work it out because nothing seems right and I love books that do that!

The ending had me screaming! GENIUS! Did not see that coming!

5 stars, If you love thrillers... GET THIS ONE!! Out Aug 6th

I'm such a fan of Sarah Pekkanen's collaborative works with Greer Hendricks, so I wanted to give her solo writing a try. It did NOT disappoint! I couldn't stop listening to this one. It's one of those thrillers where, when you get to the twist, your jaw drops... and then you immediately get angry at yourself for not seeing it the whole time. It was a mysterious adventure, and I loved it all. It has EVERYTHING: deception, affairs, murder (or is it?), classism, a creepy child, and some solid twists and turns.

If you enjoyed Pekkanen and Greer's works, I definitely recommend House of Glass. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook.

💥 Pub Date: 8/6/2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

• domestic suspense
• secrets & childhood trauma
• lively narration

This story kept me guessing left and right! It did come to a thrilling and action-packed climax, but I still wanted a little more out of the ending.

🗣 Thank you to netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio Books for the opportunity to read and review this book via both gifted eARC and audio! All opinions are honest and my own.

Stella doesn’t usually take client younger than 12, but when 9 year old Rose needs her there is a flash to her own childhood that pulls her in. Rose saw her nanny’s dead body after she fell (or was pushed) from a window. She hasn’t spoken a world since. Everyone in the house is a suspect…even Rose herself. Stella must try to figure out who to trust and if Rose needs protection or if those around her need protection from her.

I live for a good story about a disturbed child and this one didn’t disappoint! Great book!