Rose Barclay, a nine year old girl, witnessed her nanny’s death and suffers from mutism due to the trauma of the incident. Stella Hudson, whom equally suffered childhood trauma that led to mutism, is the best interest attorney tasked to identify which parent should have primary custody of Rose after their divorce.

As Stella spends time assessing the family, she starts noticing odd behaviors and quickly suspects Rose had something to do with her nanny’s death. The family goes to odd lengths to protect Rose and come up with all sorts of excuses for her behavior, leading Stella to question everyone’s part in tragedy and finding herself in danger.

My thoughts:
I really liked the plot of the book — a creepy kid and a strange family is a pretty solid backbone for a book but the ending didn’t have that jaw dropping factor I was hoping for. I did, however, keep listening to find out about Rose. I was fascinated by her character and kept hoping to see more of her story.

This was the first time I listened to narrator Laura Benanti and felt she did a great job bringing the characters to life.

Pub Date: August 6, 2024

Thanks so much to @macmillan.audio & @stmartinspress for an ALC and e-ARC of this book!

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Laura Benanti does a wonderful job with the narration on this book! She is clear and concise and covers all the characters perfectly! I really enjoyed this story! The characters were intriguing and it was hard to figure out the mystery behind what was going on in the house and with the entire family. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers and family drama!

Let me start by saying, I loved Rose as a character and I longed for more interactions with her. All of the other characters were interesting in their own way, but fell a bit flat for me. The book was fast paced enough to keep me engaged, especially via audiobook. The revelations in the story left me a bit unfulfilled because they weren't quite interesting enough for me to care. Overall it was a fast paced, easy listen.

I’m not sure why this audiobook didn’t grab me but the only word I can think to describe it is “meh”. Looking at the reviews it appears I’m not in the majority. It may be due to the narrator, Laura Benanti, who didn’t convey the right tone for me.
There was a storyline that added absolutely nothing of value to the plot and which only served to prolong the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy.

House of Glass is a psychological thriller/mystery follows a best interest attorney, Stella Hudson, as she assigns custody guidance for her charge, Rose Barclay. Rose's wealthy parents are undergoing a nasty divorce after Rose's father has an affair with the former nanny.

But, the former nanny died in the house. The reason is unknown. And, Rose won't speak after the trauma.

Short reviews are the best for thrillers, but suffice to say, this one went a few places where I didn't think it would. I enjoyed the story and Stella's personal backstory as the book progressed.

I'm not a huge thriller fan, but I liked this one and would recommend to anyone.

Great thriller! Sarah Pekkanen's books are sooo easy to get invested in.


About the story itself, it was not the most original - I saw the plot coming from page 10. Very similar to a couple other domestic thrillers I've read. The audio version was awesome and really well done!

Even not being mind-blowing, I was into the story, and that's what matters :)

The House of Glass, by Sarah Pekkanen is a perfect thriller. This audio book sucked me in and kept me riveted all the way to end. I stayed up all because it was that good. The narrator did a fantastic job voicing each unique character. Give this one a listen.

What I loved:
This was a very fun, quick read. If you want a thriller you can binge read, this is worth a try! While the plot of a murdered nanny and creepy child isn’t necessarily the most original out there, I still found it very interesting and engaging. I was intrigued by the discussions of grief, traumatic mutism, and how to get help. I listened to this on audio, and enjoyed the narration.

What I didn’t love:
The pacing. I felt like the first 25% was a whirlwind of information and discoveries, then nothing terribly interesting happened again until the 80-85% mark. Also, the separate plots. I was interested in the Barclays and the potential murder, but the plot line about Stella’s past felt completely separate and never really felt that relevant to the current storyline. I would have liked to get more suspense and development in the current investigation and cut out most of the past.

House of Glass
Sarah Pekkanen
Pub: 8/6/24
4.5☆

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

I love thrillers that completely throw me for a loop, and House of Glass did that in spades!

Sarah Pekkanen absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one! It was a well written, all consuming, slow-burn read that had me furiously flipping pages, and not wanting to stop the audio because I just had to know the truth. I loved how Pekkanen had me questioning and second guessing every single character (including Rose) to the very end! Such a well developed and utterly suspect cast of characters.

I also really enjoyed the unique perspective of a best-interest attorney and found the topic of traumatic mutism really interesting.

What I loved;
✨ Twisty Thriller
✨ Atmospheric Mystery
✨ Tense & Suspenseful
✨ Past/Present Storylines

Absolutely would recommend.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review. Laura Benanti did such a fantastic job building the suspense and bringing this story to life with her outstanding narration. Such an immersive listen.

I enjoyed this audio so much.
The story kept me engaged and invested. The narrator did a great job keeping my attention. I enjoyed the author’s last book. So glad she is keeping up with the well written stories.

This book will keep you guessing. After Rose Barclay's nanny falls to her death and her parents announce their divorce, a child advocated Stella Hudson is sent to determine what is in the best interest of the child. Was the nanny murdered or did she fall to her death? Is one of the adults in Rose's life responsible for the nanny's death or is this a case of "the bad seed". As Stella gets more involved in the case, issues in her own life threaten to interfere. Just as I thought I had everything figured out, the book would take a twist. I listened to the audio version and Laura Bennati's narration is pitch perfect.

HOUSE OF GLASS by Sarah Pekkanen ✨
ARC/ALC review • pub date 08.06.24

I devoured this book! After the nanny plunges to her death, a lawyer is sent to the home to help figure out what happened, and also who the young girl in the family should go to live with since the parents are getting a divorce.

She immediately notices something eerie about the house: there is no glass inside it whatsoever. She’s on a mission to figure out the truth.

This one was truly a page turner, and the narration was great! Would absolutely recommend for suspense/whodunnit fans!

4⭐️

Thanks so much to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @macmillan.audio for my advanced copies!

#MacAudio2024

Can children be born evil? Nine year old Rose Barclay witnesses (or causes) her Nanny’s death. After the incident, she develops traumatic mutism. Attorney Stella Hudson is a Guardian Ad Litem and is called to work with Rose. Stella has suffered her own childhood trauma. She will discover the truth of what really happened to the Nanny and unravel the mysteries of her own childhood. Lying, cheating, twists and turns, this is a fast paced thriller! Audio narration performed by Tony award-winning Laura Benanti. Sit back and listen to the story unfold. Pub date is August 6, 2024.

This might be my favorite listen of June! It kept me on my toes the whole time and was definitely engaging. I listened to it in two days (which is quick for me), and felt satisfied by the ending and how everything wrapped up (which hasn’t happened in QUITE a while for me!)

This was an entertaining new release from Sarah Pekkanen. It had an eerie vibe to it, and anything with a creepy child gives me shivers. The beginning definitely hooked me right away as it starts off strong. I'll say that the middle of the book did drag quite a bit unfortunately. It did keep my attention enough, but at times, I would find my mind wandering quite a bit. Towards the middle, I started to get a theory of the "whodunnit" and I wasn't shocked at the end with the big reveal. It felt pretty obvious and was hinted at, so my mind was not blown at the twist. I think a lot of others will enjoy this one, but it won't be a memorable one for me.

I totally thought that this story was going to end differently. Sarah Pekkanen did a great job making me think I had it all figured out. Looking forward to reading more of Sarah's work in the future.

Laura Benanti did a great job narrating, she kept a great pace and an even tone. I wasn't a huge fan of the voice Laura assigned to the mother (Beth) but the rest of the voices were great.

While I enjoyed this book, I found that it was a little slow in the beginning. The resolution was worth it, but getting to the last hundred or so pages was a chore. I enjoy Sarah Pekkanen's writing: her characters are always top notch and well developed.
The narrator for this title was very good.

4.5/5

I found this one quite enjoyable! I was confident that I had it all figured out half way through the story. However, I started doubting myself, and although some of my suspicions were right, I did not anticipate the ending.

Eight-year-old Rose Barclay remains silent following the tragic passing of her nanny during her parents' bitter divorce. Attorney Stella Hudson is assigned to determine the best custody arrangement for Rose. Stories don’t add up, Stella is determined to help Rose find her voice and uncover the truth. Delving into the Barclay family's hidden truths, Stella uncovers a collision of past and present with startling outcomes. In this murder mystery, everyone is a potential suspect, including young Rose. Could the one Stella is meant to defend be the very person she needs protection from?

The characters were well-developed, each with their own distinct personalities and motivations. The plot twists were masterfully executed, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very last page. The author’s ability to weave suspense and emotion into the narrative made for an unforgettable reading experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller/murder mystery!

If you enjoyed The Silent Patient, you would definitely appreciate this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reading copy of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen. I can't wait to start this book.

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve a nine year old girl named Rose Barclay. Rose comes from a rich and highly established family. Rose has what would seem to be the perfect life, two devoted parents and a caring grandmother. That is until Rose goes mute after the trauma of being the only witness to the death of her nanny. Stella has to battled her own childhood trauma, after the tragic death of both of her parents, in order to help uncover the truth of what really happened to Rose’s nanny.

I love Sarah Pekkanen’s atmospheric writing style and perfect descriptions. This book quickly grasped my attention from the first page. I can’t wait to read the next Pekkanen novel. This is so full of twists and turns.

When 9 year old girl Rose Barclay witnesses the death of her nanny falling through a window, she immediately stops speaking. Did her nanny jump? Fall? Was she pushed? Stella Hudson is the lawyer who's job it is to figure out the truth and which parent Rose should live with amidst their bitter divorce. But how can Stella know who the real victim is? And who, if anyone, is the murderer? And why does Rose continue to collect sharp objects?

I liked the premise of this book and I was looking forward to it. But it just didn't hit the mark for me. I can't quite put my finger on what was missing, but it fell flat for me.

I did enjoy the emotions that each character was feeling and found them to be very well written. I just didn't find myself connecting with them or feeling what they were feeling.

Overall, I'm glad I read it and think many will really love this book! It was just a miss for me.