A creepy house, a fractured family, a dead nanny, a little girl who can't speak after the trauma of watching the nanny fall to her death...this is what best interest attorney Stella Hudson finds herself having to comb through as she works to determine who should gain custody of the child as her parents are about to divorce. Stella has her own childhood trauma that makes her the perfect advocate for young Rose Barclay. But this will be Stella's toughest case yet.

I LOVED this book and the atmosphere of the home, the relationships between the characters, the stories of Tina the nanny and what Stella experienced as a child, it all gave me chills and had me absolutely riveted. This was great as an audiobook and Laura Benanti is an incredible narrator.

Sarah Pekkanen’s "House of Glass" is a captivating psychological thriller that enthralls with its intricate plot and complex characters. Set against the backdrop of a luxurious but unsettling estate, the novel delves into themes of secrecy, betrayal, and the facades we build to hide our true selves.

Pekkanen masterfully crafts a suspenseful narrative that grips from the very beginning. The story revolves around a seemingly perfect family living in a pristine house, whose carefully constructed world begins to unravel as hidden truths come to light. The tension builds steadily, with each revelation adding depth and intrigue to the storyline.

The characters are richly developed, each bringing their own motivations and secrets to the forefront. Pekkanen’s portrayal of their psychological complexities adds layers to the story, making the reader question who can truly be trusted. The pacing is well-balanced, maintaining a steady rhythm that keeps readers eagerly turning pages.

The novel’s setting is vividly described, enhancing the atmosphere of unease that permeates the narrative. The house itself almost becomes a character, its glass walls symbolizing the fragile boundaries between privacy and exposure.

Overall, "House of Glass" is a riveting read that showcases Sarah Pekkanen’s skillful storytelling and keen understanding of human nature. It’s a compelling psychological thriller that will keep readers guessing and leave them pondering its implications long after the final twist is revealed.

Such a good book, sort of creepy but all together really well carried out. I enjoyed the audiobook, the narrator was easy to listen to and pay attention to.

The first chapter pulled me in and the writing style was good and kept me wanting to read. I found the mysteries were pretty intriguing but it didn't feel like anything new and felt like I've read this book or really similar styled book before so that did make me decrease my star rating a bit.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great. I can honestly say that after seeing so many raving five-star reviews and intriguing whodunit, claustrophobic plot lines from one of my auto-approved thriller authors, The plot revolves around the suspicious murder of the young nanny, who had an affair with her father, 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. Everyone in the family has a motive and the little Rose, is suffering from mutism after the incident, is a closed box, an enigma, lately having problems with her nanny. The author alludes to the fact that the little girl might have violent tendencies, and she therefore becomes a suspect as well. Stella Hudson, who is recently divorced, a successful lawyer serving as counsel in custody cases, attended the case to decide what will be in the best interest of little Rose. She's the best candidate because, just like Rose, she also lost her voice when she was little after seeing her mother dead. We get the story from her perspective and it was a great read.
This whodunit theme, puts each of the suspects on the spot, pushes you to make guesses. Stella also has her own little secondary mystery subplot going one through the story. I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to mystery/thriller readers. It was my first time reading a book by Sara Pekkanen and would definitely read another.

Many thanks to NetGalley the audioarc for me to preview.

Stella Hudson is a lawyer who serves the best interest of children in custody battles. Stella knows she has a hard case ahead of her when she is assigned 9 year old Rose Barclay. Not only are Rose's parents in a custody battle but they are still living together in the house of a tragic accident. Rose was the witness to the death of her nanny and since then she has not spoken a word. Rose is a peculiar child who steals sharp objects and seems to know more than what she is letting on to. Stella has to get to the bottom of the nanny's death and Rose's situation.

I've read some of Sarah Pekkanen's other books so I was very excited to see that she was coming out with a new one. I love a book where everyone is a suspect and everyone has motive, it keeps you guessing. This book was an interesting psychological thriller full of twists and turns. Unfortunately I feel like there may have been too many twists in the story. All of the characters are very intriguing, you can't help but wonder about each of them. It was interesting to hear the backstory of Stella and what she experienced as a child but at times it did slow the plot down. Ultimately I enjoyed the book but was able to figure out the ending before hand. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of this. I recommend this book if you're looking for a suspenseful psychological thriller.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen was a ride! This author is autobuy for me and never disappoints. Unsolved murders, mysterious elements all to the backdrop of family drama, sign me up. Great story, interesting characters and intriguing plot points. I really enjoyed my time with this book. The audiobook narrator was superb as was the audio quality.

3.2/5 ⭐️

Sarah Pekkanen's latest solo novel is a gripping psychological thriller that captivates from start to finish. Known for her collaborations with Greer Hendricks, Pekkanen steps out on her own in this story about Stella, a best-interest lawyer assigned to a custody case after the suspicious death of a family nanny. As Stella unravels the mystery of the nanny's death, the suspense deepens, especially when she discovers that Rose, the young girl at the center of the custody battle, has been acting in disturbing ways since the tragedy.

While this latest novel has its moments of intrigue, it ultimately feels like a fairly average psychological thriller. The plot, centered around a custody case and a mysterious death, follows familiar tropes and doesn't offer many surprises. Although the pacing is steady and the main character, Stella, is relatable, the story lacks the depth and originality that could have set it apart. The abrupt romantic subplot feels out of place, and while the clean content is a welcome change, it doesn't do enough to elevate the book beyond a standard, predictable read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

This was excellent! A child traumatized so much by the death of her nanny she doesn’t speak is at the center of our story, and Stella Hudson is sent to help determine which parent she should go live with. But is she really traumatized or is there more going on? The more time Stella spends with Rose Barclay the more she questions what really happened to the nanny, what is really going on in this house, and is she even going to make it out alive herself.

Pekkanen has outdone herself again with this one, I could not stop once I put the audio on and I loved it all the way through. I questioned everyone in here at some point and figured it out right before it was revealed, and the ending was extremely satisfying. The audio was excellent as well, loved this one so much and definitely recommend it!

The narrator did a great job of keeping me engaged.

I have been a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen's books, but this one was not my favorite. I think it is a good one for newer thriller readers. I felt that the plotline was a little predictable and I had deja vu reading about a character running through a house trying to escape a killer because the way it was done has been done that way so many times before.

I absolutely loved Rose's character and how that storyline developed. I love books with creepy children. I don't want to give any spoilers but I liked the plot twist involving her character.

Overall, I would recommend it to new thriller readers, but for people who read a lot of thrillers, it felt repetitive of a lot of things that are already out there.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a great listen that kept me guessing! The twist at the end was unexpected and the climax of the story definitely kept me on the edge of my seat! A great summer thriller!

I love this author, so I was really looking forward to this book. This book is a story about an attorney, tasked with making the final call on the welfare of a child in a divorce proceeding. Stella, the attorney, will make the final determination on where the child lives, and how much time she gets to see each parent.

Although the story was very suspenseful, and the author really did point to one of the characters as the one that murdered the child in question's nanny, I felt like the twist left a lot to be desired. I usually am blown away by Sarah Pekkanen books, and although this one was great, it just didn't have the unpredictable twist that we, as readers, have grown used to and expect. For some reason, since all the characters (mother, father, grandmother and even the child herself) were talked about as potential doers of this crime, it didn't come as a huge surprise when we found out who the culprit was.

That being said, it still was an entertaining book, and I would recommend it to friends, especially those who are newer to the genre.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the premise of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen was truly intriguing and was completely immersed in the first half of the novel. The pacing is on the slower side, which I did not mind and I loved the sinister vibes, the murder mystery with none of the Barclays, including Rose, above suspicion and the creepy glassless house. However, as the narrative progressed, my enthusiasm dampened. Truth be told, I enjoyed the way the element of mystery was built up and the suspenseful vibe of the novel, but the story lost momentum by including certain unnecessary subplots into the narrative. While I liked Stella and admired her dedication to her profession and how protective she was of Rose, there were certain aspects pertaining to Stella’s backstory that I felt were of no consequence to the plot and certain developments toward the end felt contrived.

This was one I really wanted to love but it just lacked the thrill factor unfortunately. I love this author so much though so I’ll give her another go.

I have recently become a Sarah Pekkanen fan and have really enjoyed each of her books. The audio on this one is great and engaging.

I'm always a fan of Pekkanen's books. This one was another enjoyable read although it did drag a wee bit for me in spots. I still found it to be a good read.

The storyline revolves around the death of the nanny of a wealthy family. There are a handful of possible suspects but they all seem to have an alibi for the time when the nanny fell through a window making it appear to have possibly been an accident. There are just too many other surrounding coincidences to make the reader think it's not an accident. The author points you in various directions and has you thinking you've guessed the culprit a few times only to have that theory disproven.

When the book finally wraps up, I found myself going "aha, I should have seen that." It was well done and a good creepy read. There was a chilling edge to the read because the home the family lived in just felt like a big and cold home that loomed above everything. The attorney who was advocating for the daughter in the divorce often mentioned that she often felt uncomfortable in the home and that there was a sense of danger there. All of that lent to the feeling of uneasiness.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio was really well done. The narrator for this is superb and really pulls you into the story. It helps with the eerie feel of the story as well because the narrator plays it all up. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

Wow! This book keeps you on the edge of your seat guessing till the very end. Just when things are getting strange, a twist to make you rethink if you read that correct! TBR a fast pace thriller that won’t disappoint.


Thanks Netgalley & Macmillan Audio

I loved this! Thank you to my besties at Macmillan Audio for the approval!
Out Now!

I loved this. I loved that we never know who to trust. I loved the 'police procedural' feel with interviewing everyone in the family but with a twist as the FMC is a lawyer, not police.

There were times I got the most creepy vibes from Rose and wondered if we were dealing with a tiny psychopath; but then, grandma is super sketchy too, what's her deal? and ALSO the dad has a lot to lose, so maybe he's the Big Bad?

The uncertainty around each character was one of my favorite parts of this story. The way Stella has to unwind this mystery was interesting to read. It has the same vibes of police procedural as she's interviewing the family members as well as people in their lives but she isn't police so this felt like a fresh (to me) twist on that familiar trope. Another favorite aspect was the way Stella found her answer, sneaky and tricky and I loved it. ALSO absolutely adored the budding romance towards the end (heart eyes)

I thought the narrator did a great job of bringing each character to life.

The audiobook was just as good as the book! I'm so glad I was able to also listen to the audiobook while I read House of Glass. The narrator did a wonderful job and had me even more on the edge of my seat. Usually, it takes me 3-7 days to finish a mystery/thriller but I could not put it down. Again, so glad I was approved for the audiobook because it allowed me to work while listening to the story. Thanks, Netgalley!

If you're a fan of mystery/thrillers, you won't be disappointed. It has everything you want in a mystery/suspense/thriller novel.

House of Glass is a mystery thriller about 9-year-old Rose, who is mute after witnessing the possible murder of her nanny. Best interest attorney Stella, who has experienced her own childhood trauma, is serving as counsel for the child during her parents’ divorce. The closer Stella gets to the family, the more everyone seems like a suspect with their own personal motives.

I found the premise to be intriguing. The atmosphere is disturbing & eerie, especially the fact that all the glass in the house has been removed & replaced with materials that cannot be used as weapons. Rose is creepy as hell. I was extremely interested to find out who the killer was, & I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book. However, as I read on, the book went from a 5 star to a 4 star, & then a 3 for me. It felt like the subplot of Stella’s past took away from the meat of the story (who the hell killed the nanny) & interrupted the eerie vibes. Additionally, the chapters with Marco & his family just felt like they served no purpose to the story. There is a shocking revelation about 80% into the book. After that, the twists & turns come hard and fast, & I felt like it began to become a little bit of an over-the-top eye roll situation. The relationship that begins between Stella & another character in the book at the end felt very random, forced, & exploitative. That being said, I did enjoy the book overall, & it does have many 4-5 star reviews on Goodreads.

I listened to the audiobook with narration by Laura Benanti. The narrator’s speech was clear and steady, however, I found it to be a bit nasally. Listening to her voice at 1.0 sounded like she was talking in slow-motion, so I listened at 1.5 speed. Unfortunately, her voice was even more nasally with the increase. The change in tone when she narrated the grandma was a little annoying, making a 60-something year old sound like she’s in her 80’s. The narration wasn’t terrible, but I think I would have enjoyed the physical book more.
Thank you @macmillan.audio for allowing me access via @netgalley All thoughts are entirely my own- instagram.com/bookslug_