House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

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?

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?

Published by St. Martin's Press
on August 6, 2024

Review:

I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

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.