A Book A Week

Childhood trauma is inevitable, though its impact varies for each individual. Stella Hudson's trauma, stemming from losing her mother to drug addiction, has led her to a career as an attorney specializing in child advocacy. Her latest case involves nine-year-old Rose Barclay. Rose's parents, Ian and Beth, are in the midst of a divorce, and Stella has been called in to determine Rose's final custody. Both parents have agreed to abide by Stella's decision as a neutral third party. During her investigation, Stella gets to know the parents, Ian's mother, Harriet, who lives with the family, and, of course, young Rose.

Divorce isn't the only dark shadow over the Barclay family. Rose's young nanny, Tina, recently met a tragic end, falling from the third-story window of the family home and plummeting to her death. Rose witnessed this event and has been so traumatized that she hasn't spoken a word since. Beth was equally impacted, developing a phobia of glass that has led the family to replace all the windows with plexiglass. Ian was affected in a more personal way. Before Tina's death, he had been involved in a passionate affair with her. The investigation into Tina's fall found no obvious sign of foul play, but the question lingers: was the young nanny pushed? If so, who was responsible? Was it the father, Ian, or the scorned mother, Beth? Or, most disturbingly, could the quiet young Rose be the one responsible for the tragedy?

Sarah Pekkanen has a knack for crafting page-turning thrillers centered on compelling family dramas, and her latest book, House of Glass, is no exception. After enjoying her previous standalone thriller, Gone Tonight, I was eager to dive into her newest release and was thrilled to receive both a physical and audio copy from her publisher. Pekkanen skillfully plays with genre conventions, using familiar tropes to present tantalizing red herrings. I'll admit, I thought I had the plot figured out, only to be surprised by an unexpected twist at the end.

House of Glass hooked me from the start, drawing me into the mystery of a mute child whose perspective may hold the key to the truth. This irresistible puzzle kept me reading non-stop. I had noted some uneven pacing in Pekkanen's previous novel, but House of Glass showed no such inconsistencies. It's sheer fun, popcorn reading at its finest—slightly over the top but thoroughly enjoyable.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2024, 60)