In “House of Glass,” bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen creates a brilliant symphony of clashing melodies as Stella Hudson, appointed as a best interest attorney (BIA) to young Rose Barclay, must listen carefully to the song being sung by Rose’s family to determine the truth under those false notes. And while she is tasked with determining which parent Rose should live with as a result of their divorce, Stella realizes that what she really needs to find out is who killed Tina, Rose’s nanny, who fell from a third story window in her attic bedroom to her death on the patio. It was witnessed by Rose and her grandmother Harriet.

Was Tina pushed out the window or was it an innocent mishap? Rose’s parents, Ian and Beth, both had reasons to wish Tina ill. Tina was pregnant with Ian’s baby and wanted him to leave Beth to be with her—something he had no intention of doing. Ian’s mother Harriet lives with the family and homeschools Rose, who is a gifted child and brilliant pianist.

But the person who might have the most to share, Rose, isn’t talking. Since Tina’s death, Rose has not uttered a word. Stella can empathize with that because she, too, once suffered from selective mutism when she experienced the tragic death of her mother at a very young age. In fact, Stella normally doesn’t take clients as young as Rose because of her childhood trauma, but she took this case as a favor to her only family, Charles. He’s not really a blood-relation, but his mentorship of Stella since she was a teenager has turned him into the only father figure she has, and they remain very close.

As Stella spends more time with the family, she senses a dark pall over the huge mansion they call home. All the glass in the home, from the windows to the drinking glasses, have been replaced with plastic, ostensibly due to Beth’s sudden phobia of glass. But Stella has witnessed Rose hiding shards of glass in her pocket and wonders if there is more to it than that. The adults in the home gather together to protect Rose and shield her from Stella’s probing attempts to discover what is best for Rose and what happened to Tina. Then Stella begins to experience some of the same unsettling events that Tina did before Tina’s death. Is Stella’s involvement with this case endangering her life?

What is the truth that the family is determined Stella will not find out? While this question is playing out, Pekkanen also introduces other elements that are enigmatic and which affect Stella’s emotional well-being. Her former husband, who is still one of her best friends, is moving on. She has also made the decision to investigate the traumatic death of her mother, and she asked the detective who is investigating Tina’s death to help her. Charles has offered to be her emotional support in what might be a very fraught discovery.

As Pekkanen deftly orchestrates all the complex passages in this thriller, we don’t sit back passively listening to the melody. Rather, we are transfixed at the edge of our seats, wondering what new element, what new discordant notes, what crashing cymbal clash will next appear to heighten the emotional impact of the piece. And while we think we know what the finale has in store, Pekkanen brilliantly upends all our suppositions and presumptions. Prepare yourself for a very enjoyable, yet twisty, experience.

Other books by Sarah Pekkanen include “Gone Tonight,” “The Golden Couple” (with Greer Hendricks), and “The Wife Between Us.”

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.