#SarahPekkanen

[bucolicbook]

House of Glass: A Novel by Sarah Pekkanen 

US pub date - 8/6/24

I started House of Glass on a Saturday. I finished it the following day - I found this to be compulsively readable and wanted to finish it the day I started it and probably would have if I hadn’t been sick. 

Suspects abound in this and the vibe is wonderfully creepy without veering into gruesome. 

This was well plotted and written, and it kept me turning the pages and surprised me at the end of the case, although I would have liked a bit more about Stella at the end.

This was my first time reading the author’s solo work (I’ve read two that she co-authored) and I will definitely check out her past titles. I highly enjoyed this and it’s a definite recommendation from me. 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

[fredhandbag]

Do you have that one relative that always wants to gift you fruitcake? Show them this stack. “Hey Aunt Eunice - anything here is fine.” These are some of my favorites from ‘22. What were some of yours? What books are on your Christmas wishlist? #bestbooksof2022 #bookofthemonth #tomorrowandtomorrowandtomorrow #aflickerinthedark #stacywillingham #blackcake #lessonsinchemistry #sarahpekkanen #greerhendricks #carriesotoisback #bookstagram #bookshelves #booknerd #readinglife #bookphotography #bookcommunity #bookblogger #sodacityreads #suspensebook #bookhaul #literarycrimefiction #homelibrary #thrillerbooks #domesticthriller #crimefiction #thriller #characterdrivenbooks #mysterythriller #bookrecs #killersofacertainage https://www.instagram.com/p/CmRXS89rf4e/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fictionophile]

"House of Glass" by Sarah Pekkanen - Book Review @StMartinsPress @sarahpekkanen #HouseOfGlass #BookReview

Stella Hudson is a ‘special interest’ attorney. It is her job to represent the best interests of the child or teenager in court cases. Though she usually favours teenage clients, this time she has made an exception because of the request of her friend and mentor, a judge named Charles. Having experienced a traumatic event in her own young life, this new case closely parallels Stella’s own…

[therealimintobooks]

#bookreview ~ House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen @sarahpekkanen @StMartinsPress @NetGalley #BookRecommendations #bookpromo

My Thoughts Very recently, I managed to get immersed in the pages of “House of Glass,” a real nail-biting thriller that kept me stuck in its web until the end. I rate it 5-5 stars.The book’s idea of a seemingly perfect family that conceals an awful secret is exciting. The author takes us on an exciting roller coaster of suspense and mystery, leaving us to wonder what each character believes and…

[honolulubelle]

Book Review: Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen  @stmartinspress @sarahpekkanen

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen   Amazon  / B&N / Apple / GP / BB Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it’s been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from…

[vibrantrae72]

📚 #AnAnonymousGirl 👀 @greerhendricks and @sarahpekkanen got me into thrillers with #thewifebetweenus years ago and I have not stopped loving them since 2019! These two authors together are a power duo and do it again with the book! Being new to thrillers it had many twists and turns and kept the pages turning. I couldn't put it down and needed to know what happened next. Def a good read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🗣️ "People are motivated to break their moral compasses for a variety of primal reasons: survival, hate, love, envy, passion. And money." ⁉️ #QOTD What book got you into your favorite genre? #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookworm #bookstagrammer #reading #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd #bibliophile #instabook #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #read #bookaholic #booksbooksbooks #bookphotography #bookshelf #booklove #bookreview #bookcommunity #instabooks #booklovers #reader #igreads #bookrecommendations https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnsy0-HrIPD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[starlightbooktales]

» what genre do you love the most? hello my friends, Okay, I LOVE to read a good thriller. I would say its my second most read genre. But I have to be in the right mood for them, and then I usually read like 7 in a row. ♡ thank you to @St.MartinsPress for sending me a copy of The Golden Couple! I absolutely loved this book. » hashtags:. #authorappreciation #Thrillerbooks #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #adutlfiction #contemporary #thrillerreads #thriller #GoldenCouple #GreerHendricks #sarahpekkanen #Fiction  #mustread #bookblogger #readingtime #bookphoto #bookstagramcommunity #welovebooks (at Boise, Idaho) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaNg_2avhpO/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mybookishlife2]

🌺 #FiveStarReadsStackChallenge 🌺 ~What was your last 5 star read?~ I was tagged by @jessisreads on her new tag! Thank you very much for tagging me! It’s such a great tag so here are a couple of them. Broken Throne: Ahhh the Red Queen Series is one that people love and hate. I’m going to start off by saying, yes, it is not original. But I like it anyways. I would definitely say that this The Wife Between Us: I actually read this as part of a book club with my best friends and half of us finished it and the other half didn’t. 🤣🤣 This was my 2nd adult book I’ve read and my 2nd suspense book. I actually really enjoyed this read and this was my first annotated book which I really enjoyed doing! There’s a lot of parts that I’m like how messed up that is. You’re all mental cases but the way it all came together was just 👌🏼. Oh, I’ve also heard that there is a new saying to replace TBR to a possibility pile. TBH, I kinda like it if I’m going to be making a stack for the month. 🌺 Hashtags: #RedQueenSeries #BrokenThrone #vaveyard #victoriaaveyard #YADystopian #TheWifeBetweenUs #suspense #thriller #adultbook #SarahPekkanen #greerhendricks #sarahpekkanenandgreerhendricks #bookstagram #yabooks #bookdragon #bookaholic #bookalicious #bookcover #bookishlife #bookishlytaken #instabooks #booksbooksbooks #YAFantasy #yaromance #5outof5 https://www.instagram.com/p/CDCP1H0AUfB/?igshid=pr8dgdfvse5k

[audiobook-mike]

The Getaway by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ Read 1️⃣1️⃣ of 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ Review: Got this for free from Audible Originals. I really enjoyed this book, it’s really short but I love the reveal, the suspense, and how nuts the bad guy is. I really enjoyed this book and I’m impressed at how short but full of a story it is. I will definitely check out more books from these authors. ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ Description: In this short thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, a young woman’s dream getaway becomes her worst nightmare. Prepare yourself for a transformative experience. Sometimes, life’s setbacks contain hidden gifts. Here at Lakewood, you’ll find the space to unwrap them. A weekend at the Lakewood Retreat is exactly what Chloe Powell needs. Freshly unemployed after her boss loses a reelection campaign, the former press secretary desperately wants a break from the bustle of Washington, DC. A flier posted at her yoga studio leads her to the getaway, which looks amazing: organic meals, celebrity testimonials, and a serene private property within driving distance of the city. It’s so perfect, in fact, that Chloe’s barely bothered by the intensely personal questions she’s asked in her application, or the unnerving social experiments her enigmatic host, Sebastian, imposes on her once she arrives at his remote cabin. But when a mysterious new guest shows up, Chloe can no longer suppress her rising panic: This place is not at all what it seems. A pulse-pounding story from the first minute to the last, The Getaway explores the weight of the small choices we make every day, and their staggering, unintended consequences. ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ #thegetaway #audibleoriginals #audible @audible #greerhendricksandsarahpekkanen #greerhendricks #sarahpekkanen #shortstory #shortstories #audiobooks #audiobook #books #book #📚 #mysterybooks #thrillerbooks #suspensebooks #audibleoriginal (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAhmbYeAf-e/?igshid=1v94a8pmhm6j4

[litsavantbookclub]

You Are Not Alone Book Review

Hello fellow readers!

This time I am reviewing You Are Not Alone by the duo, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. These are the authors behind The Wife Between Us and Anonymous Girl for those of you who are not aware. If I were to rank these against its predecessors it would rank second place with AG at third and TWBU in first place. Like the other ones before it, YANA is a character study centered on female friendships.

Shay Miller is not feeling her best lately. She’s lost her job due to downsizing, is in love with her male roommate who has a girlfriend, her roommate’s girlfriend wants her to move out, and on top of all of this, she’s lonely. Shay is cognizant of her troubles but aims to do better: “it’s like I’m caught in a slow spiral. I’m fighting as hard as I can to turn things around” (5). It’s important to note that even though Shay is down she’s certainly not out. This may be one of the facets of her personality that helps her out later on in the story. 

One of my favorite things of this book, in particular, is the mirroring and doubling between characters specifically the other characters that Shay ends up identifying with. At the beginning of the story, when Shay first steps onto that platform having just missed the train, she spots two people. The first is the man with the backpack. Shay mentions the following: “when someone conjures unease in you, there are usually good reasons behind it” (6). Shay feels unease and is suspicious of the man who just “missed” the train. She irrationally starts to imagine being able to get away from the man if she ends up needing to. The man doesn’t actually do anything to Shay aside from look at her. This moment speaks to the idea that looks can be deceiving. 

The man is described as “with a goatee and back lingering on a deserted platform.” Just this alone makes Shay mistrust him. Shay does not identify with this man and it shows. She cannot at this point, get past this barrier. The man is seen as the other. He is part of the outgroup. This type of thinking ends up getting Shay in trouble in countless ways but more on that later.

The second person Shay finds on the platform is at first an unnamed woman. This woman is described as “in a green dress with white polka dots stands farther down on the platform, in the opposite direction of the man. She’s partially camouflaged by the shadow of a large support beam” (6). There’s a decent amount to unpack in just these two sentences especially when comparing Shay to the mystery woman. The woman is dressed up in a sunny dress. Shay is wearing shorts and a shirt in casual attire befitting a Sunday morning. The woman is down the platform standing away from Shay faceless and at opposite ends in more ways than one. The fact that the woman is obscured by a pillar only adds to her intrigue. The woman is shrouded in darkness. This speaks to the idea that the woman is perhaps also not a good place mentally. And even though she’s dressed up there’s a bleakness in this visual. When this woman is compared to the nameless man opposite her she stands out and elicits the opposite response from Shay. She, like Shay, seems all alone, even though there are people a few hundred feet away from her. 

For a couple of minutes, Shay draws security from the woman’s presence. Then Shay says the following: “the woman glances my way...she’s about my height-five foot ten-and age, ...her hair is shorter and lighter than mine. Her face is pleasant..” (6).  Clearly, both of these women share many physical features and Shay is aware of it. These similarities are brought up again throughout the book. but the most disturbing instance is when the Moore sisters realize the resemblance and push Shay to change. 

 The unnamed woman is called Amanda Evinger and she like Shay is a loner and very much a pawn to The Moore Sisters. In the first few chapters from Jane and Cassandra’s perspectives, the readers see how this two groom and test the women who ultimately become part of their group. Amanda is no different. After they discovered that Amanda is just what they wanted and find her use they discover after the murder that Amanda has too much morality and when she starts to break away and defy them that’s when things take a turn for the worst.

Shay senses nothing is off when she meets Cassandra and Jane at Amanda’s memorial service. She is enchanted by them and feels drawn to them. When seeing Cassandra she thinks to herself: “...she stands out. It isn’t simply that she’s beautiful. She radiates something indefinable, an aura that feels magnetic...she seems like she inhabits a different world (32). Shay does seem like she catches one real thing about Cassandra she does inhabit a different world one where she tries to control and manipulate those around her for the benefit of her and her sister Jane. But this is mostly all lost on Shay. She’s blinded by the demeanor and charisma of Cassandra. Jane is no different: “ ...they share... the same magnetic quality” (35). The magnetism both these women exude and the way they are presented to those around them hide their true dubious and predatory natures. They don’t set off warning bells like the man on the platform but Shay makes the mistake of falling for their charade. The old adage is sometimes true appearances can, in fact, be deceiving.

As I mentioned before Shay and Amanda share more than just physical attributes, they both challenge the sisters after going along with their plans and expectations. They also both have that underdog facet to their personalities. They go against the grain however grueling and messy it ends up getting. Which is saying something after all the crap they put up with prior to their breaking away. My point is that because of these blatant parallels it’s obvious that Hendricks and Pekkanen drew from gothic literature tropes. 

The fact that Shay ends up becoming Amanda physically, mentally, emotionally, and ends up living in her old apartment is a calling to Freud’s definition of the uncanny. Freud states the following: “that class of the frightening which leads back to something long known to us, once very familiar.” When this is applied to the idea of doubles (Shay & Amanda) then the unsettling degree increases. Both of these women didn’t know each other at all. They are strangers and barely acknowledge the other’s existence for more than two minutes. This is probably why when Jane notices the physical resemblance between the two Shay says: “the oddest sensation-something akin to deja vu-creeps over me as I stand there, twisting my head from side to side...I remind myself of someone, but I can’t pinpoint who”(146). This feeling bothers her but she can’t remember what was once familiar to her, Amanda’s kind face. Even though Shay didn’t know her at all the kinship she felt for her and her suicide drives her to fixate on her memory and her life. Things that are unknown and familiar to her. 

Just take the setting for the novel an overpopulated and hectic New York City near the Murray Hill neighborhood. All the people, shops, late nights, and frenetic energy does nothing to quell the loneliness both Amanda and Shay feel especially after their falling out with the Moore sisters and their group. This notes the idea of isolation prominent in gothic lit. This isolation leads to the disturbances that both Shay and Amanda state during their more trying days. Both women end up more alone at this point then they were at the beginning. But even their isolation is entirely complete. The sisters are watching from a distance so they are never completely alone.

So even though YANA is not my favorite of the three books it is a close second. As a lover of gothic literature and character-driven books it’s only natural I do. What were your favorite books from this popular duo?

My rating: 4

Keywords: Female friendships, nefarious, gaslighting, isolation

[signal-failure]

When I noticed I had burgundy nail varnish on, I had to take the picture!#ananonymousgirl #GreerHendricks #sarahpekkanen #bookblogger #bookstagram #amreading #bookster #botd #bookoftheday #bookish #alwaysreading #bookgram #bookblogging #instaread #readersofinstagram #booklife #bloggerlife #fiction #books📚 #书 #爱书人 #bookblr #galleybrag #arc https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgsTlMjivE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=a6rba4fhs9yt

[fredhandbag]

This was my entry several years ago to @bookofthemonth contest for best Christmas photo using some stickers they sent. This was my entire #botm book collection. The entry that won made cookies that looked like the stickers. I had fun putting this together anyway. Do you remember when the boxes were not blue yet? #bookofthemonth #photoshop #cs6 #christmascontest #fiercekingdom #ginphillips #bookstagram #bookshelves #booknerd #readinglife #bookphotography #bookcommunity #bookblogger #sodacityreads #suspensebook #bookhaul #literarycrimefiction #homelibrary #thrillerbooks #domesticthriller #crimefiction #thriller #characterdrivenbooks #mysterythriller #bookrecs #thechalkman #thewifebetweenus #greerhendricks #sarahpekkanen https://www.instagram.com/p/Cld9ITvr7Hc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fictionophile]

"Gone Tonight" by Sarah Pekkanen - Book Review @StMartinsPress @MacmillanUSA @NetGalley @sarahpekkanen #GoneTonight #BookReview

Relationships between mothers and daughters can be fraught with complications. This novel explores this complex dynamic well, while also adding in some suspenseful elements plus lots of deception and subterfuge. The novel centers around waitress and single mother Ruth Sterling and her daughter Catherine. The women live near the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. They live from paycheck to…

[serialreaderkalyan]

🌟 🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 Happy Memorial Day everyone! Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Format: Hardcover and Audiobook from Libby Authors: Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen Narrators: Marin Ireland & Karissa Vacker A simple story about a couple trying to reconcile a marriage due to infidelity, with the help of a counsellor explodes into a fun thriller and a stunner of an ending- that’s The Golden Couple in a nutshell. The Bishops, Marissa and Mathew, commonly referred to as the Golden couple in their circle of affluent DC contemporaries, seek intervention by a maverick therapist Avery, fighting her own demons and specialising in a very unorthodox 10 session counselling mechanism. The journey isn’t what they are prepared for as each of the dark secrets are exposed and whether the marriage and couple survive is what forms of the crux of the story. If you are in the mood for a quick, fast paced and twists at every nook of the book, then this is not for you. This does have it’s classic shock values but where the author duo succeed is building a crescendo of tension which eventually gives way to a pretty satisfactory end. Did I see the ending coming- pretty much but it didn’t take anything away from the reveal. The story, though told from the POV of Marissa and Avery, the later forms the link which holds onto multiple narratives and subplots- I do hope we get some well deserved follow ups. The issues highlighted about shelter dogs and pharmaceutical company ill practices was relevant and is closed out well when we eventually come to the end though wouldn’t have made a difference if taken out. Overall a pretty entertaining slow burn thriller with some great writing and narration( shout out to audiobook narrators) #bookreview #bookrecommendations #thegoldencouple #libbyapp #thrillerbooks #domesticthriller #bookstagram #barnesandnoble #sarahpekkanen #happymemorialday #greerhendricks https://www.instagram.com/p/CeMq-6VLGY-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[whatthebook-reviews]

I received an advanced reader copy of The Golden Couple from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion. The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen is a story about love, marriage, family and betrayal. Avery Chambers is a therapist that lost her license due to her unconventional ways of helping her clients. As a result, Avery has upset some people too, as a precaution she tries to always be aware of her surroundings, keeps her doors and windows locked, and is wary of strangers. Matthew and Marissa Bishop’s marriage is in crisis, due to Marissa’s infidelity. As Avery helps Matthew and Marissa navigate their next steps, Marissa’s life seems to be spiraling out of control and has her questioning who she can trust- leading to a collision course of Avery and the Bishops secrets. This was an easy, quick read with a few surprises along the way. The Golden Couple is available now. Goodreads Rating: 3/5 stars #greerhendrics #sarahpekkanen #thegoldencouple #netgalley #arcs #advancedreadercopy #thriller #thrillerbooks #psychologicalthriller #psychologicalthrillerbooks #readin2022 #stmartinspress #whatthebook #bookreviews #readersofinstagram #bookaholic @netgalley @stmartinspress https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb_WcXyLFgo/?utm_medium=tumblr

[theeyelinermanifesto]

I needed to catch up on the reading of this Advance Readers Edition of #AnAnonymousGirl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen and found the perfect remedy for this sunny day... The Hogwarts on a Rainy Day ASMR video is the perfect background noise. 🖤🕯🌙📖✨ . . . #mypatronusisshowing #greerhendricks #sarahpekkanen #asmr #asmrreading #cozyreading #hogwartsismyhome #hogwartsschoolofwitchcraftandwizardry #jkrowling #rowlingwithmyhomies #bookstagram #saturdaze #novemberbookchallenge #readordie #readingcommunity #bookish #bibliophile #bibliomania #booktography #bookstagrammer #readingnook #currentlyreading #amreading #readingtime #bookrecommendations #comingsoon #bookrelease https://www.instagram.com/p/BqA-GFFHkPS/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1h30x3xxx1kf3