Challenge Corner discussion

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?

To Chapter 10, or 14%: This kicks off so fast, and I'm loving it. Not only am I intrigued by the present mystery, I am also intrigued by the MC, Stella's, job and her backstory! This is going to go quickly!

To Chapter 14, or 21%: (view spoiler)[I know Stella suspects the Mom, but I suspect Rose more. She seems to be gathering an awful lot of weapons... (hide spoiler)]

To Chapter 20, or 28%: Yesssss! This is what I want, all the (view spoiler)[creepy kid vibes! Although to be fair, I was reading True Crime at 9. In fact, I was 9 when I read my 1st Stephen King novel, Salem's Lot and I never looked back... (hide spoiler)]

Finished! Granted, I don't think I technically have enough comments/status updates to count as a buddy read, but I listened to the rest of it today while on a solo road trip, so didn't want to text and drive.

Overall, I thought this was fantastic. It was gripping and interesting, I never felt bored. I feel like I wanted it to be (view spoiler)[Rose, but that could have seemed too obvious and anticlimactic. I loved Stella, her job was such an interesting angle to take as far as investigating a case. It was definitely a new one for me! (hide spoiler)]

I'm a little behind but will be picking this one up this weekend.

Melanie wrote: "I'm a little behind but will be picking this one up this weekend."

I hope you love it, Melanie! I read it so fast -- it's a perfect Summer Weekend read!!

Didn't manage to get to this yet, but soon!

Finally started this one.

Chapters 1-17
(view spoiler)[
This is good so far. I'm very interested to see if we find out what happened to Tina during Stella's time with Rose. So far my money is on Beth or even Harriet. They both seem to be hiding things, Ian is as well but them more so. Rose with the baby squirrels was sweet and I hope Stella is able to help her.
(hide spoiler)]