I thought this book was a bit of a slow burner but I’m so glad I stuck with it. Dark secrets and twists. I really enjoyed the book and couldn’t put it down

found the book very good. The characters really stood out to me. What Rita done.

I found the book stood out cos its different story line.

Such a lovely read, truly breathtaking and beautiful. I was totally sucked in by this wonderful story and even better that it was partially set in my home land of the Forest of Dean. Really really enjoyable

I was sent a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The story follows that of Rita, 19, a nanny for a wealthy London family who after a fire in the family home in London, moves with the mother and children to Foxcote Manor, their home in the Forest of Dean. It follows Rita whilst nannying but also in the modern day after a fall. It also follows the story of Sylvie, her daughter, in the modern day, recently separated and with her mother in hospital and her daughter discovering she's pregnant, she decides to do some digging into her past, the summer of 1971.

I quickly realised the link between the then and now and was captivated to read on and find out what happened. The story had many plot lines all beautifully written and well thought through, the tragedy of the London home, the loss of a child, the mothers affair, a foundling, Rita's relationship with the mother and the two children, a glimpse back to Rita's own tragic childhood and her need for a family. There are so many little things within the story that make you just want to read on and work out how it all links together. The thought of knowing what happens and then realising you're wrong.

The link between the past and the present is fantastically written and they way they come together at the end just made this story for me. The strong family link that you desperately want to work, and then the braking of those ties, the heartbreak of losing family and then the way in which they are brought back together was fab!

My first Eve Chase book, but will definitely be searching out more.

I gave it 5 Stars on Goodreads.

I was really looking forward to digging into this book after reading the blurb, full of mysteries and secrets, what more could you ask for to keep you reading on!
I enjoyed The glass house reading it in the sunshine, it took me on a journey and was full of surprises.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to read in return for a review
4 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I found the characters very engaging and was drawn in by the story very quickly.

The story moves back and forth between present day London and the Forest of Dean in 1971. The main narrative is a mystery around a death in the forest and a baby that has been abandoned, but there are a number of other, smaller, questions to be answered as well. I’m usually quite good at figuring out twists and turns in novels, and I had figured out parts of story but not all, which made it more enjoyable.

I read this really quickly and found it to be a real page turner. I’m a fan of Kate Morton and felt that it was very reminiscent of her work.

I’m very grateful for my free review copy. Thank you!

1971 and Rita (known as 'Big Rita') is a nanny to a family in London. After the death of a baby and a house fire, the mother is institutionalised and on her release the family (minus the father) decamps to a remote house in the Forest of Dean. There, they find an abandoned baby but tragedy splits the family. Present day, Rita's daughter Sylvie is coping with the breakdown of her marriage, her mother's accident and shocking news from her teenage daughter.
I really enjoyed this story up to the final few chapters. The sense of claustrophobia at Foxcote Manor is beautifully imagined and the story has a magical feel. The sections about Sylvie are more prosaic but still good. My problem lies with the neatness of the ending - it's too convenient and yet leaves lots of questions about gaps in the narrative. This is carping because actually the first 85% is really good!

I felt that this story started slowly. The characters weren't immediately attractive but they really sucked me in.
There were lots of puzzles to solve about Big Rita, Hera, Sylvie and the events that occurred in the Forest of Dean in 1971. This was a real family drama involving three generations and several rather unsavoury characters.
In 1971 Rita is the nanny for Hera and Teddy who go to stay at Foxcote House with their mother Jeannie. Their father, Walter is worried about his wife's mental health and her relationship with his best friend Don.
Now Sylvie is worried about her daughter Annie and desperate for her mother to regain consciousness after an accident puts her in a coma.
As the story progresses we learn more about Sylvies history and the threads are gradually pulled together.

The Glass House by Eve Chase is a dark and atmospheric tale about family secrets and belonging. The dual timeline story is told from multiple points of view and begins in 1971 when the Harrington family move into Foxcote Manor alongside their Nanny, Rita. Rita finds the house unsettling, experiencing a feeling of being watched, especially late at night. And with the father of the house absent, it soon becomes apparent that the family have moved from London due to an as yet unknown traumatic event.

When a baby girl is found in an idyllic wood close to their new home, the Harrington’s take her in, her arrival acting like a balm to the wounds they’ve been nursing since they moved in. Desperate not to lose her, they keep the little girl secret, hoping she can help them heal from the trauma they’ve recently suffered.

But within days a body lies dead in the grounds of Foxcote Manor. And the Harrington’s dream of a happy family life is shattered into a million pieces. Who does the body belong to? And who is responsible for their death?

We then move forward to the present day where the story is taken over by recently separated Sylvie, who is dealing with family problems of her own. As the mystery deepens and the connection between the two timelines begins to unfold, I found myself so engrossed in the story I did not want to stop reading until the final page had been turned.

The Glass House is a dark and atmospheric tale that will keep you guessing as the pieces of the puzzle slowly begin to fall into place. An emotional story of family secrets and the long reaching consequences of keeping them hidden, this is a book I enjoyed immensely.

Eve Chase‘s writing is beautiful and I will most definitely read more from this talented author in the future. Highly recommended.

The Glass House

The narrative of this book covers two time zones and two families that overlap in ways not initially obvious. The characters are all interesting and well described to fit in with the relevant time zone.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book while I was reading it and marvelled at the creative use of original similes, metaphors, and analogies although at times I felt they distracted from the action.
In fact, coming now to do a review I am struggling to remember what actually happened in the story.
I would highly recommend this book for the sheer pleasure of reading it and the excitement of the discovery of the ending. I may well read this book again.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to reed this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book I have read by Eve. The book is well written and the blurb really gripped me but I am disappointed to say the book didn't really live up to my expectations. Other reviewers have obviously enjoyed the book much more than I did but I did finish. The book certainly for me anyway improved as I got more into the story and last 3rd was far better so I have rated 3 stars.

I was sent a copy of The Glass House by Eve Chase to read and review by NetGalley.
For me this book was totally unputdownable! Beautifully written with well fleshed out characters it is a captivating story of love, loss and family secrets. I became immersed immediately, firstly due to the author’s style of writing and then quickly being drawn into the lives of the players – both past and present. The forest is beautifully conjured up and painted vivid pictures in my mind, with the characters being written in such a way that I was interested in and cared about them all. For me this novel is a real triumph, a rare little masterpiece of fiction. I know there will be readers out there that disagree, but this really was the best of my kind of book! I can’t wait to read more of what Eve Chase has to offer.

Being a fan of historical fiction, I was keen to give the Glass House a read. The story is told then and now from a perspective of different characters. I found the writing style very easy to slip into and found the characters easy to follow and understand.

When Rita is a nanny in 1971 for Jeannie and Walter Harrington, their life is turned upside down after a fire in their London home. Sent to the countryside for the Summer, Walter goes abroad for work and leaves Jeannie, Rita and the two children alone in the forest house.

A baby is found in the forest and Jeannie is desperate to keep her after losing her own baby recently, but all is not well.

I was gripped but the storyline, and each section left everything on a cliff hanger until you returned to the same era. This is a great read.

The Glass House was a book I didn’t hate but didn’t love either.
This book is told in two timelines with three characters telling the story. The book was far too slow going in the first quarter and very nearly gave up. I did carry on and although the storyline was good and the characters were well developed it was at times confusing with timelines and characters and had a no urgency approach to the story apart from the last two chapters which very neatly tied everything together and with a pace I’d not had for the rest of the book which is a shame. I know I will be in the minority with my review and can only say “you can only please some of the people some of the time”. Even though it’s not my cup of tea it will probably be yours.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin - Michael Joseph for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

In 1971, after a devastating tragedy, the Harrington family move out of Londo to go and live at Foxcote Manor, their remote and rather dilapidated country home on the edge of the Forest of Dean. Together with their nanny, Big Rita, the children, Hera and Teddy, run wild in the woods, allowing their mother, Jeannie, time to come to terms with her own particular sadness. However, there are just too many secrets waiting to be exposed, especially when an unexpected discovery threatens everyone's peace of mind.

In present day London, Sylvie is adapting to an entirely new way of life when she receives the devastating news that her mother has had a terrible accident. The consequences of which will alter the course of Sylvie's life and will send her searching for clues about her past which have been buried for far too long.

The Glass House is wonderfully atmospheric, conjuring the dark oppressive nature of Foxcote Manor to perfection. The house on the edge of the dark, dark woods comes creepily alive and throughout the story there's a lingering sense of dread, not in a haunting way, but with a growing sense of impending doom that all is going to go badly wrong for the Harrington family. The family nanny, Big Rita, was, by far, my favourite character, she is such a fascinating enigma, and the linchpin around which the story turns and tumbles.

The modern day story is no less fascinating than its 1971 companion as both time periods are captured to perfection. I really liked the modern day Sylvie and found her search for the truth entirely believable, and so poignant, as her search starts to uncover secrets which should have been exposed years ago. Sylvie's troubled relationship with her daughter, Annie, adds an interesting dimension, continuing the theme of families in a very modern way.

The Glass House is a beautifully written family mystery which slips effortlessly between two time frames which are just far enough apart for the revelation, when it comes, to still be quite shocking.

he Glass House by Eve Chase is a book I kept hearing a lot about. Sometimes when a book is that anticipated, it can be a disappointment. I need not have worried though because it is brilliant!

Eve Chase’s writing is beautiful. She has an exquisite turn of phrase. Her strong use of imagery to emphasise, results in vivid description and plants you right in the story.

The plot is easy to follow and is split into 2 timelines: the summer of 1971 and the present day.

The 1971 story follows Rita Murphy, a nanny to the Harrington family, who moves for the summer with Jeannie, the mother, and her 2 children, Hera and Teddy to Foxcote Manor, an isolated house in the Forest of Dean. Walter Harrington, the husband, stays behind in London to manage the family business. When Hera finds an abandoned baby at the gates of the house, the family try to keep her a secret for as long as possible. But this family has deeper secrets of which the consequences are far reaching. When a body is found days later in the woods, their lives will never be the same again.

The present day story follows Sylvie, a makeup artist, who is dealing with a lot: trying to look after her mum, her daughter Annie, whilst recently separating from her husband.

As the story of the summer of 1971 plays out and Sylvie’s story progresses, it slowly becomes clear how the past and present are connected and the two stories come together well at the end. The pace of the book is measured. The scenes moved along at a good speed and kept me engaged in the story.

There are a cast of interesting characters in The Glass House. The story is told from 3 points of view: Rita and Hera, in 1971 and Sylvie in present day. I found it easy to relate to all 3 of them. For me, the woods are a character too. Eve Chase’s sense of place is extraordinary and rich. The woods are creepy, sinister and atmospheric. It really adds to the darkness of the story.

The Glass House is an intelligently constructed mystery full of family secrets. It’s about belonging and how we find ourselves when we are most lost. It also explores family dynamics and the effects of grief on both an individual and those closest to them.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Glass House and I am thrilled to have found a new author whose 2 previous books are out there waiting for me.

This book is written about 2 main characters living roughly fifty years apart, Sylvie recently separated and mum to teenage daughter Annie and Big Rita who for me was the star of the book.
The story is about Rita working for the Harrington family in 1971 and the complex relationships between the family members which lead to a series of tragic events.
Modern day Sylvie is juggling her recent separation, house move, her mum's serious accident and her daughter's unplanned pregnancy.
The writing is very clever and fast moving with lots of twists, turns and revelations from start to finish. Definitely a book to be devoured in one sitting, which I did.
One of the best books that I've read this year!

"Only the trees know what happened in the woods that night."

August 1971. The Harrington family are spending their summer at Foxcote Manor in the Forest of Dean in the hope that the idyllic setting will help them recover after a family tragedy. But it doesn’t seem to be working and they feel more fractured than ever.

But then a baby girl is found on a tree stump in the woods by their house. The family decide to keep her secret and take her in rather than alerting the authorities and it seems like their answer to their healing has arrived.

But then a few days later a body is found in the woods and their idyl is shattered. None of their lives will be the same again.

The Glass House is an atmospheric, mysterious, compelling and riveting story about deep, dark family secrets that hold the key to the truth of a mystery that has lingered for almost fifty years. It is one of the most beautifully written mysteries that I’ve read and each word has been perfectly polished so that not one is wasted. The author has created a memorable cast of characters and a richly drawn sense of place that gave the novel a mysterious, eerie and haunting ambience.

Told in dual timelines by multiple narrators, the complex and layered story is tightly plotted and I loved how the author slowly wove together the mysterious and tragic events of 1971 with those in the present day. I was utterly immersed in its pages and inhabited the world inside this book along with the characters.

The Glass House is an enthralling, dark, and twisting mystery. It was one of my most anticipated books this year and did not disappoint. I highly recommend this exquisitely written book.

I read this book on a beautiful summer’s day in my garden: the perfect setting and time to read this absolutely absorbing story of events at Foxcote Manor one summer, and, for me, at the heart of the story is a woman known by those close to her as ‘Big Rita’.

There are three central voices in this book and an alternating time frame of 1971 and the present day. It’s a female story told via the voices of Rita, Sylvie and Hera. I am a sucker for a remote household setting; here we have the rather neglected and solitary Foxcote Manor, a ‘wreaked beauty’ of a house, with ‘mullioned windows’ that ‘blink drunkenly’ and set within a sprawling natural forest. The house is cocooned by the woodlands and provides an isolated setting for the central story to play-out.

This is a story of secrets, and I loved the slow unfolding of the mystery. What I loved the most is the character of Big Rita (named because of her height) and her self-sacrifice and sense of duty for the family she works for. Rita is hired by the Harrington family to look after their children, five year old Teddy, twelve year old Hera and the new baby on its way. I loved Rita’s character, her determination, compassion and dedication to the family she works for and her resilience in protecting and nurturing them. Set alongside this early part of Rita’s story is the present day narrative of Sylvie, a woman newly divorced and struggling with her teenage daughter to begin again, particularly after receiving traumatic news.

Chase’s writing is truly lovely, she has a beautiful way with with words that manoeuvres the reader into the minds of her characters and leaves little snippets of the mystery to be pieced together. I became emotionally entangled in this story of secrets, desires, hopes and needs. Yes there is a murder, and you’ll soon work out who it’s the most likely to be, however there is a rather large stone to turn to find the whole truth.

A beautifully entwined mystery read with heart. Highly recommended read.

Told over two timelines and by three voices, The Glass House tells of how family secrets can have far reaching consequences.

In summer 1971, 20 year old Rita Murphy takes a job as nanny with the Harrington family. Initially living in London, they are forced to move to the family’s unused and unloved home in the Forest of Dean. For personal reasons, Rita doesn’t like forests and living at Foxcote Manor makes her feel quite uncomfortable and spooked. Jeannie Harrington is suffering from depression after losing a baby, her children 5 year old Teddy and 12 year daughter Hera have noticed the withdrawal of their mother and cling to Rita. Matters are not helped when Rita is asked by Jeannie’s husband, Walter, to be a ‘spy’ and report to him on his wife’s mental state whilst he is working away from home. When an abandoned baby is found in the woods and taken in by the family, a course of action is set, the repercussions of which none of them could have forseen.

In the present time, 40 year old make-up artist Sylvie Broom is having to deal with family issues and traumatic events of her own.

This is very much a slower paced character driven story and despite the inclusion of a dead body, it’s not a crime story. It’s more of a domestic drama with a mystery which builds slowly. The dark and sometimes forbidding imagery of the forest added to the building tension and to the possibility of an explosive situation erupting.

The links between the dual timeframe is done very well – each timeline ending on a cliff-hanger so that you’re left keen to know what happened next. Sylvie was an engaging character and I found her story just as absorbing as the earlier timeline, even if at times some things were signposted a little too much.

I don’t want to talk about the plot and risk spoiler territory, but the main characters are so well developed – the adult Harringtons were not particularly pleasant people and the family seemed rather dysfunctional in their own way. Marge, the gossipy housekeeper was someone you instinctively didn’t trust. Hera was a troubled child and clearly affected by her mother’s lack of attention. My favourite however was ‘big Rita’, so called because of her height. Despite being so young herself, she had a nurturing manner and tried to offer stability to the children when Jeannie was clearly unable to. Rita clearly had her own heartache and insecurities, for reasons which are slowly revealed.

I really enjoyed The Glass House. The writing is evocative with vivid description, superb characterisation and the two timelines are bought together in a way that is both satisfactory and surprising.

And if you will excuse me, I’m off to look at terrariums. I want one!

My thanks to Gaby Young of Penguin for the tour invitation and for providing the review copy via Netgalley.