ANOTHER Book Review - and ANOTHER New Author (for me) -I am en fuego

I decided that I was going to try and read 1 book each from the 3 authors who will be coming to Village House of Books on July 15.  Well, I decided to start with Sophie Littlefield and her House of Glass.  And guess what?  I made a good call.  This certainly doesn't mean I won't enjoy Rachael Herron's Pack up the Moon or Gigi Pandian's Pirate Vishnu.  However, I really liked House of Glass.

I'm not great at determining what genre a book belongs in.  But I think this time it's probably an amalgam of thriller and literary fiction.  In fact, it reminds me a little bit of Greg Iles' 24 Hours.  And I think I've been pretty clear on how much I like him.  In this case, the thriller part is about 2 men who break into a house and hold the 4 family members captive.  The literary fiction part is all of the history (past and present) between the husband-wife/mother-father.  And some background on the 15-year old daughter and 4-year old son.  It's a pretty powerful combination.

Of course, I can't synopsize as prosaically as Goodreads does.  So here's what they say:

Bestselling author Sophie Littlefield delivers a riveting, ripped-from-the-headlines story about a family put to the ultimate test when two men take them hostage inside their home. Jen Glass has worked hard to achieve the ideal life: a successful career, a beautiful home in an affluent suburb of Minneapolis, a seemingly perfect family. But inside the Glass house, everything is spinning out of Jen's control. Her marriage to her husband, Ted, is on the brink of collapse; her fifteen-year-old daughter grows more distant each day; and her five-year-old son barely speaks a word. Jen is on the verge of breaking, but nothing could have prepared her for what is to come. On an evening that was supposed to be like any other, two men force their way into the Glasses' home, but what begins as a common robbery takes an even more terrifying turn. Held hostage in the basement for more than forty-eight hours, Jen and Ted must put aside their differences if they have any hope of survival. They will stop at nothing to keep their family safe;even if it means risking their own lives. A taut and emotional tale of a family brought together by extraordinary forces, House of Glass is a harrowing exploration of the lengths a mother will go to protect her children, and the power of tragedy to teach us what truly matters. Sophie Littlefield shows considerable skills for delving into the depths of her characters and complex plotting. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Sophie does a great job of developing characters.  And I was impressed how she integrated family history into the present-day story.  I don't think it's easy to know when to throw history into current circumstances.  I thought Sophie did this seamlessly.  Add in the captivity and that drama, and I can say that this is a very well-crafted story.  I say go for it. And come see Sophie (and Rachael and Gigi) at VHOB on July 15.