The Weight of Glass

by Tamara L. Miller

From the author of Into the Fall comes a chilling psychological thriller about family, forgiveness, and the fear of long-hidden truths, set amid the snowbound wilderness along Lake Superior’s North Shore.

In this chilling thriller set deep in the winter wilderness of Lake Superior’s North Shore, a mother goes missing after receiving a mysterious gift—and a daughter risks everything to bring her back.

Emma Meadows has a secret. One she’s been carrying for over twenty years, too terrified to tell even her devoted husband.

The unassuming mother of one tries to blend in with life in her sleepy Canadian town on the shores of Lake Superior, but on Christmas Day, Emma’s boisterous in-laws make it nearly impossible. When a strange gift arrives bearing a sinister message, her nerves threaten to shatter. The next day, she disappears.

Although the police and her husband think Emma just walked away, twenty-one-year-old Jaden believes there’s more to her mother’s disappearance. Searching for answers, she begins with the a glass music box. But as Jaden’s questions open a window into her mother’s past, they spark unwanted attention from a stranger, forcing her on the run.

Trapped by a brutal ice storm in the heart of a northern wilderness, Jaden is forced to confront her mother’s secrets and a stranger carrying a dangerous truth. Fighting to protect the people they love—no matter what—Jaden, Emma, and the stranger find themselves on a collision course from a deadly past.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Christmas

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2026

About the author

Armed with a Ph.D. and good intentions, Tamara Miller wrote history and government policy before finding her happy place in fiction. Along the way, she became a soccer fan, a nature lover, and the President of Ottawa Independent Writers.

She lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her family and two long-suffering cats. She frequently escapes the city to explore the wilder places.

Into the Fall is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Suesyn Zellmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost didn't finish this book after the first page or two. I was hit right away with my biggest pet peeve of excessive similes and metaphors. Excessive, as in almost EVERY paragraph - ludicrous, flowery, overwrought similies that I literally had to just push through and tell myself it would get better. Thankfully, the author calms down quickly, but it does continue throughout the story. When will writers stop with this? This is not a junior high creative writing class. In fact, peppering every other sentence with similes is one of the LEAST creative ways to write. So please, just stop.

But anyway, on to the story. Emma receives a music box on Christmas Day that throws her life into chaos. She disappears the next day. Her college-age daughter, Jaden, is the only one who connects the box to her disappearance, and she begins to investigate. The narrative is told in her point of view now, and in Emma's point of view a few decades ago. Emma's husband, Mark, says that she used to disappear years ago before Jaden was born, and is used to Emma 'just needing some time.' Has no character in a book ever realized that their partner hiding their past from them is a huge red flag? 'Oh, we just look forward, not back.' "His past doesn't matter, only his future with me,' etc. FFS, how stupid can you be? Oh, you mean I should be worried that my wife disappears for days at a time, doing who knows what because she's traumatized about some event I have no idea about?' YES. Ugh. So his character is useless.

The past narrative explains what happened years ago that caused Emma to lose it now when she receives the music box, and Jaden slowly pieces it together and realizes her mother has lied about many things. Emma is not likable and acted terribly back then and never admits it. She continues being terrible now and dragging Jaden into it. Without spoilers, the conclusion is unsatisfying, and a completely innocent character dies for no reason, and no accountability is taken. The end.

[Niccola Gentile · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d give it 2.5 stars (closer to 2 than 3) - This book has soo much potential and it’s right plot for a mystery/thiller reader like myself. However, there are just too many wordy sentences and metaphors and similes. So much so that you get distracted from the point. It felt like there was whole paragraphs describing something that didn’t even move the story forward. An example is there doesn’t need to be four descriptor words within one sentence and 4 more sentences describing the canned food aisle of the grocery store.

I refuse not to finish an ARC. I believe ARCs deserve to be read and curated. Had this been a book from the library, I may or may not have finished it because of the issue above. But also, the issues with the plot around animal rights. I am an animal rights activist. No group is going to support a bomb. Ever. Breaking and entering, sure. Right to rescue, yes. Sit ins, protests, marches, confrontations with video evidence, all yes. Bomb, no. They will also not sit around and eat chicken tenders or cheesy nachos. The point is animal welfare - eating animals is not congruent with that message.

Lastly, there were times when it felt like parts were being repeated over and over. It can happen with jumping timelines. I’m also not a huge fan of conversations being broken up by thoughts from the past events, but apart of the present timeline, then the conversation finishes two paragraphs later. It makes it even harder to follow.

I really enjoyed the over arching plot though and the last few pages were good. The twist at the end with Clara was subtle but nice. The fact that everything was happening because of people’s inability to communicate was frustrating and you could feel that through the writing.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher/author for the ARC!*
4.5 rounded down. Really everything you’re looking for in a good mystery and kept me saying “just one more chapter” when I should have been sleeping. The Weight of Glass is about a woman who disappears and a daughter who is trying to uncover the reasons behind this. This multiple POV mystery has fantastic character development and pacing. The book wasn’t groundbreaking and it probably won’t stick with me (hence keeping it from a full 5) BUT it was very enjoyable and had everything you want in a good mystery.

Read if…
- you like your mysteries will little to no violence
- you enjoy solving a puzzle
- you liked First Lie Wins or All the Dangerous Things

Skip if…
- you don’t enjoy multiple POVs
- you want something that gets your adrenaline going
- you don’t like flowery writing

[VickydpBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book it’s a thriller psychological type of book, In this chilling thriller set deep in the winter wilderness of Lake Superior’s North Shore, a mother goes missing after receiving a mysterious gift—and a daughter risks everything to bring her back.

[Tamara Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Weight of Glass by Tamara Miller is an intriguing suspenseful novel. It all starts with Emma, a mother with a secret, who disappears after receiving a mysterious gift. The police don't believe there is any foul play. But her daughter Jaden suspects foul play. The story will follow Jaden's dangerous investigation into her Mother's past.
I enjoyed and recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC Release date is March 31 2026.

[Wendy Hall-Duenez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Wasn’t for me.

[Heather Gothie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for an early copy. I didn’t like her 2nd book as much as the 1st. I thought the characters in this were a bit underdeveloped. The “mystery” didn’t feel as suspenseful as her previous book either. I think the plot for this book was a bit flimsy, kept your interest, but I don’t think it delivered as well as I’d have liked. I will still continue to follow this author though as I thought her first book - Into the Fall was quite good.

[Amanda Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Weight of Glass started out a bit slow for me, but once it picked up I was hooked. It was a thought-provoking mystery with multiple POVs and dual timelines, that flowed effortless through the book.

There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t expect!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

At some point while reading The Weight of Glass, I genuinely started to wonder if the real antagonist wasn’t trauma or secrets or some shadowy man from the past... but snow. Just snow. The sheer volume of ice, wind, frost, and metaphorical icicles stabbing emotional wounds nearly buried me alive. I felt like I needed a space heater just to make it to the next chapter.

Okay, let’s back it up. We’ve got Emma Meadows, a seemingly mild-mannered mom with a secret past so intense she’s been playing emotional Jenga with it for two decades. She’s got a husband who barely clocks her spiraling, a college-aged daughter named Jaden who deserves a better Christmas, and then boom, a mysterious music box shows up like Chekhov’s wind-up trauma, and Emma peaces out into the frozen Canadian abyss the next day. Casual.

The structure here is dual POV: Jaden trying to piece together what happened in the present, and flashbacks to Emma’s messy 90s past, which reads like an indie drama where everyone has a tragic haircut and makes wildly bad choices in the name of activism. I wanted to be riveted. I wanted to scream “YES, QUEEN, HIDE THAT GUILT UNDER TWENTY YEARS OF HOLIDAY DINNERS.” But instead, I spent large chunks of the book trying to excavate the plot from under an avalanche of metaphors. Every single feeling had to be compared to a glacier, or a bruise, or a shattered icicle of shame.

Look, I’m a sucker for symbolism. But there were points where I swear the music box had more agency than some of the side characters. And don’t get me started on the pacing. The tension would ratchet up to a six, and then we’d wander off into a paragraph about a snow-covered road that may or may not have symbolized grief. Or guilt. Or maple syrup. Hard to tell.

That said, there are glimmers. Jaden is the best part of this book. She’s stubborn, determined, and just unhinged enough to make tracking down a vanished mother in the middle of a storm feel believable. Her loyalty is feral, her choices are chaotic, and I respect her deeply. The dynamic between her and Emma is layered... you feel the ache of not really knowing your parent, of wanting answers from someone who’s still not ready to give them.

The actual mystery? I’ll be honest, it unfolds in slow, methodical steps, and by the time we hit the big reveal, it didn’t punch so much as politely curtsy. The twist is more of a... well, a bend. Like a curve in the road that you kind of saw coming but hoped would be a loop-de-loop instead. It works, but it doesn’t dazzle.

Here’s the thing. This book wants to be emotionally devastating. It wants to unspool its cold, glassy heart and leave you staring into the void. And sometimes, it gets close. There are chapters that nail that creeping dread, that thorny grief, that sense of past mistakes clutching your ankle. But it’s also weirdly overstuffed and undercooked... too much description, not enough urgency, like it got lost in its own snowstorm.

Three stars. Mostly for Jaden, and for the setting, which absolutely deserves its own SAG card at this point.

Whodunity Award: For Making Me Side-Eye Every Single Music Box Like It’s Hiding a Flash Drive and a Vibe Shift

And finally, a dramatic, snow-dusted thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC. I may have been buried under metaphors and emotionally pelted with ice, but I did have a good time screaming into the frozen void about it.

[✮ ~ soph ~ ✮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

my rating: ✦✦✦✦ — 3.75 stars, rounded up

–✧–

dnf’d at 50%

–✧–

“Jaden cursed herself for not being home enough and her mother, for failing to come home at all.”

–✧–

first of all, i just wanted to say that i didn’t dnf this novel because it was bad, but because i just found myself lacking the motivation to read it. honestly, i found the prose very readable, but the plot not as interesting—this is a little alarming for a mystery novel, however, because i wasn't even motivated to finish the novel to find out the answer to the mystery.

a slow-paced thriller, the weight of glass is an atmospheric, calm(ish) mystery-thriller.

as a canadian supporting another fellow canadian, i really didn’t want tamara miller’s newest novel to be as much as a letdown as all the other goodreads reviews are saying, and it was and wasn't at the same time. this novel doesn’t deliver the urgency of many other mystery-thrillers i’ve read, which makes for both a refreshing and a slightly-boring read.

although not compusively readable in the way of more popular suspense novels, nothing in the weight of glass made me hate the prose. this read more like contemporary fiction than like a mystery, since it was rather easy to piece together, yet the isolated setting and icy peril also add a little to the suspense factor.

the weight of glass follows a mother named emma and her family who live in a little town north of lake superior. told from the perspective of emily in the first few chapters, we pick up on cryptic clues her mind wanders off to, before emily suddenly disappears. the point of view then shifts to her daughter, jaden, who decides to take it into her own hands to do what she believes the police can’t and find her mother.

overall, pick this book up if you’d like a slow-paced mystery that takes time to surround you with intricacies and detailed prose, or if you’re new to mystery-thrillers and would like a nice ease into the genre. don’t pick this up if you aren’t a fan of purple prose or lower-stakes novels that don’t get your blood pumping.

–✧–

note: this arc was provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. thank you to netgalley and thomas & mercer publishing!

–✧–

stats:
spice 🌶️: 0/5
emotion 💧: ?/5
memorability 💭: 2/5
thought-provoking-ness 🧠: 1/5

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Weight of Glass by Tamara L. Miller follows Emma Meadows, a mother who has been carrying a deeply buried secret from her past. At Christmas, something unsettling appears in her life—a glass music box—and not long after, she disappears. Her daughter, Jaden Meadows, is left trying to piece together what happened, slowly uncovering the truth about her mother’s past and what led to her vanishing.

What I really appreciated was the Northern Ontario and Lake Superior setting, which felt cold, isolated, and very atmospheric, and I also liked the touches of Toronto woven in, which made it feel more familiar and grounded for me personally. I also liked the quiet Christmas backdrop, the focus on the mother–daughter relationship and family dynamics, and the university/radical protest storyline, which added a bit of a modern edge and helped build that slow sense of unease around the disappearance.

I would describe this more as a layered, atmospheric domestic psychological mystery rather than a big twist thriller. It’s very subtle in how it unfolds, and for me the tension comes more from emotion, memory, and what’s being held back rather than any major shock moments.

Read this if you like:
• Atmospheric, character-driven mysteries
• More:
• Domestic psychological suspense
• slow-burn, emotional stories
• Themes of:
• trauma reshaping identity
• secrets affecting family relationships
• the past not staying buried
• not being able to fully outrun what came before
• Multiple POV storytelling
• Cold, winter Canadian settings (Northern Ontario especially)
• Quiet, reflective mysteries rather than twist-heavy thrillers
• Mother–daughter relationship focus

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC which will be released March 31 2026.

[Hope Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Weight of Glass by Tamara L. Miller is a chilly, moody thriller that wants very badly to be tense and haunting, and sometimes gets there, but also spends a lot of time admiring its own frost-covered reflection. The premise is strong. A vanished mother, a mysterious glass music box, and the frozen North Shore of Lake Superior all promise danger and secrets buried deep beneath the ice.

The atmosphere is doing the most here. Snow, cold, isolation, more snow, emotional distance, and then just in case you missed it, even more snow. I felt cold, which I assume was the goal. Unfortunately, I also felt like I was trudging through waist-deep drifts in terms of pacing. The story moves, but slowly, and not always with the urgency the situation seems to demand.

The mystery itself is interesting, but it often feels like it is circling instead of advancing. I kept waiting for the tension to fully snap into place, and while there are moments that genuinely intrigued me, the payoff never quite matched the buildup. Also, that glass music box gets a lot of ominous attention for something that mostly just sits there being symbolic.

To be fair, the writing is solid and the setting is vivid. If you love slow-burn suspense, family secrets, and books where the environment is practically a character, you may enjoy this more than I did. I liked it, I just did not love it.

In the end, The Weight of Glass is a perfectly respectable thriller that needed either more bite or fewer pages spent wandering around in the cold.

[Amanda Alviz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel delivers a gripping, atmospheric mystery built around secrets, family, and the long shadow of the past. From the start, Emma Meadows’ hidden truth creates an undercurrent of tension that simmers beneath an otherwise ordinary life—making her sudden disappearance feel both shocking and inevitable.

The story really shines in its dual focus: Emma’s concealed past and Jaden’s relentless search for answers. Jaden is a compelling protagonist—determined, vulnerable, and believable as she pieces together clues that unravel not just her mother’s history, but her own understanding of family. The glass music box is an especially effective symbol, adding an eerie, almost haunting thread that ties the mystery together.

The setting plays a huge role in the book’s success. The frozen isolation of Lake Superior and the brutal wilderness storm amplify the suspense, creating a claustrophobic, high-stakes atmosphere that keeps the tension tight. The sense of danger feels constant, especially as the “stranger” enters the story and raises the emotional and physical risks for everyone involved.

That said, the book isn’t without its flaws. Some plot elements feel underdeveloped, as if key pieces of the puzzle are hinted at but never fully explored. These gaps can make certain revelations feel less impactful than they should be. The ending was a bit frustrating for me, not because it didn't wrap things up nicely, but because it felt unjust.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Maddy Preston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the author/publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy of The Weight of Glass.

The story follows Emma, a mother whose past resurfaces after she receives a mysterious Christmas gift being a music box tied to long buried memories. When Emma disappears the following day, the narrative shifts to her college-aged daughter Jaden, who becomes the only person to connect the music box to her mother’s disappearance. Told through past and present timelines and multiple perspectives, the story gradually pieces together the events leading up to Emma’s vanishing.

While the premise was engaging and full of potential, the execution didn’t fully work for me. The writing style was extremely over descriptive, with an overuse of metaphors and similes that often felt distracting. Instead of enhancing the story, this level of detail made the writing feel wordy and slowed the pacing.

The core concept was strong and I appreciated how the dual timelines and shifting perspectives worked together to reveal the story piece by piece. Unfortunately, the ending felt predictable, which reduced the overall tension and emotional impact.

Overall, The Weight of Glass had an intriguing storyline and solid foundation, but the writing style and predictable conclusion kept it from reaching its full potential. Readers who enjoy very descriptive, slower-paced storytelling with multiple points of view may find more to enjoy here.

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5


En una tranquila comunidad del norte, Emma Meadows intenta sostener la vida que ha construido junto a su familia mientras oculta un pasado que ha preferido enterrar. Cuando en plena celebración navideña aparece un regalo anónimo envuelto sin cuidado, su rutina se desmorona. Dentro de la caja encuentra un objeto que reconoce de inmediato y cuyo significado amenaza con abrir la puerta a una versión de sí misma que nadie conoce.
Mientras la tormenta invernal se intensifica sobre el pueblo, también lo hacen las dudas, los temores y las señales de que alguien ha rastreado su antigua vida. Su desaparición repentina desata una búsqueda en la que su hija Jaden, atrapada entre la incredulidad y el miedo, descubre que la mujer que creía conocer guarda secretos capaces de romper a cualquier familia.
Entre caminos cubiertos de nieve, mentiras cuidadosamente tejidas y una verdad que siempre consigue abrirse paso, Emma deberá enfrentar aquello que creyó haber dejado atrás para evitar que el pasado destruya lo que más ama.

__


Aunque desde el principio resulta bastante evidente quién envió la caja de música, la autora logró mantenerme atenta.

G y B fueron tan tontos, tan fácil que era hablar.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Tamara L. Miller's debut novel, Into the Fall, so I was excited when I saw this book pop up on NetGalley. In the end, I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the author's previous work, but I will still be keeping an eye out for more books from her.

Emma has a happy life with her husband and their college-aged daughter Jaden, but when she receives an anonymous gift of a music box for Christmas, her past and some secrets and bad decisions from her own time at university come back to haunt her. Then on Boxing Day, Emma leaves for a grocery run and never comes home after. From that point the story is split between Jaden trying to find out what happened to her mom, and flashback chapters set in the 90s revealing Emma's past and her secrets.

I didn't always find the characters' actions or motivations entirely believable, unfortunately. I didn't think Emma was very sympathetic either in the present or in the flashback chapters, and I got frustrated with how much of the plot depended on none of the characters ever really talking to each other when things went wrong. Miscommunication isn't a plot device I particularly enjoy at the best of times. And the ending left me mostly unsatisfied.

Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Emma receives a mysterious gift on Christmas - with no clue who sent it - it has a profound effect on her. The impact is so strong that she suffers a panic attack while out shopping, and instead of returning home afterward, she disappears.

The story opens with those closest to her having no idea where she is and desperately trying to find her. Her daughter appears far more invested in uncovering the truth than her husband, which initially feels a little strange. It soon becomes clear, however, that Emma’s disappearance is not an isolated incident.

The book switches between multiple points of view and timelines, shifting between the present and past events to gradually reveal what led to her vanishing. This structure worked well for me in the first half of the book, as it added depth and context. Once the central mystery became clear, though, the story began to feel unnecessarily drawn out, and some of the perspectives didn’t contribute much to the overall narrative. While the beginning fully captured my attention, the ending lost some of its momentum. Overall, it was still an enjoyable read, but in my opinion, it suffered from pacing issues, and I struggled to connect with most of the characters.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Andria Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts out when Emma receives a gift that is a music box that brings her back to a tragic time in her past. She isn't really sure who sent her the box but she knows it is a warning and that her family and she are in danger. Her husband doesn't know about her past and she's kept that well hidden from others around her. She has a lot of guilt about her past and feels that her family will not love her if they truly know her and what happened in her past. She then disappears, and her daughter starts to investigate to try to find out what happened to her mother. The police are only interested in the husband as the primary suspect so they are no real help. There are multiple points of view in the story along with a past timeline and a present timeline. I like how little bits come out over time about Emma's history and the reason why she's been in hiding for many years. It takes a little while to find out who the villain or villains are in the story. The moral of the story is that you can't escape your past, no matter how hard you try! I thoroughly enjoyed the story, only took a few hours to read. Thank you Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer Publishing for the complimentary copy of the story.

[SamM · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars 🌟

The Weight of Glass is a solid mystery with an intriguing premise, though the pacing took some time to find its footing. The writing—especially early on—is very flowery and over-descriptive, which slowed things down for me in the beginning.

The story opens with a mother receiving an anonymous gift accompanied by a note that gave strong “I know what you did last summer” vibes. Soon after, she disappears, leaving her daughter Jaden searching for answers. Jaden is an interesting protagonist—remarkably intuitive for a somewhat selfish, college-aged character—and her strained relationship with her mother adds emotional complexity to the mystery.

As Jaden steps into detective mode to track her mother down, the plot gradually unfolds. While the first part moved slowly, the final 25% was much more fast-paced and engaging, pulling the story together nicely. There’s minimal violence, making this more of a suspense-driven mystery than a thriller.

Overall, this was a good mystery that improves as it goes. I also have the author’s debut novel, Into the Fall, waiting on my Kindle, and I’ll definitely be moving it up on my TBR list.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Susan Ingraffea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy it. As other reviewers have said, the author is completely over the top with similes, metaphors, and overall flowery writing. It really got distracting and a bit silly - not every single detail needs an elaborate explanation. In that vein, there was just too much description in general - of the snow, of street directions, of people in Mark's family who didn't remotely matter. We learned all about his brother who was so close to Jaden, and then we never saw him again. I was interested to find out what happened to Emma, but then the reveal was boring. Then I kept thinking there would be some sort of twist regarding the music box and who sent it, but there absolutely wasn't, and it was completely anti-climactic.

I did enjoy the relationship between Jaden & her parents and Jaden & her best friend. Both seemed realistic. And I don't think I have read anything set in Canada before, so it was interesting to learn a bit about the area.

[aishareadsnrambles · Rating 3 out of 5]

REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

STORYLINE :
I liked the storyline. A missing mother with a lot of secrets in her past and a daughter who's determined to find her and her secrets. It was really good in the beginning and filled with suspense and thrill.
I just wished more was done about the Militant Animal case. It needed more! The ending was disappointing, too. But, I liked Jaden as an amateur sleuth

CHARACTERS:
They were okay, I liked how the young 21 years old daughter embarked on searching for her mother. Jaden was okay, but I didn't like her mum much.

WRITING STYLE:
It was okay, and every necessary detail was well described

SETTINGS:
I loved the description of the wintry Canadian season

OVERALL:
I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but I was disappointed at its ending. I wanted more, and it felt undelivered. There should have been more! I also didn't like the secrets that weren't exposed.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sobering story of a woman trying to escape her past when it only comes back to confront her 20 years later. Set on the northern shores of Lake Superior Canada, the novel shows the harm in keeping secrets.

It’s Christmas and Emma’s extended family is gathered round the tree when she sees a wrapped package with no bow. Someone left it on the porch she’s told. In it is what she feared - something from the past. Traumatized, Emma flees only to have her daughter, Jaden, try to find her. A mysterious man is also following Jaden.

The book alternates at times between 1996-1999 and the present with the past giving insights into who Emma was and what happened then. In the present Jaden leads the story. She’s quite a strong character, tough and caring.

I enjoyed the pace of the story. It’s well written. But I just didn’t feel the tension or suspense of a thriller. The ending is, however, clever. I would have welcomed more about Clara in the story.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this ARC.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Meadows is a married, mother who is living her life while keeping secrets from everyone. On Christmas Day, a family member brings in a strange parcel addressed to Emma. After she opens it, she disappears the next day. The police suspect she has run off or her husband has done something to her. Jaden, her daughter, believes there is more to the story, starts researching her mother but as she unearths information, she may be in as much danger as her Mom.

This was a very good mystery. Told from different angles and with different timelines, it flows seamlessly back and forth. The reader gets pulled into Emma's backstory as well as her daughter Jaden, the backstory leading Jaden and the reader down a rabbit hole. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a twist is revealed. Engaging mystery, good storytelling and good writing, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ What would you do if you had been keeping a secret for decades and it was about to come out? This is the situation mother Emma finds herself when she vanishes. Where is she, and what happened? When everyone else seems to think she ran, her daughter Jayden is sure something bad has happened. Jayden decides to investigate and soon they are both racing against time to save their lives. This one is fast-paced, and definitely had me on the edge of my seat. I wish there had been a little more... something? Maybe some more character backstory/depth, specifically for Emma? That said, I still really enjoyed it! If you enjoy an atmospheric thriller, with similar vibes to The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, definitely pick this one up!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Tamara L. Miller for the eARC of The Weight of Glass.

[Meredith Molloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

🎧: The Weight of Glass by Tamara L. Miller
⭐️: 3/5

A generous 3 star rating here - this may settle closer to a 2.5 after I sit with it.

Emma has been holding a secret close to her chest for decades. When a mysterious gift arrives on her doorstep on Christmas morning, the security of her life is shaken. The next day, she disappears.

While the plot hooked me immediately, the descent into this story felt tedious and, by the end, honestly frustrating. With an ending that’s completely unsatisfying, this read didn’t hold the momentum it started out with.

While I listened to the bulk of this one, thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Weight of Glass is out now.

[KDRBCK · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Weight of Glass by Tamara L. Miller published by Thomas & Mercer is the second book by this outstanding author.
I read and loved her debut roman Into the Fall very much so.
Emma is a middle aged married mother of one with a dark secret that she kept for decades.
Confronted witha package that threatens to expose her she vanishes.
Jayden, her daughter is the only one who investigates where her mother left for and soon the women are running against time and for her end her mothers lives.
Comploex, fast paced, literally unputdownable. A hanging on the edge of my seat story that gives all the feels. 5 stars.

[Nicole Halka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of The Weight of Glass.

This was a tough read for me and I wanted to DNF it but trudged through since it was a relatively short book. The writing felt overly wordy, with long descriptions of ordinary things that didn’t add much to the story. I often had to reread sentences because the phrasing was confusing or unclear. Additionally, several of Grace’s chapters contained noticeable errors, including instances where Jaden was referenced as speaking or thinking at times when it should have been Grace given this was well before Jaden was even born.

[Sandy Marczewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Weight of Glass is a quiet, emotional novel about grief, buried secrets, and the way the past shapes who we become. The story follows a woman forced to confront a long-hidden tragedy when memories resurface and old wounds reopen.

When Emma receives a mysterious music box and then suddenly disappears her Jaden looks into Emma’s past to try and figure out why her mother disappeared.

Overall, this is a quiet, character-driven read that will appeal most to readers who enjoy slow-burn emotional stories with a touch of mystery. While it wasn’t a perfect fit for me, it was still a thoughtful and well-written novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Karine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I think this is a case of being the wrong audience. I had difficulty getting into the writing style and the plot is overly convoluted. Many issues could have been avoided if the protagonists would have communicated a little bit with eachother. Also, the fact that Jaden - the daughter - is the main investigator gives it a strong YA feel, which isn't what I am looking for in a thriller.

I believe many readers will appreciate it, but unfortunately not for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Mercer and the author for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author leaves crumbs throughout the narratives.

The author tells a story of college-aged activists who were immature at an impasse. There were no surprises or twists. The author reveals all' throughout 'by dropping crumbs. This reader found this story backed up by revealing conversations and interviews with former activists and their adult children. The children of activists may develop a trauma bond with their parents because of missing or unanswered questions. Sharing stories is 'healing', even when told decades later.