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Girls of Glass
It takes more than a lie to hide the dark secrets of this picture-perfect family.
When the granddaughter of one of Florida’s most powerful judges disappears, it triggers a personal trauma for Detective Alice Garner: the kidnapping and murder of her own child. As a flood of painful memories comes rushing back, Alice sees herself in the guilt-ridden and emotionally fragile mother Charlotte Burke, who has become the target of a rush to judgment.
All too familiar with Charlotte’s situation, Alice is reluctant to cast any blame. Her gut instincts tell her that Charlotte’s anguish is rooted in something else—somewhere too dark for the truth to be seen. And Alice believes that it’s hiding behind the facade of the illustrious and guarded Burke mansion.
But uncovering Charlotte’s past comes with a risk. For Alice’s own life is becoming entangled in the secrets and lies of the picture-perfect family—an image that is about to be shattered in so many unexpected ways.
When the granddaughter of one of Florida’s most powerful judges disappears, it triggers a personal trauma for Detective Alice Garner: the kidnapping and murder of her own child. As a flood of painful memories comes rushing back, Alice sees herself in the guilt-ridden and emotionally fragile mother Charlotte Burke, who has become the target of a rush to judgment.
All too familiar with Charlotte’s situation, Alice is reluctant to cast any blame. Her gut instincts tell her that Charlotte’s anguish is rooted in something else—somewhere too dark for the truth to be seen. And Alice believes that it’s hiding behind the facade of the illustrious and guarded Burke mansion.
But uncovering Charlotte’s past comes with a risk. For Alice’s own life is becoming entangled in the secrets and lies of the picture-perfect family—an image that is about to be shattered in so many unexpected ways.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,007 reviews
March 16, 2019
4.0 Stars— I saw a lot of potential with Brianna Labuskes first book, “It Ends With Her”, so when I saw that “Girls of Glass” was available, I had to give it a chance. Boy, am I glad I did. “Girls of Glass” is written from multiple perspectives covering time periods both before and after the kidnapping and death of 5 year old Ruby. The author writes from the perspectives of Alice(the investigating detective who suffered a similar tragic loss that makes this case personal)Charlotte (the mother of Ruby) and Trudy (Ruby’s 18 year old aunt). The story unfolds with many twists and turns and it was enjoyable seeing both the victims’ and detective’s perspectives both before and after the kidnapping. I will say the book doesn’t flow as well and is harder to read because of the fact that it jumps all over the place time-wise, but Labuskes does a masterful job keeping the plot tight while slowly revealing the villains and backstory that makes this a masterful work. I never came close to figuring out where the book was going and who was to blame until the very end which I truly enjoyed. The only drawbacks are (1)the implausibility of the resolution of the story and (2) how a main character just stumbles upon the information from a crazy busybody that reveals the killer to her because the crazy busybody was just running her mouth about some unrelated matter. Trust me when you read this you will be saying, “ I guess Labuskes was trying to wrap up the mystery as quickly as possible”. Other than those issues, this book was a solid thriller that I enjoyed immensely from start to finish.
January 10, 2019
Let me introduce you to the players aka The Burke family:
Sterling Burke - The most prominent judge in Florida. He's such a charming man that he has everyone from the mayor to the governor in his back pocket. Nothing bad ever happens to Sterling and nothing ever will.
Hollis Burke - Sterlings wife and mother to Charlotte and Mellie. She rules the house with an iron fist and spews vitriol to anyone that dare disagree with her. A loving mother she is not.
Mellie Burke - Oldest daughter, mother of 18 yr old Trudy, she spends most of her days self medicating with alcohol while laying about her parents house.
Charlotte Burke - Youngest daughter, mother to 5 year old Ruby, a shell of a woman really. Her fathers favorite and her mothers nemesis.
It appears the Burkes like to keep their children close. Why else would two grown woman and their children still live at home? Clearly something is amiss.
Then one day Ruby goes missing and soon her body is found on the beach. Detectives Alice Garner and Joe Nakamura are called in to investigate. What exactly goes on behind closed doors of the Burke mansion? It appears everyone has secrets.
"It was curious how so often people saw only the surface of one another. They filled in the blanks they didn't know or couldn't understand with preconceived notions that had no grounding in reality."
The chapters alternate between "Before" and "After" where we get the perspectives of Alice, Charlotte, and Trudy. This was a little bit confusing at first but after a few chapters I was able to grasp the back and forth. While in the Alice chapters we find out in flashbacks that her own daughter was kidnapped and killed which is the driving force behind her solving this crime.
I really enjoyed the banter between Detectives Garner and Nakamura. Garner is tough as nails after losing her daughter while Nakamura was the surprisingly kind and understanding older seasoned detective. They really seemed to have a deep connection even though they were complete opposites.
My one complaint is that for some reason I never felt any real empathy for the Burke girls and I most certainly should have. It's a strange feeling when you read something like this but feel emotionally cut off from the characters.
The book was a slow burn but an interesting one. The twist and the ending were a complete shock. Like, never in a million years would I have predicted this outcome. Well played! 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Sterling Burke - The most prominent judge in Florida. He's such a charming man that he has everyone from the mayor to the governor in his back pocket. Nothing bad ever happens to Sterling and nothing ever will.
Hollis Burke - Sterlings wife and mother to Charlotte and Mellie. She rules the house with an iron fist and spews vitriol to anyone that dare disagree with her. A loving mother she is not.
Mellie Burke - Oldest daughter, mother of 18 yr old Trudy, she spends most of her days self medicating with alcohol while laying about her parents house.
Charlotte Burke - Youngest daughter, mother to 5 year old Ruby, a shell of a woman really. Her fathers favorite and her mothers nemesis.
It appears the Burkes like to keep their children close. Why else would two grown woman and their children still live at home? Clearly something is amiss.
Then one day Ruby goes missing and soon her body is found on the beach. Detectives Alice Garner and Joe Nakamura are called in to investigate. What exactly goes on behind closed doors of the Burke mansion? It appears everyone has secrets.
"It was curious how so often people saw only the surface of one another. They filled in the blanks they didn't know or couldn't understand with preconceived notions that had no grounding in reality."
The chapters alternate between "Before" and "After" where we get the perspectives of Alice, Charlotte, and Trudy. This was a little bit confusing at first but after a few chapters I was able to grasp the back and forth. While in the Alice chapters we find out in flashbacks that her own daughter was kidnapped and killed which is the driving force behind her solving this crime.
I really enjoyed the banter between Detectives Garner and Nakamura. Garner is tough as nails after losing her daughter while Nakamura was the surprisingly kind and understanding older seasoned detective. They really seemed to have a deep connection even though they were complete opposites.
My one complaint is that for some reason I never felt any real empathy for the Burke girls and I most certainly should have. It's a strange feeling when you read something like this but feel emotionally cut off from the characters.
The book was a slow burn but an interesting one. The twist and the ending were a complete shock. Like, never in a million years would I have predicted this outcome. Well played! 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 26, 2019
So flawed
In so many ways. I made myself finish it. No likable characters, horribly drawn out and ridiculous ending. Spare yourself
In so many ways. I made myself finish it. No likable characters, horribly drawn out and ridiculous ending. Spare yourself
February 13, 2023
When Ruby Burke, the five year old granddaughter of a prominent St. Petersburg judge, goes missing, it’s like chum in the water to the national press. You see, Ruby is from a wealthy, respected family, and, even more appealing, she’s both cute and white. To Alice Garner, the lead detective on the case, however, it brings back painful memories of her own daughter’s kidnapping and murder. Having endured the rush to judgement herself then, Alice sees the same situation playing out with Ruby’s mother, Charlotte Burke. But, as Alice is already seen as someone to handle with kid gloves, will speaking out about her doubts actually accomplish anything? Or will she be the lone individual amongst her colleagues not sold on Charlotte’s guilt?
As the case turns from bad to worse, Alice battles to keep her partner, Joe Nakamura, from making the same rash verdict regarding Charlotte’s behavior as everyone else in her department. For she sees something other than guilt when looking at Ruby’s mother. The possibility of dark secrets that Alice believes are hidden behind the opulent front doors of the Burke home.
The more Alice searches for answers, however, the more ugly truths she learns. Complicating matters is her own traumatic past that may very well be affecting her judgement. Alice, however, is determined to learn the truth, but it might just cost her. Because digging in Judge Sterling Burke’s backyard could be dangerous, especially to Alice’s already fragile career. Despite this, she begins to unearth shocking lies and secrets behind what has always appeared to be a quintessential perfect family. But is it merely her job that she should be concerned about losing? Or is she quite literally taking her life in her hands? No family is perfect, after all, with some decidedly more twisted than others.
Phew. Girls of Glass was one heck of a good book. One that I’m almost positive you won’t be able to guess the ending of. With surprises around every corner, it was lacking in the number of twists, but the quality… Wow. Those were absolutely superb. Even better, The entire storyline is stocked full of potential suspects and red herrings allowing me to question my guesses enough that I was simply pleased to be taken on a ride. Only the best books seem capable of pulling this off.
Digging even deeper into the story was the gleaming character development of these broken women and girls. Deep and genuine, each approached life in a slightly different manner despite similar life experiences which gave them the authenticity that not once faltered. I applaud Brianna Labuskes loudly for this feat as it couldn’t have been easy to craft such damaged women that each face life in in a completely different way. A fact that rings with true-to-life dimension.
Giving even more gravitas is the nest of vipers that is the family at the center of this novel. Hard to like but easy to understand, the characters were sublime (although I do wish that there was more focus on the illustrious Sterling Burke). It is this master stroke that carries much of the novel, although the plot is nearly as riveting as the characters are compelling. So maybe it’s a toss up for why this book is so utterly fantastic.
The only detail I didn’t love was the ending. I prefer books where all of the kinks are worked out and threads tied into nice, pretty, little bows. That is absolutely missing from this mind-blowing climax. Don’t get me wrong, it was incredibly well done, but the last page came without wrapping everything up and I hate when that happens. This didn’t turn me away from loving this book, however, but it did subtly effect my rating as I would’ve given this spellbinding, first-rate crime fiction novel (that has just a touch of domestic thriller) 5+ stars. Unfortunately, I can’t even suggest that a sequel would resolve this as it isn’t really calling out for one. You’ll see what I mean when you read this book as I definitely recommend it wholeheartedly.
Done and dusted, this is by far my favorite novel by Labuskes. Despite the topic being one that is hard to swallow, it is told delicately and without the unneeded graphic storytelling that often seems unnecessarily disturbing. Nevertheless, if you have experience with sexual abuse or kidnapping, I suggest you rethink reading Girls of Glass due to how realistic the plot feels. That said, I strongly recommend going out and buying this book ASAP. You won’t regret it! Rating of 5 stars.
Trigger warning: kidnapping, death of a child, molestation/rape, child abuse, controlling parental relationship, drug and alcohol abuse, gaslighting, mention of: infidelity, grooming
As the case turns from bad to worse, Alice battles to keep her partner, Joe Nakamura, from making the same rash verdict regarding Charlotte’s behavior as everyone else in her department. For she sees something other than guilt when looking at Ruby’s mother. The possibility of dark secrets that Alice believes are hidden behind the opulent front doors of the Burke home.
The more Alice searches for answers, however, the more ugly truths she learns. Complicating matters is her own traumatic past that may very well be affecting her judgement. Alice, however, is determined to learn the truth, but it might just cost her. Because digging in Judge Sterling Burke’s backyard could be dangerous, especially to Alice’s already fragile career. Despite this, she begins to unearth shocking lies and secrets behind what has always appeared to be a quintessential perfect family. But is it merely her job that she should be concerned about losing? Or is she quite literally taking her life in her hands? No family is perfect, after all, with some decidedly more twisted than others.
Phew. Girls of Glass was one heck of a good book. One that I’m almost positive you won’t be able to guess the ending of. With surprises around every corner, it was lacking in the number of twists, but the quality… Wow. Those were absolutely superb. Even better, The entire storyline is stocked full of potential suspects and red herrings allowing me to question my guesses enough that I was simply pleased to be taken on a ride. Only the best books seem capable of pulling this off.
Digging even deeper into the story was the gleaming character development of these broken women and girls. Deep and genuine, each approached life in a slightly different manner despite similar life experiences which gave them the authenticity that not once faltered. I applaud Brianna Labuskes loudly for this feat as it couldn’t have been easy to craft such damaged women that each face life in in a completely different way. A fact that rings with true-to-life dimension.
Giving even more gravitas is the nest of vipers that is the family at the center of this novel. Hard to like but easy to understand, the characters were sublime (although I do wish that there was more focus on the illustrious Sterling Burke). It is this master stroke that carries much of the novel, although the plot is nearly as riveting as the characters are compelling. So maybe it’s a toss up for why this book is so utterly fantastic.
The only detail I didn’t love was the ending. I prefer books where all of the kinks are worked out and threads tied into nice, pretty, little bows. That is absolutely missing from this mind-blowing climax. Don’t get me wrong, it was incredibly well done, but the last page came without wrapping everything up and I hate when that happens. This didn’t turn me away from loving this book, however, but it did subtly effect my rating as I would’ve given this spellbinding, first-rate crime fiction novel (that has just a touch of domestic thriller) 5+ stars. Unfortunately, I can’t even suggest that a sequel would resolve this as it isn’t really calling out for one. You’ll see what I mean when you read this book as I definitely recommend it wholeheartedly.
Done and dusted, this is by far my favorite novel by Labuskes. Despite the topic being one that is hard to swallow, it is told delicately and without the unneeded graphic storytelling that often seems unnecessarily disturbing. Nevertheless, if you have experience with sexual abuse or kidnapping, I suggest you rethink reading Girls of Glass due to how realistic the plot feels. That said, I strongly recommend going out and buying this book ASAP. You won’t regret it! Rating of 5 stars.
Trigger warning: kidnapping, death of a child, molestation/rape, child abuse, controlling parental relationship, drug and alcohol abuse, gaslighting, mention of: infidelity, grooming
June 2, 2024
I'm not a strong person,..and when things get hard, I break.
..You're like a diamond. But me? I shatter like glass.
Detective Alice Garner is assigned to the murder case of a young girl from a prominent family (The Burke's) in St. Petersburg, Florida. This case, however, has struck a similar chord to her own story, as Alices' five-year-old daughter (Lila) was murdered years ago.
Alices' partner, Detective Nakamura, is worried that this case hits too close to home for Alice to be investigating, but she is determined to see this through.
The deeper the two detectives dig into the Burke family history, the more they realize that there are nasty secrets that have been covered up for decades that could bring the whole Burke dynasty down.
Will the young girl's murderer be brought to justice? Or does the Burke family have enough influence to have everything swept under the rug?
______________________________________________________
I enjoyed this thriller so much! The twist at the end definitely took me by surprise. 😲
Trigger warnings:
Child abuse- sexual, physical, and verbal
..You're like a diamond. But me? I shatter like glass.
Detective Alice Garner is assigned to the murder case of a young girl from a prominent family (The Burke's) in St. Petersburg, Florida. This case, however, has struck a similar chord to her own story, as Alices' five-year-old daughter (Lila) was murdered years ago.
Alices' partner, Detective Nakamura, is worried that this case hits too close to home for Alice to be investigating, but she is determined to see this through.
The deeper the two detectives dig into the Burke family history, the more they realize that there are nasty secrets that have been covered up for decades that could bring the whole Burke dynasty down.
Will the young girl's murderer be brought to justice? Or does the Burke family have enough influence to have everything swept under the rug?
______________________________________________________
I enjoyed this thriller so much! The twist at the end definitely took me by surprise. 😲
Trigger warnings:
Child abuse- sexual, physical, and verbal
January 16, 2019
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of GIRLS OF GLASS by Brianna Labuskes in exchange for my honest review.***
Alice, a detective, investigates the kidnapping of a five-year-old girl, five years after her own daughter was kidnapped and murdered.
Based on what I enjoy and dislike about thrillers, I shouldn’t have been glued to GIRLS OF GLASS, holding my breath in anticipation. On the surface most of the characters were truly unlikable and unsympathetic. Ruby’s mother Charlotte and aunt Trudy made me cringe, until I got to know them. Then, I could root for them, hope they weren’t the perp, while still not actually *liking* them as individuals. Rudy’s physically and emotionally abusive grandmother and her grandfather who may have been worse were as one dimensional as villains can be, yet somehow I bought into their awfulness. My favorite character was Zeke and Trudy grew on me in the second half of GIRLS OF GLASS.
Labuskes drops twists seamlessly into the plot, making sense while creeping me out. My theories on the perp never felt strong enough to make me certain. I didn’t see the very satisfying end coming.
GIRLS OF GLASS is a must read, edge-of-your-sear thriller that I will reread to see which clues I missed.
Alice, a detective, investigates the kidnapping of a five-year-old girl, five years after her own daughter was kidnapped and murdered.
Based on what I enjoy and dislike about thrillers, I shouldn’t have been glued to GIRLS OF GLASS, holding my breath in anticipation. On the surface most of the characters were truly unlikable and unsympathetic. Ruby’s mother Charlotte and aunt Trudy made me cringe, until I got to know them. Then, I could root for them, hope they weren’t the perp, while still not actually *liking* them as individuals. Rudy’s physically and emotionally abusive grandmother and her grandfather who may have been worse were as one dimensional as villains can be, yet somehow I bought into their awfulness. My favorite character was Zeke and Trudy grew on me in the second half of GIRLS OF GLASS.
Labuskes drops twists seamlessly into the plot, making sense while creeping me out. My theories on the perp never felt strong enough to make me certain. I didn’t see the very satisfying end coming.
GIRLS OF GLASS is a must read, edge-of-your-sear thriller that I will reread to see which clues I missed.
March 15, 2019
"They were snapshots, those moments."
Ugh!
Just ugh!!! I mean it wasn't even that terrible, but it was so unsatisfying. I'll admit that I expected something filled with suspense, mystery and awe when I first saw the title, because it this aesthetic feel, but turns out it was just..... Boring.
"This was what it was like to be a mother who had just lost her child."
So Alice Garner is a detective whose daughter was once kidnapped and murdered. Free years later, the whole trauma she underwent seemed to reface when a judge's granddaughter, Ruby, is kidnapped. To garnish, Ruby's mother, Charlotte, is taken is held responsible, and Alice, having gone through this before, staunchly believes that Charlotte was not responsible. While the premise it laid out, the making or breaking of the story depends on how well the author deals with it. And in this case, it was dealt poorly.
"If you feel like you don’t have a choice, you’re just ignoring the options that you don’t want to consider."
To start off, the characters were the least bit amiable. They were so plain, dry, and cardboard cut that I simply could not bring myself to care. Let's start with the detective herself. To be honest, she just felt like a joke, and it felt like she made everything about herself. It didn't seem like she was actually up for the case, but she still wanted to do it as if it would help her bring back her own daughter. Next, introducing you to the Burke family: We have Sterling, a powerful judge, who barely makes an appearance or even cares about Ruby. His "greatness" is just exaggerated and basically all talk, no show.
"It says, going into an investigation with a preconceived assumption of guilt blinds you to any other options."
His wife, Hollis, on the other hand, is hardly worthy of the title mother. She is a stringent person who rules over the house with nothing but spite. Nothing about her makes sense. Then we have Mellie, their oldest daughter, an defined by her alcoholism. Her daughter, Trudy, plays a more major role in the book by being one of the only people who actually care about Ruby. Then there is Ruby's mother, Charlotte, Sterling and Hollis' youngest daughter - favoured by Sterling and abhorred by Hollis. Why? Oh, I wish someone knew! So here you go, the underdeveloped characters who run the show. They are so, so, so unlikable.
"The person you were before this happened was eviscerated, destroyed. In its place was someone unrecognizable."
The book alternates between narratives of Charlotte, Trudy and Alice, in different time periods before and after the kidnapping, and none of them were interesting. Up to the first couple of chapters, the Burke girls narratives seemed comparatively more intriguing than Alice's, but that soon went downhill and turned into a mundane string of sentences. Also, there are apparently supposed to be these "dark secrets" in the Burke mansion, but not only are they infuriatingly prosaic, but also absolutely irrelevant to most of the story. The whole book is.
"Emotions, as always, were the enemy, dangerous and deceptive. They clouded judgments, they altered reality, they directed focus from what was important."
One of my main problems is the sequence. The shifting between before and after was not smooth, thereby making the storyline seem rather haphazard, which I didn't enjoy one bit. Some authors do manage to pull this off very well, but unfortunately this one does not get an applause in that aspect. It's probably the reason why I couldn't find an emotional connection with the characters even though, from the premise of the book, there should be at least some emotional impact.
"Don’t say something that’s not true because it sounds nice. Because it fits what you want it to be."
Another factor was how raw the writing felt. Not that the writing was bad, but the whole book felt rather raw and unpolished, and simply just hard to get into. It's not a page-turner. It doesn't grab the attention of the reader, and to pull through it, I hat to force myself to flip over every page..
"Grief could warp reality into something unrecognizable."
Besides, it's way too overdramatic. Some things are just exaggerated so much it got me rolling my eyes throughout. I understand that they were probably attempts to gain some sympathy for the characters, but it was annoying enough to gain indifference towards the entire book. And last but not the least, the ending was preposterous. It was a horrible twist and simply did not fit in right. It felt rushed and hastily added in just to make it seem like a extremely clever ending, but it was just not satisfying.
"I get that you’re pissed. But getting irrational isn’t going to help the situation."
Therefore, in nutshell, it left a bad taste. I'm pretty sure this could have been so much more better. It simply wasn't likeable no matter how hard I tried, and I really have to admit that it was simply painful to read. If you're looking for something that can blow your mind, I'd recommend Sometimes I Lie over this.
Ugh!
Just ugh!!! I mean it wasn't even that terrible, but it was so unsatisfying. I'll admit that I expected something filled with suspense, mystery and awe when I first saw the title, because it this aesthetic feel, but turns out it was just..... Boring.
"This was what it was like to be a mother who had just lost her child."
So Alice Garner is a detective whose daughter was once kidnapped and murdered. Free years later, the whole trauma she underwent seemed to reface when a judge's granddaughter, Ruby, is kidnapped. To garnish, Ruby's mother, Charlotte, is taken is held responsible, and Alice, having gone through this before, staunchly believes that Charlotte was not responsible. While the premise it laid out, the making or breaking of the story depends on how well the author deals with it. And in this case, it was dealt poorly.
"If you feel like you don’t have a choice, you’re just ignoring the options that you don’t want to consider."
To start off, the characters were the least bit amiable. They were so plain, dry, and cardboard cut that I simply could not bring myself to care. Let's start with the detective herself. To be honest, she just felt like a joke, and it felt like she made everything about herself. It didn't seem like she was actually up for the case, but she still wanted to do it as if it would help her bring back her own daughter. Next, introducing you to the Burke family: We have Sterling, a powerful judge, who barely makes an appearance or even cares about Ruby. His "greatness" is just exaggerated and basically all talk, no show.
"It says, going into an investigation with a preconceived assumption of guilt blinds you to any other options."
His wife, Hollis, on the other hand, is hardly worthy of the title mother. She is a stringent person who rules over the house with nothing but spite. Nothing about her makes sense. Then we have Mellie, their oldest daughter, an defined by her alcoholism. Her daughter, Trudy, plays a more major role in the book by being one of the only people who actually care about Ruby. Then there is Ruby's mother, Charlotte, Sterling and Hollis' youngest daughter - favoured by Sterling and abhorred by Hollis. Why? Oh, I wish someone knew! So here you go, the underdeveloped characters who run the show. They are so, so, so unlikable.
"The person you were before this happened was eviscerated, destroyed. In its place was someone unrecognizable."
The book alternates between narratives of Charlotte, Trudy and Alice, in different time periods before and after the kidnapping, and none of them were interesting. Up to the first couple of chapters, the Burke girls narratives seemed comparatively more intriguing than Alice's, but that soon went downhill and turned into a mundane string of sentences. Also, there are apparently supposed to be these "dark secrets" in the Burke mansion, but not only are they infuriatingly prosaic, but also absolutely irrelevant to most of the story. The whole book is.
"Emotions, as always, were the enemy, dangerous and deceptive. They clouded judgments, they altered reality, they directed focus from what was important."
One of my main problems is the sequence. The shifting between before and after was not smooth, thereby making the storyline seem rather haphazard, which I didn't enjoy one bit. Some authors do manage to pull this off very well, but unfortunately this one does not get an applause in that aspect. It's probably the reason why I couldn't find an emotional connection with the characters even though, from the premise of the book, there should be at least some emotional impact.
"Don’t say something that’s not true because it sounds nice. Because it fits what you want it to be."
Another factor was how raw the writing felt. Not that the writing was bad, but the whole book felt rather raw and unpolished, and simply just hard to get into. It's not a page-turner. It doesn't grab the attention of the reader, and to pull through it, I hat to force myself to flip over every page..
"Grief could warp reality into something unrecognizable."
Besides, it's way too overdramatic. Some things are just exaggerated so much it got me rolling my eyes throughout. I understand that they were probably attempts to gain some sympathy for the characters, but it was annoying enough to gain indifference towards the entire book. And last but not the least, the ending was preposterous. It was a horrible twist and simply did not fit in right. It felt rushed and hastily added in just to make it seem like a extremely clever ending, but it was just not satisfying.
"I get that you’re pissed. But getting irrational isn’t going to help the situation."
Therefore, in nutshell, it left a bad taste. I'm pretty sure this could have been so much more better. It simply wasn't likeable no matter how hard I tried, and I really have to admit that it was simply painful to read. If you're looking for something that can blow your mind, I'd recommend Sometimes I Lie over this.
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January 28, 2019My first DNF of 2019. The writing is just too overwrought, and the flashbacks felt unnecessary. I liked Alice-- needed less Charlotte and Trudy.
January 2, 2019
Wow! What did I just read?! This is the second book I've read from Brianna Labuskes and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her attention to detail and the way she weaves in small clues - her writing is the definition of a slow burn. And I did not see that ending coming! This was a great book and I recommend to anyone that enjoys suspense, mysteries, and thrillers.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2019
I thought the constant time jumps made this difficult to read. I was also taken aback by the reveal of the killer. It felt rushed and out of left field. It also felt like lots of the set ups weren't resolved.
August 26, 2018
I was totally gripped by this dark and captivating book. Filled with secrets and lies, it held my interest from the very first page. A highly recommended read.
February 16, 2019
This story reads like a poorly written Lifetime movie.
February 7, 2019
Twisty plot with slightly overdramatic writing. But that's just one opinion.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
June 7, 2025
Oh wow! What did I just read??? I never saw that coming. Great book!
January 12, 2024
"There was a human need to be known by others. It drove criminals to confession; it withered the souls of those who had no one to be known by."
A very dark drama that simmers with hints of the revelations to come. Secrets and pain that overwhelm and result in the kind of tragedy that should never happen. What a story! Although this is, on one level, a detective novel, it's so much more psychological and domestic noir. It starts out with a kidnapping and ends with a shocker. NO SPOILERS.
The Burkes are St. Petersburg, Florida, royalty. The patriarch is Judge Sterling Burke who has complete control over his 2 daughters, Charlotte and Mellie, and his granddaughters, Trudy and Ruby. His wife, Hollis, is a cold and calculating jailer, and nothing escapes her notice and scathing punishments. When Ruby is kidnapped and the police are called, it's detectives Alice Garner and her partner, Joe Nakamura, who take point on the investigation.
Three women share the narrative point of view: Alice Garner, a recent transfer from DC to this beach town, she's still grieving after the kidnapping and death of her own 5-year-old daughter, Lila. She's emotional and fragile (and you won't be able to forget that because the author keeps reminding you). She is determined to figure out what is going on behind the Burke's mansion doors and to keep control of this case. Charlotte is the second Burke daughter and she's a bit of a mess with all sorts of psychological issues stemming from her personal situation in the home and the horrible circumstances surrounding her daughter, Ruby. And lastly, there's granddaughter, Trudy, who is only 18 but still has a little bit of strength and rebellion left inside. She adored Ruby and goes to great lengths to uncover what happened. At first it's a bit hard to keep all the characters straight and the shifting time frame with each new chapter, but it quickly falls into a rhythm.
One thing that becomes obvious almost immediately is that the writing is so darn good. The author has a way with a turn of phrase that just jumps off the page. "The Burke women were the snakes who couldn't bite the foot that stepped on them." Wow. And so many more that help with making the characters and their motivations become more clear -- "It had already been her cage. Now it was her prison." I was so torn throughout trying to figure out what really happened to Ruby and who did it and why. Did I connect with the characters? Some more than others but many made decisions and acted in ways that I found hard to understand. The Burke women...well, I wish that the book hadn't ended as it did because I wanted to know the aftermath. The detective due was an interesting pairing as their personalities were night and day and Alice was an enigmatic mess who seemed to want it that way. Very interesting individuals.
So, I really liked this one. It was the first I've read by this author but I intend to look up anything else she's written and delve into that. I like a slow build and surprise. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-book ARC to read and review.
A very dark drama that simmers with hints of the revelations to come. Secrets and pain that overwhelm and result in the kind of tragedy that should never happen. What a story! Although this is, on one level, a detective novel, it's so much more psychological and domestic noir. It starts out with a kidnapping and ends with a shocker. NO SPOILERS.
The Burkes are St. Petersburg, Florida, royalty. The patriarch is Judge Sterling Burke who has complete control over his 2 daughters, Charlotte and Mellie, and his granddaughters, Trudy and Ruby. His wife, Hollis, is a cold and calculating jailer, and nothing escapes her notice and scathing punishments. When Ruby is kidnapped and the police are called, it's detectives Alice Garner and her partner, Joe Nakamura, who take point on the investigation.
Three women share the narrative point of view: Alice Garner, a recent transfer from DC to this beach town, she's still grieving after the kidnapping and death of her own 5-year-old daughter, Lila. She's emotional and fragile (and you won't be able to forget that because the author keeps reminding you). She is determined to figure out what is going on behind the Burke's mansion doors and to keep control of this case. Charlotte is the second Burke daughter and she's a bit of a mess with all sorts of psychological issues stemming from her personal situation in the home and the horrible circumstances surrounding her daughter, Ruby. And lastly, there's granddaughter, Trudy, who is only 18 but still has a little bit of strength and rebellion left inside. She adored Ruby and goes to great lengths to uncover what happened. At first it's a bit hard to keep all the characters straight and the shifting time frame with each new chapter, but it quickly falls into a rhythm.
One thing that becomes obvious almost immediately is that the writing is so darn good. The author has a way with a turn of phrase that just jumps off the page. "The Burke women were the snakes who couldn't bite the foot that stepped on them." Wow. And so many more that help with making the characters and their motivations become more clear -- "It had already been her cage. Now it was her prison." I was so torn throughout trying to figure out what really happened to Ruby and who did it and why. Did I connect with the characters? Some more than others but many made decisions and acted in ways that I found hard to understand. The Burke women...well, I wish that the book hadn't ended as it did because I wanted to know the aftermath. The detective due was an interesting pairing as their personalities were night and day and Alice was an enigmatic mess who seemed to want it that way. Very interesting individuals.
So, I really liked this one. It was the first I've read by this author but I intend to look up anything else she's written and delve into that. I like a slow build and surprise. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-book ARC to read and review.
December 5, 2019
I don't quite know how to review this one because I'm so afraid to blow it and give spoilers! The first thing I'll say is that I will most definitely be reading this author again!
The MC is Alice Garner and she is investigating the case of a missing little girl who just happens to be the granddaughter of a judge who is known to be quite powerful, one who is not easy to broach on certain matters, even if you are a cop or detective, which makes it difficult for Alice and her partner to question him as part of the investigation. This case is particularly difficult on Alice who had lost her own child due to a kidnapping and murder.
The judge's daughter, and the missing child's mother, Charlotte Burke is an odd one to figure out. I guess one would say that she hasn't been a model mother and she and the entire Burke family come under suspicion based on certain things that Alice and her partner bring to light.
That's all I want to say except I was SHOCKED!!! I did NOT see that ending coming in any way, shape, or form! Maybe I'm just a bad detective but I was shocked! I love that the case wasn't easily predicted (for me anyway).
Recommendation: I have to recommend this one because it's just too good. I'm actually surprised that it doesn't have a higher GR rating but don't let that deter you.
The MC is Alice Garner and she is investigating the case of a missing little girl who just happens to be the granddaughter of a judge who is known to be quite powerful, one who is not easy to broach on certain matters, even if you are a cop or detective, which makes it difficult for Alice and her partner to question him as part of the investigation. This case is particularly difficult on Alice who had lost her own child due to a kidnapping and murder.
The judge's daughter, and the missing child's mother, Charlotte Burke is an odd one to figure out. I guess one would say that she hasn't been a model mother and she and the entire Burke family come under suspicion based on certain things that Alice and her partner bring to light.
That's all I want to say except I was SHOCKED!!! I did NOT see that ending coming in any way, shape, or form! Maybe I'm just a bad detective but I was shocked! I love that the case wasn't easily predicted (for me anyway).
Recommendation: I have to recommend this one because it's just too good. I'm actually surprised that it doesn't have a higher GR rating but don't let that deter you.
January 15, 2019
4.5 suspenseful stars for this taut thriller centered around the kidnapping of a five year old girl - a girl who is also the granddaughter of a prominent judge. When Det. Alice Garner catches the case, the similarities to the kidnapping and murder of her own daughter a few years prior start to bring up old emotions - in both Alice and me as the reader! I thought Labuskes hit it out of the park with this one and I was eager to find out who was to blame here!
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
March 18, 2019
This book centres around the kidnap and murder of five year old Ruby Burke in St Petersburg Florida. The patriarch of the family is Judge Sterling Burke who controls most things in and around the area. His wife is a viscous ice queen glorying in the name of Hollis (is that a name she asks politely?), her elder daughter is Charlotte, the mother of Ruby who appears to be an ice queen too but is a wreck, her younger sister is Mellie who’s a drunk and a niece Trudy who is a surly teenager. Don’t they sound fun? Sterling and Hollis are truly awful but I had a sneaking regard for Trudy as she tried to rock as many boats as she could in order to disrupt the superficial exterior of this totally dysfunctional family.
Ruby’s disappearance and murder is investigated by Detective Nakamura and Detective Alice Garner. They are likeable and made a good team. The story is told through chapters that feature Alice, Charlotte and Trudy. The time zips backwards and forwards haphazardly before and after Ruby’s death. This was ok to start with but as time went on I found it irritating and I just wanted to get on with the narrative. I enjoyed about 50/60% of this and would have given it 4 stars at that point. However, as the story approached the end and we’re zipping backwards and forwards in time and jumping from person to person I found the reasons for Ruby’s death became more and more convoluted and far fetched. Overall, an easy read but not outstanding.
Ruby’s disappearance and murder is investigated by Detective Nakamura and Detective Alice Garner. They are likeable and made a good team. The story is told through chapters that feature Alice, Charlotte and Trudy. The time zips backwards and forwards haphazardly before and after Ruby’s death. This was ok to start with but as time went on I found it irritating and I just wanted to get on with the narrative. I enjoyed about 50/60% of this and would have given it 4 stars at that point. However, as the story approached the end and we’re zipping backwards and forwards in time and jumping from person to person I found the reasons for Ruby’s death became more and more convoluted and far fetched. Overall, an easy read but not outstanding.
January 27, 2019
I just didn’t find this compelling or page turning. I didn’t see the twist coming but I also didn’t feel emotionally tugged by the protagonist who spent a lot of time explaining that she was broken, damaged, and irredeemable. I never doubted her. So the twist, which should have been a surprise was not and, in fact, I found the motivation and connection so artificially constructed that it just didn’t work for me. John Grisham could have pulled this off, perhaps. You need carefully constructed characters with enough complexity that you care about them despite their flaws. Girls of Glass was too brittle for me in the end.
February 6, 2019
When you read as many books with varied plots as I end up doing in a single year, it is hard to surprised by the turns a plot might take. You anticipate the possible discrepancies in the narration by all the main characters and sometimes revel in being proved right and sometimes be disappointed by it.
Sometimes, like in this case I do not see a lot of the book's story coming until it was too late, and I was surprised more times in this one book than I have been in the recent past in multiple ones!
The story is told in a very random chronological order, moving forwards and backwards around the pivotal point of Ruby Burke's kidnapping. The see-sawing of the times was annoying initially but the ending proved why it was the only way the story could have been told. The beginning also had so many facts that should have been crucial to the outcome of the tale with the revelation of evil living under the guise of genteel local nobility. (All of this is revealed very early on, so I am not providing any spoilers) I say should have because it did not matter here and as the story progresses and things get murkier, it paid to read/listen till the end.It could have been shorter but the length does add to the atmosphere and gets you more invested in all their lives.
Alice Garner and Jo Nakamura are assigned to the case and they spend sleepless nights worrying about all the dead ends. Each person in the Burke family, are dealing independently with the aftermath of the kidnapping. The only reason I was unable to give the full five stars to it was because I could not digest a few things that happen in the tale, and will find it hard to shrug off and resume the reading of another book nonchalantly. It lives up to the thriller genre and for those used to the emotions that come with reading a well written thriller, do give it a go!
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January 21, 2019
Girls Of Glass
By
Brianna Labuskes
What it's all about...
Detective Alice Garner and her partner Detective Nakamura are thrust into the kidnapping of a young child who is part of a prominent Florida family. The crime resonates with Alice because her young daughter was also taken and murdered years ago. Alice can barely hold on as she and her partner get deeper and deeper into the lives of this family. There is an evil abusive mother in this family. The father is a prominent judge who has a less than stellar reputation. Two grown daughters...Mellie and Charlotte...and their children...Trudy and Ruby...live with them...obviously all under their mother’s control.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Wow! This book set a fast pace from the start and kept a fast pace with incredible twists and turns throughout. Hollis...was a most evil mother. Her grown daughters were under her control 24/7. She monitored their money, credit cards and comings and goings. Trudy...the teenager...is desperate to break away from this family. There is obviously some horrible secret within the walls of this house. Rumors about the father are everywhere but no one dares to confront him. From the start I got the feeling that the father was a predator and an evil one, too.
What I loved best...
The interactions of this family were what carried this book. Alice and her issues added to the suspense, too. By the time everything was disclosed I was reeling!
What potential readers might want to know...
This is a great story. It has all of the requisite twists and turns to keep a reader guessing about the ending.
I borrowed this book from Prime Reading through Amazon. It was my choice to read and review it.
By
Brianna Labuskes
What it's all about...
Detective Alice Garner and her partner Detective Nakamura are thrust into the kidnapping of a young child who is part of a prominent Florida family. The crime resonates with Alice because her young daughter was also taken and murdered years ago. Alice can barely hold on as she and her partner get deeper and deeper into the lives of this family. There is an evil abusive mother in this family. The father is a prominent judge who has a less than stellar reputation. Two grown daughters...Mellie and Charlotte...and their children...Trudy and Ruby...live with them...obviously all under their mother’s control.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Wow! This book set a fast pace from the start and kept a fast pace with incredible twists and turns throughout. Hollis...was a most evil mother. Her grown daughters were under her control 24/7. She monitored their money, credit cards and comings and goings. Trudy...the teenager...is desperate to break away from this family. There is obviously some horrible secret within the walls of this house. Rumors about the father are everywhere but no one dares to confront him. From the start I got the feeling that the father was a predator and an evil one, too.
What I loved best...
The interactions of this family were what carried this book. Alice and her issues added to the suspense, too. By the time everything was disclosed I was reeling!
What potential readers might want to know...
This is a great story. It has all of the requisite twists and turns to keep a reader guessing about the ending.
I borrowed this book from Prime Reading through Amazon. It was my choice to read and review it.
January 15, 2019
I have come to realize that I am not a huge mystery fan, and when I novel is categorized as such.. I am very picky as to which I like, and am harder on them rating wise then other genres. But this, this was incredible. It was twisted, disturbing, and you really never knew where the next page was going to take you. I got everything wrong, and that's exactly what I loved and hated, all at once. A MUST READ for any mystery readers.
January 31, 2019
Started out interesting, but became ridiculously unbelievable.
March 29, 2019
This was on track for four stars, but the last quarter of the book went sideways. Too many dropped plot lines and loose ends.
April 16, 2019
I. Did. NOT! See. That. Coming. An exquisite, spellbinding tale of loss. Watch for the nuance. Watch for the details. It'll still blindside you.
April 25, 2019
OH MY GOSH!!!!! This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The ending well let's just say 🤯 mind blowing! I highly recommend this book.
February 4, 2019
Why do I seem to love stories of kidnappings? Maybe to remind me to hug my children and grandchildren more often. But when this young girl goes missing and there is no ransom demand, police are surprised when her dead body is found several days later. Lots of suspects as the family is wealthy and connected, lots of hostility as the patriarch seems a little to close to the young females, and lots of questions about the internal dynamics of this odd and dysfunctional family. Add to the mix the two detectives investigating and one who lost her own daughter to murder years ago. Tensions run high but this book will keep you reading until you discover the killer. It's a whirlwind of a ride!
May 14, 2019
“Emotions, as always, were the enemy, dangerous and deceptive. They clouded judgments, they altered reality, they directed focus from what was important.”
Girls of Glass was fantastic and nothing like I expected it to be, rather, the story turned out to be quite unpredictable, It was gritty and even uncomfortable to a certain extent. In short, everything I like in a psychological thriller.
The story begins when the body of five-year old Ruby Burke is found on the beach after she was kidnapped four days ago. The Burkes are a very reputed family with the Patriarch Sterling Burke, being one of the most important man in town but under the given circumstances nobody is above suspicion especially the family members including Ruby's mother, Charlotte and like each family, this one too has secrets of his own. Alice Garner, the detective assigned to Ruby's case has lost her only daughter to kidnapping and murder and has ever since not been in a correct frame of mind, therefore this case is not only her chance to prove that she isn't erratic or emotional but also a way to find closure and bring justice to Ruby that she couldn't bring to her daughter.
Like I said, this book is super uncomfortable at times and really made my skin crawl. Told through, Charlotte, Alice and Charlotte's niece, Trudy's POV, the narration switches back and forth to past and present aligning all the events that lead to the kidnapping of Ruby and the on-going investigation of her murder. I love stories with multiple POV's and I really enjoyed the writing of this book, it was such a slow burn and even though the story sort of felt drawn out and stretchy at times, I was hooked. The best thing about this story is the fact that, I kept guessing until the very end and boy! I did not see that ending coming.
As for the characters, they are all a very unlikeable bunch which kind of make sense, this being a thriller and all but I really expected some more effort from Charlotte, I understood where she was coming from and her mental state and all but I didn't like her completely helpless attitude. I somewhat liked Alice and Trudy's character because somewhere in their own twisted ways they did take charge of their lives and I thought their attempt was applaudable.
Overall, It took me a while to really get invested in the story but once I was in, the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, it had the perfect amount of intense drama, mystery, secrets and a shocking yet very satisfactory ending.
Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for the review copy.
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Girls of Glass was fantastic and nothing like I expected it to be, rather, the story turned out to be quite unpredictable, It was gritty and even uncomfortable to a certain extent. In short, everything I like in a psychological thriller.
The story begins when the body of five-year old Ruby Burke is found on the beach after she was kidnapped four days ago. The Burkes are a very reputed family with the Patriarch Sterling Burke, being one of the most important man in town but under the given circumstances nobody is above suspicion especially the family members including Ruby's mother, Charlotte and like each family, this one too has secrets of his own. Alice Garner, the detective assigned to Ruby's case has lost her only daughter to kidnapping and murder and has ever since not been in a correct frame of mind, therefore this case is not only her chance to prove that she isn't erratic or emotional but also a way to find closure and bring justice to Ruby that she couldn't bring to her daughter.
Like I said, this book is super uncomfortable at times and really made my skin crawl. Told through, Charlotte, Alice and Charlotte's niece, Trudy's POV, the narration switches back and forth to past and present aligning all the events that lead to the kidnapping of Ruby and the on-going investigation of her murder. I love stories with multiple POV's and I really enjoyed the writing of this book, it was such a slow burn and even though the story sort of felt drawn out and stretchy at times, I was hooked. The best thing about this story is the fact that, I kept guessing until the very end and boy! I did not see that ending coming.
As for the characters, they are all a very unlikeable bunch which kind of make sense, this being a thriller and all but I really expected some more effort from Charlotte, I understood where she was coming from and her mental state and all but I didn't like her completely helpless attitude. I somewhat liked Alice and Trudy's character because somewhere in their own twisted ways they did take charge of their lives and I thought their attempt was applaudable.
Overall, It took me a while to really get invested in the story but once I was in, the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, it had the perfect amount of intense drama, mystery, secrets and a shocking yet very satisfactory ending.
Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for the review copy.
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February 6, 2019
I listened to this book on Audible. It is very long and wordy. I'm sure I missed some important information because it was easy to tune out some of the overly descriptive phrases. About a third of the way through I wanted to quit, but I kept listening. I wonder if I would have enjoyed it better had I read it and not listened to it. The reader used an artificial Southern accent typically used in movies. Picture "Gone with the Wind." The reader voice for the main character was the worst. It sounded like a woman trying to sound like man; yet the character is a woman. Her voice for the children characters was cringe worthy.
The main problem I had with this book was that it was unbelievable and unrealistic. I know that it's not a true story, but it's not the least bit believable. Maybe it's just for entertainment. There would have been a lot more investigation and evidence presented in a real murder case. The main character and her partner wouldn't be the only ones actively investigating this high profile murder of a little girl. I could go on and on, but I don't want to give too much away. Alice's character is the most unrealistic, and by far, the most annoying character in the book. Her detective character was cliche to the point of being absurd, from belittling "rookie cops" to hanging out in cop bars.
I'm only writing the review because I invested so much time in listening the story, and I thought I might warn others. The ending made the rest of the book seem like a trick and a waste of time. That's just my opinion. If you don't mind reading a depressing book with cliche characters and predictable dialogue, you may want to try to read it but I wouldn't pay too much for it. Maybe wait until it's in a library. I listened to it for free with my Audible trial.
The main problem I had with this book was that it was unbelievable and unrealistic. I know that it's not a true story, but it's not the least bit believable. Maybe it's just for entertainment. There would have been a lot more investigation and evidence presented in a real murder case. The main character and her partner wouldn't be the only ones actively investigating this high profile murder of a little girl. I could go on and on, but I don't want to give too much away. Alice's character is the most unrealistic, and by far, the most annoying character in the book. Her detective character was cliche to the point of being absurd, from belittling "rookie cops" to hanging out in cop bars.
I'm only writing the review because I invested so much time in listening the story, and I thought I might warn others. The ending made the rest of the book seem like a trick and a waste of time. That's just my opinion. If you don't mind reading a depressing book with cliche characters and predictable dialogue, you may want to try to read it but I wouldn't pay too much for it. Maybe wait until it's in a library. I listened to it for free with my Audible trial.
January 25, 2019
Girls Of Glass is a suspenseful psychological thriller. I liked some things, such as, the suspense, the pace, so many twists and turns and a shocking end. I disliked the timeline jumping all over the place because that's just confusing. The characters are likeable and unlikable and intriguing. Overall, it's a well written story. The suspense will keep you reading. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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