Jessica (Jess) is a makeup artist who makes house calls during the day to apply makeup to her clients for a special occasion. When she overhears a client discussing a study that pays $500, she is intrigued. She snags the information and shows up. The study is on morality and ethics headed up by a Dr. Shield. She simply sits in a room in front of a computer and types in answers to questions on morality and ethics. She tries to be very honest. But what she thought was to be a short study is now expanding as Dr. Shield shows more interest in her and her answers and now wants to meet her in person.

Jess’s parents don’t make a lot or money and they also have to care for Jess’s sister, who suffers the after-effects of a brain injury. Her therapy is quite expensive and secretly Jess pays for a lot of it with the bit of money she makes. Needing extra money is one big reason she is willing to participate in the study.

As Jess becomes more involved with Dr. Shield, she realizes that she is being asked to do some things that make her uncomfortable but needing the money she realizes she may be in over her head.

This is a well-written, very descriptive story that perfectly describes a narcissist. If I have any complaints at all, it would be the almost text-like verbiage in the book. However, I realize that without it, the book would not be as “real” as it is. Well done, authors!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Ok, if you enjoy psychological thrillers, this one is sure twisted and will keep you page turning.
Obsessive, cunning, and just as good as her previous book that I devoured, The Wife Between Us, and you won’t be able to put it down until you have the answers, and then this one will linger with you for a long time, and maybe looking over your shoulder.
Wow, big brother has nothing on these folks, they seem to know even your personal thoughts.
A don’t miss book that you won’t forget.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

Jess is just barely making it in New York City as a professional makeup artist. When she hears one of her vapid clients plans to blow off a questionnaire that would pay $500, Jess smoothly inserts herself into the study instead. Ironic, really, that she lies to get into a study on morality. Things swiftly spin out of control from there. What starts as a series of hypothetical questions about ethics soon expands into the real world with unnerving effects. Jess must grapple with her own demons and the numerous secrets of the enigmatic Dr. Shields in this gripping tale of psychological suspense.

4 stars

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This was a very good psychological thriller. The plot was interesting, the action was fast-paced and there are characters you can love and hate. The book is a quick read and I had a hard time putting it down.

Jessica Farris is a young make-up artist struggling to make a living in NYC. Her younger sister has a medical condition that requires expensive treatment and her parents are barely making ends meet. While putting makeup on a young college student, Jess overhears her talking about participating in a morality and ethics psychological study at their college that pays a lot of money. Gambling that the student will blow off the study in the morning, Jess goes to the appointment and takes her place. While the questions are invasive and difficult, Jess rationalizes that a little discomfort is worth it if she's able to help her parents with her sister's medical bills.

Jess is asked back several times by the psychologist, Dr. Shields, to answer more questions. Each session is more invasive than the next, but the payments are just too good to pass up. Then Jess is asked to take the study a step further and perform a variety of tasks at the direction of Dr. Shields. As the tasks become more dangerous and questionable, Jess must figure out what the truth really is and who she can trust.

This was a fun book. The plot is far-fetched, but if you can suspend disbelief and let yourself get caught up in the twists and turns of the book, you won't be mad at it. I haven't read this author before, but will definitely check out the other books. I recommend you read this book!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let's just pretend you're Jess. Late twenties and a hardworking cosmetic artist, you need to find a way to make some extra cash to send home to cover the expenses of a disabled sister. 
An opportunity presents itself.
You take it.
At first, getting paid to be the anonymous subject in an ethics study seems pretty harmless. It's an easy way to make some good extra cash. Just sit at a computer and answer some questions. Ok well the questions start to get personal and you convince yourself that no one will ever know. Just type your answers and collect your money. Done.
But one day, you aren't subject 52 anymore. You are the sole subject in Dr. Shield's study. You meet her. Your relationship gets personal. You reveal things about yourself that seem to flow out of your mouth. Dr. Shields seems so helpful, so professional. Will you regret getting involved? But the money is so good. Her help is so welcomed. Why YOU? Does Dr. Shield's want to help you or does she have an ulterior motive? 
This is a chilling story of a vulnerable young woman who has some secrets she is hesitant to reveal to a Dr. who also has secrets she is hesitant to reveal! LOVED this story. Two talented authors strike again!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving and advanced copy. Rating 2.5 stars

I loved “The Wife Between Us” and was ready for another no holds barred, twisted ride with Jessica, Subject 52, who signs up for a psychological study on morality and ethics. Do you think you’re in trouble when you lie your way into a study on ethics because you need the money? Dr. Shields takes a special interest in Jessica and lures her in with expensive gifts, high paycheques, and what is amounting to free therapy in exchange for following her instructions in what appears to be testing the mettle of a married man. Written in alternating POV between Jessica and Dr. Shields, this cat and mouse story tries to keep you off kilter as you see how Dr. Shields spins her web, always having an explanation for putting Jessica in situations that don’t feel right, in fact they make Jessica feel icky. But by this point Jessica has spilled her guts to this woman who knows all of her dark secrets and insecurities. Dr. Shields is not only beautiful, self assured, has impeccable taste and always seems to know the right thing to say to put Jessica’s fears to rest. She also knows whenever Jessica is not being completely honest. When Jessica finds out that the married man is Dr. Sheilds’ husband, Thomas, she knows something is not right. But when Thomas warns Jessica that Dr. Shields in dangerous, Jessica knows she is in trouble.

Hendricks and Pekkanen write really well together, but this was not as exciting a story as their first novel. There was some suspense, but nothing like the thrilling tickle when you don’t know who is lying and who is telling the truth and will the protagonist make it out alive! There isn’t any surprising twist that you can’t see coming. This one just leads you down the path until the end. You know who that bad guy is and you can guarantee the protagonist is going to survive and yes there is some information revealed but no wow factor. The seduction of Jessica is interesting enough to keep reading but I needed more. I want that “can’t-put-it-down” feeling, or at least some doubt as to whether the doctor or Thomas is the bad guy. A lot was left untapped with Jessica and the minor characters like Lydia, and Josh, to name a few where more could have been done to create tension. Just an okay read for me.

An Anonymous Girl is the second psychological thriller by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.
Jessica Farris (Jess) is in need of money and signs up for a psychological study conducted by Dr. Shields. Jess got more than she bargained for in this morality study. Dr. Shields seems to know what Jess is thinking and is always step ahead her. Jess is naïve, honest, and questions herself and Dr. Shields. Dr. Shields is mysterious, manipulative and cunning.

An Anonymous Girl is a fast paced page turner with twists and turns in every chapter. The story is told from both Jess and Dr. Shields views. It is full of lies, guilt, obsession, betrayal and suspense. I highly recommend this book. Thank you for Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

The blurb tells you all you need to know about how Jessica gets involved with Dr Lydia Shields. From the get go, I wasn't really into the psychological study aspect. I found it strange and unbelievable. I have no problem suspending my disbelief, but for me, this entire plot was just TOO unbelievable. Maybe it's because I have a background in psychology but the Dr's in this book were so far out of the realm of realistic, I just couldn't be on board with most of the plot.

As for Jessica, I would say she was the most developed character but I would've liked more character development with everyone overall. Around the 50% mark I started to enjoy the cat & mouse that developed when Jessica finally started to take matters into her own hands and stopped being so passive when it came to Dr Shields and another character. The story is told through alternating perspectives of Jessica and Dr Shields; however, Dr Shields speaks in the second person for her sections - as if she's talking directly to Jessica - I wasn't crazy about this technique.   This very much boiled down to a story of  manipulations, lies upon lies, and who's really the dangerous one. For me, I found it to be too drawn out (I skimmed here and there) and ultimately predictable.  However, the very reasons this wasn't for me are the reasons so many are loving this (especially if you love psychological thrillers),

4.5 stars rounded up!

You're invited: Seeking women aged 18 to 32 to partcipate in a study on ethics and morality conducted by a preeminent NYC psychiatrist. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. Call for more details.


Jessica is a woman in her late twenties trying to make it in NYC. She loves to do makeup and that's what she does for a living. She is employed by a company that does on demand, at home, makeup application. She dreams of doing makeup for broadway and different shows one day. For now, she's just making it as much as she can. She also has a sister who has a disability and she secretly helps support her parents with her sister's medical costs. Basically, Jessica is just scraping by.

One day she is doing a college girl's makeup and the client is talking about doing a study - that's worth $500. This interests Jessica and she secretly takes the info when the girl is not looking and plans on posing to be her at the study. Jess ends up going to the study only to tell them who she really is but ends up being a very interesting subject - Subject 52 to be exact, for Dr. Shield's and her team. Dr. Sheild's can't get enough. She asks Jessica back for more and has her answer some really deep questions. She makes her dig deep and if she thinks the answer is not deep enough she says "try again."

Eventually this evolves into a 1-on-1 study in Dr. Shield's house. Dr. Shield tells Jessica she will pay her a ton of money but things are about to go even deeper. Jess has bills to pay and family guilt to take care of so she agrees. What transpires in the rest of the book is insane. Love, lust, guilt, adultery, lies, etc. You name it, it's probably in here. Is all comes down to the question: "Is it worth it?"

I read this book in under 24 hours. If I didn't have to go to work today, I would have easily stayed up and read this all night and finished it in a few hours. I was so excited for the Wife Between Us by Greer and Sarah early last year but this one, in my opinion, is even better! I loved the short and fast paced chapters. They are not named with Jessica or Dr. Shield's names but you get a general gist of who's chapters are who's when you dive in.

I think what really won me over in this book was the overall complexity of each character. Just when I thought I had them figured out they really turned another way. Were there some parts that were predictable and maybe not as shocking as the anticipation in the beginning of the chapter made it out to be? Sure. But the weaving of the character's throughout each chapter and how many turns there were kept me engaged and hooked in for the ride.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my ARC of this book. This comes out, tomorrow, January 8th, 2019 and I highly recommend you pick it up!

Well, this book was definitely unique. After having read Greer Hendricks’ and Sarah Pekkanen’s debut novel The Wife Between Us, I was really excited to read their next collaboration. And this book did not disappoint. This was a fascinating psychological, cat-and-mouse with a great story-line and excellent characters. The chapters alternate between Jessica (Subject 52) and Dr. Shields (the person conducting the morality and ethics research project). It was fast-paced, full of suspense and drama right up to the end. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of Greer Hendricks' "An Anonymous Girl" in exchange of an honest review.

When Jessica Farris decides to sneak her way into a psychological study, she thinks the extra money will be good to help out her family and her own struggling finances. Dr. Shields seems like a caring doctor who while going through the study seems to be helping Jess with her own issues. But she's in for more than she bargained for. When the Q&A portion of the study is over, Dr. Shields sends Jess on different tasks throughout the city some of which turn out to be dangerous. Will she be able to get herself out of this situation before it takes a turn she can't undo?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have been looking forward to this book ever since I found out it was coming out at the end of last summer. Now it is finally here for everyone to enjoy.

This book is unlike any other book I have ever read. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, there is a twist and you're like What the ... ?

Jess Farris is a makeup artist in New York City. She has a few close friends, but she works just to live and to help her parents pay for her sister's medical bills. Jess could be any young woman in America. Trying to find her place in the world. When an opportunity presents itself, to earn a few extra dollars, who wouldn't jump on that? While reading this book, I could really feel myself in the characters shoes. I don't know that I would have been brave enough to do some of the things that Jess did, but trying unconventional things to earn money I can totally see myself doing.

What a great way to start 2019 with this amazing book. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did. I can't wait to discuss it with you. My first book and first 5 star. I hope the rest of my reading year goes as great as this first book does.

An Anonymous Girl, by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Short Take: I am never doing one of those surveys for money again. Like, EVER.

(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m always up for making a few extra bucks, and one of the easier ways to do so (if you have lots of free time & a high tolerance for being asked the same question 50 different ways) are those online survey sites. What’s good/bad about those things is how mundane and standardized they are - no matter how you answer a question, the next question is the same for everyone. I’d venture to say that most in-person research surveys function the same way (I haven’t done those, it’s too people-y out there). But the most important aspect of research surveys of either flavor is that they don’t impact your “real” life at all.

Enter Jessica Farris. A struggling makeup artist in New York City, she rushes from job to job, scrambling to make enough to cover her bills, and to send money back home to help care for her disabled sister, Becky. So it’s obviously Too Good To Be True when she is admitted (read: scams her way) into a lucrative gig. Take a survey on ethics and morality, with a few follow up sessions, and make several hundred dollars per session.

What Jessica doesn’t know is that Dr. Shields, the psychiatrist running the study, has an agenda that goes far beyond academic research, and it doesn’t take long for the tasks to move from a computerized survey to real-world “experiments”. Go to this hotel bar. Wear a black dress. Flirt with this man.

Jessica (of course) becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the entire process, but she has already confessed her Darkest Secret to Dr. Shields and is now unable to extricate herself without risking her relationships with everyone she cares about. As she desperately tries to find a way out, the doctor is just as determined to keep the experiment going, using every type of manipulation in a psychiatrist’s toolbox (and WHOA, there are a WHOLE LOT).

I’m just gonna stop with the plot description right here. If you’re reading this review, chances are, you’ve read a lot of psychological thrillers, and you already have a handle on the whole cat-and-grossly-outmatched-mouse thing. So I’m just going to say that Ms. Hendricks & Ms. Pekkanen knocked that one out of the park. Dr. Shields is brilliant, obsessive, and ice-cold, and Jessica’s anguish and confusion as she dives, headfirst and unprepared, into a thorny tangle of relationships, betrayals and lies is palpable.

As far as villains go, Dr. Shields is a really, really good one. I’ve spent a lot of words in the past about the obnoxious “criminal mastermind” cliche, and although the not-so-good doctor is scarily smart and observant, her genius runs in one compulsive direction. There’s no “psychiatrist who is great at studying and manipulating people who’s also a master hacker, bomb maker, and bazillionaire who has a torture palace the size of a city block that nobody knows about” here.

I have to add, also, that the chapters from Dr. Shields’ point of view maintain an unnervingly clinical, detached tone. It’s chilling, and maybe does more for the story than the actions and plot itself.

In the end though, An Anonymous Girl suffers from, well, the end. It’s not terrible, but kind of predictable and handled in an abrupt way that focuses on one character and leaves several plot threads involving others hanging. I would’ve liked some kind of epilogue, an update on [spoiler]’s life after the climactic final confrontation.

In the end though, An Anonymous Girl is a fun, twisty little thriller, and the research/experiments angle is something new & different.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and some grapes and brie - the snack of champion psychos!)

This is a pretty fascinating thriller from the authors of The Wife Between Us. Jessica Farris is a young woman living in NYC who is barely able to make ends meet working as a make-up artist, when she hears about an easy way to earn a quick $500--by taking part in a study on ethics and morality. But there is more going on here than meets the eye and Jess finds herself drawn into increasing questionable situations. Moral dilemmas are examined here--what would YOU do for money? When do you draw the line?

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley for my honest review. Many thanks!

Thank you St Martin’s Press for a copy of An Anonymous Girl for an honest review. Out tomorrow (January 8/19), this one finally satisfied my itch to read something really fast paced.
I could not put this one down. It was such an odd concept with such weird and unreliable narrators. Definitely not realistic or serious but fun and crazy.
Jessica signs up to be a part of a morality study for Dr Shields for the money. When she is selected for more sessions and the tests start getting more invasive, Jess realizes the study may be more personal for Dr Shields that she ever expected.

This is my first book by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and I liked the style. If you want something just a little off centre, full of twists that after a while they don’t even shock you because there are so many. I honestly just stopped trying to guess what was going on and read the story. I would love to see this one made into a 12 part limited series!

An Anonymous Girl has it all here to make it a fun and entertaining read with a few gasp-worthy moments. It’s pleasingly creepy in a psychological way. It has those fascinating elements to it like unreliable narrators, obsession, morality, secrets, danger and betrayal. It’s mildly dark, intriguing and suspenseful. Do I have you hooked or agreeing with me already?

The tension raises with each chapter as we see our main character Jessica’s POV and Dr. Lydia Shields second person narrative who is conducting an interesting and intriguing psychological study that explores ethics and morals. I was so fascinated by this study and secretly I would love to know the results of a real study similar to this but that is probably best left in books. I am so fascinated by moral and ethics and human behavior when it comes to that. So this one was right up my alley and it left me really thinking and pondering a few things in this story.

I really thought our writing duo here did a great job creating realistic and unique characters. I was a bit worried that Jessica might become a frustrating weak character but I found her to be strong and interesting.

Now on to the ending. I was a bit conflicted here with the end and even though there was some gasping going on from me I thought one part of the ending wasn’t so unique and I wish the authors would have wrapped that up differently. Anyways it doesn’t change my excitement for this one. I highly recommend.

First, I am not going to be the one to give anything away... it would spoil everything! This is an extremely well-crafted book. I was taken by these authors from the start.

Tale a medical professional with a study that needs participants...and a woman who is at the end of her rope...desperate for a way to have the money she needs. This is your set up and the way it progresses will take you on a ride you will not exist until the very end.

“One of them is lying. But who?”

Well HELLO! What an inventive story! One of my favorite writing duos has written another absolutely thrilling book that is filled with mystery, passion and intrigue. And one of the most memorable main characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading! This MUST be made into a movie and no one other than Nicole Kidman can play the role of Dr. Shields. Also I love when New Yorkers write about New York. The city is almost another character in the book.

I read and loved 'The Wife Between Us' which I still continue to recommend to all. And 'An Anonymous Girl' was just as enthralling from the very beginning. The clever plot intrigued me and stunned me until the very end.

Jessica is a struggling make-up artist who takes part in a test at a local university. The paid morality study is administered by the mysterious Dr. Shields and it soon becomes clear that there are many forces at play here.

"Sometimes a test is so small and quiet you don't even notice it's a test."

Everyone has secrets to hide and they will all pay a dear price to keep those secrets hidden. Each character here is nuanced and multi-faceted. This is an incredibly smart and witty thriller that was simply unputdownable. I am being intentionally vague on the plot because this book is best read without knowing too much about the story.

“We all have reasons for our actions. Even if we hide the reason from those who think they know us best. Even if the reasons are so deeply buried we can’t recognize them ourselves.”

'An Anonymous Girl' is a highly original and smart psychological thriller about lies, relationships and ethics. I highly recommend this story and it is definitely one of my top favorite books of 2019. All the praise to Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen!

I had high expectations for Anonymous Girl after Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s first novel, The Wife Between Us, but unfortunately this one did not satisfy my thriller craving.

Jess is a makeup artist in New York City who is struggling to provide for her family back home when an opportunity presents itself for her to make some extra money by participating in a psychological study. The study is routine at first. She is asked to answer questions on a computer, but as they become more personal, she answers something right (or wrong) and Dr. Shields asks her to become a subject in a special individual study. Jess is suddenly asked to perform mysterious tasks and interact with various strangers. Dr. Shields is a stranger herself, and there is a lot of mystery surrounding her marriage and her research.

Though my description is vague, the goal of Dr. Shields’ study is clear early on. And for me, everything was clear early on. Between the characters, it’s all about who knows what, and who knows what whom else knows…this is giving me a flashback to a particular “friends” episode! There was one thing I didn’t see coming, but because it seems so implausible that it didn’t resonate with me.

To be honest, the story in itself is interesting, but I kept hoping for more or for a twist that never came. I am really undecided about the rating on this, because despite the lack of suspense, I did enjoy reading it. It is well written and I think the story had potential. If aspects such as Jess’ home life or abusive relationship were explored more, it could have had more value. As a thriller, it is just not that thrilling. I read this novel fairly quickly and there were some moments when I was routing for the main character, especially in her love life, so for that I am giving it three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a psychological thriller by the authors of The Wife Between Us and holy cow was it a thriller. The story takes place in New York City and there are 2 narrators, Jessica Farris and Dr. Shields. Sometimes when there are more than 1 narrator, it can become confusing, but not in this novel. The writers did an excellent job of making major changes between the characters tones to really set them apart. Without too many spoilers, Dr. Shields is conducting a psychological study and Jessica volunteers.

I was drawn in immediately by Jessica, who seemed a bit flighty and probably pretty unreliable. She honestly reminded me of a party girl on Sex In The City. Once Jessica started in the study, oh I could not put the book down. I found myself reading faster and faster trying to see how everything was going to play out. I DID NOT see that coming wow. This book was a fantastic start for 2019 and I can only hope their next novel is just as great!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was just a dull and uninteresting book. I got no enjoyment from it at all. I was happy to be finished with it.