It took me about 100 pages to really get into the book but after that I couldn’t put it down. The twists and turns, the question I kept trying to answer while reading before they were answered. The anticipation of what would come next. It was exciting, suspenseful and left me in awe until the very end.

An Anonymous Girl, by co-authors Greer Hendricks, and Sarah Pekkanen, is their follow up to 2018's The Wife Between Us which has apparently been picked up as a possible movie by Amblin Entertainers. 28-year old Jessica Farris is a Beauty Buzz Cosmetics specialist who struggles to pay her bills. Jess moved to NYC dreaming of a career in the theater. After a visit to a client, Jessica discovers that a professor named Dr. Shields is offering $500 for a ethics and morality study.

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

Finding extra money to send home to her parents and special needs sister, who she supports, sounds like a fantastic opportunity. The questions start out innocent enough but get darker and deeper as she continues. They range from questions like can you tell a lie without feeling guilt? Have you ever kept a secret from someone you loved to avoid upsetting them? After the first part of the questions are over, Jessica meets the mysterious Dr. Shields.

As the study goes on, Jessica finds herself in a quagmire of her own doing, really. She opens up about secrets that she has never told anyone, but is the money really worth the emotional toll? Readers will ask ourselves just how far and how deep would we get involved What motivates us in our own lives to make the moral choices that we do? Is there ever a line drawn and set in concrete or is it a moveable barrier depending on odd circumstances? Is bartering an option?

As the sessions continue, and the payoff increases, Jess can't help but wonder what the study really is all about. Dr. Shields starts to tell Jess where to go, how to dress, and whom to meet—and in some cases, that entails striking up a conversation with a specific man. Dr. Shields watches from behind the scenes and snares Jessica into a web of deceit and trickery to expose her own husbands infidelity. Jessica ends up so deeply trapped in the study, that she can't get out of, even once she learns how dangerous it is and how far Dr. Shields will go.

This is a cleverly written psychological thriller full of deceit, obsession, twists and unreliable narrators. I haven't read the Wife Between Us yet, but I might just as well since I now have some understanding at how well these writers actually work together. It's also nice to have new authors churning out entertaining books, instead of the same repetitiveness that leaves us with Hollywood making the same movies over and over again.

WOW! What a ride. Absolutely fantastic. Couldn't put it down. Oh I know we shouldn't use such a pat phrase when reviewing, but some books just can't be put down.

I love a mystery that keeps me on my toes and this did. Highly recommend.

I have never read this author before but I will read them again for sure! This is a very intriguing suspenseful book! Just as soon as you think you have something figured out, forget that thought because you are going to turn the page and things will change again! Great book! Thanks!

This book was a crazy rollercoaster! The authors roped me in right from the first chapter. This was definitely a fast-paced, fun read. I thought that the characters were well-developed and the storyline flowed well. I don’t want to give away too much from the review, as I think that the reader should just go in knowing as little as possible to get the most enjoyment from the story. All I can say is that it won’t disappoint. Looking forward to their next novel. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

"Forgiveness is not always possible; forgetting is unrealistic."
A psychological thriller that truly had me guessing until the last chapter.
What a young girl will do for money to pay her bills and help her parents is how this all starts.
Jess needs money, but at what price?
Secrets she has hidden from her family, begin to come out when she participates in a study that states "Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed." Simple and easy? OH NO IT IS NOT!
The plot begins to thicken as you will soon see.
This is the second novel I have read by the two authors and it left nothing unturned! It will keep you guessing and definitely on your toes until the last page!
Well done!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen centers on makeup artist Jessica. She receives word about a well-paid study on ethics and morality and enters the study. Approached a few sessions in about the study moving to a real-world setting, Jessica agrees to participate. She trusts Dr. Shields but soon finds herself in some uncomfortable scenarios.

The book made me sensitive to personal ethics and morality. Becoming so focused on this made me a bit emotional. At one point, Jessica had a moment of realization that brought me to tears.

Subtle nuances would adjust whose point of view I trusted. Just when I figured things out, the reveal of more deceit changed my perception. I spent a good deal of the book trying to anticipate how Jessica would come out of the book unscathed. I never did figure it out beforehand.

When the plot progresses, and Jessica understands the threats surrounding her, it was so tense I never could quite relax while reading. I consider any book that can draw those responses from me well above average.

A strong theme here is how secrets can condemn in the end. By the book's climax, every character pays in some way for the truths they did not share. Although, ironically, a lie helps one of them in the end.

There is a logic behind the character's reactions. However, the worst offender of them didn't receive the right type of justice. A part of me feels sorry for the way things turned out. The manipulation perpetrated by one individual wasn't well punished in my eyes.

An Anonymous Girl is one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read. Not only does it immerse you in an intense web of manipulation, but it also makes you evaluate on a personal level. St. Martin's Press, through NetGalley, gave me a copy of this book for my honest opinion. I suggest all readers come to their own conclusions.

I have to say that despite the hype surrounding the release of this novel, I can only give it two stars. The description drew me in, but the book failed to fully deliver on its promises.

It begins in first person POV with the heroine, Jessica, narrating in present tense. It takes a while to get much information about her other than her profession and the fact that she’s strapped for cash. There’s a lot of “showing”, but, you know what? Sometimes you’ve just got to “tell” to get certain info out there and it is slow to come. Sure, I guess they wanted her to be anonymous even to the reader, but it meant that I personally struggled to care about Jessica at all.

The book also alternates narrators every chapter with the other half of them being told by Dr. Shields in second person, present tense, with a passive voice. If you don’t know what passive voice means, it’s, “The drink was set on the table. The chair was pulled out.” It was annoying in my opinion rather than giving me whatever kind of experience the authors intended. I simply didn’t care about Dr. Shields. The antagonist could have just as easily have been a sentient rock.

Of course, I won’t be letting any spoilers slip, but I will say this: The premise itself was intriguing: Can you really trust anyone? And, as the story got going, I enjoyed the plot. The twists were heavily telegraphed, so there were no real surprises for me, but it held my interest enough to finish. Jessica was a TSTL archetype right up until the very end and earned quite a few eyerolls. I felt that her naïveté would have been more believable if she’d been written as much younger than twenty-eight (age gathered from context).

All in all, the unnatural narration style didn’t add anything to the story. In fact, I feel that it would have been a much better novel with Lydia Shields’ POV chapters eliminated entirely. It would have allowed me to connect with Jessica without the antagonist’s interruptions and it would have let all those promised twists and turns actually take me by surprise.

An Anonymous Girl is a clever psychological suspense thriller, set in New York City about a young woman who is cynically manipulated by a sociopathic but charismatic psychiatrist for their own ends. I have not read The Wife Between Us yet, but will be remedying that before too long. A large proportion of my GR friends have already read this, and most have given it 4 or 5 stars.

This is definitely one where it’s best to avoid spoilers to get the most out of it. I can say that Jess is a freelance make-up artist, struggling financially because she feels compelled to help with her sister’s medical bills, so when the opportunity to make a large amount of money by joining a psychological study, she barely hesitates, and soon finds herself drawn into a dangerous game that she can’t escape.

Written in mostly alternating chapters, Jess in the first person present (which I normally dislike but it works here) and the mysterious Dr Shields in second person present, which is a lot less common, and does jar a bit, but this style does feel necessary for the plot. This is a collaboration between two authors and I’m not sure if they did one voice each? It’s an effective and unusual narrative method that certainly helps the book stand out from all the other psychological thrillers being released.

We are gradually drip-fed information as the tension rises, and while I wouldn’t say that the twists are particularly shocking, I didn’t know where it was going to go, but liked the ending. The moral questions raised by the study would make this a good book club choice I think.

My thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
An Anonymous Girl is released on January 8th 2019.

This is the first time I have read anything from this author duo but it won’t be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed An Anonymous Girl once I figured out who was who. I found the beginning of the book somewhat dragging and it took me a couple of starts before I really got into it.

I find two POVs confusing and think that was what led me to stumble in the beginning. I don’t think that having two POVs helped the book and would probably eliminate it.

I totally recommend this book and give it 4 stars.

Let's put it this way: WOW! Poor Jess just wants to make a little extra money to help her family out with her disabled sister. The secrets, the twists, the insanity all pile up pretty quickly and soon neither Jess nor the reader can figure out what is the truth, and more importantly, how to survive. I would love to know how the authors set out to write the story together. Do they enjoy a glass of whine, rub their hands together, and cackle about what they are going to put their characters and readers through? I imagine they must! But this book does take a bit of patience as there are so many twists and turns and possibilities that it is easy to get lost. Definitely well worth the time!

Wow! What an addictive read! I can see why An Anonymous Girl by Hendricks and Pekkanen is one of the most anticipated mysteries of 2019.. I read so many thrillers it's rare that I have one that keeps me guessing.

The book is about a makeup artist who signs up to take a psychological test on ethics and morals for financial compensation. The study is being conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, who is administrating the study for self-serving motives. Let the game of cat and mouse begin. Who is playing? Who can you trust?

This thriller is worth all the hype. I was totally blown away! I haven't stopped ;raving about it since. Highly recommended!


Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Greer Hendrichs and Sarah Pekkanen for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

As they approach the precipice that definitively separated adolescence from adulthood, some people aspire to glamorous careers.

They want to be actors or models or professional athletes...or writers.

Often, they are so sure of their future success — so unafraid of starving to death or falling destitute and being forced to live in some urban gutter with only the Ninja Turtles as company — that they fully commit to this dream. They leave behind the safety of their rural hometowns or cozy and convenient suburbs and moving to a dense, bustling, urban area.

Unlike these confident youths, I was decidedly more trepidatious as I peered over that steep cliff and looked down at the exceedingly rocky shore of independence.

As I approached new adulthood, I was certain of one only thing — my inability to succeed in a highly competitive field.

Sure, I had a stellar academic track record to recommend me, but competition had never been my strength.

Of particular note was my ineptitude in the field of athletics.

I never won.

Anything.

Not a gym-class soccer game.

Not a recess footrace.

Not so much as a fucking thumb war.

And it was probably because of my gold-star record as a professional loser that I decided on an innocuous, secure career in education.

That option felt… comfortable… straightforward… achievable.

I felt safe in my plan to move back to my affluent(ish) suburb and burn through my days on this planet teaching disinterested students how to properly conjugate the “be” verb.

Since making this pretty-fucking-important decision, there have been times I have questioned my choice.

Maybe if I'd majored in creative writing instead — or if I had just womaned up and moved to New York or London or anywhere with a literary scene — maybe I would have found success more quickly. If I’d just been a little bit brave and a little bit less analytical, I would have been younger when I began earning money writing — which is the only thing I've ever really wanted to do.

Coincidentally, I had actually been in a cycle of thinking about this very thing when I read this book.

And as I set down the finished novel and took a deep breath I thought...

“Nah. I made a good choice. I'm happy with my choice.”

Why the suddenly definitive feeling of validation nearly two-fucking-decades since I selected which of the two paths that diverged in the wood I would take?

Because the protagonist of this novel, Jessica, choose the other one.

And it didn’t work out all that well for her.

Unlike yours truly, Jessica Farris aspired to something, if not great, at least fancy. She wanted to work on Broadway as a makeup artist.

Equipped with both skills and confidence, she moved to the city and had a go at it.

And she was successful… for a time.

But, as the book opens, she’s in a slump. She’s working as a traveling makeup artist for Beauty Buzz, schlepping all over New York City and doing up the faces of housewives or socialites or — as is the case of the client at the start of this novel — spoiled college girls who are just going to get drunk and cry in the bathroom anyways, so shouldn’t really even both with contouring.

When Jessica is on this work assignment she, by happenstance, finds out about a paid study in which the girl whose makeup she is so expertly applying is supposed to participate in the morning. When it becomes clear to Jessica that this silver-spoon-coddled student isn’t sufficiency influenced by $500 to actually participate in the study, she develops a plan to take her place.

And that’s how Jessica meets Dr. Shields, the head of the study in question who is as mysterious as she is glamorous.

While Jessica only intends to be some anonymous girl, who answers some questions and collects her rather generous reward, Dr. Shields has other ideas. She sees something in Jessica and recruits her to participate in a more… involved study.

Though Jessica initially agrees, as her relationship with Dr. Shields continues to develop and the tasks she’s assigned grow increasingly worrisome, she begins to question the motives of the doctor, the purpose of the study and the soundness of her decision to continue to participate.

Like Jessica, who found herself immediately enamored with the pashmina-wearing Dr. Shields, I was initially drawn into this novel.

But it wasn’t Dr. Shields who captured my attention, it was Jessica.

She’s just the type of protagonist to whom I tend to develop an attachment.

Not only was Jessica a round character, with endearing depth to her personality and a… spunk… that I find kind of satisfying, she was also a deeply flawed character.

And I definitely tend to be a sucker for deeply flawed characters.

What can I say… I guess I love broken people.

Because Jessica had a believably rich backstory and, when we met her, was down on her luck, she was easy to both empathize with and root for.

So I read through most of the novel with a vested interest in Jessica’s physical and mental well being and… for, say 90% of the novel … enjoyed it.

I mean, sure, Jessica did get a little “Whoa is me” at points, but I can’t say that I blamed her.

This... whiney… attitude didn’t hurt my opinion of the book because it was believable. I’d be a whiney ass bitch, too, if half this shit was happening to me.

What did hurt my opinion of the novel, though, was the ending.

*Spoiler Alert*

As we move through the book we discover that Dr. Shields gives two fucks about Jessica — obviously — and that she’s only using her to, basically, get back at her estranged husband.

Though savvy readers will likely suspect Dr. Shields’ nefarious intentions pretty early on, by the time we — and really Jessica for that matter — know for certain that the doctor is up to no good Jessica is too far in to gracefully — or safely — bow out of the arrangement.

As the novel draws to a close, it seems that a happy ending just isn’t to be had. Struggle as she might, Jessica only seems to sink further into the mire.

But, then, Dr. Shields kills herself.

So. Yeah. Nah.

I do not believe that it would have ended that way.

I mean, sure, Jessica had finally developed a bit of the an upperhand.

But seriously. No.

Love her or hate her, Dr. Shields was a bad-ass bitch and I absolutely don’t believe that she would have slunk off into the night and killed herself so… passively.

It’s not that I don’t think she’s fucked up enough to end her own life.

I just think she would have made sure she went out with a bang, not a whimper.

*End Spoilers*

As is, unfortunately, so often the case, it was the conclusion that really sank this one for me.

I would recommend — and have already recommended — this book to fans of pure thrillers, but I didn’t find the depth in this novel that I had hoped… the depth that is necessary to transcend the oft-maligned thriller genre and be a standalone, stellar, work of literature.

This one earns 3 out of 5 cocktails.

4.5 Stars

This book was so good. I'm always curious with a dual author, who wrote what and who decided the plot and characters. What an interesting work dynamic, and one that I will continue to look forward to. I was a psychology major in college so I was deeply invested in the premise. Jessica Farris is a struggling makeup artist living in a studio apartment in NYC with her dog, Leo. Her family is in Allentown and taking care of her sister, who was injured in an accident. Jessica finds herself going to participate in a study run by a psychiatrist about morality and ethics. She needs the cash and how hard can it be, right? Suddenly, Jessica finds herself being asked to participate past the point of comfort and finds herself in a dangerous situation. Can she survive it? Or will she take the path of subject 5??

This book was so good. I really enjoyed the psychology study aspect and Jessica's character was well developed. Not all good or bad, but somewhere in between (which is where we all lie, right?). I loved the Dr Shields character and the twisty goodness of this book. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how it would all wrap up. It did- the ending was a bit clunky, but overall I would highly recommend this one.

Get ready, dear readers, because Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are here again to treat your mind like their plaything. You may think you know where this book is headed, but even if you're right, you have no idea how Hendricks and Pekkanen will take you there.

Jessica is one of those young women who has carved out a fairly comfortable life for herself. A makeup artist in New York, she may not be working in film and theatre, but that doesn't mean she can't support herself. The problem is that there is never quite enough money; Jess also secretly helps her parents pay for some assistance services for her disabled sister. So when the opportunity to make $500 by taking part in a psychological study presents itself, Jess decides to do it.

If you read Hendricks' and Pekkanen's previous novel, <em><a href="http://www.voxlibris.net/?p=7987">The Wife Between Us</a></em>, you expect twists and turns. Your first sense that the authors have a character you need to treat with great suspicion arrives when you meet the doctor conducting the study, the forboding Dr. Shields. You also sense that Jess needs to tread carefully with Dr. Shields, so when she divests herself of personal, private information, you want to reach into the book, shake her, and beg her to stop.

Whereas the plot twists in <em>The Wife Between Us</em> felt shocking, I anticipated what would happen in <em>An Anonymous Girl</em>. And yet I also found this book to be more satisfying than its predecessor. The anticipation builds dread and fear as what you expect to happen begins to unfold. It is chilling.

The ending feels bittersweet. There is something I desperately wish would happen--a bit of closure I want that Hendricks and Pekkanen deny me. As I always attest, however, authors who are strongest at their craft do not give you the story you want; they give you the story you need. That certainly is the case with <em>An Anonymous Girl</em>.

This was a well written book. I'm so impressed with the level of detail the author provided through out the story. I flew through the book because you just can't put it down as you may miss what's going to happen next....
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of An Anonymous Girl. This review is in my own words.

The Wife Between Us, Hendricks and Pekkanen previous book was one of my favorite books of 2018. As soon as I saw a new book was being published I knew I had to read it. Even though I absolutely loved The Wife Between Us but in my opinion An Anonymous Girl was even better.

In all honesty, I am still thinking about this book , that is how good it is. Every minute, every word is worth the time you spend on it. The characters, the plot, the setting, all of it makes this book a marvelous read. It kept me intrigued, invested in the characters and what I loved the most was that unexpected ending and all the suspense leading to it. I was fascinated how the authors managed the dual POV, going back and forth between the two main characters, the amount of detail they put into it without being boring or adding unnecessary story lines. I also loved how the subjects of morality and honesty are explored, a very different take from other books which is what makes this book so unique and interesting.

An Anonymous Girl, an addictive, intriguing thriller that I recommend and cannot wait to read more book from these Authors.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy

“Sometimes the people who seem the most accomplished and together are the ones that can hurt you the deepest.”

A 28-year-old makeup artist looking to make quick cash signs up for a morality study that blurs reality from manipulation in AN ANONYMOUS GIRL.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen ratchet tension in this unnerving, twisty psychological suspense that probes how far someone will go for love, for money, and how sometimes, obsession can unleash a darker side in us all.

We meet Jessica Farris, a Manhattan makeup artist struggling to make ends meet. During a session with a client she overhears something about an ethics and morality study with a high pay day—just a few questions for $500. The next day, she shows up for the study and becomes Subject 52.

Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?

Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?

Should a punishment always fit the crime?

The questions rattle Jessica. Intimate and dangerous, grating the surface of her deeply buried secrets.

“This test can free you, Subject 52. Surrender to it.”

And yet, she continues, that day and the next, until she meets with the mysterious Dr. Lydia Shields, who leads the study.

Elegant and poised, Dr. Shields draws Jessica deeper into the study. The checks are getting bigger but the asks are getting bigger too. There’s role play (wear this, flirt with that man at the bar), temptation, and everything begins to feel like a test. Everything seems strange, skirting a perilous edge that could send her life into freefall.

“The original study has been indefinitely suspended. You, Subject 52, have become my sole focus.”

Then Jessica learns about Subject 5—it’s not clear what happened to her. She catches Dr. Shields in a lie, and then another. And before too long, she finds herself entrenched in a situation that has unraveled beyond control. In a situation that may not have an out.

As with THE WIFE BETWEEN US, this is a tale of two women hiding secrets, their thoughts and point-of-views imparted through cleverly wrought split narration.

Hendricks and Pekkanen adeptly escalate as the novel progresses, drawing the reader deeper into the story which has become increasingly unsettling and tense. Some secrets and intentions are revealed, and yet, the authors save one final, gasp-inducing punch at the end.

It’s a must read for avid readers of the genre, and one that lingers after the final page.

What an awesome ride this book was! An Anonymous Girl is a smart, captivating psychological thriller with just the right amount of suspense.

This was my first book by the dynamic duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and I am HOOKED! I absolutely loved their writing style and the distinct voices of the two narrators. It was so well written, the plot unfolded in a logical way, and the pacing was great.

I loved seeing the inner workings of the main characters’ minds and the cat and mouse game that ensued from their interactions. Reading this was like watching a long and excellent episode of “Law & Order: Criminals Intent” and I loved every minute of it! If you enjoy psychological thrillers, I highly recommend this book!

Authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have teamed up to create another spellbinding, spine-tingling novel of psychological suspense. An Anonymous Girl is the second book they've written together, and I hope there are many more to come.

Jess is a twenty-something makeup artist who is looking for a quick and easy way to make some extra cash. Doing other people's makeup is something she loves, but the pay isn't the best, and Jess could use a little something extra. So, when she hears about a study on ethics and morality being conducted by a psychology professor at a nearby college, she decides to check it out. After all, it promises to compensate generously, and she figures there's no harm in answering a few questions.

Unfortunately for Jess, the study turns out to be far more intense than she was expecting. The initial interview sessions seem pretty standard and the pay is great, but things take a sinister turn when Dr. Shields, the professor in charge of the study, begins arranging outings for Jess. These outings might seem innocent enough, but Jess doesn't understand why Dr. Shields is telling her what to wear and how to act while she's out. She considers dropping out of the study, but the promise of a pay increase is something she can't turn down, so, against her better judgement, she continues to participate.

What follows is one of the creepiest stories I've had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. The reader knows almost immediately that Dr. Shields is up to no good, but it takes Jess quite a bit longer to figure this out. This kind of set-up doesn't always work for me, because I tend to lose patience with the characters since I know more about what's going on than they do, but here, the authors did a fantastic job of feeding me just enough information to keep me fully engaged at all times without taking away from the impact of the big reveal.

Most of the story is told from Jess's point of view, but we are treated to some chapters from Dr. Shield's perspective as well. I found Jess to be a very relatable character, but my favorite portions of the novel were those that allowed me to see into the mind of the villain. Since I read a ton of psychological thrillers, the antagonists can sometimes feel like carbon copies of one another, but that wasn't the case with Dr. Shields. Her mind is a dark and twisted place, and her motivations were unlike any I've come across before.

Jess is definitely the heroine of this story, but she's not a narrator you can fully trust. Her involvement in the study causes her to become quite paranoid and confused at times, making it difficult to tell what's real and what is a product of her slowly fragmenting psyche. I loved this aspect of An Anonymous Girl since unreliable narrators are my catnip, but I know it won't appeal to everyone.

I could go on and on about all the things I loved about this book, but instead, I'll simply urge you to pick up a copy for yourself as soon as you possibly can. It's a story that's guaranteed to keep you reading late into the night, and I doubt you'll view surveys or medical studies in quite the same way after you reach the end.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
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