3.5 Stars

After reading The Wife Between Us earlier this year and An Anonymous Girl this past week, one thing is certain: Hendricks and Pekkanen can write.

An Anonymous Girl tells the story of Jess, a struggling makeup artist and her relationship with psychiatrist Dr. Lydia Shields, who’s using Jess in a morality study she’d conducting. While at the beginning everything seems kosher, a plot of deceit, misdirection, and control slowly unravels. The heart of the story looks at morality, love, and ethics taking great stake in examining the relationship between the three. There are plenty of red-herrings and twists making Jess (and the reader) double guess many things; however, just as in The Wife Between Us, I was never fully shocked by these. In this case though, it didn’t take away from the pleasure of reading this book and discovering the truth of Dr. Shields real motives and reasons.

This was one of those books where I kept changing my mind as the book played out. As one of the secrets was revealed, I thought its ramifications would be extensive. In the back of my mind, I was playing with different scenarios as I read, wondering where this would all lead to. I didn’t want to trust anyone, everyone was evil, but in reality, someone had to be good, right?

Jessica lives alone and she is proud of this accomplishment. As a traveling make-up artist, she gets a variety of clientele and she finds her way into a variety of addresses. She is making it, just making it and when she hears about an opportunity to make an extra $500, she grabs it.

Her client is a no-show, so Jessica invites herself in for the survey. Sitting alone, Jessica must be honest as she answers the computer questions. Becoming more sensitive and developed as she moves through the survey, Jessica feels exposed as she answers each sequential question on the survey. Hesitant to continue, she does as she could really use the money. These morality and ethic questions were harder than Jessica anticipated.

After continuing her first set of questions and receiving her money, Jessica is invited back for more testing and more money. The thoughts of how this money could help her parents and her disabled sister go through her mind.

Reading flashbacks, I learn about Jessica as she grew up and about her relationship with her sister. I learn a lot about Jessica from her flashbacks, she seems like a quiet person who has learned to cope with life on her own, and she has her own secrets. These flashbacks are an important part of the novel.
The novel picks up when Jessica decides to do the second survey. Jessica knows what to expect when she arrives on testing day yet the test still takes its toll on Jessica as she answers the questions.

The novel takes on this tantalizing and creepy feeling as Jessica is roped right into the madness. Jessica is loving the money while acting like a puppet on a string. Dr. Shields has Jessica performing a variety of tests for her research project. Poor Jessica, I wasn’t feeling good about this.

This is my second novel by this author. I also read The Wife Between Us which I loved. I was so excited to get my hands on this book. I can’t wait to see what Greer Hendricks will write next, for I am ready.

This book was given to me in both print format and via NetGalley, by the publishers, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I really liked The Wife Between Us by the same author, so I thought I'd like this book too and once I started reading it I couldn't put this book down!

Jessica is a makeup artist in NYC who volunteers for a psychological study to make some money. She starts answering questions and the person running the study asks her to come back the next day. The questions are really personal and intrusive, and Jessica can't stop thinking about them (and the money she's getting paid is great) so she goes back. By the time she realizes what's happening, the doctor running the study has Jessica doing all kinds of weird things and Jessica is getting suspicious.

I don't want to write any spoilers but you have to read this book! One of the best of the year in my opinion.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Farris appears to be like any other struggling young woman trying to make it in the Big Apple.  However, like all of us, she has her secrets and she tells her lies.  So, when she makes a split second decision to do the unthinkable - pretend to be someone else so that she can earn some quick money in a psychological survey - her life is turned upside down.  Will she make the right choices or will she fail the test?

As soon as Jessica enters the study, things get weird.  At first, it all seems normal, just answering questions on a computer anonymously.  But then, she's invited to join an expansion of the study and that's when it gets real.

From the very beginning, An Anonymous Girl draws you in.  The prologue alone was enough to make me sit up and take notice, not something that happens very often with a novel of any kind.  Having studied psychology at one time, the questions posed and the manipulations used fascinated me.  The deception and manipulations are implemented so well that half the time Jessica doesn't know if she's telling the truth or misremembering.  And neither does the reader.  That is the thing that propelled me to the end.

I read and loved the authors' previous novel, The Wife Between Us.  It was an intense ride that left you wondering right up until the very end.  An Anonymous Girl delivers the same psychological punch, keeping you guessing right until the last page.

*review will post to my blog on 1/8/19 when book releases.

Jessica’s and Dr. Shields’ narratives and skewed perspectives drew me in from the get-go. Their evolving connection starts off as a slow burn but about midway, the story really kicks into high gear. Loved and despised these obsessive and flawed characters, the imaginative storyline and slow-building tension.

*will post in online venues closer to publication date

“Every lifetime contains pivot points - sometimes flukes of destiny, sometimes seemingly preordained - that shape and eventually cement one’s path.” - Dr. Shields

Twenty eight-year-old Jessica Farris stumbles across one of these life-defining moments one seemingly ordinary day on her job as a make-up artist. While working on the face of a young woman headed out for a night of NYC clubbing, Jessica learns about an ethics and morality study for women ages 18-32, which is being held at a local university. Jessica’s client, Taylor, is supposed to participate in the study in the morning, but says that she plans to blow it off. Jessica is intrigued by the study, not to mention it’s an easy way to make $500 bucks - so she makes a snap decision to show up in Taylor’s place, pretending to be her.

When Jessica arrives at the university, she has no idea what to expect - this is a morality study, but what kind of information are they looking for? All Jessica’s fears fall to the wayside however, after she enters the classroom and begins answering questions posed by Dr. Shields, the professor in charge of the study. Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt? Describe a time in your life when you cheated. Would you cancel plans with a friend for a better offer? Jessica finds the questions easy to answer, and actually finds some relief in unburdening herself from the secrets she has been carrying.

Jessica soon proves to be an interesting subject to the elusive Dr. Shields, and is invited back for more sessions. At $500 a pop, Jessica can hardly say no. However, Dr. Shields’ invasive questions begin to probe deeper into areas of Jessica’s life that she’s not comfortable talking about. Who is this Dr. Shields? Why has Jessica proven to be such a fascinating subject? And just how far will this study push Jessica’s limits?

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have teamed up again after 2018’s smash hit, The Wife Between Us, to tell the story of An Anonymous Girl. Perfect for the psychological suspense lover, An Anonymous Girl slowly builds tension, beginning with a seemingly innocuous series of morality tests, before turning into a full-blown battle of wits.

With characters who slowly reveal damaging details about themselves, and an intriguing plot set against the backdrop of human morality and ethics, An Anonymous Girl explores just how far people will go to hide their secrets, protect their loved ones, and present a seemingly perfect life to the world. While the twists here won’t make your head spin, there is still enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages late into the night.

While most of this novel works, the story’s main fault comes in the form of the single-faceted Dr. Shields, who could stand to be fleshed out more. Due to the narrative structure, Dr. Shields always feels to be commenting and observing from afar, making the character feel rather aloof and distant, unlike that of Jessica, who is a fascinating character with many layers for readers to ponder and explore.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Riveting, absolutely unputdownable & totally mind-blowing stuff!

This was an absolutely fantastic psychological thriller novel that I devoured in less than 24 hrs. This books unique storyline immediately drew me in and had me on the edge of my seat for the entirety of reading this book. The pacing and short chapters made this an extremely fast read.

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL by GREER HENDRICKS AND SARAH PEKKANEN is a compelling, thrilling, twisted, and rapid-paced read that was so darn entertaining and exciting to read. The intensity level of this novel was so high that my thoughts and feelings never wavered once while reading this book.

GREER HENDRICKS and SARAH PEKKANEN delivers quite the fascinating, intriguing, suspenseful and well-written read here with great characters, a unique premise and an extremely enthralling storyline. There was this deep suspenseful undertone to this novel that gets more exciting, intriguing and intense as the novel progressed.

I absolutely loved the way that this story was told and thoroughly enjoyed both perspectives equally. The cat and mouse game between our main characters was probably one of the most unnerving that I have ever read which made it all the more exciting.

Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

The psychology study was one of the most clever, intriguing and entertaining hook that I have yet read and I applaud the authors for immediately absorbing me in this storyline and making this another all consuming read for me.

Publishing Date: January 8, 2019

Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Eye-catching, intriguing, alluring, and ominous. Definitely a creepy feeling happening here with this cover which represents the storyline extremely well.
Title: Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and absolutely love how the title plays so fittingly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, engaging, captivating, and smart.
Plot: Creative, thought-provoking, suspenseful, gripping, fast-paced, absorbing, enjoyable and extremely entertaining. I absolutely loved how thrilling this storyline was with all of its subtle twists and turns!
Ending: Wow an absolutely perfect resolution that I was extremely satisfied with.
Overall: A fascinating read that had me totally engrossed from start to finish! I absolutely loved being caught up in the web of deceit and had no clue how this one was all going to play out. Would highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave.

Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?

But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding.

Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?

As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

Question #3: Should a punishment always fit the crime?

From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us comes an electrifying new novel about doubt, passion, and just how much you can trust someone.



My Thoughts: Caught up immediately in the events of An Anonymous Girl, I was intrigued…and then concerned for Jessica’s ultimate fate. A New York makeup artist, Jessica is struggling financially, and is often exhausted from work. She lives in a tiny studio apartment with her dog Leo.

She also feels guilty about her parents’ financial circumstances because of something that happened years before. The money from the study could help.

Our story is told by alternating narrators, with someone who appears anonymous as one of them, but that person clearly seems to be directing Jessica’s life. And soon the director is obsessed with everything Jessica does, and, in fact, seems to know everything she is doing and keeps ahead of her along the way.

As the intensity increases, my concern for Jessica grows exponentially. Who, if anyone, can she trust? What events will lead her to the edge and change her life forever?

I was addicted to finding out, while cheering for Jessica. Would she escape from the clutches of her “director,” or would she fail?

A beautifully crafted tale with lots of red flags and a cautionary undercurrent, I could not put it down. 5 stars.***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

*I needed time to process this before even leaving a rating. The epilogue left a very bad taste in my mouth.*

Jessica Farris is a young woman trying to make it in New York as a make-up artist. She’s struggling to support herself, so when she finds out about a research study opportunity that offers a hefty pay check just for doing a couple of computer surveys, she ends up sneaking herself into the study. But the questions quickly become more intense and personal than she anticipated, and the sessions evolve into real life exercises where she’s told what to do and how to dress. Who is the mysterious Dr. Shields and what is this study really about?

This was a very intriguing, intense book. It had me anxiously (and often nervously) flipping pages. It’s told through two character’s points of views, in alternating chapters, so you get to see the two sides of the story unfolding almost simultaneously. There were so many twists that I didn’t entirely see coming!

One issue I had with this book was that none of the characters were particularly likable. That in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing - not all people are likable so not all book characters will be, either. The thing that was really hard for me, though, was the epilogue. If it had ended without that, I think the book would have been better for me. I like to see positive character growth in book characters. This particular character was fairly intelligent, and learned rather quickly how to adapt to her environment and situations. By the epilogue, though, you see her take it too far. She uses that intelligence and cunning in a negative way, and that was very disappointing to me.

However, despite that, I still have to give this book 4 stars. It was, as I said, very intense. I was never entirely sure what was really going on, or who was who. I enjoyed reading this book, even though I didn’t particularly like the very ending. It’s one that would definitely be good to re-read after you finally know what’s going on.

A sold 4-Star read did me. I will be in the lookout for more from these authors!

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance reader’s copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review appears on GoodReads, my Facebook page, and will be posted to retail sites once published.*

An Anonymous GIrl was a fun, twisty thriller that was refreshing after a sea of many other "thrillers" that seemed to read the same. Jessica, a young makeup artist in New York City, volunteers for a paid psychological study under false pretenses with the well-known Dr. Shields. She is tasked with answering questions on ethics and mortality, and is selected for a higher level of interviewing.

Jessica gets mixed up in a very cat and mouse sort of way with Dr. Shields as the project quickly goes off the rails. This book nailed all of the necessary twists and turns to make a good psychological thriller, and I appreciated the gratuitous level of creepiness that didn't leave me afraid of the dark.

I haven't yet read The Wife Between Us, but I'm definitely planning to pick up a copy in the near future. Thanks so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book early!

Just finished An Anonymous Girl and have to say I found it very intriguing. I lost track of the number of twists and turns in the plot! As one more in the huge stack of psychological thrillers I've read this year, it comes out pretty close to the top of my list so I gave it a solid four stars... almost a five.

An Anonymous Girl stands out, not necessarily as a thriller/ page-turner, but as a "grabs your attention and doesn't let go" kind of read. The premise is pretty unique - a young makeup artist, Jess, decides to slip into a research study because it promises to pay good money. As "Subject 52", she is required to give honest and in-depth answers to questions related to ethics and morality. She soon finds herself in a tangled relationship with Dr. Shields, the professor in charge of the study, and unbeknownst to Jess (at least initially), the professor's husband.

If that isn't enough to get you to pick up this second offering by the authors of The Wife Between Us, this story is told from two alternating viewpoints and voices which gives the novel a unique extra kick of creepiness.

Great book amaizng I couldn't put this one down.....the twist and turns....wow what an incredible book.

Holy Cow!!! This book was intense! So many plot twists, you didn't know who to believe! Great to the very last page!!

The premise of An Anonymous Girl sounded so interesting to me, and then when I saw 5 star reviews flooding in from fellow bloggers, I decided to move it up on my TBR and read it right away - I'm so glad I did!

I was hooked from the very first page. We enter the story with some brief details about the study Dr. Shields is running, and how Jessica becomes involved in it. From there, I became enraptured with the intricately woven plot. The chapters alternated between Jessica's point of view, and Dr. Shield's point of view, which allowed the story to unravel slowly, but in a way that captured my attention like a book hasn't done in a really long time. I had a hard time putting the book down, and when I did put it down, I was thinking about the story, trying to figure out how everything tied together. 

Hendricks and Pekkanen can do no wrong in my book! This book had so many layers, and every time a new layer was uncovered, I was in awe of how well they work together to write such involved plot lines. If you liked their first novel, The Wife Between Us, I think you'll love this one too! It has some similar undertones, in the sense that it's not an action packed thriller with lots of violence and gore, but rather much more psychological with dark themes. I'd LOVE to see this one play out on film! I think it would be perfect in movie form. 

All in all, I highly recommend this book, and it's definitely snuck in as one of my favorite reads of the year! If you like psychological thrillers, psychology, or intricately woven plot lines, this will be a winner for you. An Anonymous Girl is out January 8, 2019, so be sure to mark your calendars! I have a feeling everyone will be talking about this one.

What a mind f***. Twisted and no boundaries...this book makes me paranoid about talking with anyone and not knowing who to trust. I could only handle this book in chunks before the paranoia crept in. Definitely a good read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great suspenseful novel--it was hard to put down. Lydia is so wonderfully evil and Jessica is a vulnerable woman who discovers the courage to be her own woman.

I love this novel and highly recommend it. It would be a great book club choice.

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen has got so many wonderful reviews I was worried it may not live up to my expectations. I read The Wife Between Us and devoured it so it had a lot to live up to. I need not have been worried - this book was everything that I hoped and much more. An addictive read that was at times quite scary in how easily it could happen. As the story progressed I thought that I had it all sussed... boy was I wrong... and I love it when I am wrong! Characters were real and hard to read - who could you trust and what was real and what was a set up!! So good!!

Jessica Farris is a struggling make up artist in New York City. On a whim one day she signs up for a psychology study on ethics and morality. The questions are intense and demanding - Dr Shields is relentless. this doctor . She is soon spilling all of her secrets to this stranger who is paying her good money.... but is her life in danger - what does this doctor really want.

Highly recommend this book that releases early January 2019. Thank you to St Martins Press for greanting my wish on Netgalley - it was a an absolute thrill to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and in no way biased.

An Anonymous Girl is a dark, psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down.  I had to know what was going to happen!

The book is written from two points of view: Jessica's and Dr. Shield's.  I liked Jessica right away, even if she did make some poor decisions.  Jessica is hardworking and loyal to her family.  She is burdened by guilt and victimized by memories of a sexual predator, but she is also strong and resourceful.  Yes, she does do things that make me cringe, but those things make her character more believable.

Dr. Shields, on the other hand, is cold and calculating.  Her parts of the story are written in a very impersonal style that reminded me of a lab report.  In many ways, the entire book is the sum total of her bizarre experiment.   All of this makes her an excellent antagonist.

The plot of the book moves rapidly, and the events line up really well.  The conclusion isn't exactly a surprise, but I liked the way everything came together.  The ending was quite satisfying.

If you are looking for a taut thriller, then An Anonymous Girl will be for you.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s newest novel is every bit as good as their first. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!

Since this psychological thriller has immensely satisfying twists and turns and several of those moments where I felt like whispering to one of the characters, “Be careful!”, I wouldn’t dream of giving away any of the plot. You simply have to live this one yourself. The characters are well-developed with interesting nuances that are slowly revealed as the book moves along. I love having my thoughts twisted this way and that.

The other really great thing about this book is that the authors wrote this without swear words, proving once again that f bombs and other curse words aren’t needed to write a best seller.

I highly recommend this book.

5 TWISTED STARS! Wow! Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen did it again. They busted out another successful psychological thriller and shocked the socks off of me. I didn’t think it was possible, but I think I may have enjoyed An Anonymous Girl even more than The Wife Between Us! This one kept me up late a few nights, frantically turning the pages. The twists, turns and overall craziness in this novel are endless and well crafted. I can’t wait to see what this dynamic duo has in store for us next. This novel will be released on January 8th, 2019. Prepare to be thrilled and a little addicted. BIG thanks to St. Martins Press for sending me an advance readers’ edition of this book in exchange for my honest review.