I have been looking for a book that kept me intrigued and drove me to read, this is that book. The characters are kept to a few so you can really know them. The descriptions of people,places and things draw a picture in your mind. Don't assume what will happen in the end, pleasantly not what I expected.

Im not sure any book will be able to top this one! Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen alone are good. Together they are a complete powerhouse. I need a Q&A with these phenomenal authors to find out who writes what, whose idea this book was, how did it come together.... I need to know everything.

The best part about this book is how it sucks you in. I knew from page one it would be a page turner. The way the chapters alternated between both subject and psychologist was a good move. It kept me engrossed in this book and deepened the mystery.

Jessica or "Jess" is so many of us. I related to her, I found her sympathetic and I was constantly saying in my head "watch out!" Because you could always feel the onslaught of Dr. Shields.

Dr. Shields.... I don't want to say anything other than it all comes down to intent.

Everyone add this to your list. You won't regret it!

Thank you St. Martins Press and netgalley for this ARC. I feel so honored to have been given the opportunity to read this book and I can't wait for the next one.

4-4.5 stars. This book sucked me in almost immediately and I hate to admit how late I stayed up finishing it last night. If you like psychological thrillers then this book is for you. I liked the way the perspective alternated back and forth each chapter and thought the authors did a great job!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a trippy book. So clever and a page turner to the very end. I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Jess, the main character, is a make-up artist who could use some extra money. She sneaks her way in to take a study on morality and ethics after overhearing it from a client. She thinks it will be an easy way to make some money, but it soon turns into more than that.

Let me start by saying that the authors' previous book, The Wife Between Us, is my favorite thriller EVER. I still remember where I was sitting when my mouth literally fell open for a full 30 seconds when the big twist was revealed in that book. So when I got an advanced copy of this new book from the same authors I was so excited!! However, I was definitely a little disappointed. It didn't live up to the first book at all and there were no SHOCKING plot twists. Yes, there were plenty of twists and turns but nothing that had me picking my jaw up off the floor.

I'll skip the summary because you have probably read that already and I don't want to spoil anything but MY summary of the book would best be described with the Friends quote "They don't know that we know they know we know." That was the whole book.

My biggest problem with the book was that all the big secrets are revealed to us as the reader. It's the characters who are all keeping secrets from each other and it just got confusing trying to remember what I knew (for example) about the relationship between Jess and Thomas that Dr. Shields didn't but then I'd think "But wait. DOES Dr. Shields know that already and just hasn't told Jess/Thomas that she knows? Or do they know she knows but can't let on that they know she knows? Or is it just me who knows that right now?" It made my head spin and it was distracting having to stop reading so that I could process all the information I knew as a reader compared to what each character may or may not know about each other.

Another thing that drove me crazy was that each chapter is written from either Dr. Shields' or Jess' viewpoint. But you have to read the first few sentences of each chapter before you know who's speaking and then once you figured it out, you have to go back and re-read so that it makes sense to you. This could easily be solved by starting each chapter with "Jess" or "Dr. Shields" so we're aware of that. A small thing, yes, but it was an unnecessary annoyance.

But, I did give it 4 stars (rounded up from 3.5) because I don't hate that I read it or feel like I wasted my time at all. It was interesting for sure and the story is very original. I was eager to see how it all played out mainly because I kept thinking that surely there must be something bigger at stake here than proving or disproving there was cheating going on. I just wasn't really shocked by any of the revelations. And I prefer SHOCKING TWISTS when I read a thriller! There were no shocking twists.

Overall, this book was just hard to keep up with and I felt like I had to work too hard in order to keep it all straight. I'm clearly in the minority here though based on all the other reviews. :) This would make a great Lifetime movie for sure!

I was really looking forward to this book because the description sounded amazing and because I LOVED the first book by this set of authors. The idea of morality and human nature is a good one. The story was told in alternating POVs which is also a plus for me. One character was a therapist conducting a morality study and one being a participant. The book held my attention the whole way through, but it was not suspenseful or thrilling to me. It was more like a gradual building of tension. The story was twisty, turny and I wasn't sure about anybody's motivations, but then it also seemed like each chapter had one character outsmarting the previous one. Though I didn't guess the details, the ending to me was predictable. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes character based suspense or enjoyed the authors' first book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

5* Obsessive Stars

I was very excited and eager to once again be able to read a psychological thriller written by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Together as a team they take you on a wild crazy complex journey.

The creepy journey of Jess begins when she signs up to be part of a psychology study on morality and ethics to earn some extra cash to help her family, which is struggling due to her father loosing his job and Jess having a special needs sister. What should be just one or two sessions of filling out a questionnaire becomes a twisted, obsessive and dangerous game of truth and consequences.

This was a definite page-turner and the characters were very engaging and realistic. I highly recommend this thrilling fast paced read of cat and mouse.

Many thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my copy to read and review.

You will gobble this book up in one sitting! You are introduced to Jess, a make up artist, who could really use some extra money. She decides to crash a psychology study when she overhears a client talking about it. She arrives not knowing what to expect. And either does the reader! As we are drawn in, it becomes all is not what is seems.

Told from the perspective of Jess, as well as the mysterious Dr. Lydia shields, we are drawn into a world of intrigue, questions on morality, and fidelity.

Jess is a very likeable character. Her dog Leo was an interesting addition. I always wondered if he was getting enough walks.

This book was very enjoyable and twists and turns to its final very satisfactory conclusion. It was surprising in some parts, but didn’t push any boundaries and did not include any explicit sex or violence.

This was a bloody clever and engaging story! You often are found asking yourself how you would react to certain scenarios, and really what is with all those deep questions? The pacing of the book was well matched with the story and fell quite nicely. There were so many twists and turns that i one clicked read this book! This book got under my skin and I absolutely loved it!

I was so excited to receive an ARC of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Jessica Farris signs up to be part of a study about morality and ethics for women ages 18-32 by a psychologist named Dr. Shields. Jessica believes it will be simple, excellent compensation for answering a few questions…and Jessica could really use the money. Almost immediately she is drawn into the study and asked to participate on a deeper level for greater monetary compensation. As Jessica continues, the questions become more personal and then the questions become assignments/outings. Jessica starts to become paranoid as she believes that Dr. Shields knows more about her than she should. Her paranoia grows as time passes and her relationship with Dr. Shields deepens. What is this study really about? Is it developed to make Jessica crazy? Does Dr. Shields have a personal mission? These are just some of the questions that kept me on the edge of my seat while I read this book. I became worried for Jessica pretty early on and intrigued by Dr. Shields’ motivation. The supporting characters were interesting and added to the storyline- especially with regard to the morality and ethics piece of the story. I loved this book and would recommend to anyone who likes edge of your seat suspense!! Looking forward to their next book!

Loved it! Devoured it!
Devious to the max!

I devoured this book in two days and didn't want to put it down! A riveting story of psychological suspense. I was quickly questioning every move every character made. From beginning to end, I was all in! Yes!

With a promise of anonymity and a fat paycheck, Jessica weasels her way into a study on morality and ethics. She was assigned the name of Subject 52 and presented with numerous questions. I could feel her tension growing as the questions progressed into the realm of what would you do? I quickly got the feeling that this test was quite a mind game!

Dr. Shields may go done as one of the most perplexing doctor characters I've encountered. What was her motivation for recruiting these women? Jessica wonders how the doctor seems to know her thoughts.

I had some adrenaline surging moments as the tension amped-up and the plot unfolded. Everyone seems to have something to hide. The ending was just so perfect!

Highly recommend this suspense filled mind game that pushes all the boundaries.

Thanks to SMP for my Arc. Review will post to my blog on 1/08/18

The collaboration of these two authors in An Anonymous Girl really showcases both authors’ talents by having two clearly differentiated voices. I found this much more clear and suspenseful than their previous work “The Wife Between Us”. I found myself peeling through the crazy hoops that Dr. Shields had Jessica jumping through. This manipulative game of cat and mouse had me guessing until the very last page.

This is a conflicting book.The characters aren't particularly likable.The pacing is is strange but gets better towards the second half.The plot is too convoluted and it's hard to suspend disbelief.Despite all this I was intrigued enough to continue reading till the end.

I won't say don't read it but it isn't the best in the genre.I think it would work better in a visual media due to all of the description that bogs down the book.

I give it 2 1/2 stars overall and a maybe on recommending it.

Subject 52, “Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?”

An Anonymous Girl is a story that slowly lures you in a deep into a labyrinth of half-truths. Jessica is a struggling make up artist that inserts her way into a psychological research study on Morality. After all, the session will pay $500 dollars. Working at Beauty Buzz does not always pay the rent.

“Dig deeper.”

But Dr. Shield’s study takes on a new life with an even more handsome reward. Dr. Lydia Shields reals Jessica’s in with lavish gift she could never afford. She is tasked with small missions to engage or rather to entice the opposite sex to elicit behavioral responses. The checks are given and the payout is needed. But suddenly she begins to realize that this study is turning out to be an unorthodox game.

“Moral questions lurk everywhere.”

Who is this man with the Sandy hair? The man named Thomas. And what is Dr. Shield’s trying to unravel in her research. It is Jessica who starts to ask questions about Dr. Shield’s study. And the more she asks, the theories are unveiled. And the twisted intentions of Mrs. Lydia Shields.

“You may have given up your dreams of theater, Jessica but you have earned a starring role in the next act of this unfolding drama”.

This complex tale is told in alternating perspective seamlessly in Jessica’s and Dr. Shield’s voice. As we start to learn more about the fracture in Dr. Shield’s marriage, we see a professional woman becoming unhinged. Dr. Shield’s uses Jessica in a pawn to test the ice her marriage. And of Jessica’s moral character. And it’s failure may come with a punishment she never saw coming. But number 5 did.

"Oh Jessica, You have made a grave mistake. Do victims have the right to take retribution into their own hands?"

Greer Hendricks and Sara Pekkanen are masterful storytellers weaving details of a complicated plot neatly while developing two juxtaposed characters. Jessica is young, working a dead-end job but carries a guilt, a secret she has kept from her family. She also has a habit of avoiding relationships that last more than a few hours. Dr. Shield’s is a sophisticated psychiatrist that carries her grief with subliminal rage. As Jessica is tested in Dr. Shields reality experiment, we see these characters morph into cat and mouse. Although Dr. Shields is the cat praying on an “injured mouse” the mouse may be one step ahead.

“It’s like she is writing my script, and I’m just reciting the words now.”

The sign of a great book is the inability to put it down. The compulsion to see what is coming next. This is that tale. I look forward to the next read by the collaborative duo of Hendricks and Pekkanen.

Thank you, NetGalley, the authors, and St. Martin’s press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found it very interesting to get Dr. Shields' perspective on what is going on and why she is having Jess perform the tasks she is performing, and then to hear Jess's take on what she is doing. While this book didn't have any major plot twists like the first novel by the same authors did, I still really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend to other thriller fans. I also thought both Jess and Dr. Shields' characters were well thought out and very decipherable in how each chapter was written.

I was enthralled by this psychological suspense novel! The juxtaposition between the core idea of ethical behavior and the menacing actions they provoke will keep readers unsettled and uncertain of who to trust. As the lies stack up in an ever more precarious tower, the sense of dread just keeps building, and the power struggles between the characters are made even more disparate by a perversion of the doctor/patient relationship. The final few chapters weren't quite as strong as the rest of the story; I thought things wrapped up rather abruptly with a certain element of convenience, but it wasn't a detractor to the book, it just didn't enhance it. Overall, An Anonymous Girl is a dark exploration of morality, the danger of willful ignorance, and the facades we present to the world.

This is my first read by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, but I can tell you that these two are definitely onto something magical when they get together to write! I have never read a psychological thriller like this one at all! I was hooked from beginning to end. Literally!! Such a great read!

Jessica is a make-up artist that travels to her clients houses. She works for a company that schedules her appointments and she shows up. Jessica is scooting along in life just trying to make ends meet, but we soon discover that she has many secrets that she has hidden for quiet some time.

When Jessica was at a clients house, she overheard her talking about an opportunity to make $500 for just being part of a study that a professor is conducting at the college. When her client says that she is just going to skip out, Jessica decides that this is an opportunity for her to make some extra money to try and help her parents out. As the research questions begin for Jessica, we are thrown onto a psychological speeding train with Dr. Shields and Jessica that you will not want to get off of until you know the outcome.

We learn tons about Jessica as well as other characters in the story that play important roles. I thought at one time I knew how this was all going to end, but boy was I wrong! You will have to put everything on hold while you read this one because you will not want to put it down so just beware.

I am not sure how these two authors came up with this story, but I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this one! Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author's for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own!

An Anonymous Girl is a psychological suspense novel that has some fun surprises. It does not follow a prescribed path, especially the one for all the recent books with "girl" in the title. This book isn't what I expected. However, it's a very slow build with a lot of character development that is a bit dull. About halfway through the story picked up and it got more interesting, but that level of interest just wasn't sustained for me. Expect female characters, gaslighting, frustrating decisions, and a slow burn of a story. It may work well for some but for me it was not memorable.

This book was amazing until I got to the end. I kept turning page after page because it was addictive and well thought out. Then I reached the end and was confused. Did I miss something? That was the end? It fell flat at the end and was almost reminiscent of Baby Teeth for me. So much build up and then the story line fell off a cliff. I'm really disappointed as I really liked The Wife Between Us. I'm not giving up on this duo though. Their ideas are there and interesting. Now if the ending could match' that'd be great.

This was a totally unusual story. It was hard to figure out what was going on, which I guess was the author's plan.I was on vacation while reading it. Not a light beach read for sure. I almost gave up in the beginning, but glad I didn't.I would recommend if you're looking for something different. Makes you think about choices we actually make vs what we think is right.