Excellent story, with such a unique plot line. These fantastic duo authors sure know how to grab a reader's attention and keep it right until the very end. Our main character gets into things that were not meant for her, but it is very interesting to see how she fits into all of it. Such a great, fast-paced, psychological thriller!

This is my first Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks novel. For the first half of the book I enjoyed it, and was completely sucked in from the first page. After getting to about the halfway point I had trouble staying focused, I felt it was a bit too drawn out. I did enjoy the premise of the story and for a thriller it was very thrilling. The narrator was a bit annoying, at the start but things changed. I would read another novel from this group of authors,, it was just not my favorite thriller.

A collaboration between Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl keeps you guessing. Wildly entertaining and full of unexpected twists and turns, prepare to be up all night reading.

An Anonymous Girl was... fine. Really, that's about all I can say about it. It's told in two POVs, one from Jessica, a late-20s makeup artist who sneaks her way into a local university study because she needs the money and finds herself increasingly involved in a situation she can't understand, and one she suspects goes deeper than the study initially indicated it would.The other POV is that of Dr. Shields, who is conducting the study. The sections from Dr. Shields' POV were really difficult for me to relate to. They're told in second person, and, while there is a way to do second person in a way that really immerses the reader in the story and makes them feel like they're really in the head of the narrator, (see You by Caroline Kepnes for a fantastic example), this wasn't it. Here Dr. Shields uses the second person narration specifically to keep the reader at a distance, and it works. "I told you about my day." becomes "You are told about my day." I understand that the authors did this intentionally, to keep the reader at a distance, and to create that sense of separation, but it worked a little too well, and those sections had me more bored and annoyed than anything else.Unfortunately, the rest of the book wasn't quite good enough to make up for it. The entire thing boils down to cliched situations and a completely predictable path. There was nothing surprising here, nothing that made me want to keep turning the pages. The middle of it dragged, becoming repetitive, and I found myself skimming those areas. It wasn't offensively bad, just boring. If it hadn't been the book I needed to read for my book club, I doubt I would have finished it.

Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I appreciate the kindness. <3

Omg this book!! I read it in a day and a half.. It is about a girl named Jess who signs up for a psychological study to earn some extra cash. Is it even worth it??? She thinks she will just go in on a Saturday, answer a couple questions, get her money and be on her way..
This psychological thriller was a very vary suspenseful read. It starts out kind of blah!! But, it picks up when she starts answering these questions, she goes in to do it for a few more times, to find that her answers, are then in turn redirecting it to her next question. She discovers that the person she is sending the answers to, it replying back to her.
She then gets asked to do a more invasive study of her and her life, how she conducts herself on a day to day bases. She can't seem to say no, because the money is amazing. And she really needs the extra cash for her family.. Let me tell you!! This book had me on a wild ride.. It will suck you in, leave you wowed, and speechless.. This is a must read book... If you haven't added to your tbr list, you need to do it now..

This was such a fun, intriguing novel. The pace was a bit slow, but it worked for the story and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The characters are all so flawed and interesting, all I wanted to do was get at the bottom of their secrets. Definitely recommend!

Gripping, psychological thriller! Twists and turns at each turn of the page. Kept me on the edge of my bed the entire way.

RATING: 1.5 STARS
2019; St. Martin's Press
(Review Not on Blog)

I was really liking this book for the first 30% and still kind of liking it till about 70-ish%. From there to when I finished I knew I would not read another Hendricks/Pakennen book. It was a bit like their first book, [book:The Wife Between Us|34189556] which didn't work for me. They have a great premise set up, and then there are arrows pointing to big twists coming. Instead it turns out to anticlimactic. The characters are not likeable and it makes it difficult to stay invested in the story. Overall, I liked the premise, but the ending wasn't executed well so the novel fell flat. I don't know if domestic suspense novels are for me anymore. I always seem to be expecting more.

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

The premise for this book is incredibly intriguing. Being a part of an "anonymous" study where nothing you say is actually anonymous, and your participation is going to come at a higher price than you bargained for. Jessica is lured into the web of her doctor's lies and it will be up to her and her alone to escape the grasp of the psychotic professor. I enjoyed reading this book, and I enjoyed that it read as easily as their freshman novel by this author duo.

Besties and Brujas – Maggie & Shannon talk the Domestic Thriller
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Last year’s trend amongst suspense and mystery novels seemed to be the domestic thriller. Books like Lisa Jewel’s Then She Was Gone or the outstanding Our House by Louise Candlish, focused on families in the middle of a dark crisis. Towards the end of the year, the focus seemed to be leaning more towards friends and the dangers inherent in trusting the wrong people with our secrets. That fad has continued into 2019, offering up some truly memorable, chilling books that expose the dark underside of the term ‘besties’.

Maggie: Most suspense tales have a mix of both family and friends but a friends or frenemies thriller has the action derive from the friendship. Would you agree? What draws you to a best friend drama?

Shannon: I would definitely agree with this assessment. It’s hard to have a thriller that’s completely centered around either family or friends since both play pivotal roles in our lives. We can’t choose our families, but we do choose our friends, and this choice sometimes backfires. I love it when authors examine what happens when someone chooses the wrong friends, or when a solid friendship suddenly goes sideways.

Maggie: I felt the year got off to a really strong start with Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks, to which you gave an A in your review. It’s the story of Charlotte, who takes her friend Harriet’s daughter to the fair along with her own three kids. While the three older children play on an inflatable obstacle course, Charlotte deals with her youngest, glancing at Facebook posts on her phone while she waits. When Harriet’s little girl goes missing, all hell breaks loose and the community turns on the popular Charlotte with a vengeance. One thing I felt the author showcased very well was the give and take of women’s friendships. How we become embroiled in each other’s lives through our simple kindnesses to each other. I’ll add that I felt one of the two characters was someone I would most definitely not want in my life. What did you think?

Shannon: Her One Mistake is definitely one of the high points of my 2019 reading. It was a book I hated to put down, one that compelled me to keep reading, even when I had other things that needed to be done. That doesn’t happen to me with all thrillers, so it’s a real treat when an author can manage to hook me in so completely.

Maggie: My other missing child book this year was She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge. This is more of a police procedural which revolves around a group of seven friends who go into the woods – and emerge as a group of six. It wasn’t quite as intense as Her One Mistake but it is a deeply riveting story nonetheless. Do you have any other novels you’d recommend with that theme from the past six months?

Shannon: She Lies In Wait is one I haven’t read, but I’ve heard a ton of great things about it. I’m hoping to get to it soon. I haven’t read any other missing child books that involve friends over the past few months, but I’m always on the lookout for more.

Maggie: I Invited Her In by Adele Parks which came out in February explores the theme of friends who reunite with disastrous results. One of the things I thought the author did really, really well in this book is create a believable friendship between the two protagonists. With many stories I find myself wondering how the two women became friends to begin with but with these ladies I understood their dynamic almost instantly. Which made it far more chilling to me when everything started to unravel. What did you think of the dynamic between Mel and Abi?

Shannon: It’s frustrating when the friendship that is supposed to drive the plot forward doesn’t feel convincing. Fortunately, that wasn’t at all my experience with I Invited Her In. Mel and Abi had a very authentic relationship. I understood the highs and lows they experienced over the years, and when things did start to go south, I kept hoping they could find a safe, healthy way to sort things out. There was something so compelling about the way they used to relate to each other, and I really wanted them to be able to reclaim that feeling.

Maggie: I agree, although I don’t know that it would ever have been possible after some of what happened. My other friend-visit-turned-nightmare novel is You Were Made For This by Michelle Sacks. It’s a far darker, more disturbing story but fans of grim, twisty tales about sinister characters will love it. Do you have any other recent recommendations along this line?

Shannon: Girls Night Out by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke kind of fits into this category. It’s the story of three best friends who go on vacation in the hopes of patching up their differences, but one of them ends up disappearing while on the trip. The reader is left wondering if her friends had something to do with her disappearance. It’s one of those books where the reader has absolutely no idea who to trust.

Maggie: Girls Night Out is on my TBR list. Changing pace, lest we have anyone thinking the best thing to do would be to purge the contact list on their phone, let’s talk about the dangers of not having friends. In An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen bad circumstances have forced Jessica Farris into a lifestyle of isolation, aside from her one bestie. She doesn’t mind this solitary existence but it does lend itself to a situation which leaves her vulnerable to a powerful protagonist. I found Jessica a very interesting person, a mix of strong and susceptible, generous and desperate. What did you think of her?

Shannon: Pekkanen and Hendricks really hit the ball out of the park with An Anonymous Girl. I had no clue what to expect going in, and I was completely entranced by the story. Jessica is a heroine we could so easily encounter in our daily lives, and those are honestly some of my favorite types of protagonists. It’s nice to read about someone who doesn’t have mad skills that set them apart from the rest of the world.

Maggie: I agree. Another book I felt highlighted that a lack of friends can be every bit as dangerous as having the wrong one was The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets. In this novel, Marian works with rescue dogs in remote locations. She has many acquaintances but the people who work the job tend not to be gregarious or close, preferring nature to nurture. Which leaves the lovely Marian to become prey to the worst kind of predator. Do you have any other recommendations for this trope?

Shannon: This isn’t a really recent release, but Cass Green’s In a Cottage in a Wood features an isolated heroine who has hit rock bottom. She inherits a run-down cottage in a remote part of the English countryside, and she decides to spend some time there to lick her proverbial wounds. Of course, things don’t turn out to be as peaceful and serene as she’s hoping for, and her isolation plays a huge role in what happens next. It’s an incredibly creepy and atmospheric story that I’m more than happy to recommend.

Maggie: I’m adding that to my list! Let’s end on a positive note and talk about friends who help. A popular theme is the tale of the investigative friend. In Three Little Lies by Laura Marshall a roommate launches an investigation to find her missing friend – and find out why she’s disappeared. I thought Ellen, the main protagonist of the tale, was also very representative of the clingy friend. She seemed to always need someone’s coat-tail to hang on. What did you think of Ellen and her style of friendship?

Shannon: I’m fortunate not to have had someone like Ellen in my life. She definitely took way more than she ever gave in return, and I found myself frustrated by her selfishness. Of course, people like this do exist in the world, and I found Marshall’s representation of this type of friendship to be pretty spot-on.

Maggie: Another story that revolves around a friend who investigates and discovers a lot more than she bargained for is Camryn King’s Triple Threat about Mallory Knight, a young lady that won’t accept her best friend committed suicide. She launches an investigation to discover just what happened, uncovering some surprising secrets along the way. Do you have any other recommendations with this trope?

Shannon: Again, I’m reaching back a few years for this one, but K.A. Tucker’s He Will Be My Ruin is a must read if you enjoy this trope. It sounds pretty similar to Triple Threat in that our heroine learns her best friend has committed suicide, something she has a hard time accepting. She starts digging into her friend’s life and uncovers all kinds of unexpected things. Tucker’s writing is super compelling, and I loved every second of this story.

Maggie: I’ll have to check into that one, too! Thanks for talking mysteries with me. It’s been a lot of fun!

Shannon: You’re very welcome. Mysteries are some of my very favorite things, so I’m always happy to rhapsodize about the ones I’ve loved.

I really enjoyed this book and devoured it in just over a day. I love the partnership of Hendricks and Pekkanen and look forward to any future books they write together.

This was such a good book!!! I definitely had trouble putting it down! Sucked me in right from the beginning!! Will definitely read more from this author!

Wow! They have done it again. Great book and very gripping. A lot of psychological mind games which is right up my alley as a counselor (although I’m more ethical!). Highly recommend this book for others to read. I am looking forward to their next collaboration!

An Anonymous Girl was another phenomenal psychological thriller from author duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

Jessica Farris, in need of cash, agrees to take part in a psychological study about morality and ethics. At first working with Dr. Shields is amazing but the longer the study goes on, the more trapped Jess feels. And as Jess becomes increasingly desperate to leave the study, Dr. Shields goes to great lengths to keep Jess involved.

I don’t want to give too much away as I believe some of the reveals in this book were key to my enjoyment so I’ll just give my brief impressions of the characters and the experiment. Jess was a very relatable character and felt like a realistic portrayal of a twenty-something woman in New York. Her coping mechanisms for past traumas fit her character well and I understood why she felt compelled by Dr. Shields. As to Dr. Shields, they were quite mysterious and it took a while before we really learned anything about them or why they were conducting the experiment. The experiment Dr. Shields is conducting was incredibly interesting and I was intrigued from the start to know where exactly they were going with it. It seemed the more field studies Jess participated in, the more unhinged Dr. Shields became which definitely upped the stakes as the book went on.

The book is told in alternating chapters from Jess and Dr. Shields’ perspectives. My one big complaint about this book was that Dr. Shields’ chapters are in second person POV which is not something I enjoy reading. As Dr. Shields became increasingly obsessed with Jess and the experiment, I got more and more creeped out because of the way those chapters were written. I understand that’s likely part of why those chapters were written that way, but it is definitely not something I enjoy and it made the book move slower for me as I dreaded Dr. Shields’ chapters.

While I didn’t enjoy An Anonymous Girl as much as the authors’ first book, The Wife Between Us, I still thought it was fantastically done. I will definitely be checking out whatever the authors write in the future and I highly recommend their books if you’re looking for a great thriller.

for the most part, i enjoyed an anonymous girl by greer hendricks and sarah pyekkanen. i felt incredibly disappointed by the ending, to be honest. it felt like a betrayal of two characters i had invested in, wished things for, and felt confident that i knew or at least understood the motives of. deviation from the "expected" outcome is almost always refreshing - i really enjoy being wrong about characters. being wrong because the characters betray their very essence, their fundamental "i am me" nature in this case felt hollow and rushed - like the ending got thrown on at the last minute and needed to wrap it all up. the writing was good, though, and the character building was excellent. until the end. but maybe that's how it should be - nothing is safe, no one is who the seem to be.

three out of five stars

All i can say is wow! I devoured this book in less than 48 hours. I felt so drawn to Dr. Shields and Jess and the schemes and manipulations that were devised and the mind games were unbelievable. It definitely got my anxiety up, my mind racing, and questioning everything. And the ending had me breathless. An Anonymous Girl is definitely a fast paced, heartracing thriller that will keep you up late at night.

I found the psychologist character unbelievable and the premise interesting but slow. Ultimately, not a fave.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are the writing team that brought you The Wife Between us. When this book became available as an ARC I had to request it. There are so many books these days that are branded "psychological thrillers" and the genre is becoming saturated. The Wife Between Us had me on the edge of my seat so I wanted to give The Anonymous Girl a shot.

The book started off slow for me. It took me a while to follow the 2 person narrative. With these types of books, you are constantly trying to figure out what the underlying issue is at the same time getting to know the central characters. It is hard to write a full review without giving some of the plots away. Dr. Shields needs someone to take part in a morality survey, Jessica takes part and becomes her main focus. The irony is the fact that Jessica participated in a morality research project by lying to get the part.

At first, things go smoothly and you begin to question your own morality when the test questions are asked. halfway through, the book begins to pick up steam. It was an intense read, sometimes farfetched. Both of the main characters are unlikeable, and there really isn't anyone to root for.

My main complaint is the ending. It seemed rushed. I had more questions than there were answers. I felt the same as the Wife Between Us.

This booked had me glued to the story from beginning to end! Dr. Shields is a college professor curious about whether or not her husband is continuing to cheat on her after what he describes as a one time mistake. Enter Jessica, who Dr. Shields identifies as the perfect subject to tempt her husband through a variety of tests. I love how the author fleshed out the characters so it felt as if you truly were right there with them. I felt as if I was a part of the story, feeling the same fears that Jess felt.