The ad she discovered was too good to pass up. Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. So good that Jessica Farris decided to apply knowing that the girl it was intended for wasn’t going to show up. Jess would go and take the chance of applying herself

Thinking that the psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, would just be answering a few questions for to her simply collect a windfall of money, Jess thought , “a piece of cake”! Answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive she was offered more money 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. After numerous scenario’s the doctor put her in Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what was real, and what was manipulative by the doctor. Caught in a web of deceit, jealousy, and betrayal Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly and betrayals could shred one’s heart!

*** This was an intense read - and for the longest while I wasn’t sure of what seemed to be going on as to who was the good or bad person of the piece. Unfortunately, clarity can come too late before the lessons learned have already decimated what happiness you discovered before your life blows apart. An intriguing read.

Marilyn Rondeau

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a psychological thriller this good. Currently 3:30 am right now and stayed up all night to finish it. You need to read this book! It will keep you going all night! If you want sleep make sure you don’t pick it up before bed because you won’t want to put it down.

This was the perfect read to curl up with during the holiday break when I had nowhere to be and nothing to distract me, because once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Told from alternating view points, this was a psychological thriller that left me wondering what would happen next with every page I turned. In addition, the questions asked during the sessions were thought-provoking.
This was the first read for me by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, and it was a thrill from the beginning to end. This is a highly-anticipated novel, for good reason. This was a great book to start the year off with a bang.
#AnAnonymousGirl #StMartins

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

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

When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study, she thinks she'll just be answering some simple questions. What seems at first like an innocent experiment grows more and more unsettling as the mysterious Dr. Shields raises the stakes...

I hadn't read Pekkanen and Hendricks' first novel, The Wife Between Us, but when I was given an ARC from Macmillan via Netgalley, I was hooked from the first page.I loved this book for its disturbing, voyeuristic elements and if you like inventive narrative and twisted heroines with dark pasts, you'll love An Anonymous Girl too!

Riveting and Suspenseful

I devoured this book. While there are a lot of "domestic" thrillers out there, and An Anonymous Girl certainly has some domestic elements, I found the angle of a medical study to be unique. Even though Jessica spends a fair amount of time in the beginning alone in a room, answering questions on a computer screen, the plot was far from stagnant. At every turn, there is the delightful feeling that there are dark secrets to be learned.

Deliciously Creepy

What stood out the most for me with An Anonymous Girl was the inventive narrative structure. Predominantly, we hear from Jessica in first person point of view, but in alternating chapters, there is an unsettling shift to second person. This shift in perspective is interesting, because second person is an alienating point of view. It gives the impression that the reader is being watched, which only served to ratchet the stakes and build tension early on. In other books, using second person in this way can be a bit campy, since it breaks the fourth wall and brings the reader into the narrative. However, in An Anonymous Girl, the effect was engrossing and deliciously creepy.

Intrigue, Among Other Things

Read this book if you love a good thriller with lots of intrigue and suspense. I love a good, twisted heroine with lots of dark secrets, and Jessica Farris has a fair share of dirty little secrets to reveal (whether she wants to or not!) An Anonymous Girl is the ultimate voyeuristic indulgence!

4 stars! A gripping and thrilling page-turner!

Struggling to make her rent payments, Jessica Farris, finds herself involved in a well-paying psychology study revolving around ethics and morality. The compensation is too good to pass up. Upon attending the first study meeting and completing the initial questionnaire, Jess is offered the opportunity to proceed further into the depths of the examination with the mysterious Dr. Shields. Tension builds as Jess begins to feel paranoia and anxiety about her involvement and she begins to question what Dr. Shields objectives truly are.

This was extremely well written! I was glued to these pages, devouring every single word with curious and hungry eyes. The pace, flow and narration were excellent! Told in alternating chapters between Jess and Dr. Shields, I felt the urge to read ‘just one more chapter’ from start to finish – I simply couldn’t get enough of this unique and mysterious story. The characters were well developed and each one kept me curious as to their true intentions throughout the novel.

After the intensity of the storyline build up, the ending was a bit of a let-down for me. It didn’t fit with the excellence of the rest of the book, which took away one star. I still would highly recommend this novel as it kept me highly intrigued and guessing all the way through.

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

An Anonymous Girl is available now!

I haven’t read anything by either of the co-authors, so I began with no expectations. I was pleasantly surprised to meet well-developed characters whose interaction helps keep the story moving. As a psychology major in college, I’ve always been interested in the subject. In this story the authors blew me away with their story. Don’t start unless you’ve set aside time to finish!

A thriller that will have you in the edge of your seat staying up until the crack of dawn to see how it all ends. From start to finish I was completely hooked. The characters were easy to connect with and the plot was planned out perfectly. These two authors work magic together and create such gripping stories that you can't help but want more. The world the authors create in this book will make you second guess yourself and twist you all in knots. This is one book you don't want to miss.

Title: An Anonymous Girl
Author: Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 3 out of 5

Jessica Farris is a struggling makeup artist whose past haunts her when she takes a client’s place in a psychology study in an effort to make some extra money. She thought it would just be answering a few questions and collecting a check, but as the questions grow more personal—prompting her raw honesty—she starts to wonder.

Soon she’s meeting Dr. Fields one-on-one, and is fascinated by the brilliant, beautiful doctor. As the doctor’s questions get more personal, Jessica starts to wonder if the doctor knows what she’s thinking. Then their sessions become Jessica dressing as specified and following the doctor’s detailed instructions in encounters with other people.

Jessica isn’t sure she wants to continue in the study, but Dr. Fields knows so much about Jessica’s life she isn’t sure she can break the ties that bind them together—even when Jessica realizes just how twisted the good doctor’s mind really is.

I finished reading this, but my apathetic dislike for the characters made it a close thing. If even one of the characters had been likable, the book probably would have been engrossing, but as it is…well, the irony that Jessica gets into a study on ethics by lying is not lost on me…and tells you everything you need to know about her character. In the end, I think this just wasn’t the right book for me.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are New York Times bestselling authors. An Anonymous Girl is their newest novel.

(Galley provided by St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

When these two authors collaborate you know you are in for something good! I loved the premise of this book. It was something new that I had never read in a book. Jess, decides to participate in a psychological study about ethics and morals. However, it turns into something she was not expecting. This was an edge of your seat game of cat and mouse and I loved every minute! The suspense had a great build and there were times I could not stop reading. I hope these two authors continue to collaborate in the future because I will looking forward to reading anything they put to page!

An Anonymous Girl

A True Psychological Thriller!

Told in the voices of the main characters, the story begins as Jess, a young make up artist in need of some extra money, joins an academic study of ethics and morals but quickly finds herself coming under the specific interest of respected head psychiatrist, Dr. Shields who manipulates Jess' participation for her own purposes.

It's Jess' journey that leads the story as she starts a one on one working relationship with Dr. Shields and finds her attitudes about what is right and wrong changing while she begins to suspect what Shields' intentions really are for her.

The story grabs your attention from the start and the twists don't stop until the last page as Jess starts asking her own questions and battling for her mind and life. It's definitely a book that you will struggle to put down without reading all the way to the end in one sitting!

I received an ARC for this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RNORK6J1BNVMQ/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This was a fascinating look into the human mind at the cross section of morality and money. While the story starts off a little slow I immediately liked Jessica, the main character and wanted to see where the story took her. It takes a little while but the book eventually picks up steam and shifts into high gear. From there it a twisty thriller that will keep you reading long past your bedtime. If you like thrillers, I highly recommend this one.

5 thrilling stars for AN ANONYMOUS GIRL by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen! This is the first book I have read by these two authors, and it had me continually on the edge of my seat. I was drawn into the story and the lives of Jess and Dr. Shields from the beginning.
The chapters are the perfect length and the characters are fleshed out and developed precisely to match the unfolding of the plot. This was a fast paced, intriguing, creepy, and dark novel that had me quickly turning pages. The suspense, tension and twists and turns were perfectly executed. I highly recommend you read this book!

Thanks to NetGalley, Jordan Hanley, Marketing Manager for St. Martin's Press and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of AN ANONYMOUS GIRL and allowing me to provide you with my unbiased thoughts of this publication.
Posted January 9/19 Goodreads

This book will leave you at the edge of your seat. It gives new meaning to the term psychological thriller. I can't say more or I'll give too much away. Even better than The Wife Between Us.

Have you ever made one quick decision that altered the course of your life? Jessisca Farris deals with repercussions of her decisions in An Anonymous Girl.

In An Anonymous Girl, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (the authors of The Wife Between Us) take readers on an interesting ride through the labyrinth of morality.

I enjoyed the book, especially Jess. She is flawed, which makes her believable, if not always likeable. I found the plot intriguing and strong. I was pulled in until the end.

My one concern was that the style of writing when switching from the two main characters. I know the authors meant for there to be a difference in style between the two characters when narrating their feelings or notes, but the use of passive voice when Jess wasn’t the character narrating was very distracting to me. It could have been written in a tone without using so much passive voice. (For example: “And so counseling sessions were scheduled. Difficult conversations were had. And eventually date nights were reestablished.” or “The lamb is removed from the oven to rest on the counter.” The passive made it seem stilted and awkward in a way that didn’t seem necessary. The plot still continued and could be followed, but it would have been better for me as a reader without the passive. The person doing what was removed. It was obvious, but it would have been stronger with the person in the sentences. Not putting her in them made it seem very strange to me as a writing teacher and a reader.

Overall, this was a good book, but would have been a very good book without the awkward sentence structure and passive use.

I would suggest it readily to anyone who wants a fast-paced, interesting read.

I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

To say I inhaled this book is a gross understatement. I sat down and didn’t stop reading until I finished it. I ate dinner while turning pages and I think everyone thought I have lost my mind. To my defense sanity is over rated. After reading The Wife Between Us I knew I had to read this book. You know when you have a book immortalized in your mind and you can’t wait to read it. Yet you fear it may not live up to the hype. No problem with that here this book holds true to ever bit of praise that it has gotten and the praise it will continue to get. Remember the rules: Be open and truthful, and avoid pivoting away from any embarrassment or pain these questions provoke. Jessica Farris a makeup artist sneaks herself into an ethics and morality study in order to earn some extra income. I was able to immediately put myself in her shoes. The initial questions had me wondering how I would answer. Each chapter is crafted to keep the story moving flawlessly until the nail-biting end. Jessica becomes obsessed with this study and questions herself at every turn. The chapters alternate beautifully between patient and doctor and you can’t seem to pick sides. After the first 12% all you want to do is find out what the motives are for each person and what each has to gain. Jessica and the Dr are such well thought characters that you can picture them clearly in your minds. That being said Remember the rules: Be open and truthful, and avoid pivoting away from this book. Pick it up. Read it and review it. Share it with friends. 5***** for my first all-nighter of the year. Side note this is in talks to be a TV show. YES PLEASE!!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the advance reader copy of this book.

This book is a tangled web of a thriiler! When Jessica volunteers for a research study on morals, she gets more than she bargained for. Dr. Shields selects her, out of all the research subjects, for a special project. Jessica divulges more of her past and her family issues than she had intended. Dr. Shields uses this information to manipulate Jessica and force her participation in a plot to determine the doctor’s husband’s fidelity. As the book goes on, it is difficult to believe the motives of each character. Jessica finds it impossible to know who she can trust. In the end, it is a cat and mouse game of outwitting one another, with Jessica trying to save her own life. This book is hard to put down. With the introduction of each character, things become more complicated and relationships become more entwined. Exciting right up to the end.

Trust is a very personal thing. It is fickle and can easily be taken away but not so easily given. Jessica starts this study with a lie and attempts to continue it by trusting the Doctor who is administering the study. Each question, task and day tests the readers trusts as it does Jessica’s.

This was a very intriguing premise as I have a background in psychology and moral and ethical studies can be very telling about a person. Even more interesting is what it can tell you about its’ creator; especially in this story.

This was more first introduction to this author duo and I was entertained but I did feel like it was a bit long winded. I would get into the story and then find myself daydreaming shortly after due to the unnecessary details.

This fast paced thriller had me on the edge of my seat the entire book. I love the duo of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, I think they bring a fresh take on thrillers that I have been craving for awhile.
Imagine you have the opportunity to make some quick cash and all you have to is participate is a couple hour study. Jessica, strapped for cash, decides to participate in the study, what could go wrong?
You will want to read this book in one sitting to see what happens!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks; Sarah Pekkanen. Jessica Farris signed up to be a subject in a psychology study on morality and ethics. Jessica needed the money and this seem a quick way to get that goal met. But things aren't going to be easy as you would think. It gets really weird and dangerous making you wonder what is really going on.
This was such a page turner thriller story that I would really recommend.

I've been quietly contemplating this title. It is once again a title that is best to go in blind. The summary does little to give away with the impressive psychological thriller that is contained within the pages.

Again the authors spin an original tale on the cat and mouse trope. How far will both the subject and the puppet master go? The money becomes too much of an incentive. Jessica's choices become too much of a power trip for Dr. Shields. As a reader I was graced with unexpected twists and turns that kept me engaged for central portion of the story. Like The Wife Between Us, I felt like several of the psychological twists just came out of nowhere and completely unexpected - but even MORE so with this story. I found myself more than once rereading passages as I asked myself "Did that just happen?". Authors Hendricks and Pekkanen once again impressed me fully with the ability to weave their storytelling voices to seamlessly blend. I never once felt as if two voices projecting the pace and plot.

The Wife Between Us was one of my 2019 best of the best reads - so getting the gift of an advanced reader copy made me ecstatic! And there in lies the issue - I believe in the reader because I expected too much.

I feel I owe my followers this insight as I fangirled so hard over TWBU. This story is told in a dual POV. Whereas TWBU was told as an observer - thus the appeal of originality to TWBU. As a reader when we were in Jessica's POV, I felt the story flowed well and kept me engaged. However, Dr. Shields was stiff and difficult for the first 25%. Maybe if I hadn't read TWBU, the use of this 'robotic' character would have worked. But it made it difficult at first to get invested in the character of Dr. Shields. Lastly, the ending -- well, it left me with a deflated feeling after being held on a tight wire for 70% of the story. In fairness, I think the POV and narcissistic personalities weren't an appeal for this reader.

I've read some reviews of those who choose to read AAG first had some of the same feelings I projected from TWBU - so take my one star deduction as I hyped it up too much in my mind. I do plan on re-reading with a buddy. Maybe that shared discovery of "WTH just happened" will make me temper my feelings on the parts I that didn't make it a perfect read for me.

Wrapping up, if you are a huge fan of psychological thrillers, this title for fans of the genre to enjoy. It's a definite buy recommendation from me.