This was an amazingly dark and deep psychological thriller!! It’s one of my favorite reads this year!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Last year I devoured The Wife Between Us, so when I saw that Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen were at it again with An Anonymous Girl, I immediately requested the book on Netgalley. This book has that gorgeous monotoned colored cover, with faces of women who could be anyone, and that really intrigued me. What was even more entrancing was the story. 

Jessica needs money, she's a make up artist by day, but she can barely cover her bills and her parents bills that she secretly pays each month, so when she overhears one of her clients talking about being part of a study about morality, Jessica decides to hi-jack that girls spot and get in to the study herself. I mean, what could go wrong, all she has to do is answer some silly questions anonymously and go home, right?

Of course it's not that easy. Along with the typical morality questions, Jessica is set up in real life situations where she must go above and beyond her comfort zone, to the point of being in dangerous situations, all in the name of morality, or so she thinks. Then she meets the woman behind the study, who happens to have her own personal vendetta, and Jessica may be wrapped up in something she won't be able to get out of alive.

Chances are if you read a lot of thrillers like I do, you'll be able to predict this one, unlike The Wife Between Us, the twist didn't catch me off guard, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the writing was superb as usual. I cannot wait to see what these two come up with next. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

It took a little while to get into this book—what the protagonist, Jessica “Jess,” a young makeup artist struggling to scratch out a living in NYC—thought about questions of moral and ethical complexities posed to her in a study (she manages to get herself into, tempted by the $500 compensation) by a NYU doctor of psychology wasn’t all that interesting, and it took a while for the book to “hook.”. But it doesn’t take long before it’s obvious (to the reader, at least) that something is rotten in Denmark, and I kept turning the pages. The book is told from the 1st pov of Jess and from the mixed 1st/3rd (like reading the therapist report notes) pov of Dr. Shields. Usually I don’t like mixed pov; I need to have a strong protagonist’s pov to focus on in order to get invested enough in the protagonist’s fate to read on. But the second pov was impersonal enough that it didn’t bother me. This is a well written tale with realistic, flawed (and seriously flawed!) characters. I really enjoyed it and will be looking for other books by the authors.

What did I just read??

I thought that I had it all figured out and then BAM! I didn't. The characters were so well developed. I thought Jess could be any of us, trying to make it in the world. Helping her parents and her sister while barely making ends meet. It made me think of all of the "unspoken" things that have happened in my own family or when I talk to my sisters and we all were at the same event but had difference experiences. The memory can be a tricky thing.

I look forward to reading their debut novel. I have it in my TBR pile.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
AN ANONYMOUS GIRL

This compelling, not easy, book raised questions that stayed with me even after reaching “the end.” It was intriguing from the very beginning. The psychological testing reminded me of taking the MMPI, Minnesota Multi-Phasic Inventory, in 1967 with fellow college of education majors. The very intrusive and repetitive questions prompted an exchange student in our group to call it an “ugly test.” I never found out what possible use or value that test was . . . disclosure goes only one way in these situations, as Jessica discovered, though her need to know was greater.
Whom to trust? “I don’t fear strangers . . . I’ve learned more harm can come from familiar faces.”
Secrets and guilt — we all have some. “Often the person we judge most harshly is ourself.” A recent discussion in which friends expressed punitive attitudes to those in prison set me musing on missteps we might have made but were lucky enough or connected enough to escape full consequences. How many can say they’ve never committed a wrong act? Anyone? Don’t we, and they, deserve redemption?
To what extent do wealth and power enable the privileged to manipulate others? Are they tempted to discount the humanity of those of lesser status? Evade the consequences of even heinous acts?
Can one fight back against impossible odds? Should one defend “by any means necessary”?
Be prepared for other activities to move to the back burner as the suspense builds. Jessica inspired me to care a great deal about her and her family, feeling the tension as she walked the tightrope of dangers.

I was such a fan of The Wife Between us that I was thrilled to be chosen to receive an ARC of An Anonymous Girl.

Hendricks & Pekkanen did not disappoint in their second joint endeavor. While it did not have the same wow factor as their first novel together, and I admit I was slightly confused near the end (to the point I had to re-read a few paragraphs to figure out from who's point of view it was told), I could not put this book down, I loved it. Strong women and a little bit of crazy thrown in there for good measure. Definitely give this one a try!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this in advance of publication.

What do you do when obsession goes too far?

Jess is Number 52 in a NYU psychology study being conducted by Dr. Shields. Dr. Shields asks each participant questions regarding their morality and asks for complete candor in their answers. Jess answers the questions truthfully, for the most part, revealing her own questionable actions.

The answers Jess provides to Dr. Shields begins a roller coaster relationship between the two. Soon Dr. Shields is seeing Jess outside of the study and asking Jess to do questionable things in the name of the study. Before too long Jess starts to question the motives of Dr. Shields in not only her questioning but also her actions.

Both authors provide a narrative that will have you reading all night to get to the end. If you enjoyed books such as Gone Girl and The Woman in Cabin 10 this book is for you. If you're starting to get burn-out from unreliable narrators I would tread lightly but I think you'll still enjoy it.

Two words that I would use to describe this book are “intriguing” and “captivating”. From the first few pages I was sucked into the story and the characters, and was excited to see how it would all end.

I was a little hesitant to read a novel by two authors because I wasn’t sure how cohesive it would be, but I have to say that Hendricks and Pekkanen write SO well together!

MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD!!!

The ending was kind of...surreal to me. I’m not going to say that it was disappointing or confusing, because it definitely wasn’t those things. I thought it was majorly out of character for Dr. Shields to end up commit suicide by overdosing on pills. It read to me as if she was just giving up in the end, which was not like her character at all throughout the book. Dr. Shields is a very intense and calculating person, always one step ahead of everyone else. I just find t hard to believe that she would accept defeat and end her own life. Just my take on it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading “The wife between us” in the near future!

I had to DNF at 41%. I think this is going to be a very good psychological thriller for other people but not for me.

It’s very slow, very very slow.


Jessica enters a study to earn money and it grows from answering questions to doing things for the therapist Dr Shields. I thought it was going to be like a Dr Shields become obsessed with her or whatever but no. The reasoning behind Dr Shields tests and study is RIDICULOUS.

I also CAN NOT READ dr Shields POV for one it’s written extremely weird and like “you enter the lobby. You have your hair pulled up tightly”. Like she’s writing a letter or something and there are literally such big words used every other word and I have no idea what any of it means. It’s extremely annoying. I want to be able to understand what I’m reading??

Also I’m pretty sure I figured out the twist I mean you have Jess who leaves with random guys constantly to hook up and a dr who’s husband is a cheater... soooooooooo


Yeah sorry. Not for me. THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR MY E-ARC FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!

Anonymous Girl is another page turning, spine tingling thriller from the great duo Hendricks and Pekkanen. The first chapter of the story slowly pulls you in to the life of Jessica Farris and provides just enough information to get a glimpse into her daily routine. By chapter 2, as the story unfolds, it continues to draw deeper and deeper in. Needless to say, it is a twisty thriller and the ending makes it well worth the journey. This is a must read for readers.

I loved this book. I was hooked from the first chapter. I liked the 2 person chapter shifts. It sometimes helped to clarify things the other person experienced. The characters were real. I could picture them and try to guess what they would do next.
It made me wonder about secrets and who you can trust with them. Every time I thought I had it figured out another twist was added. Some secrets are revealed only to the reader. Some are shared leading to cause unexpected results. I was surprised at the ending. At first, I thought it was a letdown, but then I thought this is a perfect comeuppance for Thomas.
I hope this team continues to write together.

Earlier this year I read and loved The Wife Between Us by the fabulous writing duo, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. After finishing The Wife Between Us I was very eager to find out what other twisted tale they can come up with! Their newest book, An Anonymous Girl, does not disappoint. These ladies do know how to write nail-biting suspense for sure! I couldn't put An Anonymous Girl down and was blown away by the story.

The book is about Jess, who signs up for an anonymous psychological study about morality because it promises to be an easy way to make some extra cash. But, of course, it turns out that the study is not quite what Jessica signed up for. Jess develops a complicated relationship with Dr. Shields, the study's professor, who gives her increasingly more bizarre tasks in the name of research. The line between their professional and personal relationship starts to blur until it explodes with dire consequences for all involved. Will Jess come out on the other side unscathed? You'll have to read the book to find out!

The story was good, the characters were interesting, but I didn't enjoy the first person narrative all that much. I found it somewhat confusing as to who was talking. Chapters should be labeled with who is talking. The story involves this makeup artist, who decides to take a client's place in a survey that pays $500, and the client is not going. The therapist doing the survey takes a liking to the makeup artist and asks her to do more surveys, and more. Her goal is to see if her husband is cheating on her again. They both go to extraordinary measures to accomplish this, and right off the bat, she sleeps with him, before she even knows he is the husband, and he's just a real jerk. Not my favorite book.

Wow this book has so many twists and turns it kept surprising me! I thoroughly devoured this book and loved the characters. Jess is a makeup artist and joins a research study with Dr. Shields. They both tell the story in alternating chapters. Both have so many secrets from the other and it is quite a dance for them to keep them from the other. I highly recommend this book as a thriller and one that will keep you reading until the very end. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

Intriguing and mysterious thriller about a psychiatrist, her husband, and a young woman caught in a psychological web she must escape in order to survive.

Jessica needs money to help her parents with the medical bills for her younger sister. She finds her into a psyche study being researched by a Dr. Shields. All she is interested in is the $500 she will receive for two days, two hours each day, of questions and answers. Jessica is totally unaware what the consequences will be... she is just seeking that precious money she desperately needs.

The study deals with ethics and morality. The questions require complete honesty, although they are deeply intimate and invasive of her personal beliefs and actions. As the study unfurls, Jessica finds herself questioning her decisions more and more. Some of the real-life scenarios she is expected to enact lead her to begin questioning the purpose of Dr. Shields' study. The complexity of her interaction with Dr. Shields and the situations she is placed in the middle of, send alarms to her protective side. As she begins to unravel the reason why she has been chosen for this study, she recognizes finally she is caught in a web that can mean her life is in danger.

This book was very entertaining and thrilling. I gave it 4 Stars because for a seasoned writer, this book should have a stronger ending and no mistakes in the plotline. For instance, in Part One much is made of where Jessica will sit during her visit to Dr. Shields home for the extraordinary meetings. Much is made out of the fact that she sits in the chair. Later on, the author states that Jessica continues to sit in the love seat like the first time, which is not true. It is an obvious oversight and should be caught by any editor worth their weight. Please correct this. For a psyche thriller, details are important. The decision Dr. Shields makes at the end is questionable to me. I think it breaks character. Just my opinion. Overall, this is a great book readers will enjoy.

I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I thank the publisher for sharing a copy with me.

It is nearly impossible to describe this book without revealing essential pieces of the plot, key elements that will be much more exciting if you are allowed to discover them on your own. It will be far easier to explain, if you are a lover of suspense/thriller talfes, why you must read this book.

The story is told in first person present. I am not normally a fan of this POV and tense, but in this story, the choices work. What makes it special is that there are two narrators, swapping back and forth, chapter to chapter. Even though the POV puts us inside each narrator’s head, everything is not always revealed to the reader. Instead, it is portioned out in slow measure, driving the suspense higher as you progress further into the book. Even right up to the end, the true motives of all the characters are not fully revealed, which enables the authors to weave feelings of danger throughout the pages, leaving us to wonder if the heroine will survive until the end.

The writing is impeccable, and there are no plot holes that could have damaged the integrity of the story. Even with all her faults, the main protagonist Jessica is likeable, and I soon found myself identifying with her questions and fears. Once I began reading it was hard to stop, and most of the book was completed in one sitting.

Bottom line: This is a tight, psychological suspense story that will periodically have you on the edge of your seat. The scariness is primarily generated by the fears (perceived and real) in Jessica’s mind, aided by the information from the second narrator. The story also examines morality and ethics, as “What would you do if…” questions quickly merge with a frightening reality. Can’t recommend this one enough. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary advance ebook of this title.

I enjoyed this book. Keeps you guessing til the end. Has many twist and turns along the way. My kind of book and I would highly recommend it.

If you liked the Wife Between Us you will Love this book!

Wow, you just don't know who is telling the truth but the truth will set you free. This book grabs you right from the start. You just don't know who is telling the truth until the very end.

It is about a makeup artist, Jess, who does not have a lot of money and is trying to help out her family. Her sister is disabled and she feels that it was her fault and has carried around that guilt for many years. When Jess is at a clients house she hears about doing a study for money, as she is always short on cash.

The study seems pretty simple at the beginning but then she gets sucked into the life of the doctor.

I can't share anymore than that as I will ruin the book.

A great read!!

An Anonymous Girl has claimed the title of my favourite thriller of 2018. Bold claim when we have around 8 weeks left of 2018 but I found this book so addictive and managed to polish this off in just two sittings.

When Jess, a struggling makeup artist in New York, gets involved in an experiment about morality run by an elusive psychiatrist, she is paid handsomely for her answers. However, she soon finds herself in a game of psychological cat and mouse and left wondering what she has gotten herself into.

The pace of the book was perfect. It was well written and although you could see the twists coming, it built up a good level of suspense which made for an enjoyable read. I found the book engrossing and extremely clever. A must read that I haven't shut up about and convinced a few friends to pre-order.

Thanks for allowing me to review this, St Martin's Press!

"An Anonymous Girl" begins with Jessica (Jess) who does make up for a living through the company Beauty Buzz in New York City. She had been working on broadway shows before she was assaulted. With the current job, she makes enough to maintain her lifestyle plus send some home to care for her younger sister, who has traumatic brain injury and needs lots of care. While doing a client's make up at the college, she learns that she was invited to do an ethics study which would pay $500 for a couple hours. Learning that the client is unlikely to go, Jess decides to go in her place.

The ethics professor, Dr. Shields, is watching as Jess enters the study. She fits the demographic profile but lied in order to enter the study- one about ethics. Dr. Shields invites her back to make sure she would be the person she was looking for. After she does, Dr. Shields invites her to participate in further, in-person experiments. Unable to pass up the money, Jess decides to give it a try- after all, she can exit the study at any time.

However, as things begin to escalate, Jess is unable to extricate herself from Dr. Shields and her life begins spiraling out of control. Will Jess be able to unravel the past- the previous study subject who died- and outmaneuver Dr. Shields before it is too late?

This book was fast-paced and I felt just as confused as Jess. The book is told in alternating points-of-view between Jess and Dr. Shields. We get pieces from each, but neither is explicit about the information they have nor where it could lead. We must read and unravel the tangled web ourselves. Jess was easy to like, and she is the one we really feel for when reading the story. On the opposite site, Dr. Shields makes an excellent villain, and we are never totally sure of her motives. On one level, we do get the basic motivation, but it's more complex than it might seem and her feelings about the other players are equally complex.

This was a really quick read for me, as I devoured each chapter as it leads to the finale. The pacing of the writing was really perfect with a slow build and crescendo that follows the storyline perfectly. I was surprised that no one had noted any ethics violations of the professor earlier (for instance, involving subjects in further studies without informed consent- but then again, the secrecy and lies might take care of people not knowing who to turn to). There are some pieces where it becomes clear that the repercussions of normal reactions might be too great to follow these paths (e.g. going to police), but it still may have been worth a try (I would think someone in a situation might try something). That said, I could suspend the disbelief to really enjoy the thriller.

Overall, this was a fast-paced and intense psychological thriller, and I enjoyed the read. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.