This book had me hooked from the first page. I found myself wanting to learn more about the main character, and I couldn’t wait to read more.

“An Anonymous Girl” by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen is a psychological thriller that follows Jessica Farris, a make-up artist Readers immediately get to know Jessica. She is dedicated and harried. She wants to be organized, and is driven by rules and more rules. Most of all, she is in desperate need of money. She stumbles upon an opportunity to make quick money by participating in a research project. 
“Seeking women aged 18 to 32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality conducted by a preeminent NYC psychiatrist. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. Call for more details.”
Thus, Jessica’s unusual and frightening journey begins. In a casual, conversation-style first-person narrative, she talks to friends; she talks to herself; and she talks to readers. She shares her past, her present, her regrets, her dreams, her guilt, and her fears. She finds that an impulsive decision can change the course of one’s life. Many things that were ordinary in the past are somehow no longer run of the mill activities and people; now that she in in the survey group, now that she is “Subject 52.”
The study begins as a computer-driven question and answer session about ethics and morality as described. Of course, Jessica has already lied to get into this study, so her situation is compromised at the start. Money is money, but how far will she go to get that money? Lies pile up one on top of the other, and the study of “ethics and morality” mutates into something very different and very sinister. 
The construction of the narrative itself contributes to the menacing tone of impending doom. The account switches from Jessica’s first person present tense narrative to another narrative, this one a second person present tense as if the narrator is speaking directly to Jessica.
“You are the only person here. This venue has been selected because there is little to distract you, facilitating your ability to concentrate on the task ahead.”
The tone throughout is tense and foreboding. Without giving away information, this book filled with deception, treachery, and subterfuge. The plot is complex and develops over time, one puzzle piece at time. And, like a puzzle, the pieces eventually fall into place but not without missteps, variations, and unexpected turns. 
I received a copy of “An Anonymous Girl” from Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley. It is the quintessential psychological thriller, and one that readers will find hard to put down.

A fast, twisty read... Kudos to the writing duo of Hendricks/Pekannen for pulling off a thriller that kept me turning pages and neglecting the rest of my life until I knew how it would turn out. (And that epilogue! Morality study, indeed.)

So the moment I saw Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen were coming out with a new book I was 100% sold. I ended up loving The Wife Between Us. So I couldn't wait to see what they had in store. Overall I ended up enjoying the book. 

I have to say right away I was super interested in the idea of these book. It's about this girl who signs up for this psychological study because she's in need of the cash. It turns out to end up being a lot more invasive then she thought. As the study continues on it turns into a lot more and secrets that were meant to stay quiet become exposed. So right away I found the concept to be super interesting. I haven't read any thrillers revolving around a psychology study, so that was really enjoyable to read about. 

I also really enjoyed the different perspectives. I always enjoy reading from the perspectives of the different characters. It's always fun knowing more than the other character or at least you think you know since this book has unreliable narrators. So you don't really know what's true and what's not. I just always find it interesting being inside more than one characters head. 

Overall I enjoyed this book. I thought it was suspenseful and kept me interested. I just didn't find it very shocking so I was a little disappointed it that. I still am so happy I was able to read this early. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2019. Greer and Sarah are such an amazing writing duo. They work so well together. I am so excited to see what they come out with next.

*Thank you so much for Netgalley for giving me this book for free in exchange for my honest opinions.*

What a ride An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen has been. There is nothing quite as galvanizing as a well-drawn anti-hero. Jessica Farris, a freelance makeup artist, signs herself up for a psychology study being held at a local college because she needs the money offered. The study takes place in an empty room with only a laptop submitting the questionnaire. Jessica knows that a Dr. Shields is in charge of this study but has not met the professor. Soon Jessica is contacted to continue a more intense psychological evaluation while being well-paid. She agrees and soon starts thinking that all is not well. The rest you must read for yourself. Nothing will be as it seems. The story is fascinating and keeps up the tension till the last page. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys unpredictable psychological thrillers. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the authors for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anonymous Girl is a psychological thriller that runs in the same vein as Gone Girl. If you were a fan of that you should also like this. The storyline follows Jessica, a struggling makeup artist trying to make a living in New York City. Jessica has a full plate between trying to make ends meet, and send money home to support her younger sister who was left mentally disabled after a childhood brain injury. One day when Jessica is out on an appt with a makeup client, she over hears one of the girls talking about a a psychological test at the college that is supposed to pay 500 dollars for a single session. On a whim, she decides to take the place of the student, and insert herself into the study, figuring it would be an easy 500 dollars. 

The study, Jessica is told, regards morals and ethics. The study is conducted by Dr. Shields. After the first set of questions Dr. Shields asks her to come in for further sessions, for which she will be more than adequately compensated. Desperate for the money, Jessica agrees to commit to more sessions. Eventually she starts seeing Dr. Shields in person. It is then that she discovers that Dr. Shields is a female therapist. Lydia Shields is intoxicatingly beautiful, and seems to be perfect in every way. Despite some misgivings about tasks that Dr. Shields asks Jessica to complete, she continues to go along with the program Dr. Shields has assigned believing that the increasingly strange tasks are necessary to complete the study. The increasingly large financial payments don’t hurt either. It does; however, soon become apparent that the study Jessica is involved in is not all that it seems to be, and Dr. Lydia Shields is so much more than an innocent therapist exploring moral and ethical situations. Jessica finds herself in a very sticky situation where the more she struggles and tries to leave the study, the deeper she becomes entangled. Dr. shields is the ultimate villain. She comes off as both incredibly evil, but like all humans innately flawed. The study becomes a wild game of cat and mouse, with both Jessica and Dr. Shields trying to anticipate each other’s moves and outsmart each other. It’s a pretty wild story and was a lot of fun to read.

4 stars to this fascinating and clever thriller. If you like a good cat and mouse game then this is for you!

Jess is a 28 year old makeup artist living in the big city. She needs money. She has obligations. Some of her own, but some are of a secretive nature. Working for a cosmetic agency doing makeup for women who are going out or for an event doesn't pay much. While at an appt she overhears about an opportunity to participate in a morality study that pays pretty good money. She decides it is worth the risk to show up in place of the woman who will not be going. 

While all about the study seems harmless and innocent at first, she is chosen by Dr. Shields, the author of the study, to go further than others in the study and receive additional money if she is willing to add more time and tasks of a deeply personal nature. 

Jessica accepts the offer and things go to places she never could have imagined. She was she wrong to get this involved? To go to places set by Dr. Shields and ask men for their phone number? To lure married men into a set up for a potential affair?

Jessica has a secret. Dr. Shields knows it. What will she do to protect it? 

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a digital ARC to read in exchange for a review. I highly recommend this for all who enjoy good suspense and psychological thrillers. What a great read!

This is the second book I’ve read by the writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. I really, really liked it! I do love a good Psychological suspense book.

The story was so different/unique from anything I’ve read before. The beginning sucked me right in as it started off with our main character Jessica, who’s a make-up artist in New York City. Jessica does something a little unethical to get into a university psychology study on morality and ethics, and it takes off from there. This one caught my attention right away and kept getting more and more complex as the story unfolded. Just when you think who did what, you are lead in a new direction. The characters were all dysfunctional. Jessica’s character made me want to shake her several times, not to mention Dr. Shields, who was on her own level. Very interesting story. Great writing… I’m thinking two writers create a story more complex and unique.

I Highly recommend An Anonymous Girl to anyone who enjoys a good psychological suspense book. I read this book, and purchased the audible version so when I couldn't read, I could listen to it being read to me. I recommend both versions.

*A very special thank you to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review* I also purchased my own audible.com version*

Not usually my genre.  Have to say though, that although a little unbelievable, I found it very enjoyable.

Having read and loved THE WIFE BETWEEN US by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen I anxiously began AN ANONYMOUS GIRL.  I am happy to say I am hooked and will read anything these authors offer,    A compelling story line that keeps you reading even when you know you should stop and rejoin real life.

Jessica is a makeup artist in New York City, through not completely honest means Jessica joins an ethic study for the money it offers.  

Jessica is Subject 52, Dr. Shields is running the study and she is completely intrigued by Jessica, she believes she is exactly what she is looking for.

There are many questions, questions of ethics and mostly the question of what does Dr. Shields want from Jessica. Any time one of my questions was answered I was immediately presented with another.  

A great read, a fresh story, I will recommend this book to everyone I know.

I received a netgalley of An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, in exchange for an honest review. Jessica is in desperate need of extra cash so she lies her way into a morality study. As she gets more deeply involved in Dr. Shields study, she begins to wonder if this was all worth it. This book has many twists and turns. It keeps the reader's attention and you do not know what will happen next. I enjoyed this read and I highly recommend.

This book was a wild ride!
I requested this book on the description alone as I was unfamiliar with the authors. 
This books hooked me from the first page and it didn’t let go. 
I loved this book so much, it was such an interesting concept for a book and the authors really pulled it off!  Smart writing, coupled with a really unique story was a recipe for success. 
I recommend this book and I can’t wait to see what these authors come up with next!!

I loved this thriller.  I would actually give it 4.5 stars, but I rounded up.  I read so many books that I am finding it is hard for me to find books now that can grab my attention early on enough to keep me anxious to pick it up again and not put it down.  An Anonymous Girl did that well. While I didn't think there were any shocking twists, the little surprises kept coming at me at a great pace.  There was not the stereotypical victim who misses all the obvious signs of what is happening to them.  Jess and Dr. Shields were worthy adversaries. The theme of the novel was unique and interesting:  Each person has her own unique code of ethics....even if she is not aware of it.  In my opinion, this second effort by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is even better than their first, The Wife Between Us.  I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

A great psychological thriller about a young woman who joins an academic study and soon gets in way over her head. Some of the twists weren’t that surprising, but my interest was peaked. I didn’t know how or if the main character would get out of this situation. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

If you loved “The Wife Between Us,” then you will surely enjoy “An Anonymous Girl,” the new standalone novel from dynamic writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Described as “a deliciously twisty new thriller about a girl lying to know the truth,” the book holds your attention from the first page to the last.

And, if you choose to listen to the unabridged audiobook, the narration by Barrie Kreinik and Julia Whelan will surely captivate you. 

Full disclosure: I read the book when I received the ARC early on, but I decided to wait for the release of the audiobook before I wrote a review. With the book written from two points of view, I needed to “hear” the voices of Jess and Lidia. And, the audiobook like the written one did not disappoint.

So, where do I begin, or perhaps the question is how do I begin to write a spoiler-free review of this mystery/thriller? I can say that it is set in New York City and touches its artistic world. The book shows the struggles of how young people make it there, which according to an old song is the benchmark of “making it anywhere” if you succeed in the Big Apple.

“An Anonymous Girl” is also about familial love and romantic love; it is about love between siblings and the camaraderie of friends, the real-life friend not the BFF from social media. It also delves into the anonymity that a city of 8.5 million people brings.

We have two women protagonists - Jessica Farris, a struggling make-up artist from a middle-class family and Dr. Lidia Shields – an author, a professor and practicing psychiatrist who happened to be born with a silver spoon. How they met was very unorthodox; their interaction with each other can be deadly!

Then, I must stop here. If I say something more, spoilers might creep in. Let me just say that “An Anonymous Girl” is a must-read and/or a must-listen. It’s still early in the year so I will already say that if you have not picked up any books for 2019, then this is should be the first one. If you have started your reading list, then please put “An Anonymous Girl” on top of your list.

“An Anonymous Girl” is Rated T for Teens. Parental guidance is strongly advised.

DNF - 45%

It took me weeks to get as far as I did into this one. I kept waiting for something, anything, to happen t compel me to read it more. To go weeks without finishing a book is very unlike my character, but this just didn't deliver. I am giving 2 stars for the premise of the story. I love the idea and it intrigued me enough to request it; however, it didn't execute well enough for me to finish.

The last straw for me was during one of the tests, the art exhibit to be precise, when Shields becomes irate in her head about her husband being the same cheater when she was mistaken all along. That kind of trigger response is just childish and it didn't seem fitting. The book has potential, but it just wasn't interesting or progressive enough. The character development or just characters, in general, didn't feel developed or substantial. 

I wish I could have been drawn in like others seemed to have been. I hate to be in the list of odd ones out, but it was just lackluster for me.

Tense, unpredictable - like an episode of Criminal Minds.

The plot is suspenseful and well paced.

I suggest readding it during the day

“One of them is lying. But who?” AAG (as I’ll call it) is a thriller in the vein of Gone Girl, with unreliable protagonists, lots of secrets, and deadly twists. While I didn’t read the first book from this pair of authors, I was excited to get my hands on this eARC from @macmillanusa via @netgalley (thank you!) given the high praise heaped on the first offering. It’s exactly what you hope for in a book of this genre: propulsive, twisty, provocative. Without giving too much away, AAG explores morality, ethics, and how far one will go to protect and provide for their families. This will be a great beach read come spring/summer for those who haven’t yet picked it up. •
One caveat: the narrative does involve one character who is a psychiatrist, who absolutely abuses the therapeutic relationship. I am a Marriage and Family Therapist, so I feel particularly attuned to popular representations of my field (very broadly speaking, a psychiatrist I am not). Much of the time when therapists are portrayed in the media, we are boundary-breaking unethical turds - so please, if you take nothing else from my review - please know that the vast majority of us are hardworking professionals who take our professional and ethical duties very, very seriously!

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are a dynamic duo when it comes to writing a fast-paced, tight psychological thriller. They proved this in their first outing, "The Wife Between Us," and this sophomore effort proves to be just as well done. The writing flows so effortlessly that it's hard to tell it's coming from two separate writers. If I had any complaint it would be that the ending is not quite as exciting as the journey to get to it, which was an issue I felt their first novel had as well. But all in all, I easily fell into this book and over a long snowy weekend, I kept wanting to pick this book up any time I set it down and managed to knock it out in a few days. Fans of Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware will want to check this one out. 

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I had read The Wife Between Us by these authors last year and enjoyed it so much – I was exciting to see they had a new book coming out. Similar to that book, this book makes the reader question what is the “truth,” and additionally in this book we begin to question our own ethics and morality. This was a SUPER creepy book, I was on the edge of my seat the whole book waiting to find out what was going to happen and I couldn’t stop myself from looking over my shoulder. The author did such a great job of infusing paranoia and fear into Jessica’s narrative. I loved the two points of view too, and how they were written – with all of Dr. Shields’ entries reading as if she was telling Jessica a story. It was an interesting dynamic and created an obvious difference between their two points of view. The reasoning wasn’t revealed until later in the story but it ended up making complete sense. There were some good plot twists in this story, but while they were exciting, they may have also been a tad predictable. The premise behind this book reminded me a little of another book I had read last year, Believe Me, as the main character in that book is hired to entrap husbands in compromising situations, and the reader is led to question what the truth is and who is the more reliable narrator – similar to this novel. Overall I really enjoyed this read and I thought it brought up some really interesting questions on morality, plus it was sufficiently suspenseful. I can see why this one is a hot topic in the book world right now – I would definitely recommend!