While I enjoyed the story, I felt like every time the plot started to pick up, it would drop again. It was a solid 3.5.

Highly recommend this book if you’re into well done reads with psychological twists and turns. The author does a great job of drawing you in and you watch as Shay is manipulated by her “friends”. I was captivated by the story line and the farther into the story I got the more I didn’t want to put it down. Well worth your time!

You Are Not Alone is the first book by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pakkannen that I have read. I will definitely be looking for more from this pair of authors.

Shay Miller is down on her luck in more ways than one when she witnesses a suicide, a woman throws herself in front of a subway train. Shay is understandably distraught and starts digging in to the woman’s (Amanda) past to try to understand why Amanda would do this. Enter the Moore sisters and their vigilante group of women. Cassandra and Jane Moore were friends of Amanda who Shay meets at the memorial service. Shay is just about at her lowest point when the sisters seem to know just how to solve all her problems. But just as Shay thinks everything is beginning to move in the right direction, everything starts falling apart.

This fast paced psychological thriller will keep turning the page and unable to put it down. Told from several points of view with quotes from Shay’s journal of random data, the twists and turns will keep you guess. Some I saw coming but many took me by surprise. Fans of psychological thrillers will not want to miss this one.

When you first begin the book, you feel you are missing information, and you are - purposely. I deduced the authors are confusing you before getting to the plot twist. All I can say is hold on. It gets so good.

This book was a page turner from the minute I started it. This is a must read that will leave you shocked at the end.

I have been a fan of these authors since their first books and You Are Not Alone definitely didn’t disappoint. A suspenseful story filled with interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what these authors write in the future. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.

Anytime you see this combo of authors, it is guaranteed to be a good book. I don’t even have to read the synopsis, I just pick it up and know I will enjoy!

This book is full of twists and turns, and is highly entertaining! I definitely recommend!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This is fast-paced thriller of women in action - one tries to outrun the menace she don't understand, the other ones are out to catch her.

The topic of vigilante justice is very catchy (even if the authoresses might play some red herring game here with her readers) and brings out the questions of what right do we have to execute what we see as right. Planted firmly into the land of actual topic of violence against women, the novel poses these questions interestingly, including the subject of manipulation. I have very much enjoyed these aspects!

The main heroine Shay Miller is very relatable to me precisely because she is human - naive, trusting, a bit too much willing to please, a bit too much willing to supress the doubts. Yet she is also smart and courageous and when she finally see that there might be a foul play, she acts on it. With just a bit of encouragement, she has a big potential for personal growth in good.

Unfortunately, the plot logic weakens towards the end.
I would also love to see at least one nice, strong male character.

But the swiftness of the novel made a fan out of me and I plan to follow the authoresses from now on!

Super good book, Drew me right in and kept me hooked until the end. Can't wait to read more from these authors. They may turn in to an automatic one click author for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this novel.

A little late in the review but wanted to get my thoughts out there on this one. This novel was a bit slow in the beginning and I ended up having to finish it on audio. Despite the slow start, I loved this book. It gave me anxiety in all the right places. The pacing could have been a little better in the beginning but it picked up and made the book worth reading. This is a dynamic duo and can't wait to read more by them.

I have loved everything from this author pair and this book is no exception.
It is fast-paced and just begs to be read. If you're looking for a thriller, I would absolutely recommend you pick this one up.

You are not Alone is a cinematic novel that tells the story of a girl Shay Miller and her obsession with sisters that she would die to be like. The story is tense and the premise interesting and. filled with twists and. turns some of which I did not figure out Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a. quick suspenseful read.

I love every thriller these authors write together and this did not disappoint! I kept turning page after page and stayed up way later than I should have reading this book!

A fast paced and gripping read! This book is filled with details that make it hard to put down, from the development of the characters to the storyline. This book does contain details of a witnessed Suicide and could possibly be a trigger to some. However I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good suspense filled story.

Good not great. The story was there and the turns were good. I do think it was my reading mood that made this not great. I am usually a huge fan of their writing.

Pekkanen and Hendricks are quickly becoming two of my favorite authors. They are masters of the domestic drama. Love the style, alternating POV's, twists, and half truths. A fun read.

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

This book was so good. I love everything these authors write. Definitely had some A Simple Favor vibes.

Every book by these authors has been on my top list of favorite books, but this one falls short. While the story was good, it really held no substance in the long run, although the ending was quite satisfying. I’d give this a middle of the road rating, since it was just an okay book. I’m still going to read their books in the future, as they are some of my all time favorite authors.

This was a tight psychological thriller. It surprised me in so many places, and the plot was so intriguing. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

THREE’S C̶O̶M̶P̶A̶N̶Y̶ A CROWD.

The mood is quiet, mellow as we make the acquaintance of our leading lady, Shay Miller. At the moment, Shay is standing in a deluxe kitchen, washing two wine glasses from the night before and preparing to brew a pot of coffee. The Murray Hill apartment in which she lives is not hers but Sean’s. Sean is the man with whom Shay wants to spend the rest of her life. She loves him. Sean invited Shay to move in with him a little over a year ago because Shay, a brilliant market researcher, was between jobs. She has been temping, but now she is looking forward to stable employment with Global Metrics, a highly reputable research firm in New York.

The 31-year-old Shay has an infatuation with numbers: she has been keeping data books since age eleven. And she sees the world through stats.

On this hot and humid Sunday morning, Sean walks into the apartment, humming happily. He has returned from Whole Foods, where he picked up breakfast: eggs, croissants, and strawberries. There is also a bouquet of tulips. Romantic, indeed. Except the tulips are not for Shay, they are for Jody, Sean’s girlfriend. Jody emerges from his bedroom donned in his boxers and hoodie, and the scene becomes awkward. Sure, Shay feels like an outsider, but she has known Sean longer. And she loves him, unbeknownst to Jody. As far as Jody is concerned, Sean and Shay are just friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Sean is Jody’s world. Shay is only living, at the moment, in it.

SUICIDE BLONDE.

Not content to give Sean and Jody their space, Shay pretends to be as she heads out to get some work done. The August morning is muggy. And Shay is so preoccupied with her thoughts of numbers, stats, Sean, Jody, and tulips she fails to realize that she forgot her thermos of fresh-brewed coffee back at the apartment. But rather than going back there, she stops by Starbucks en route to the subway.

While awaiting the next subway, Shay realizes her loneliness. She also notes that she is alone on the concrete platform save for a strange man with a goatee who instantly makes her nervous. Already troubled on several levels, Shay is bordering on panic mode: she is looking for ways of escape when she sees the woman standing at a short distance from her. The woman, wearing a green dress with white polka dots, appears to be awaiting the same train as Shay. And Shay is contemplating moving closer to the woman for the sake of safety when the strange man suddenly leaves the platform and goes up the stairs elsewhere. The man never intended to do any harm to Shay, but Shay was a nervous wreck nevertheless.
With her attention now back on the woman, Shay sees that she and the woman are the same height and about the same age: the only difference between them is hair color. The woman has a lighter shade of hair than Shay. The two women lock eyes but never speak. Shay can hear the inbound train approaching at a distance, and it is at that moment when she notices a gold necklace gleaming on the floor of the platform. Shay picks up the jewelry and analyzes it: the chain has a pendant of the sun. The inbound subway is now racing into the tunnel. And Shay is about to ask the woman if she lost the necklace, but the noise of the train drowns her out. Her nervousness returns when she sees the woman step too close to the platform edge. Shay can feel that something is wrong. But there is nothing she can do about it. The scene is happening so fast, yet it is as if it is happening in slow motion. Shay knows the woman is going to leap in front of the oncoming train. And before Shay can intervene with a word or action, the woman jumps. Now twice dead, the woman had soulless eyes.

Frozen by fear and on the brink of collapse from shock, Shay cannot speak. She can only stare at the killer train. There is no sign of the woman. And Shay can only remember her dress as it resembled a polka-dot cape when she jumped. Just when Shay thought she had problems, this was a bigger one to which any of hers could, or would, ever amount. Indeed, from this fateful day on, the shocking suicide of one Amanda Evinger will forever haunt the nightmares of Shay.

WAIT. THERE’S MOORE.

Sisters Cassandra and Jane Moore seem to have it all: money, fame, good looks, and a booming boutique PR firm, Moore Public Relations. The raven-haired siblings also share an apartment, a luxurious space in Tribeca belonging to Cassandra. Thick as thieves, there is no hole out of which the thirty-something Moores cannot dig themselves. They are chic, clever, influential, and extremely powerful. No one knows this better than Stacey, a 29-year-old cybersecurity consultant—and trusty hacker—who serves as the eyes and ears of Moore Public Relations. If the sisters Moore want someone found, they summon Stacey. If the sisters want to have a black fly discarded in a glass of Chardonnay, they call Stacey. And whenever they do, the loyal-to-a-fault Stacey answers. Amanda Evinger used to be that way, loyal to the Moores.

SECRETS OF THE SISTERHOOD (I)

Cassandra and Jane Moore share a close-knit bond with a small group of women with various professional backgrounds, including Stacey, Daphne, Beth. Until her death by suicide, Amanda had also been one of them. These women are smart but deeply challenged. They are also a loyal assembly: and it is for this reason that the tall and chiseled Cassandra has nothing but the utmost admiration for each of them.

Daphne is the 32-year-old owner of an upscale boutique in the West Village, while Beth Sullivan is a 34-year-old Bostonian and public defense attorney gifted with a strong spirit of discernment. At present, the five women, including the Moore sisters, are gathered for the memorial service of their dearly departed sister, Amanda. No other guests have yet arrived, and that gives the women time to plan their approach: what stories to tell others about how they all met Amanda, etc. They talk and console one another. And Stacey, Daphne, and Beth eagerly agree to whatever Cassandra suggests.

Indeed, these women are grounded in their sisterhood. And they stick together—for better or worse. Or do they?

Cassandra and Jane may seem caring and concerned with the well-being of their little circle of women, but the sisters have a secret about which none of them know. And while they publicly display cool, calm collectiveness, inwardly, they are fretting. Like-minded, the Moore sisters wonder what happened to the gold necklace which had belonged to Amanda. Cassandra and Jane designed identical necklaces for each woman in their inner circle: a gold chain with a blazing sun charm. But when Amanda jumped to her awful death, her remains were recovered without it. What happened to that necklace? Someone has it, but whom? They must retrieve it. And they will—by any means necessary.

THE WOMAN IN THE TORTOISESHELL GLASSES.

Cassandra and Jane Moore never miss a thing. Not even the strange woman who shows up at the apartment of the recently departed Amanda to leave flowers—yellow zinnias—at her makeshift memorial. They know the woman is there because they have the place under surveillance. But who is she? This tall, strong-looking woman. Who is she? The close-knit sisters are immediately suspicious of this woman in the tortoiseshell glasses because they have never seen her before. How does (or did) she know Amanda? And how does she know that the yellow zinnia was her favorite flower?

Soon, very soon, the sisters will come to know Shay Miller. And she will change their lives forever.

THE MAKEOVER.

After meeting Shay, Cassandra, and Jane, begin to mold and groom the impressionable young woman to their liking. They take her shopping, wine-and-dine her regularly, win her affections, and at last take her to the salon for a makeover: haircut, makeup, manicure, pedicure, the whole bit. The sisters even set Shay up with a fancy new apartment. The same that once belonged to Amanda. And the formerly frumpy Shay looks and feels like a new woman. Shay believes, with everything, that Cassandra and Jane Moore like her and have her best interest at heart. But, unbeknownst to our leading lady, nothing could be further from the truth. Oh, the elegant and famous Moore sisters are molding Shay alright, but for all the wrong reasons. With her new makeover, Shay now looks like a replica of Amanda. She has the same apartment, the same look, the same haircut, the same clothes, the same spirit: Shay Miller is now ripe for the slaughter. It is only a matter of time.

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS (I)

For the first time in her lonely life, Shay Miller, a data analyst who keeps a well-organized and detailed databook—like a journal—has found true friendship, outside of Sean, in Cassandra and Jane. And Shay wants to please these two rich, famous, and glamorous women of the world so much that she is careful to do everything just right by them. Shay desperately wants to be part of their all-girl group. And with her new look and chic new wardrobe, she is well on her way.

SHE LOOKS A LOT LIKE YOU.

Shay Miller. Gullible Shay: she never stopped to think about her new makeover, which makes her look nearly identical to Amanda, the dead woman. She is too caught up in her fragile emotions to see it. Shay so desperately wants to be liked, wanted, needed. And the attention she receives from the flattering Moore sisters is enough to catapult her into another dimension in the elite stratosphere of Manhattan. Yes, Shay looks a lot like the woman that jumped in front of an oncoming subway only weeks before, but does Shay care? Well, she does feel bouts of discomfort at the “coincidence,” but she works hard to suppress those nagging thoughts of suspicion. Things are finally looking up now: she has a new job, a new apartment, her new friends, and her new status. Shay could not be happier. And all is well in her orbit.

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS (II)

Indeed, Shay has become spoiled by some of the finer things in life: yoga classes, expensive handbags, Moscow Moose drinks, luxury apartments, and Starbucks coffee—all at the expense of Cassandra and Jane Moore. Everything is elegant, pristine, and perfect. And the women are all getting on well. That is, until a man named James Anders dies, or rather, gets murdered.
From there, the long, dark, cold, and abysmal descent begins.

Lucky for Amanda that she’s already dead.

AND WE’RE OFF!

As they follow her lead on these pages, Shay Miller will make many readers take mental notes of one vital thing: Save a little rainy-day money. Because you never know when you may have to go on the run—for your life.

THE WICKED WITCHES OF THE EAST (COAST)

Cassandra and Jane Moore are the ultimate mistresses of manipulation. In their dealings of wickedness, they recruit angry, bitter, and emotionally fragile women who are open to the spirit of revenge: for they all come from troubled pasts. And they do the bidding of their mistresses. Indeed, Cassandra and Jane are the “Randolph Duke” and “Mortimer Duke” of this unsettling plot—playing dangerous games with the lives of other people. And though the two women move as a body in their baleful efforts, there is one more menacing than they. And it is her bidding that they do.

SECRETS OF THE SISTERHOOD (II)

Yes, Amanda Evinger committed suicide by jumping in front of an oncoming subway train. But what happened to Amanda before her fatal leap?

What pushed her to the brink?

What are Cassandra, Jane, Stacey, and Daphne hiding?

Who are these women?

What awful sin have they?

With a suspenseful personality, somewhat similar to that of Grisham’s masterwork The Firm, the plot of the cunning and wickedly mysterious You Are Not Alone tears down the illusion of white-washed tombs to reveal the bones of the dead and rotting.

THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE OF THE CAST.

The women who dominate the body text on these fast-paced pages of psychological thrills and chills are not alone: for they have a gifted cast of supporting players who make their performances that much better, including the following:

• Stan Decker is the head of Global Metrics (a marketing research company) and the man for whom Shay would love to work.

• Melanie, Mel for short, is the former college roommate and best friend to Shay.

• Barry is a construction company foreman and a mentally abusive stepfather to Shay.

• Marcia Santiago is a New York City detective investigating the heinous rape of Daphne.

• Paula is the therapist counseling Shay.

• Willow Tanaka is a talented (and eccentric) mixed-media artist under the representation of Cassandra and Jane Moore through Moore Public Relations.

• Tony Ricci is the Madrid-born immigrant from whom a great actress will take her name.

• Belinda Moore is the loathsome mother of Cassandra and Jane. Once hopeful, Belinda crashed and burned with a quickness.

• James “Trey” Anders is the tall, handsome, and quite charming stepbrother to Cassandra and Jane Moore.

• Brett Sullivan is an aspiring poet and the faithless, unsupportive ex-husband of cancer survivor Beth.

• Detective Williams is the sharp, no-nonsense investigator with one foot ahead of Shay Miller and one foot behind her.

• Valerie Ricci is a phenomenal character actress who stuns on these pages. Indeed, the Big Apple is her oyster. And her performance in this fictional world is stunning, spectacular, and award-worthy.

The preceding cast members, complemented by a stream of bit players and extras, keep the plot speedy and fascinating. And here, they did their creators, Hendricks and Pekkanen, respectable justice.

FINALLY, THE FINALE.

Someone butchered to death the man named James Anders. And Shay Miller has fallen victim to an elaborate setup.

The plot of this quietly cruel tale initially comes alive in a calm, sunny atmosphere, but soon, its premise becomes dark and gloomy, and before long, it’s storming. No longer gentle on its path, the road of its storyline suddenly twists, causing it to spin out onto a patch of clever imagination.

Primarily set in New York, with some travel to neighboring New Jersey and Los Angeles, You Are Not Alone was an enjoyable read. And I am inclined to render the tale five stars, not because it was the most exceptional mystery thriller I have ever read, but because it was just so well-written. The text of its body flowed smoothly, like butter. And my eyes just rolled with the stream. If there is one thing I love as both a reader and writer, it's wrinkle-free writing. And on the pages of You Are Not Alone, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen wowed me with their (combined) writing skills—as did they with their flawless research on the subject matter. Excellent work.

Recommended to mystery thriller and psychological thriller lovers alike, You Are Not Alone is guaranteed to command your interest, even into the wee hours, as it keeps you wrapped in its sticky web of deceit. A great read, indeed.

Five needy-greedy-and-seedy stars.


REVIEWER’S NOTE: It is my kind pleasure to thank St. Martin’s Press, as well as NetGalley, for the advance review copy (ARC) of You Are Not Alone in exchange for my honest review.

Analysis of You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is courtesy of the Reviews by Cat Ellington book series.

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