Review: An Anonymous Girl

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving and advanced copy. Rating 2.5 stars

I loved “The Wife Between Us” and was ready for another no holds barred, twisted ride with Jessica, Subject 52, who signs up for a psychological study on morality and ethics. Do you think you’re in trouble when you lie your way into a study on ethics because you need the money? Dr. Shields takes a special interest in Jessica and lures her in with expensive gifts, high paycheques, and what is amounting to free therapy in exchange for following her instructions in what appears to be testing the mettle of a married man. Written in alternating POV between Jessica and Dr. Shields, this cat and mouse story tries to keep you off kilter as you see how Dr. Shields spins her web, always having an explanation for putting Jessica in situations that don’t feel right, in fact they make Jessica feel icky. But by this point Jessica has spilled her guts to this woman who knows all of her dark secrets and insecurities. Dr. Shields is not only beautiful, self assured, has impeccable taste and always seems to know the right thing to say to put Jessica’s fears to rest. She also knows whenever Jessica is not being completely honest. When Jessica finds out that the married man is Dr. Sheilds’ husband, Thomas, she knows something is not right. But when Thomas warns Jessica that Dr. Shields in dangerous, Jessica knows she is in trouble.

Hendricks and Pekkanen write really well together, but this was not as exciting a story as their first novel. There was some suspense, but nothing like the thrilling tickle when you don’t know who is lying and who is telling the truth and will the protagonist make it out alive! There isn’t any surprising twist that you can’t see coming. This one just leads you down the path until the end. You know who that bad guy is and you can guarantee the protagonist is going to survive and yes there is some information revealed but no wow factor. The seduction of Jessica is interesting enough to keep reading but I needed more. I want that “can’t-put-it-down” feeling, or at least some doubt as to whether the doctor or Thomas is the bad guy. A lot was left untapped with Jessica and the minor characters like Lydia, and Josh, to name a few where more could have been done to create tension. Just an okay read for me.

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