“An Anonymous Girl” is Gripping, Can’t-Put-Down Suspense

An Anonymous Girl by Sarah Pekkanen, Greer Hendricks

An Anonymous Girl (St. Martin’s Press), the second suspense novel from the writing team of Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks, is the story of a young New York make-up artist who lies her way into a psychological study on ethics and morality. What could go wrong? Jessica Farris needs money for her family, and the study promises “generous compensation.” Her father has lost his job, and her sister, who has special needs, would suffer if the family has to move. The study is being conducted by a beautiful, mysterious psychiatrist, Dr. Lydia Shields, and soon Jessica is doing more than answering questions like “Can you tell a lie without feeling guilt?” Dr. Shields, offering Jessica more and more money, sends her into real-life situations. She is to go to a museum and meet a man. She is to exchange phone numbers, and entice him to meet again. But fate intervenes, and unforeseen events turn a scientific experiment into a tense game of secrets and ulterior motives. Soon, what began for Jessica as an attempt to help her family becomes a dangerous game she can’t escape. It’s a luscious jigsaw puzzle of a book, with alternating chapters from Jessica’s and Lydia’s points of view. One of them is lying, at least to herself. Deep into its pages, it’s impossible to know who is the manipulator, who might end up dead. A delicious passage: “We all have reasons for our judgments, even if those reasons are so deeply buried we don’t recognize them ourselves.” Do not be alarmed if, while reading this book, you feel the need to apply burgundy nail polish. Details of glamorous clothes, make-up tips, and luxurious fashion, all in a fast-moving city offer up an authentic New York experience. And the men (with some notable exceptions) are handsome, well-dressed and they can cook! Sarah Pekkanen is the author of seven previous novels (The Best of Us, The Perfect Neighbors). Greer Hendricks was once Pekkanen’s editor at Simon & Schuster. Their first title, The Wife Between Us, jumped to bestseller lists in two weeks. And even before they finished writing The Wife Between Us, the authors had a movie deal with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners, the Hollywood team that put The Girl on the Train on the screen. Lightning has struck twice, and An Anonymous Girl has been optioned for a television series by eOne. Catch it on the page before it comes to the screen. An Anonymous Girl is now available to purchase.

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