An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

This was an interesting book; it is the follow-up by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen to 'The Wife Between Us'  which was an enormous critical success.  This book, as a mystery and thriller novel, has the same suspense and plot turns and, if it is possible, is more suspenseful and captivating.

Jessica Farris is a make-up artist who works in Manhattan for 'BeautyBuzz', a company that books make-up do-over appointments for her.  She learns through slightly illicit means that there is a psychology study available that that will allow her to pick up a quick $500 by participating.  When she enters the study, she comes into contact with Dr. Shields, an intense, intelligent, and slightly twisted psychiatrist.  One thing leads to another and soon Jessica is performing 'tests' for Dr. Shields that have more to do with Dr. Shield's marriage than with the study.  Jessica is well paid and so she doesn't question the somewhat unusual requests by Dr. Shields.  The 'tests' soon lead to a controlling and predatory relationship by Dr. Shields with Jessica, and Jessica soon is looking for any means of escape.

There were times when I could not put this book down, and times where I was so uncomfortable with the tension and suspense in the novel that I had to put it down for a while.   The story is told from two points of view:  Jessica's and Dr. Shield's.  Dr. Shield's chapters are written in the 2nd person, which is rare in literature, and this POV device dramatically ratchets up the suspense in the novel.  Here is an excerpt where we read from the POV of Dr. Sheild:   

"You disappoint me deeply, Katherine April Voss.  You were invited in... Then you made the revelation the shattered everything, that put you in a completely different light; I made a mistake.  I slept with a married man ... You were told you would never be welcomed into the townhouse again..."   

This use of the second person POV by Dr. Shields is truly creepy and paints her as a twisted, almost psychotic personality. 

If you like mystery and suspense thrillers, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better one than 'An Anonymous Girl.;  Highly recommended.  5/5 stars.