An Anonymous Girl, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, is an absorbing psychological thriller that begins with an ethics “study” and quickly descends from moral grey area into complete midnight. Freelance makeup artist Jess Farris worms her way into the paid psych study when she overhears one of her clients talking about it. Not exactly ethical, but, I mean, she’s taking an opportunity the rich girl was going to skip. Is that so bad? Besides, she needs the cash.

This psychological drama relies on this upstairs-downstairs economic contrast of New York life. 28-year-old Jess develops what almost seems like a crush on polished, sophisticated Dr. Shields, the psych professor doing the research.  Jess describes her work clothes as layers of washable black, the default uniform of every freelancer trying to seem professional without spending money, and she notices Dr. Shields’ stylish clothes, cosmetics, and general upscale style. There’s a bit about burgundy nail varnish, and it gave me a shock when I saw that’s what I was wearing, too.  This disparity in income and education characterizes their relationship.

Later, Jess realizes that if it ever comes down to her word again Dr. Shields’, one of them is an accomplished psychologist with articulate, academic notes on her “troubled patient” and the other lacks a steady job, income or useful connections.  It’s that realistic, familiar soft-power imbalance that made this such a gripping story for me. (Although, some of Jess’ financial worries didn’t feel overwhelming enough. Living without roommates in a pet-friendly studio seems impossibly bourgeois to this Brooklynite, and it made some of her money worries less sharp. Give me a heroine coming home to a divided bedroom in an illegal sublet for believable financial hardship.)

Without revealing the twists and turns, this is a dark storyline where everyone has something to hide. The tension in this novel is mental and manipulative, never gory or violent, even though some dark and disturbing things happen.

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An Anonymous Girl will be released on January 8, 2019  I received an ARC from the publisher, as always, all opinions posted here are my own. Free books can’t stop my snark.