You Are Not Alone

January 13, 2020
At the start of this entertaining yet shallow psychological thriller from bestsellers Hendricks and Pekkanen (The Wife Between Us), lonely temp Shay Miller watches in horror as a stranger, Amanda Evinger, commits suicide by throwing herself off a Manhattan subway platform in front of a moving train. The distraught Shay, who becomes fixated on Amanda, tracks down the young woman’s address and shows up at her memorial service. Shay’s presence attracts the attention of glamorous sisters Jane and Cassandra Moore, whose inner circle of women included Amanda. Jane and Cassandra worry that somehow Amanda confessed to Shay that the women are involved in a kind of vigilante justice in which they inflict revenge on people who may have wronged one of them. Though the story doesn’t delve deep into the characters, the strong plot generates plenty of tension as the sisters befriend Shay and set about remaking her life—all the better to spy on her. Though not up to the standard of the authors’ previous books, this one’s sure to please suspense fans. Agents: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and Margaret Riley King, WME.

January 15, 2020
Witnessing a suicide proves almost fatal for the witness herself. Shay Miller would not have been on that subway platform had she not taken the 22 seconds required to tie up her ponytail. Because she did, she is the sole witness to a suicide that changes her life. But is she stalking the friends of the dead girl, or are they stalking her? It seems to be both, as Hendricks and Pekkanen (An Anonymous Girl, 2019) unfold another one of their intricately plotted, female-focused thrillers. Rage about rape and sexual abuse underlies the plot as Google searches, dating apps, and hacked phones move it forward, making this a thriller of the moment. Here, the evil men are on the sidelines--the women are pitted against each other in a complicated game of cat and mouse. Shay, who is lonely, insecure, and broke, is easily drawn in by the cool and confident Moore sisters, who ply her with beauty makeovers, a "sea-blue leather purse," "a sugar cookie scented Nest candle, with notes of Tahitian vanilla and bourbon infused caramel," and, most devastatingly, the illusion of friendship. But socially awkward, highly observant Shay, who makes her way through life by recording statistics and factoids about human nature in a "Data Book," can only be fooled so long. "Between 73 and 79 percent of homicides during a 15-year period were committed by offenders known to the victim," she notes. Good thing to know. The authors dole out clues in a series of interlocking flashbacks; finally we get the detail that makes the pieces come together, with just a few little issues to argue about in your book club. Lots of frenzied flipping back and forth for readers who like to figure out the puzzle.

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March 6, 2020

Shay Miller is not having a good day. She's been laid off from her job, her roommate (whom she secretly adores) has a new girlfriend, and on her way to a promising interview, she's the only witness to a woman's suicide at the subway station. More invested than she'll even admit to herself, Shay tries to find out more about the victim. She learns the woman's name and address and ends up at Amanda Evinger's memorial service, where she's befriended by two sisters, Cassandra and Jane Moore. The Moores are beautiful, stylish, and everything Shay wishes she could be. But are they what they seem, and why do they need her friendship so desperately? VERDICT Dynamic duo Hendricks and Pekkanen (The Wife Between Us) bat another one out of the park with this unputdownable, highly recommended thrill ride. [See Prepub Alert, 8/25/19.]--Cynthia Price, Francis Marion Univ. Lib., Florence, SC

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2019

Without job or apartment, love life or direction, Shay Miller realizes that she needs to turn things around, especially after seeing a seemingly well-put-together young woman leap to her death before a subway train. Shay is drawn to the circle formed by enthralling sisters Cassandra and Jane Moore, who promise her "You are not alone," and her life starts looking up. But is this too good to be true? Since the authors have given us the big-chill New York Times best sellers The Wife Between Us and An Anonymous Girl, I'd say the answer is yes.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.