AN ANONYMOUS GIRL By Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL started out very slow. It was hard to get into until almost halfway through. Jessica is a make-up artist with a company called BeautyBuzz. She visits her clients at their home or office. Jess has a disabled sister that she helps her parents take care of financially. She sees a paper with an appointment for a psychological study paying $500 at a client’s home. Hoping the client will not show up for the appointment, Jessica goes instead. She becomes involved with the psychologist, Dr. Shields and her husband. Dr. Shields is not doing this study to further her work but for personal reasons. At first, Jessica does not know what Dr Shields is up to but quickly realizes that she has become entrapped in Dr.  Shields web. Jessica cannot get out without using Dr. Shields own tricks. The book got more interesting toward the middle to the end. I would have given it a 3 1/2 if that had been an option. Quick read the first part to get on into the book. It is interesting at the end. Must find out how Dr. Shields and her husband get their payback.

Maddie and Joanna

We know from the brief review that Joanna and Maddie are friends and Ian is involved with both women. The longer review doesn’t give us much more information. We find out how the girls meet Ian and Peter. Not sure but I dont get the impression Peter stays as part of the story. 

We know that a woman and a girl are in a house and call for help. What has happened is still a mystery. The officer goes into the house through and unlocked rear door. She sees a gruesome sight but doesn’t know if there is another or several more people n the house. Who the officer sees on the floor in massive blood is not clear. 

I truly enjoy these reviews but they only frustrate me. I want to knowthe rest of the story. 

BRING ME BACK by B A Paris

I liked this new book by B A Paris but not as much as her other book, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. BRING ME BACK seemed to move slowly until almost half way through. When the action began it was better. Finn loves Layla, Layla disappears, Ellen, Layla’s sister, arrives, Finn falls for Ellen. Finn is not charged with Layla’s disappearance because no trace of Layla is ever found. After Finn and Ellen announce their engagement weird things start happening that only Finn, Layla, and Ellen would understand. Ellen believes or hopes Layla is alive. If Layla is alive, who will Finn choose. It becomes interesting from here. So many clues say Layla is alive. Or could it be someone trying to pull a joke because of jealousy? Must read to find out.

CONSUMED by J. R. Ward

as always JR Ward has another winner.  Anne was brought up by a strong father and an old-fashioned stay at home mother. But Anne was not the type of person to be put in a mold. She looked up to her father and brother and wanted to be just like them. A firefighter. She made it and met Dannyboy. It was fire and flames between them. Until.....  Anne was trapped in a warehouse fire and lost her hand. After Danny freed Anne he got trapped. Oh so much to this story. A synopsis just can’t describe it. It is a must read.

THE OTHER WOMAN by Sandie Jones

Emily meets Adam. She never wanted to fall in love after her last tragic love. She did. Adam seemed like a dream man. Emily couldn’t believe her luck until she met Adam’ mother, Pammie. Pammie was a piece of work. She seemed to undermine and criticize every thing about Emily. Yet she was so nice to every one else. What was the problem. Adams brother, James got engaged and Pammie was as sweet as she could be. But then Adam changed and Emily couldn’t figure him out. Had his mother gotten to him. He began staying out at all hours. He became demanding. Emily was confused but knew she still loved him. And then he cancelled the wedding. The ending will knock you down. Must read to find out what’s going on. 

BAD CALL by Stephen Wallenfels

This book was slow starting. I didn’t like the flashbacks in between the actions. They were frequently redundant. Four high school seniors on the tennis team, are playing poker one evening and make a bet. They would go hiking in the Gand Canuon. Rhody, one friend backed out at the last minute but CEO had a plan. CEO invited a female friend to accompany them. When Ellie realized she was the only female she almost backed out. But CEO is quite the conspirator . So they all went hiking...... things went from bad to worse quickly. They had rain, snow and bears. But never fear, Grahme has a hatchet. What is he planning to do with the hatchet? Three come out of the hike and one is missing. Find out who doesn’t survive. 

SHELTER IN PLACE

SHELTER IN PLACE by Nora Roberts was a very emotional book. Imagine being the victim of a mass shooting. I realize this is quite a heart-wrenching event given current events. How would you deal with it if you were directly involved. I’m not sure how I would deal. I know I would not deal like Patricia did. I wish I could deal like Simone did but that skill escapes me. This was a very eye opening story, written quite well as Nora always does.

THEN SHE WAS GONE By Lisa Jewell

Of the three children, Ellie was the favorite. It was devastating to her family when she disappeared. None of them thought she ran away except the police.  For ten years her mother, Laurel, hoped Ellie would come back. She was never spotted, none of her belongings had been found. And then, bones and a backpack were found.  DNA testing showed these were Ellie’s. And then Laurel could move on. She had lost her family and pretty much her whole life as she knew it. But when she meets Floyd and his daughter it all becomes better. His daughter, Poppy loves Laurel and Floyd and Laurel become very close.  He isn’t the man Laurel thinks he is and only one person knows this. Her son’s girlfriend gets a glimpse of his psyche. Laurel just can’t believe it.

THE COMPANY OF DEMONS

John Coleman survived a very rough time in a young life. He lived through brutal murders of “the butcher”. His father was a detective on the police force and was assigned the case. His father didn’t find the butcher and was taken off the case and I get the impression the force. He became a very bitter man who took it out(it seems) on his son, John. John subsequently finds his father dead from a self inflicted gunshot. Now, an attorney, John finds a friend from his regular haunt, a bar, in the dumpster brutally murdered and ravaged. His wife is concerned he may have feelings of guilt because he just gave a reporter an interview about the butcher. She is also concerned about their daughter and the backlash she may get at school, like John received back when. 
Interesting book. Liked it and would recommend it.