You Are Not Alone is the third psychological thriller co-written by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and although I have had a bit of a love-hate relationship with their books I found this as exciting and addictive as stories come. Set in New York, it follows Shay Miller and the Moore sisters as their lives inexplicably intertwine. Shay feels as though she has nothing to live for as the fulfilment she desires appears to be out of reach. Working temporary, menial, low-paid jobs she has constant financial concerns as she has no idea if she will have employment from one week to the next. She is lonely, vulnerable and envious of friends and those she deems to have seemingly perfect lives. Then her life begins to spiral out of control when she witnesses a girl committing suicide by jumping in front of a subway train and cannot stop mulling it over. She decides to attend the woman's funeral despite not knowing anything about her.

This is where her path first crosses with magnetic sisters Cassandra and Jane Moore who, at initial glance, appear to have the perfect lives being highly successful and glamourous with it; soon Shay is trapped, without knowing it, within their close circle of carefully curated friends and her obsession to uncover the reason Amanda jumped that day is putting her in mortal danger. It is clear the sisters have an ulterior motive in taking Shay under their wing and the old adage ”keep your friends close but your enemies closer” is fitting here. This is a slow-burning, twisty and deeply chilling thriller filled with deceit, lies, secrets, revenge and facades. I was thoroughly gripped and engrossed by the unsettling plot and the cast of characters were engaging and memorable. An entertaining, cleverly crafted page-turner. Many thanks to Macmillan for an ARC.

4.5 stars.
Well, this was all things dark and delicious, and so very cleverly plotted, albeit not the most plausible book I have ever read! It hit the ground running and got my juices flowing right from the off and, apart from being a tad sluggish in the middle, kept going all the way to the end.
Shay Miller's life is in a rut, big time. She suffers unrequited love, is estranged from her mother and is in danger of losing her job. But she keeps on going, just. Mostly by obsessing about statistics in her journal. Then, one day, she witnesses something horrific in the subway and this incident sets her off on a mission where she meets the Moore sisters. They take her under their wings and she is a happy participant in their generosity. But is there a more nefarious motive for their interest in her? Well, spoilers prevent me from going further in this but, believe me, you're in for a heck of a ride!
Shay is a bit of a complex character and she does some very questionable things in the book, not all of which really worked for me. Having said that, I've never been in her situation so who am I to judge? That said, I did warm to her and felt for what she was going through, even if most of it was of her own making and she was a little dense on occasion!
Chock-a-block full of secrets, lies, duplicitous behaviour and with more than a few twists and turns along the way, this book delivered shock after shock as the picture started to become more clear. There were definitely some "aha" moments throughout. Some so well built up that I didn't see them coming and kicked myself when they happened. These two authors never fail to challenge me as a reader and I do love that, especially as it becomes more and more rare these days.
All in all, another cracker from a pairing that is firmly cemented on my radar. Looking forward to seeing what they serve up next time.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Review
My first thought when I saw the title was “will it be one of those usual peering over your shoulder-type psychological thriller” books? And also can I really enjoy something written by two people? Then I realised I’d already read Hendricks’ and Pekkanen’s other novel The Wife Between Us and had the same thought and I had LOVED it!

Well by the first chapter, I was already gripped and they didn’t disappoint.

Each chapter is titled by character. It follows the lives of various individuals but in particular Shay, a lonely girl, who is desperate for friends. She’s in love with her flatmate and she needs to find a job. She witnesses a terrible suicide in the subway which leaves her feeling wretched. And just like fairy godmothers, in step sisters Cassandra and Jane and all of a sudden, Shay’s problems don’t seem to be so bad after all.

I enjoyed this book so much, there were so many twists and turns that I would actually read it again. I would certainly recommend it and easily give it 5 stars.

Thanks

Thank you to the authors and the publishers for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an independent review.

Wow! This book was incredible. I’ve been reading a lot in the mystery and thriller genre recently but this was the first book in a long while that I had to read all at once.

The situation the main character finds herself in is shocking but the authors show you exactly how easy it has been to get her there.

The characters were fleshed out really nicely, and the characters are both charismatic AND enigmatic, which is the perfect way for books in this genre to be written.

The authors are incredible, they weave the story so tightly that you might well find yourself reading back to be your own detective of the story.

Truly excellent 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan with providing me with an ARC for this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own and honest.

So I’ve only read one of the other books by these authors (the wife between us) and I gave that 4 stars but I’d heard great things about the second one so was expecting great things from this one too.

Unfortunately it wasn’t to be for me! I thought that the group of women that Cassandra and Jane had was just confusing. We got a bit of background stuff on each one but I couldn’t remember who was who and what happened with each one if I’m being honest which made things confusing. We got to see chapters from each of the women as well as shay which was an interesting take.

Shay herself I liked as a character although I’m surprised she didn’t stop and wonder why all of a sudden all these great things were happening to her. I really enjoyed all the facts that were at the start of shays chapters which were entries into her data book as she enjoys (not sure if that’s the right word 😂) collections data and knowing data on a lot of different subjects. What made this even more interesting was that all the data facts we get to see were related to the story as it went on.

I did enjoy how the story all started linking together at the start however, the big twist at the end as to how it all completely links up was a bit ridiculous I thought and it was just all *too* seamless and worked too perfectly.

Overall I did enjoy this book but it just didn’t have the wow factor I was looking for and you could almost see where it was going with it all. I didn’t find myself being shocked or surprised by a lot of what happened.

I have just finished this book and it was well thought out, though at times I was unsure where it was going.
I found it really good but I felt there was an anticipation of finding out the truth that felt understated in the end.
It was also disappointing that Shay still seemed lost after everything although she was safe. It was shocking to the reader and to Shay herself to realise what she was capable of in extenuating circumstances. I would recommend this as a good read but 4 stars not 5 because of the ending which didn't quite deliver for me.

4,5 Stars

I don’t know why but I enjoyed this book immensely. The story is absolutely unrealistic but this is true for all of the books of Greer Hendricks/Sandra Pekkanen. I liked the other books of the authors well enough but this is my favorite. It is highly entertaining and I did not see where it was heading to.

Shay life changes when she witnesses the suicide of a young woman. Amanda, that’s the name of the woman, jumps in front of a subway train. Shay is of course shocked and she begins to think about what drove Amanda to her suicide. Shay’s life is not so exciting. She has no proper job and shares an apartment with a friend who she is secretly in love with but he has a girlfriend. Shay finds out where the memorial for Amanda is held and she turns up out of respect. There she meets Amanda’s friends and is immediately fascinated. These women seem to have a bond that Amanda is craving. Cassandra and Jane, beautiful and successful business women, seem to take a liking to her. Suddenly Shay’s life begins to change for the better.

Strange coincidence happens after the next strange coincidence in this story. You just have to except that. Shay is a bit naïve but why should she question the friendliness of the sisters? She is not a person who suspects evil in people. She is just happy that something good is finally happening to her. She is the character who is the most likable in this story and you can connect to. The others all fall flat. But Hendricks/Pekkanen create always unusual and weird stories with strange characters. As I said, this story is far-fetched but also a lot of fun. I enjoyed it.

TW: rape and sexual assault, depictions of violence, suicide

Thank you very much to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for sending me this eARC of You Are Not Alone.

I've previously read An Anonymous Girl by these authors and really enjoyed it so quickly clicked request on this one. The premise sounds really interesting and like a great thriller but sadly the actual execution of the book just didn't quite match up to what I hoped it would be.

I found myself getting annoyed at Shay so many times. The amount of "coincidences" she just overlooks is outstanding; everywhere she goes either one of the sisters pops up or one of the friends and she never questions this. The sisters literally turn up every time she is feeling a bit low and needs a helping hand. Not only that but they engineer her hair change and her clothing and even moving into Amanda's flat, and she herself recognises at one point they've made her look like Amanda and she just dismisses it!! It happens so many times she gets vaguely suspicious and then just carries on. I couldn't cope with just how ridiculous it got at times and how utter naive she seemed.

This book also suffers from too many characters and too many narrators; apart from Cassandra, Jane, and Val I couldn't quite keep the wider characters clear in my head and felt that they just muddled he story. They were shaped as being really strong and dynamic women but that just didn't quite come through for me? I also found the ending to be so rushed and disappointing; I think the twist of who James was was actually well done, and if the rest of the book had been better i'd definitely have rated this higher, but the execution just didn't work and it was such a build up to like a two page conclusion and then the book is done. I just wanted more from it.

I did read this in one sitting and the actual writing of the authors is good, it just didn't live up to what i'd hoped it was going to be.

Publish Date: 5th March 2020

What would you do if you witnessed a suicide? Would you go to the memorial service? This is just the start of an intriguing story of lies, deceit and murder. I absolutely loved this, it kept me guessing all the way through, a real page turner. Highly recommend you read this book now! Go on do it, you won’t regret it.

I think this book was different from the author's previous ones, which now tend to blend in my memory and which I keep getting confused. The whole plot was really something new, and I enjoyed that. I really liked getting to know (and hate) the characters; I just wish there were fewer loose ends once I finished reading it. Overall though, a great thriller that you can't stop reading because you really want to find out the truth, so - success!!

Another surefire hit from this writing duo that looks at the contemporary phenomenon of making friends in adulthood. For most people, this would involve joining a class or group of like-minded people, but Shay stumbles into her new friendship group after witnessing a suicide. This definitely sets the tone for what follows. Without giving any of the plot away, what I can let you know is that this is a fast-paced plot full of greed, paranoia, revenge and jealousy. This is cleverly parcelled up in such a way that I almost couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see who was playing who in this game of cat and mouse. There was a smart twist at the end of this riveting book that had me nodding and saying aloud "nicely played. "

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I found this a really gripping read and for probably about 90% of it, I was completely hooked and couldn’t wait to read on. It’s well written and the threads of the story cleverly intertwine. Sadly for me, the last few twists just didn’t ring true and were a little contrived. I’m left feeling a tad disappointed as I was so so blown away by the majority. It is still a good read and I would recommend it. A dark tale of loneliness and friendship where nothing is quite what it seems.

I feel it is pretty easy to sum up my review of this book in one word...WOW!! Except of course I won’t as that wouldn’t be particularly helpful to other readers.
I know the phrase ‘I was hooked from the first page’ is readily bandied about (I’ve probably used it quite a few times!) but in this instance it is so true. Incredibly sinister, I felt on edge throughout this psychological thriller, totally engaged with every turn of events. Set in New York, the heroine of this novel is Shay, a young woman with a quirky habit of collecting and collating statistics. When she witnesses a suicide in the subway, she becomes fixated with details of the victim that will see her own life taking a dramatic turn for the worse, embroiled in a friendship with sisters Jane and Cassandra who also happen to be friends with the deceased.
This is a nail biting, compelling read that may force you to abandon work/housework etc until you’ve read the final page. With a clever and well constructed plot I was gripped by Shay’s developing relationship with these two women, feeling nothing but sympathy for this lonely woman who simply wants to belong. Amanda, the suicide victim equally elicited my sympathy for her situation whilst both Jane and Cassandra are almost robotic characters, glued to each other and seemingly devoid of emotion...but not quite as you realise further on into the plot. The pair sent chills down my spine. This is a thriller about obsession,surveillance and revenge but I can’t divulge anymore as this will ruin what is a rollercoaster of a read, with twists aplenty and as all the threads come together, I can guarantee you’ll be in for a shock. But you will admire the authors ingenuity.
Tense and brilliantly written, I cannot recommend this thriller highly enough.
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

I've enjoyed other books by these authors, but sadly I couldn't get into this one at all. After the dramatic incident in the subway I found the pace very slow and the characters irritating and felt I couldn't be bothered to find out their secrets. Hopefully the next novel will return to their previous standard!
Thank you to netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of this book.

You Are Not Alone is the newest novel from the writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and I am really sorry to say but unfortunately something didn’t work for me this time.

I found the premise itself to be interesting. Our protagonist Shay accidentally witnessed a suicide of a stranger at the underground station and her life was forever changed. She couldn’t stop thinking about the dead woman and somehow became drown to her friends, especially the Moore sisters - glamorous, successful and wealthy girls.

Although I enjoyed the main twist, I was expecting more of a shocking turn which was a disappointment for me. The plot felt unrealistic at times, repetitive a little bit and dragged especially the first part of the book. The action picked up towards the end and I was pleasantly surprised how the novel finished. I didn’t feel particularly connected to any of the characters and found some of them to be pointless (especially Beth and Stacey) but the book was still enjoyable enough for me to finish. I thought the statistics provided by Shay were very interesting and I loved reading them. It was a nice addition to the story.

Overall it was a solid novel but somehow I wasn’t blown away.

After reading some reviews I was dubious about this title but I needn’t have been. It was brilliant! I loved the data at the start of Shay’s chapters and the characterization was sublime. Many thanks netgalley for the advance copy!

Another great book by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, who wrote The Wife Between Us.

The book starts with Shay, who is lonely and down on her luck, witnessing a suicide. She then becomes obsessed with finding out more about this young woman who took her own life. This leads her to the Moore sisters who welcome Shay into their circle.

Fast-paced, cleverly plotted and full of twists and turns that you won’t see coming, this is a book that you will find hard to put down once you’ve started it.

I’m looking forward to the next book by this formidable duo.

I feel like I have fallen down a rabbit hole full of so many different twists and turns that my head is still spinning! Another brilliantly clever read from these two talented writers.

I received an early copy of this book for my independent honest review. Thankyou. #NetGalley
Yet again another impressive collaboration by these two authors. Their writing gels seamlessly giving the readers the best of both authors talents.
This gripped me from the beginning when a suicide is witnessed having a long term impact on who saw it and the chilling consequences for her future.
Add a group of young women, the ringleaders being the terrible twins and you get a full cast of interesting and possibly flawed characters.
Before you start this make sure you have plenty of time as I read this in one sitting into the early hours.
It grips you and doesn't let go. The complex plot is well written and keeps you guessing for most of the way through.
This is definitely a must read for those of you who prefer your thrillers to be complex, nail biting and exciting.
I cannot wait to see what these two authors write next. My favourite so far.

I've been a fan of previous books by Hendricks and Pekkanen so was really looking forward to reading You Are Not Alone - I think this is their best book yet! A fun and twisty plot with a likeable lead finished with a surprising twist which I didn't see coming - the perfect ingredients for a fast paced thriller.

5 stars,