I wish I had some nicer things to say about Anna O as the premise of the book intrigued me.

Unfortunately, it's about 300 pages too long and easily could have fit into a novella.

There are continuity errors throughout, the writing style seems to jump all over the place and the errors towards the end (as well as the abrupt ending) make it seem as if the book just made it in under the deadline.

A good plot idea but just didn't work. Had I not read so much hype, my expectations would have been lower. The main character Ben Prince wasn't particularly likable. There was several main characters that were identified and four unknown ones, which had to be pseudonyms for known ones. There were lots of red herrings and information about sleep disorders, but it was easy to identify the elusive patient X early on. I nearly gave up half way through but carried on to the end. Unfortunately it was a book I read quickly so I could move on to another one. I would have given three and a half stars but generously rounded up to 4. I think it will be a marmite book.

Anna has been asleep for four years, not since that night. Known as Anna O to take who think she's innocent, and Sleeping Beauty to those who think shes not. Enter Dr. Prince and his revolutionary new untested technique to awaken her.

Ok, so the first half of this book was brilliant, really intriguing & totally had me in it's thrall. But as it moved on it got a bit too convoluted. Too many complicated things had to happen perfectly in the past for the book to come to the conclusion that it did.

I figured out who PatientX was fairly early on also so it kinda took away the surprise element at the end.

So a strong start that ended up being a lacklustre affair by the end.

Published 1 February 2024. I was excited by this novel which the pre-release hype is called the next global pheromone. A young woman, Anna, allegedly murdered her two best friends while sleepwalking and has been asleep for the past four years. A case that has attracted public attention and giving her the name of Sleeping Beauty. Dr Ben Prince is a forensic psychologist and he is also an expert in crimes that are sleep related. His book about Anna has attracted attention and the Ministry of Justice has decided that it is time for Anna to wake up and stand trial for murder, and Dr Prince is just the person to wake her. A super idea and the novel is full of twists and betrayals. For the first half I kept coming up with different suspects as events were slowly revealed through Anna's journal entries of the time leading up to the fateful night. Several times I was blindsided by a connection that I hadn't expected. The book is also full of references to Greek tragedy and Shakespeare - which I got - I could see a link. However, the many references to Harry Potter, I didn't understand and wondered why they were included. As I said, I enjoyed the first half of the book, but for me, the second half could have been condensed. I felt as if I was being toyed with and teased as the ending was dragged out. And sadly, by the end, I had sort of guessed where I was being led and so there was no bombshell moment. Having said all of that, I did mostly enjoy it and have no doubts that it will be a hit next year. As a movie - I think it would work very well.

This is just fantastic! Dark and full of suspense it has twists and turns that pull you in . I really enjoyed it .

I thought I was going to love this book as I enjoy twisty psychological thrillers and am fascinated by sleepwalking. Unfortunately I didn’t find this book to be at all compelling. The narrative felt laboured and ponderous and the characters all seemed to talk with the same voice, which made it monotonous for the reader. There was a really good idea behind it but it just didn’t come together for me.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

The idea of sleepwalking is fascinating. I remember doing it once when I was a student and I woke up with no recollection of how I had ended up outside the door. Well….Anna has supposedly committed double murder whilst being asleep, and has no recollection of this. However, 4 years later she is still asleep. This is the ultimate conundrum and you find yourself reading this book and wondering how and is it possible? There are surprises along the way and this is a truly enjoyable story that is told gently. Captivating but not too fast paced.

This is a fantastic book. The story of Anna is told really well. Lots of interesting background characters and a few twists and turns.
Highly recommended.

Dr Ben Prince has taken on the task of trying to wake up Anna O. She has been asleep for 4 years following the murder of two of her friends. Is Anna a victim too or a murderer.
At times I struggled with this book. So I set it aside. Coming back to it I realised it was actually very cleverly written as the story unfolds. There are some twists thrown in for good measure too.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

'Sigh'. I was actually enjoying this book. I've always been interested in psychology so this book caught my interest and I was fascinated by some of the references to real life cases and theories. But halfway through it slipped into the usual yawning psychological thriller 'twists'. It is obvious from early on that one of the main characters will turn out to be pulling the strings, it's just a question of which. To be honest by the time I got to the end I didn't really care who it was. There is a long boring monologue at the end explaining the reasons but we already know those so it's just repetitive. I was looking forward to a more straightforward novel about whether someone is guilty of a crime if they are sleepwalking, is it even possible.
The final few scenes between Ben and Anna just turn into farce for me and the monologue at the end could have just been a few lines.
I have no doubt that it will be a best seller and turned into a movie but for me this book could have been so much more. The author can write but I think he just fell into the cliched, predictable plot twists so prevalent in this genre.

Brilliant, just brilliant. Twisty, suspenseful, confusing and so so clever. The author challenges the reader throughout and dumbs nothing down, with moral questions and complex characters to unravel. Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy, this was a good one!

This book definitely drew me in right away. With suspense and twists and turns it really kept me hooked. I would definitely recommend this book.

Yes what a read,

Anna O asleep for 4 years after the shock murder of her 2 "best friends" but what really happened is she sleeping beauty or a double murderer. We learn soon enough she sleepwalks but what else does she do.

This has a chilling edge a real whodunit did she or didn't she. Sleep therapist Dr Ben Prince is tasked with trying to wake Anna up at a sleep clinic where she had been transferred to from Rampton Hospital under thick red tape need to know basis etc. His boss Dr V Bloom is nearing retirement so this is possibly her last big job and she may have lost the need for sticking to protocol but she still knows right from wrong but wants the right result. So it all adds up to a great recipe for a thriller and it doesn't disappoint in my view anyway.

There are wonderful characters Anna's Mum the former Government minister now a Vicar her Dad well less said. Carla Ben's wife who was also the cop (SOI) 1st on scene to the double murder and others but won't spoil it for you, apart from Kitkat isn't a snack. Also Broadmoor plays a important role in this novel a sense where reality and fiction mix.

I really hope you enjoy this as much as I did, I loved it and hence want to highly recommend it to you.

This book is a solid example of the genre. I'm not sure I'd class it as being on a par with Gone Girl - it's a touch repetitive and the ending was both predictable and uses a plot device I'm really not keen on in crime/thriller books, but it's an enjoyable read.

This book was full of twists and turns and any many red herrings. The characters were eay to relate to and understand their emotions and so it was well written in temrs of characters and mystery. I found that there was a little too much going backwards and forwards in time which to me made e lose the plot a few times. I enjoyed the book and from start to finish I just wanted to keep on reading to align the fact tthat 2 people had been murdered, was sleep walking a reason not be guilty, who was the unknown daughter and this story kept rasing more questions than I would have thought possible.

Irrespective of genre, I like three things in my books: good characterisation, a captive or suspenseful quality, and reasoning.
While the blurb was compelling, I didn't find any of these in Anna O. I struggled to remain engaged.
It wasn't a question of not being able to relate to the characters, or even liking them, they just didn't interest me enough.
I found much of the to'ing and fro'ing, the decisions made, and the repetitive thought processes gratuitous.
The idea and plot could have made this a great book with some heavy editing. Indeed, if you can be less picky than I, you'll probably love it.

A dark and twisty thriller that delves into a truly captivating subject. It had me engrossed from start to finish! This book is a must-read for those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
An amazing debut.

Rating: 2.3/5

There has been an awful lot of noise around this debut novel from Matthew Blake. Not only did it spark a bidding war between a number of publishers who were keen to get their hands on it, but it is already lined up to be sold in numerous countries. "Anna O" is almost guaranteed to become a bestseller and there is every chance that it will also end up being adapted for either the big or small screen. Given the highly appealing premise, this kind of frenzied reaction is understandable - but, for me, it didn't really live up to the hype.

The basic story and the mystery surrounding it is undoubtedly appealing, but the execution doesn't deliver the gripping, page-turning novel that I was hoping for. At times it is clever, but that also becomes somewhat pretentious at certain points. Matthew Blake makes frequent references to Greek mythology, Shakespeare and the work of Alfred Hitchcock and Truman Capote. To an extent these are valid reference points in support of a narrative style that is intelligent and aiming to be seen as a worthy piece of literary fiction. However, there are also numerous references to the content of the Harry Potter books, which not only fail to deliver the same gravitas, but are also significantly overdone.

Be that as it may, my biggest issue with "Anna O" is the pacing. Until the final third of the novel it really is painfully slow and protracted. I appreciate that there is a need to ensure that the foundations of the plot are firmly in place, but the art of the storyteller is in achieving that requirement whilst simultaneously grabbing hold of, and retaining, the reader's attention. I have to confess that I found my concentration wandering on more than a few occasions.

Overall, there is unquestionably an intriguing story at the heart of this novel and I would not be at all surprised to see a talented screenwriter successfully bring a version of it to the screen, but I also found reading this book a much harder slog than it should have been.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

"Anna O" presents a gripping murder mystery with a tantalizing twist - can a crime be committed during sleepwalking, and what if the key suspect won't wake up? The premise is intriguing, steeped in psychological elements, and kept me curious throughout. With a diverse cast of suspects and victims, the story masterfully builds suspense and momentum. However, the story's climax disappointed me. The writer's attempts to mislead the reader and introduce plot twists resulted in holes in the narrative. While the majority of the story is engaging, the final revelations left me wanting more cohesiveness. It's a thrilling read that loses some of its shine due to a somewhat convoluted conclusion.

I devoured this book in next to no time. Unput down able.! Lots of twists and turns right up to the last, though i had sort of guessed it a few chapters before the end.
It was well put together with decent historical events neatly linked to the storyline.