I found the idea of this story really intriguing, but unfortunately found it quite difficult to really get into. I generally prefer slightly faster paced thrillers but I would recommend it for readers who enjoy slower burns. The ending however did feel a bit rushed. Thank you for the chance to read this ARC!

Enjoyed this, a twist on a Whodunit where the only person that knows what happened is asleep and has been since the murders. Or does someone else know more than they should?
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review

An absolutely gripping adventure, through to the very end for me. I was completely absorbed by the who, why and how! And I never would have got it. Totally hooked until the very last page. Wow. An incredible read, completely different to my normal ones and I'm so pleased.
Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The story centres around Anna Ogilvy, more famously known as Anna O after killing her two closest friends of which since then, she has been in some sort of deep sleep for the last four years. Dr Benedict Prince is an expert in sleep disorders whose prayers are answered when his expertise is called upon to try and rouse Anna so she can stand trial.

You will be constantly questioning yourself throughout as to whether Anna really did kill her friends and if so, was it intentionally or not. The story flicks between present day as well as to chapters in Anna’s diary so we get to know more about her personally and what her life was like before everything happened. I could feel some sympathy towards Anna but my thoughts kept switching as to whether she was guilty and all throughout I was never really sure. Benedict is a man struggling with his professional and personal life. He needs to be able to wake Anna up to get his career back on track although sadly it’s a little to late for his marriage. I did have empathy for his character and was hoping all would turn out good for him as things begin to take a more sinister turn.

Anna O is a book that there has been a lot of noise about and I can understand why. It is dark with a sinister undertone that really will have you guessing right up until the very end. The story evolves into so much more than I had imagined with totally unexpected twists and turns. For a debut novel it’s quite ambitious but the author has pulled it off and it has left me excited for, I hope, more novels written by him. A totally mess with your head type of story that crime thriller fans are all going to be talking about.

This one had Silent Patient vibes and I loved that book.
This book was a lot more factual I would say, it seemed a bit more clinical. I liked the different points of view and enjoyed trying to work out the characters.
The twists at the end were good but felt the last couple chapters were added on.
Overall a decent read as I wanted to find out the end but not as thrilling as I was hoping.

This story is a psychological roller coaster with the final twist totally unexpected. The complex connections between the characters are well thought out and the technical details of the workings of the human mind must have involved a great deal of research. Congratulations to Matthew Blake for this book.

This is a clever book which is a bonus for some and possibly not for others. I really enjoyed it. I can see how the continual references to psychological theories and experiments may lose some readers' attention with its academic language. That said it's the most fascinating part of the book for me.
I love finding a book that is unique. Anna O is most definitely that. The premise is fascinating and the exploration around the murders she allegedly committed is tense.
The ending is quite something!

I was really intrigued by the blurb for this book and although it's quite an interesting premise, I don't think it lives up to it. It is incredibly slow. It took a while to get going, to the point that the investigation didn't start till almost 25% of the way in. The first quarter was mostly scene setting and backstory and a lot of it didn't seem relevant. Later on, things started happening but at the same time, it didn't feel like the plot was progressing. I kept thinking that it was starting to pick up but the plot would meander off again and take ages to get anywhere. It doesn't help that the chapters are very short and a lot of them break where it's not needed. A lot of it is very repetitive. How many times does Ben need to say that Anna is a killer, that he doesn't trust her, and that he's #TeamAnna? I got it the first time! It got to the point where I was trying to get if finished as quickly as possible so that I could read something more engaging and enjoyable. The ending and revelation was not a surprise, I'd managed to work it out quite early on which made it particularly disappointing.

The characters are all a bit meh. I didn't particularly like or connect with any of them and somehow they were all a bit flat. It seemed as though they had one characteristic and that was hammered home constantly. See the above point about repetition. And what was with all the Harry Potter references?? I'm not sure it's a good thing to have in general these days, but certainly not in a thriller with brutal murders. It does not fit. I really can't work out what the point of that was supposed to be. Overall, I have to say it wasn't quite the intriguing and engrossing read I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy to review.

I was keen to read Anna O after seeing some pre-publication info. The premise and cover looked intriguing. I was partially rewarded by a great first half, the introduction of the mysterious Anna and the sleep expert asked to help wake her in order for her to send trial. The unreliable narrations kept the story pacy however it sagged a little in the second half. Did Anna O wake up? Was she guilty? That's for you to find out...
(Copy received via netgalley in return for an honest review)

A special thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book to review.

As a mood reader, I have been searching for a thriller to sink my teeth into, and Anna O by Matthew Blake was exactly what I was looking for.

It was honestly such an intriguing read and I spent a lot of time formulating my own theories as I was going through. I had a gut feeling from the beginning about the ending and who done it, but the storytelling was so well done that I found myself doubting if I was right.

I can only describe the plot twists as *chefs kiss~* Very well timed and really threw a spanner in the works of my thinking.

Its the kind of book I could see being made into a TV Drama Series or even a film - I spent the whole time thinking Suranne Jones would be the perfect fit for a role if it ever happened.

The only thing I would say is the last few chapters of the book felt a little rushed - I think I was around the 85% mark of the book and it felt like the final scenes crescendoed very quickly.

Aside from that, I found it a flawless read and I would definitely recommend this novel to others.

Many thanks to the #NetGalley and #HarperCollins publishers for an #ARC of #AnnaO.
I had some struggles with this book. There were times I thought I had forgotten parts because there were discussions in the book that felt like we, the reader, should know what was happening.
Overall, the story was intriguing, and the ending shocked me more than I thought it would.

I was intrigued but this tale didn't flow and therefore whilst I did want to find out "whodunnit" I found the eventual denouement to be somewhat rushed and not quite as feasible as the prior story.

Not keen on the jumps in perspective and time either

The concept of this book intrigued me - an alleged killer who fell into a deep sleep straight after the killing or was she asleep during the murder and therefore wasn’t responsible for the event. However I found the pace of the book was too slow and it took me days to finish as I just wasn’t invested in the characters, particularly Ben Prince who was a weak, self aggrandising individual. The telling of the story from different characters’ perspectives did help move the plot along but it still felt like wading through treacle. I’m sure others will not be as critical as me, but I have been asked to give my honest unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed reading this thriller which is about a forensic psychologist who is an expert in sleep related homicides trying to wake up Anna O who has been asleep for four years after allegedly killing two people while sleepwalking. The book also deals with the relationship between the psychologist and his ex wife and daughter, . We get to know Anna Ogilvy’s once highflying parents especially her mother whose life was turned upside down when her daughter was convicted. However, it is the two twists at the end of the book that I found really clever. I would love to discuss them in this review in particular the second twist but cannot do this as this would be a real spoiler. However, this is definitely a book for my book group. Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my review.

Immediately I was so enraptured by this book, the concept, the narrative and the characters were vivid and rich. I believe the storyline and had fully invested and formed ideas on what had happened. That was until about 3/4 of the way through when the storyline turned into something I wasn’t prepared for or believed in, i feel really strongly that this was the wrong ending and felt like it was diluted and weaker than the main body, it felt a little rushed to me. A disappointing and underwhelming end to what felt like it was going to be an explosive ending. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for a fair review

What a fantastic read - I didn’t see any of the twists coming - the book is assured and carries with it a hefty weight of brilliant storytelling

I liked the premise of this book and was intrigued as to how it would pan out. Sadly, I found it really difficult to get into and the writer's style of short sentences quite jarring. At times it read like a film or TV series and I wouldn't be surprised to see it appear on screen soon. Not sure if I'll be watching it though.
Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

A well paced, thrilling tale that's perfect for rainy days and quiet nights. I enjoyed every moment.

Special thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the ebook to review.

If you enjoyed ‘The Silent Patient’ you will enjoy this. It’s slow and dark and twisty. However I did find it a little bit too slow towards the last 100pages or so. Overall I did enjoy this, but it’s certainly not a quick thriller. More a dark psychological long-winded read.

Overall an intriguing and intense mystery that built as it wore on. The mystery of the Anna O case, with the added layer of another linked case alongside it made for a gripping story. The ending did feel a tad rushed, but I enjoyed this book