I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 5*
Plot: 5*
Pace: 3*
Characters: 4*
Twists: 4*

This was a really thought out and well written thriller. The characters were complex, and the twists had you guessing throughout. I’m hindsight I should have guessed the ending but as usual I have blinkers on when reading a thriller with a big build up twist. Lovers of the silent patient will love this.

Great subject, thought provoking and really makes you wonder, did I dream that or ? I found it a bit repetitive with the description of the experiments. However not enough to stop me reading and following the twists and turns , murder and mayhem and enjoying the finale.

Good jacket.

This book honestly had me SHOOK! Kept me hooked from the start, I genuinely really enjoyed reading this one a lot and will be recommending

Whilst the premise of this book is actually a good idea, the execution is confused and overly convoluted.
To concentrate on a comatose character and an exacting medical protagonist I would have expected the narrative and prose to be a bit more stark and sparse, a lot more 'show don't tell', but this was all over the place. Garrulous, monologuing, excessive questioning and some unnecessary red herrings.
Everyone’s motive was completely off, actions far too extreme for the situation at hand and made a quite simple story rather messy.
It could have been rather enjoyable if we were invited to explore the actions and motives of a murder suspect as they slept but there were just too many unwanted characters and confusing plot holes to keep me awake. Oh and I got who the murderer was quite early on thanks to some clunky hints.

When I was introduced to Matthew Blake's crime novel, "Anna O", I was immediately intrigued by the premise - a unique blend of somnambulistic crime and psychological analysis set against the backdrop of contemporary London. I so wanted to be 'wowed' by this book and its concept, alas, the potential this story held was, regretfully, not actualised to its fullest extent.

The plot centres around Dr. Benedict Prince, who has a fascination with sleepwalkers' consciousness during criminal activities, and Anna O, a violent sleepwalker suffering from resignation syndrome. The construct develops momentum initially, and it captured my interest as both paths intersect in an unsettling circumstance. Yet unfortunately, it loses its grip mid-narration, becoming a victim of underdeveloped characters and a languorous plot progression. As a reader fond of nordic noir and psychological thrillers, my anticipation turned into disappointment, despite my efforts to persist in the hope of an unexpected twist or a sudden suspenseful turn.

Blake's narrative shifts between various characters' perspectives, though it predominantly comes from the viewpoint of Ben (Dr. Prince) gradually admitting others into the spotlight. Despite its potential for creating depth and tension, it felt contrived, only exacerbating the sluggish progression of the plot.

The reuse of various cultural and literary references adds another layer to the narrative, often tied to Anna O's character and her condition. Yet, the distribution of these throughout the story, most notably Harry Potter references, felt incongruous to the character voicing them (it seemed like Ben, Anna, Donnelly were all HP fans). There were other pop culture nods to Star Trek, Hitchcock, quotes from Shakespeare's Macbeth, and repeated invocations from Aristophanes and Milton felt more a display of the author's wide-ranging readings, over-egging it rather than serving the narrative's voice and cohesion. I dare say that Blake's narrative could have benefited from a more rigorous editing.

Sadly, despite my high expectations and initial fascination with "Anna O", I was left underwhelmed by the disjointed narrative and lack of character depth. The book, however, did spark my interest in learning more about resignation syndrome and spurred me to revisit Medea. For that, it does deserve some credit. In the end, "Anna O" is a novel that teases with promise but unfortunately falls short in its delivery.

I am grateful to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance review copy.

An intelligently written novel with a striking mystery at its heart.
A compelling novel that I couldn't put down, I whipped through it in a couple of days.
Plenty of Freud references to make readers feel smart!

At the start of this book, Anna O is asleep and has been for some years. She is allegedly suffering from a psychological condition called resignation syndrome where her body has shut down after she committed several grisly murders. Ben Prince is a psychologist involved in the story and attempting to unravel it.

The unravelling is complicated and unexpected. The complications include the fact that Ben’s wife was the lead investigating police person into the murders, there is interest at government level in waking Anna up to face trial and these murders link in some way to a previous and similarly awful crime.

At some points, the complications are simply likely to overwhelm the reader with diary entries from the past overlaid with current events but it is worth persevering both for the interesting psychology and the criminal investigations undertaken by Ben and the police.

The book builds towards a grisly climax which, at times, is not altogether convincing, and then requires ‘a one year later’ chapter to explain it all.

However, as a whole, it’s a good read if you like complicated crime fiction with a psychological edge, and it’s well written with sideways glances at the films of Alfred Hitchcock which are always welcome!

A very cleverly written book. Centered around Anna O, known to the public and the press as Sleeping Beauty. Anna has been asleep for four years since she was found asleep with a knife in her hand and the two dead bodies of her friends close by.
Moved to a secure unit where she is monitored 24hours a day under the orders that they are to try and wake her for a confession to finally lay the past to rest.
The characters are believable and the story completely addictive. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a great “did she or didn’t she?”
I really hope Matthew Blake will write more as this book being his debut is a huge credit to him.

Anna O by Matthew Blake is a standalone masterpiece of suspense, intrigue and mystery. The sheer strength of this debut is astonishing and it aptly earns the title of ‘biggest new crime thriller novel’. The book offers up a unique literary style mixed with a compelling suspense crime story.

As a psychologist myself, I found myself drawn to this unique offering of a ‘sleeping beauty killer’ who after committing a heinous crime has been ‘asleep’ for several years. With that unique set up, I was eager to know more and see what secrets and truth would be revealed. Whatever I had anticipated, I can conclude that I was blown away and pleasantly surprised as the authors deftness at twisting the reader into knots, only to unravel them at an alarming fast-pace. The story overall is engrossing, intense and a true page-turner. Matthew Black showcases his storytelling prowess here and I eager await his future creations. This book is shaping up for me to be a top contender for the best novel of the year.

"Anna O" by Matthew Blake is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the dark and twisted mind of its titular character. From the very beginning, readers are drawn into the enigmatic world of Anna O, a young woman who, years ago, was found in a gruesome and inexplicable situation, asleep with a knife in her hand, her clothes stained with blood, and her two best friends dead nearby.

The novel skillfully alternates between past and present, revealing the details of that fateful night at The Farm, as well as the aftermath that has haunted Anna ever since. As the layers of the story unfold, readers are left questioning Anna's innocence and the true events of that night. Is she a victim or a perpetrator? Is she truly a Sleeping Beauty, trapped in a never-ending nightmare, or is there something more sinister at play?

Matthew Blake masterfully creates an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout. The narrative is filled with complex characters, unreliable narrators, and unexpected twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.

"Anna O" is a chilling exploration of trauma, memory, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction. It's a psychological thriller that lingers in your mind long after you've turned the last page, leaving you haunted by its dark and haunting tale of secrets and deception. If you're a fan of psychological mysteries that challenge your perceptions and keep you hooked until the final revelation, "Anna O" is a must-read.

Anna O - Matthew Blake

There a huge hype around this book which is set for a worldwide release.

I like a thriller with a Psychologist as a main character, Michael Robotham's Joe O'Loughlin and Cyrus Haven, and Simon Toyne's Laughton Rees to name a few.

Step into the arena Dr Benedict Prince, renowned Psychologist and Sleep Specialist.

'Sleeping Beauty' Anna O is accused of committing a double murder four years, before she fell into a coma like sleep.

So Dr Prince is trying to treat comatose Anna O, who was investigating a sleepwalking murderer. There's a lot of interesting elements, interesting relationships and characters, but I found it slow, very slow. There's a lot of detail in the plot, and the various theories and research that various characters are obsessed with but that didn't make it especially interesting or entertaining.

Not one for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK

An original take on a murder mystery, full of twists and turns, with a big twist at the end. Very readable. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the ending! I also enjoyed learning about resignation syndrome as up until now I’d not heard of it.

A conviction ,murders from times past but is this correct in the narrative of newspapers and police? Do the authorities have the real killer?
A really good read, full of twists and turns with loads of red herrings .
An ending that left me open--mouthed and gasping!

I absolutely LOVED this book! I am speechless at that ending, I’ve just been sat for 5 minutes open mouthed. It was just *chefs kiss*

I really thought I was going to love this book... it sounded like the perfect thriller written in a way I hadn't encounter a thriller before but it was a bit of a flop for me...

I found my self skipping pages just trying to finish it... I feel it was too detailed and there were large chunks of chapters that just didn't interest me.

I only finished it a few weeks ago and I have already forgotten what it was really all about.

Overall, a bit of a disappointing read and a book I will probably forget all about... :(

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the arc for an unbiased review.

Meh- I didn't love this book. I found the characters and their actions hard to believe, and the writing a bit dull, repetitive and littered with cliches. A decent enough plot and I read to the end, but it did very little for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A brilliant and tense thriller that had quite a few shocks and twists. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought the characterisations were well developed and strong. The prose was accomplished and the narrative fast paced and I raced through the pages because I had to find out what happened. Such an enjoyable read.
Highly Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this brilliant book.
Anna O has been asleep for 4 years since she was found with a bloody knife in her had at The Farm....and two of her friends were dead.
She is looked after at the sleep centre by Dr Benedict Prince....a sleeping beauty and her prince....but will he wake her and is she guilty?
Is this a dream or a nightmare?
The first half of the book sets the story, characters and scenes.
This book is wicked and draws you in but the pace increases in the second half, the twists are stunning and I guarantee you will not be able to put this book down.

From the specs, a character in a coma, you might think you've read this one before, but rest assured Matthew Blake's take here is thoroughly unique. I really enjoyed this stylish, gripping psychological thriller which I'm still thinking about days after finishing. Love the cover too