With plenty of reference to Freud's original Anna O, as well as other works of fiction, this is an ambitious novel, with a fascinating plot. Anna Ogilvy has apparently killed people, and has then fallen asleep - deeply so - and is not waking up. The story is told from multiple points of view, in a similar way to Capote's 'In Cold Blood' (which is mentioned) but the character of Dr. Benedict Prince, a psychologist with an expertise in sleep disorders is the person trying to figure it all out. As others have mentioned, this is quite a slow burn - or perhaps it just *feels* that way because of the multiple viewpoints - and even though I'm quite a quick reader, it seemed to take a while to gather pace. That said, the payoff is worth it and it's a highly proficient novel that surely lends itself to TV. I enjoyed it. My grateful thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty and unusual story. Just when you think you have a handle on what’s going on, it whips the rug from underneath you.

I found this an unusual story, exploring issues surrounding a condition where the sufferer sleeps for extraordinarily long periods of time after a huge trauma. In this book the sleeper is a woman who is a major suspect in a multiple murder. It took me a few chapters to get into the story.
The main character is the professional looking after the case and eventually he unravels the mystery. With many twists towards the end I found this is a very different story.
Recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot is highly elaborate and twist’s constantly, with you never really understanding whether you are hearing an unreliable narrator, and equally the narrator not always knowing either.

It charts the story of Anna, a celebrity murderer asleep since the crime, and the folks around her, all trying to understand what has gone on and get closure.

Fantastic premise and solid execution! I loved learning more about resignation syndrome and this was a very clever take on the psychologist/patient thriller narrative. Loved it!

A confidently written debut thriller, exploring a sleep expert and his efforts to awaken a woman who after murdering her two friends fell into a voluntary sleep from which she hasn’t awoken in four years. There is pressure mounting as the Ministry of Justice want to put her on trial for her crimes but for which she must be awake and conscious. But what is the truth? Did she commit the crime?
This book has so much buzz and I can see why. It’s such a unique premise, so refreshingly original in comparison to most thrillers/suspense read coming out. It is a bit of a slow burner with the first half getting repetitive but once the mid-turn hits the second half is such a rollercoaster ride. An unpredictable suspense read that you have got to watch for in 2024. Definitely will be a buzzy book 👍

Initially I thought I would want to read the book but it grew on me the more I read to the point I kept reading until the end.
Ben Prince a phycologist is tasked with bring a murder suspect out of a deep sleep thought to be the result of the traumatic events during the murder itself.
The ministry of justice wants to put the murderer Anna O, the daughter of a previously prominent government minister on trial but cant do so until she awakes from a 4 year sleep that started immediately after the murder.
Others want Anna O released.
Ben's estranged wife was the original investigating officer and Ben is trying to cope with the separation, the difficulties of getting access to his daughter whilst at work trying to stimulate the patient using theories her believes will work. Both Ben and his boss have to work under conditions of secrecy so the press and tabloids don't get hold of the story.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book as the description was pretty vague. For that reason I won’t go into huge detail.
Ben Prince is trying to solve the Anna O mystery, a young woman in a catatonic state, accused of a heinous crime. He is also battling his own wellbeing following a painful split from his wife that has led to sporadic contact with his daughter.
The chapters were told from different viewpoints but were easy to follow. It was a little drawn out in places but overall a captivating and clever read. If you like The Silent Patient, this is the book for you.

A psychological thriller with lots of fascinating psychology! Loved it!. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

Twisted minds and trickery. Blake seems to have used the celebrated case of Anno O's 'hysteria' as a starting point for this novel and taken it much further. No-one is quite who they seem here. Psychologist Dr Benedict Prince becomes involved in the case of a woman also known as Anna O, who has committed a terrible crime. The police want Dr Prince to attempt to wake her so that she can stand trial. Personally, I enjoyed this book to start with but found some parts jarring and others too violent. It would make a great film though.

Anna O is something a bit different which I always like - a twisty mystery with engaging characters and a strong sense of unpredictability.

It has an interesting social construct, the story centres around a crime that sparked the imagination of the masses, and the yin and yang dynamic of the plot flow is hugely addictive.

One of those novels where you might think you've worked everything out but you won't really know until the end.

Clever and intriguing. Recommended.

I went into this book completely blind. The blurb gives nothing away. I wasn't sure what to expect really. I was completely gripped before 100 pages in. I haven't read a book like this before that's for sure. I was creeped out a lot throughout this book which is a good thing because i am a avid thriller reader. There's a lot of back and forth in this book which I am not a big fan of but it didn't stop me from reading or enjoying this book. I didn't guess the ending which is quite rare for me. Overall I found this book different but in a good way. I will definitely be recommending this book.

This is the first time I've read a book without knowing what to expect so I was intrigued,this was a clever concept for promoting a book give the reader no blurb.
A debut novel from Matthew Blake.
So who is Anna O
Guilty or innocent
Truth or lie
Told from different points of view from each character over different timelines.
Loved the plot and the writing was very strong and detailed but I found it abit too long as it dipped in the middle but it did pick up in the end to a very good conclusion with a clever twist.
Would make a good Netflix series.
So I'm not giving any details to what the book is about hopefully you'll be intrigued as well.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC

Initially when I started this book I thought it was going to be a five star read but it started dragging at about 20% and became a bit of a slog! If you are super into your thrillers I'm not sure there's really anything new here although if it's not something you read regularly then you will probably enjoy it! Thanks so much netgalley for the advanced copy.

The Anna O of the title is Anna Ogilvy, a young woman who suffers from a rare psychosomatic disorder that leads her to commit violence whilst she is asleep, and her consultant, Dr. Prince. The promise of the literary exploration of neurological conditions at the edge of what we currently knew drew me to this novel but I am afraid I found sections of this novel too violent and too far-fetched. Will this thriller be a huge success? Absolutely, as the rights to the book have been sold into many different territories. Might the Anna O. of the title be based, partly at least, on the earlier Anna O. that Siegmund Freud’s wrote about in his studies in hysteria as long ago as 1895? How credible is the plot developed here? I walked away with many questions after this novel that just was not for me. I am nevertheless grateful to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free ARC that allowed me to read this novel.

An enjoyable psychological thriller which although at times I was confused. However it is well written and would definitely recommend as a good read.

A psychological thriller with a great deal of psychology some of which is quite difficult to follow.However, extremely well written and therefore difficult to put down. Clever.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Very clever marketing which is sure to appeal to a lot of people - I didn’t know what to expect from this book. It is cleverly written and started off well but slowed down half-way through. I found parts confusing and had to flick back and forward. Overly long but an interesting concept.

4.5 stars

Anna O stabs 2 of her best friends one night.....and she's been asleep ever since.... 4yrs later, Dr Benedict Prince, a sleep specialist (and not really a doctor, but he'll take the title if you give it to him;) ) has been called in to help wake Anna so that she can finally stand trial for her crimes.

I went in blindly with this one as there wasn't much given in the blurb when I requested this, but I definitely was intrigued from the first page.

The book is told from multiple POV's and there are also diary entries belonging to Anna, to seemingly lead us up to the night of the attack. I will say that these did not read like diary entries at all and I found myself going back to check if the chapter title was indeed 'diary entry' vs a regular chapter. Also, the book did drag at some spots and there is A LOT of talk about the psychology around Resignation Syndrome (the cause of Anna's sleeping beauty stint) which I personally didn't need. That aside, the book kept my interest. The author was very clever with how he left us clues that we didn't realise were clues across the pages.

This was a very cleverly written book with a refreshing plot, though some may argue they've seen something similar before.......there's tension, plot twists, some interesting and endearing characters....and a deliciously twisted ending...my favourite kind ;)

Anna O is the kind of book that keeps you enthralled and guessing all the way through.

Anna has been asleep for 4 years. Fast asleep. In fact, she hasn’t opened her eyes since she was found asleep in a cabin in the woods. Fast asleep but near a knife, two dead bodies and a sent text reading, I’m sorry. I think I killed them.

But is Anna guilty? And why is she still asleep? Benedict Prince thinks he maybe able to help but just what is the truth?

I devoured this book. Will be highly recommending it. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.