I LOVED THIS BOOK, FULL OF WONDERFUL TWISTS YOU WON’T SEE COMIUNG. I ADVICE TO NOT START IT ON THE EVENING OR YOU WILL NOT SLEEP BECAUSE YOU’LL HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

I was not really sure about this book from the scant description given on Netgalley, but it is a book that takes concentration and an open mind.

I can see television writers looking at this one with a view to a drama series. Murder or acts committed whilst sleepwalking, are the people insane as previously sentenced to an asylum, or is a get of jail card for misdemeanors.?

Not sure I would have picked this book up if I had known the full outline of the story, confusing at times with the different characters and the medical jargon.

I had no idea what I was letting myself in for from this book, with very little given away in the description. I just knew I had to read it! The book has a heavily detailed plot, therefore I won’t say too much. The main focus is of Anna O who remains to be trialled for the murder of two people as she has resignation syndrome, a rare, mysterious illness. The novel focuses heavily on the topic of sleep and asks the question are you really guilty if you commit a crime while asleep?

There has been a lot of hype around this book and I can see why this is the case. The story is multi layered, complex and mysterious. The psychology within the pages is very interesting and I definitely learnt a lot coming away from the novel. Sometimes though I found there was a bit too much going on and I really had to focus to be able to take it all in.

I enjoyed the chapters being told from different point of views, as well as debating the topics and morals that feature heavily in the story. It would make a good book club discussion. Although I found the story very clever and unique, I also found it a bit slow going and my interest kept dipping in and out. Saying that, I can definitely see this being a massive hit! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

I’d not heard of resignation syndrome before so was intrigued. A sleep specialist is called in to help with a patient who may or may not have murdered her friends before succumbing to the syndrome. We are introduced to the patient through her notebook and her own record of what happened. There is also a connection to another murderer in the past which influences some of the characters. Can the specialist waken the patient and hand her over to the justice system to find the truth? There are several twists and turns in the story, I had to keep reading. The final twist may surprise you! I enjoyed the book and will watch out for more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a prepublication ebook.

From the blurb, I thought that I would really enjoy this book. Sadly, I didn’t. I found it slow and confusing, and far too complex for my little brain. Very well written, and I’m certain it will be a best seller, but it’s not for me I’m afraid. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read it though.

Anna O, a story told through multiple POV's and a unique storyline of what can happen in your sleep and can you murder in your sleep? I loved reading this thriller filled with amazing twists and an incredibly unique premise. I was blown away by this and couldn't put down this captivating thriller, I highly recommend.

An interesting description from Netgallery - no plot synopsis just LThis is great and will be big in 2024”

Took a punt on it and quite enjoyed it Anna Ogilve allegedly killed two friends but she was found asleep and hasn’t woken up for four years.

An interesting premise quite well drawn. Could see this being picked up for a TV series.

Thanks to Netgallery for the ARC

I didn't want to put this book down! Told from multiple perspectives, this kept me guessing until the very end. At first the reader is presented with the story of a young woman who remains asleep 4 years after the murder she committed supposedly while sleepwalking, and the sleep psychologist tasked with waking her up to stand trial. But over time more layers are revealed and we realize there is much more to the story than that. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to more from this author.

A thriller that presents the controversial topic of killing in your sleep, is it accident or is it murder?
As a long suffering sleep walker myself, this novel gave me the chills! A very enjoyable twisted thriller, just don’t fall asleep…

Ben Prince is a psychologist specialising in what people can do whilst asleep.

He is called to his Harley St clinic late one night to be told he will be getting a secret new patient.

Anna O has been asleep for four years after being found with the slain bodies of her two best friends.

Ben's task is to awake her to stand trial for their murder.

This novel has more thrills and twists and turns than a mountain pass until it reaches its surprising conclusion.

A great crime thriller from Matthew Blake!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishing for the chance to read and review this book

A truly spectacular piece of crime fiction. I always like to read the big lead crime titles with huge campaigns to see if they live up to the hype and 'Anna O' definitely does. The premise is really strong and I think the multiple POVs worked really well throughout. I had no idea how it was going to end right up until the last page.

My only negative comment, which I honestly found a bit jarring was the relatively high number of references to Harry Potter throughout the novel. Putting aside my strong feelings as a queer person and the horrible things JK Rowling has done in the last few years, it genuinely felt a bit odd. In the 400 page book there are 11-12 references to Harry Potter, across multiple different character POVs, that's more mentions than books like In Cold Blood which actually form part of the plot. There are references to Harry, Hogwarts, Gryffindor, Dumbledore, Dementors, and Voldemort... in an adult crime thriller. Just made no sense to me and queer-rights standpoint aside, I'd edit this down to make it seem less jarring. Some references, like to dementors, worked with the plot, but just using Dumbledore as a descriptive reference point in an adult novel is both strange and wholly unnecessary.

Otherwise, a great read that I'd recommend to many people.

Anna O is a superior mystery thriller by Matthew Blake.

Anna Ogilvie is suspected of the murder of 2 of her friends. she had the motive and she was found covered in blood with her fingerprints on the murder weapon. She was also found asleep and stayed asleep for years so she could not be tried for the murder she appeared to be so obviously guilty of. Sleep expert Dr Ben Prince, appropriately as the media have dubbed Anna ,"Sleeping Beauty", thinks he can wake her to stand trial so she's moved to his Harley Street practice. To add further mystery the murder was exactly 10 years after a similar murder by a woman who subsequently spent the rest of her life in Broadmoor.

This is a story of twists,turns,then more twists as Ben finds his life turned upside down by events as he works to bring Anna out of her sleep. What's the link between murders a decade apart? Who is seemingly desperate to stop Ben from probing Anna's memories?
There are whole shoals of Red Herrings in this book,it's intelligent , involving and will keep you on your toes.

Great premise and I loved the potential of 'resignation syndrome' even if I wasn't clear what the difference is between a coma and long-term sleep. But the plot was too holey for me to be able to suspend my disbelief...

In a coma Anna o is thought responsible for 2 murders whilst asleep but can this be proven or is it inconceivable.

This is such a fascinating area, it has always been an interest of mine. sleep and what happens in it, to you and with this story to everyone else! An enthralling, captivating and compelling story. Mind boggling in every way. Dr Ben is rather lovely, Clara not so much, Kitty their daughter is just sweet and a reminder of how we all once were. Learning, growing, discovering the world. Anna is sleeping, she's been sleeping for four years after apparently slaughtering her friends, texting a confession and then falling into a four year sleep. Recent movement and blips have suggested she may be waking - to face trial. Ben's job is to try and help this along and it evolves working again with Clara, from whom he is estranged. The myths, legends and media hype surrounding "Anna O" leads them into dangerous territory, the daughter of very prominent, influential people, Anna's case and how it progresses is gripping, thrilling and practically mind blowing. Highly recommended!

WOW WOW WOW! What a book - this undoubtably will be THE book of 2024. Enthralling, captivating and so different from any other murder book I have read. Very well written and in a style that is unique to this author. The characters are so well defined that at times you do think you are reading about real people. The pace builds up very nicely throughout the book to an ending that is one of the best endings I have read. The twist at the end of this is an absolute cracker - very cleverly done. Take a bow Matthew Blake you have written a truly wonderful masterpiece.

5/5

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this.
"Do you know what you do when you sleep?"
Anna Ogilvy has been asleep for four years, since she was found with a knife and two of her friends stabbed to death. It's now time to try and wake her up to get to the truth.
Wow what a read this was. A psychological thriller that really has an air of suspense all the way through. Its not a fast paced thriller it is has a psychological atmosphere that keeps you drawn into the story. It has twists along the way and keeps you guessing how it will turn out to the end. I can see why this was eagerly snapped up by publishers it was well written and not like anything I've read before. I think it will be a hit when it comes out next year. If you get a chance to get an early read of this one snatch it up.

This was so absorbing, I reluctantly put this down just once because it hurt to keep my eyes open. I thought the mystery was cleverly written with well placed clues and twists. I was almost gaslit into thinking my (correct!) theory was wrong. I will say that this was not a thriller that made me afraid for my life, unlike others I've read, but this did not impact my enjoyment whatsoever.

There were a couple of things I didn't like, including the excessive Harry Potter references, as well as the diary entries that absolutely did not read like diary entries. Also, I'm not a big fan of reading from the POV of a middle-aged cishet man - purely a personal preference.

The book description is insanely compelling, but if you're like me and you really need to know what the book is about before you read it, here's the basic gist:

The main POV, Dr Benjamin Prince, is a sleep specialist who receives a mysterious call from his boss. He is the government's last resort to wake up Anna O, who has been in a deep sleep for four years, ever since she was found asleep, bloodied knife in hand, her two best friends stabbed to death.

I think that's all you need to know, though I did read up on resignation syndrome and the original case of Anna O midway through the book which I found helpful, again a personal preference.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Review posted on Goodreads on 15/07/2023.

Anna O is a multi-faceted novel that combines a whodunnit with deep psychological themes and compelling characters. With elements of philosophy, history and psychology mixed together, the reader is challenged to look beyond the obvious and find the truth.

Anna Ogilvie is thought guilty of killing two friends four years ago. But she has never stood trial - because she has been unconscious for four years. Diagnosed with resignation syndrome, a rare disorder causing the subject to fall into a coma. Anna O becomes a social media sensation, with debates on her guilt or otherwise.

Psychologist Ben Prince is a Harley Street sleep expert who thinks he can wake Anna. Can he? And what will she tell the world if he succeeds?

The novel is long and told from multiple points of view, giving real insight into the characters, There are several sub plots and mysteries before the final, shocking, revelation.

Snap this one up ASAP! Could not put it down. Housework was not done, kids were not fed… Fantastic writing, kept me gripped all the way through! Wow! This book was SO. DAMN. FABULOUS!…