Anno O has been 'asleep' for 4 years after a traumatic event where two of her friends were murdered. She had been a sleep walker from an early age, and woke to find herself holding a knife, and staring at a pair of bodies. Did Anna commit a murder whilst asleep?
Ben, a forensic psychologist is called in to try to 'cure' her of this long sleep, so that she can then stand trial for the murders, and she is transfered to his Sleep Clinic for treatment and monitoring. Can he bring her out of this deep sleep, and get to the bottom of the murder?
I really enjoyed this book, and I must admit to being surprised by the ending.

‘Innocent until proven guilty. The court of public opinion doesn’t count.’

This debut book Anna O. by Matthew Blake had us reading long into the night. We were gripped! The writing is engaging, provoking, and thrilling. The characters have depth and intrigue, and the crux of the story is utterly compelling. Can we be held responsible for the actions we take whilst asleep? So many secrets, so much suspense and Dr Benedict Prince the sleep disorder specialist and forensic psychologist is in the middle of it all. Murder, mayhem, complex friendships and messed up families. This story has it all.

We did think it dragged in parts with some repetitiveness, however we couldn’t put it down despite this. The psychology of it was riveting and the thrilling mystery had us guessing and discussing everything along the way. Especially as it all happened in our backyard! We won’t go into specific details as the story with its twists and red herrings aplenty needs to be experienced rather than spoiled.

We’re definitely fans of this debut Author and look forward to his next thrilling ride.

‘If only I can stay awake. Sleep is danger. Sleep is death. Whatever happens, I must not close my eyes.’

This debut book Anna O. by Matthew Blake had us reading long into the night. We were gripped! The writing is engaging, provoking, and thrilling. The characters have depth and intrigue, and the crux of the story is utterly compelling. Can we be held responsible for the actions we take whilst asleep? So many secrets, so much suspense and Dr Benedict Prince the sleep disorder specialist and forensic psychologist is in the middle of it all. Murder, mayhem, complex friendships and messed up families. This story has it all.

We did think it dragged in parts with some repetitiveness, however we couldn’t put it down despite this. The psychology of it was riveting and the thrilling mystery had us guessing and discussing everything along the way. Especially as it all happened in our backyard! We won’t go into specific details as the story with its twists and red herrings aplenty needs to be experienced rather than spoiled.

We’re definitely fans of this debut Author and look forward to his next thrilling ride.

I was totally intrigued by the blurb of this book. I did find it a little hard going but it kept me gripped to the very end

I loved the premise of this book but if I'm honest I found it really hard going. It felt like it could have been told in a lot less pages and was too drawn out. Too much detail on some things that weren’t needed.
I admit I found myself skim reading a lot of it as I was just bored.
I'm fully prepared to admit that it was perhaps my issue and I wasn't able to connect with the authors writing style but I just wasn't drawn into it. I wasn't captivated and I kept putting it down and it took me a long time to read it.

A forensic psychologist explores and attempts to remedy “Anna O” of a condition where the patient is in a deep sleep for 4 years after allegedly commuting two acts of murder - I mean what a premise! This book keeps you guessing to the very last page and really reminded me a lot of “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides both in tone and setting. I felt the story seemed quite long in a way but it allowed the characters to become fully fleshed out and there are some great quotes dispersed through the book - my kindle copy has a lot of highlights which isn’t often something I usually do when reading. I think the author is clearly very talented and had thought this plot through extremely well, it was refreshing to have a full circle novel without plot holes or to be left questioning anyone or anything.

If you, like me, have a weird obsession with sleep and dreams, then read this. If you, like me, enjoyed “The Silent Patient,” then read this. If you generally fancy a mystery/thriller that will keep you guessing at theories, then definitely read this! A four star from me and I’m looking forward to what this author brings out next.

Many thanks to Harper Collins, Netgalley and Matthew Blake for the ARC in extra for an honest review.

it was OK felt it was a little slow and dragged on a bit. Tbh I was expecting a bit more, I felt alot of this didn't really make much sense if I'm honesty I really love thrillers but this really wasn't for me.

A very mysterious and at times intense novel that was enjoyable at times but didn't grab me as much as I wish it would have

I found this book extremely disappointing. Seeing as Dr. Prince, the main character, is a psychologist, it was all very surface level, and even more annoying as a psychologist myself. I rolled my eyes every time he said ‘as a psychologist’!

This book had a lot of potential and I was genuinely intrigued by the blurb. However, the characters were dull, the plot was slow, repetitive, predictable and frustrating. I was waiting for an exciting twist.. which didn’t happen and the mediocre twist came wayyyyy too late, at which point I had lost all interest and the book was pretty much over. The last 10-20%, usually a page-turner, was dull!

Reading Anna O did feel similar to The Silent Patient, so I get the similarity, but both books are annoying and I’d say just go read the Silent Patient instead. I wouldn’t recommend this to read unless you had nothing left on your bookshelf (or actually liked the Silent Patient).

Thank you to NetGalley, and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for this book and the opportunity to review it.

This was very mysterious and I loved it - there’s a lot of information to take on board. If you love a thriller, you’ll love this. Finished it in a couple of days

I had no idea how this was going to end. It was a compelling read as I just had to know the outcome. I found the plot complex, but clever. A completely unexpected ending.

Wow wow wow, what a book! Sophisticated, complex and addictive, Anna O is a thriller that delivers and then some.

A notorious patient, Anna O, is relocated to the Abbey under strict conditions of anonymity. She is asleep. And has been for four years. Dr Ben Prince is brought in to test this theory of how to wake a patient with stimulus that provides hope and a reason to wake up. But if she does, she faces trial for the murder of her two friends and business associates.

Ben's theory appears to work and Anna opens her eyes.

But this is just the beginning of the strangest set of events with a twist that will blow your mind.

Gripping, intricate and a page turner that kept me reading into the small hours, Anna O is just brilliant.

Anna O (where O is for Outstanding!!)

Absolutely got wrapped up in this book! Relatable characters, a mystery to be solved....and twisting, turning prose! Excellent writing from Matthew Blake...an absolute pleasure to read, 5 Stars!!

This was a 4 star read for me until the final few chapters - the pace knocking it down one. I do still think the pacing is off but wow that final twist, I thought the second to final twists was punchy but the final one, brilliant. Felt like it deserved the 5 stars as I didn’t see it coming at all.

"Anna O" is one of the best books I've read so far this year. Really interesting and gripping. I love psychologival thrillers and this one just hit the spot.
Nothing was too obvious and it was a great way to learn new things. I've never heard about resignation syndrome before and this book made me Google for more info.
Highly recommended!

A very interesting storyline. Can a suspect be tried for murder when they are asleep and can’t wake up ?
I enjoyed the book very much although it did slow down a bit in the middle. The characters were likeable but everyone was not who they claimed to be. Lots of suspicion and doubt along the way and I certainly didn’t see the twist at the end coming.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I was disappointed by this read despite the online hype within the bookish community. I was initially drawn to the concept of a murder suspect struggling to wake from a coma, which was a new concept to me; however, I felt this book failed to deliver on the entertainment factor.

The plot was not as fast-paced as I expected, and as the story unfolded, I found the enjoyment lacking somewhat. The conclusion does tie everything up for the reader, and there is plenty to discuss throughout, making this a contender for a book club read. It is a shame that it fell flat for me.

Despite this review, I would not discourage anyone from picking up this read. In fact, I recommend you do so in case this becomes your favourite read!

This started off so well and had me gripped but, halfway through it slowed and dragged and I began to lose interest. Shame, I had high hopes for this one. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

'Anna O' by Matthew Blake is definitely a read for 2024.

Anna Ogilvy was a budding twenty-five-year-old writer with a bright future. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive—and hasn’t woken up since. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna’s condition is a rare psychosomatic disorder known to neurologists as “resignation syndrome.”

Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. His methods are the last hope of solving the infamous “Anna O’”case and waking Anna up so she can stand trial. But he must be careful treating such a high-profile suspect—he’s got career secrets and a complicated personal life of his own.

This book is fast paced and it is helped by the different narration you hear in the different chapters. Each character tells you their tale from their perspective and from different time periods. The characters are very well described and they really stay with you.

This story definitely has twists and turns but due to the story telling of the author you can follow the story.

As much as you try and guess you can't imagine how the story is going to be concluded and it definitely kept me guessing until the end.

A great book and highly recommended. Can't wait for more from this author.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me to read in return for a review.

A dark, sinister, psychological thriller, based on the question of whether AnnaO killed her friends in a premeditated attack, or whether she was actually sleepwalking at the time, and therefore should only be charged for some crime of ‘diminished responsibility’
There is a lot of information regarding the investigation of the police, the psychologists, and also reference to past cases which presented in similar circumstances.
There is a fair bit of a twisty-turny Events and suppositions in this story, and it’s quite a compelling read.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication and exchange for an honest review.