Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of this book. It was an interesting read, but not quite for me.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of this book.

Anna O is about a sleep disorder specialist who has been tasked with waking up a murderer who has been asleep for four years.

This novel has an interesting idea, but the execution was lacking. I felt like there was too much going on and not enough at the same time. Things would just happen and I would have to go back and reread parts just to see if it was explained but NOPE things just jumped around in this book and all the sudden something would be happening without any explanation. It was also hard to tell what was going on with Ben and his POV. He seemed to just speak things into existence. It just felt like a lot of information was missing or not explained.

Sadly, the twist was pretty predictable and towards the end, it seemed to just repeat what Ben was feeling constantly. He had the same thought constantly. I found this to be quite hard to get through and I was left feeling like there was a lot missing from the book in some way or another.

TLDR, an interesting premise with sadly lackluster execution.

A forensic psychologist and sleep specialist is required by the government to wake a woman who seems to be in a trauma avoiding long term sleep. She is suspected of committing two murders and the government wants her awake so she can stand trial. Can he do this? Will his theories work? What happens if she does wake? Is she guilty? Is someone trying to kill both of them? A grand thriller ride of locked room mystery asking why has all this happened?

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

Ana Olgilvy was a 25 year old up and coming writer. Then one night she stabs two people to death without an apparent motive. She hasn't woken up since. Her condition is a rare disorder and she is sent to a forensic psychologist, Dr. Prince, who is an expert in sleep related issues. His methods are the hope hope in waking her up and solving the case. This thriller will take you down several paths as you try to determine the truth and the dangers it will lead to.

𝐈𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 '𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝'. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.

I was so excited for this book about the fictional "Sleeping Beauty Killer" named Anna Ogilvy, who was a budding young writer with a bright future. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive—and hasn’t woken up since. Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. But he must be careful treating such a high-profile suspect—he’s got career secrets and a complicated personal life of his own.

My main issue with this book is that I felt like I was on the outside looking in through the entire book. Usually, a book draws me in and I feel almost like a participant, but while reading this book, I felt like I was very distant and far-removed from everything.

The plot slogged along at such a dull pace that by the time the twists arrived, I had stopped anticipating them and was just glad to get to the end.

Keep in mind this is my opinion and that this book has many glowing reviews, so check it out for yourself. Thank you to Harper Books for this early copy that will publish January 2, 2024.

If someone were to commit a murder while sleepwalking, and have no memory of it, are they guilty of the crime? Such is the case of Anna O.

This book was a slow burn for me. I usually tend to avoid these types of stories because I lose interest waiting for something to happen. That was not the case with this one! Anna O drew me in and kept me interested with each new chapter and bit of information revealed. Told from multiple points of view, this new thriller will have you on a ride that will shock you right up to the very last page. I’ll be eagerly awaiting more titles from Matthew Blake.

To be published January 02, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this ARC in return for an honest review.