Unfortunately this book didn’t give me the wow factor. At times I enjoyed it and for some parts I got bored.
The plot was good though but the middle part of the book was long winded. I felt lost alot of the time throughout the book.

“We spend an average of thirty-three years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we are sleeping?” If somebody kills while sleepwalking, are they guilty of murder? This is the premise for psychological thriller/suspense novel Anna O. Anna Ogilvy has suffered from a rare psychosomatic disorder known as “resignation syndrome” since the night she fatally stabbed two people. Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. He is tasked with waking Anna up so she can stand trial, which he commits to despite his reservations about whether Anna is truly culpable, despite his own messy, complicated life, despite the potential for danger to him and those he loves.
Anna O is a psychological/medical suspense/thriller told in multiple points of view and formats with an intriguing premise. This is a book that will polarise readers – some lauding its medical details and plot twists and some at the opposite end of the scale finding it perhaps a little heavy on detail, sluggish in parts and not entirely satisfying in the conclusion. I’m in the middle for a combination of those reasons at 3.5-4.0 stars.

Anna O by Matthew Blake is an absolutely outstanding and compelling read. This has the WOW factor and the ending had twists and turns that were totally unexpected! What an incredible thriller that has the reader spellbound.

Anna O hasn’t opened her eyes in four years after being found near the bodies of her friends and with evidence that points to her as a double murderer. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the worldwide press it appears she suffers from “resignation syndrome”, a condition which is a speciality of Dr Bernard Prince, a forensic psychologist whose focus is sleep-related homicides.

Dr Prince has been assigned the task of waking Anna O, the Sleeping Beauty. While his task is fantastic opportunity for his career it is fraught with dangers for both him and his sleeping patient.

A thriller that does indeed thrill!!! What a wonderful debut novel by Matthew Blake. I look forward to reading more of his work as he seems very capable of orchestrating an incredible storyline with complex characters.

Highly recommended read.



This review is based on a complimentary copy from HarperCollins Publishers Australia via
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#AnnaO #NetGalley

Anna Ogilvy is suspected of committing a double murder while sleepwalking and because of a very rare sleep related syndrome, has not awoken for the next four years. Two doctors, Dr. Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist and sleep specialist and Dr Virginia Bloom meet with a representative from the Ministry of Justice to discuss Ben’s potential cure for resignation syndrome, and trialling it on Anna so she can be tried for murder. Ben discovers that Anna was working on a secret government experiment called MEDEA, and that her trial for murder might also be a way to silence her and cover up the act of another. So it became more of a how and why of a femme fatale, rather than whodunnit novel. The effect on the murders on Anna was just as important explored as were the murders. Why do people kill? Why was this murder to captivating?
It was interesting to read about sleep, and see that the idea of sleep as a healing quality, and a way to save someone was interwoven into the story, as was the connection to the ancient Greek myth around Medea. In ancient Greek folklore, Medea is the conjurer of sleep: she is not revered for her talents and her knowledge, and she also fought for justice and redemption from murder. And just like Anna, proving her innocence becomes the quest to conquer. The bigger questions to ask are whether Anna was sleeping, was everyone else asleep, and is this just a literary version of Inception?

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book as it didn’t send through to my kindle or phone properly.
The premise of the story sounds fascinating and I’m excited for it to be released!

This was an interesting story seen from the eyes of a psychiatrist. The story follows the case of Anna, a young woman from a respected family, who falls into a deep sleep for years after committing the murder of two of her close friends. The story starts off really well and is an interesting read.

Our minds work in mysterious ways, this book will draw you into thinking about what happens when we sleep.
Anna has been in a state of deep sleep for four years, after murdering her best friends, the question remains, did she do it?
The Ministry of Justice want to wake Anna to face a murder trial. Dr Ben is a forensic psychologist who is tasked with the responsibility of bringing Anna back to consciousness. Dr Ben is not entirely convinced that Anna should be awake.
This is an Intricate web of how Anna murdered, if Anna murdered and what can happen while we sleep. The intriguing questions, the assumptions, the facts and the fiction all mesh into this web of whodunnit!
At times the ethics are questionable and the data draws the story out, the plot is also very complex, adding to the suspense.

Thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A debut crime mystery novel, Anna O (2024) by Matthew Blake is an unusual sleeping murder tale. Anna Ogilvy was found asleep, next to her friends’ two bodies, which had been stabbed to death. Four years later, she is still in a catatonic state and forensic psychologist, Doctor Benedict Prince is charged with her care. Dr Price is trying to assist Anna in regaining her consciousness, as her innocence or guilt for the sleepwalking murders is questioned. However, Benedict is hiding secrets of his own, as the narrative is structured with brief paragraphs, short chapters and surprise twists. Whilst the psychiatric condition of Resignation Syndrome exists, the inaccurate use of it makes this mystery a three stars read rating. With thanks to HarperCollins Publishers Australia and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

Oh. My. Goodness.

This book!

Far and away the most riveting thriller I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Reasonably new to this genre, I discovered thrillers during COVID lockdowns and enjoyed books by Michael Robotham, Alex Michaelides and JP Delaney. Matthew Blake is quite simply another level!

An easy to read, very well thought out plot with twists and turns and questions along the way. Blake’s writing doesn’t confuse, it captivates. Like a drug, it gets you hooked. Expect the unexpected. In a few parts towards the end I became almost angry by some unexpected twists. Somewhat confused in places, I feverishly continued reading to make sense of what was happening. The ending. Wow! Would never have anticipated it.

Best book!

Highly recommend….. and can’t wait for more titles by Michael Blake.

Than you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous read.

I was really hyped for this one, but ended up very disappointed.

The characters weren't interesting to me, their motivations were either not there or not believable. Backstories and relationship information was missing too to really make these characters three-dimensional. I felt the pacing was off and the Harry Potter references were just too silly and out of place for a murder-mystery novel.
The ending felt underwhelming.

All in all the book cover is great and the blurb sounded interesting, but that was about all that was good for me.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The average human spends thirty-three years of their lives asleep”

What are we really capable of while we are asleep and should we be held accountable for any actions we take while sleeping?

Anna Ogilvy was 25 years old with her whole life ahead of her when she’s accused of murdering her two best friends with no apparent motive. Anna has since fallen into a deep sleep and has shown no signs of waking up.

When Benedict Prince, an expert in Resignation Syndrome, believes he can wake Anna up from her 5 year slumber, questions arise over who is responsible for what happened that night and what turned Anna into a killer.

There are so many great reviews for this book going around so I was so happy to be approved for this one!

I really enjoy a psychological thriller and I think it’s why I was so drawn to this story. I love books that really test you and make you think and with all the plot twists in this book it definitely delivered!

There were some parts at the beginning that felt a little drawn out but it was definitely worth sticking with as the ending was great and really unexpected.

Would definitely recommend to fans of The Silent Patient (by Alex Michaelides) and people who enjoy psychological adventures.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers Australia and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

O! An unputdownable, wickedly clever, literary psychological thriller!

We spend an average of thirty-three years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we are sleeping?

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 she hasn’t woken up since. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna suffers from a rare psychosomatic disorder known to neurologists as “resignation syndrome.”

4 years later she is transferred to the exclusive Abbey Sleep Clinic under the care of forensic psychologist Ben Prince. The Ministry of Justice wants her awake so she can stand trial for the murders - Ben wants to uncover the truth, which may not be as straightforward as everyone believes.

Anna O is a slow burn, often delving deeply into the psychology of the case, and while sometimes it can be a little long winded, the build up tension to some of those twists made it all well worth it - I literally yelled out WTF more than once! 🤯

Told via multiple POVs and formats, brilliant storytelling, multi layered, complex characters and WHOA twists … and we have a winner!

4.5 brilliant stars for this amazing debut! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Many kind thanks to @harpercollins @netgalley for an advanced reading copy.

🤩 Pub date 1 February 2024

Oh my word! Where do I even start? I absolutely LOVED this book!

I came across Anna O on NetGalley quite by accident and I am so glad I did! The cover really stood out to me and I didn't even read the synopsis. I just knew I had to read it. I only wish I hadn't let it sit on my NetGalley shelf for as long as I did!

From the very first page, I was a slave to this book. I read every chance I got over the last two days and I was always so eager to get back to it to see how the story would unfold. Quite simply, I was mesmerised.

The writing is sublime, and the story, and the suspense around it, makes for edge of your seat stuff! For me, Anna O is right up there with The Silent Patient! This is my favourite book of 2024 so far; the bar has been set 👍

Thanks a bunch to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for an eARC of Anna O. Expected publication date is 1/2/24

‘The Mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven out of hell, a hell out of heaven.’ John Milton

This famous quote is at the centre of this intriguing novel that explores the psychology of sleep, dreaming and sleepwalking. The novel revolves around the fascinating fictional case of a young journalist known as Anna O. who in 2019 purportedly murdered her two best friends while sleepwalking. She was found lying on the floor, between their beds in their holiday cabin, fast asleep, covered in bloodstains and clutching a bloody knife. Since then, she has remained in a deep sleep for four years, diagnosed by psychiatrists with a catatonic condition, known as Resignation Syndrome and nicknamed Sleeping Beauty by the public.

Now the Ministry of Justice want to see if Anna can be woken up so she can be put on trial for murder. She is transferred from Broadmoor Hospital to the exclusive Abbey Sleep Clinic on Harley St, where forensic psychologist Dr Ben Prince will attempt to rouse her back to consciousness. But Ben doesn’t just want to wake Anna, he wants to know whether she is guilty of murdering in her sleep.

The story is told in several voices, including that of Ben, his wife Clara a police detective who was first on the scene of the murders, Anna’s nurse Harriet and Anna, mostly through extracts of her diary leading up to the murders. Prior to the event, Anna was working on an article about a woman, Sally Turner, nicknamed the Stockwell Monster, who stabbed her twin stepsons to death while supposedly sleepwalking in 1999, twenty years to the day before Anna’s friends were found murdered. Within a year, she had committed suicide in Broadmoor Hospital, leaving behind a child, known only as Patient X.

If you’re interested in the mysteries of sleep, dreaming and sleepwalking you will find this book fascinating, although it can be a bit repetitive and drag a little, and some suspension of belief may be required. But even so the original premise and the multilayered, complex plot are compelling and you will be pulled into wanting to find out the truth behind the murders. The novel is cleverly written with plenty of twists and an excellent build-up of tension and suspense.

Anna O hasn’t opened her eyes for four years.

Not since the night she was found in a deep sleep by the bodies of her best friends, suspected of a chilling double murder.

For Dr Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist, waking Anna O could be career-defining. As an expert in sleep, he knows all about the darkest chambers of the mind; the secrets that lie buried in the subconscious.

As he begins Anna O’s treatment – studying his patient’s dreams, combing her memories, visiting the site where the horrors played out – he pulls on the thread of a much deeper, darker mystery.

Awakening Anna O isn’t the end of the story, it’s just the beginning.

Told from multiple points of view, the book has many threads and multiple plot twists, especially a completely unexpected one at the end.

The science of sleep and the criminal defence of diminished responsibility was interesting, but overall I found it a slow read.

Thank you to @netgalley #matthewblake and @harpercollinsaustralia

Publication date: 1 February 2024

I thought the premise/concept of this sounded interesting – murder/s committed while sleep-walking/asleep, or maybe not. However, it was not what I was expecting.

1. The characters and their motivations didn’t seem fully formed, or the relationships weren’t described fully/backstory is lacking, or something, for example: Price and his boss had a relationship where he was inconsolable after an event, and yet the relationship hadn’t been mentioned previously, her involvement/position in the story and nor did he look in the important folder/want to delve more into the event – it seemed ‘off’; we are told a lot, but are not given the connection and not in a red-herring way or build-up way, more just in a ‘this is the relationship’ way.
2. The pacing was off: it was either slow and, at times, repetitive, or it was fast and finished. It included interesting psychology portions, although at times it was information heavy – which effected the pacing.
3. There are a lot of pop culture references which I think could date the book. There are a lot of Harry Potter references which didn’t really bother me because I have a friend who is obsessed with HP too, but I think it would have been less grating if there was a reason for her obsession, even something as simple as the fact she had been obsessed because she liked the escape/always wanted to be a witch, otherwise she is just an adult who is child-like (and maybe this is the point because sometimes I had a problem remembering she is an actual professional adult and not someone who is younger).
4. The cat and mouse portion was good, but again I was left wondering why Price was participating. Narcissism maybe?
5. The conclusion was slightly underwhelming. I did pick the ending, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing (I read a lot of crime fiction, so I probably run through ‘all the possibilities’), but the Christie-esque monologue as to the ‘why’, was too long and really only told me information I already knew.

All of that being said, I think the concept was great, I could see where the plot was going to go, even if it didn’t ‘stick’ the way I wanted it to and I enjoyed the multiple POVs because I think they created layers to the mystery, there are just a few things that would have made it better for me.

I've been really looking forward to reading this thriller and it's my first of 2024. I always find it a little difficult to write about the plot of thrillers because I really don't wan to give too much away, so I will discuss the elements I really liked.

First of all the writing is excellent. The premise is intriguing - it focuses on a Forensic Psychologist's research into crimes committed by people while they are asleep and., in particular, the case of a woman who appears to have committed a murder, who has been asleep since that incident.

Ben Price, the doctor, is an extremely complex and interesting character. His humanity can sometimes be a weakness and sometimes a source of incredible strength and vision. You can't help but be drawn to him as a character.

The other characters in the book are equally as compelling, and although I had basically worked out the conclusion by about halfway through the book, I was not putting the book down until I got to the end.

If you're in the mood for an incredible story within a well-written psychological thriller, then look no further.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

What a way to kick of my reading habit for 2024!! Absolutely incredible read! I am a huge fan of the genre and this is arguably one of the better thrillers I have read in MONTHS. Couldn't put it down and devoured it in a single afternoon! Deliciously mysterious and twisty, keeping me guessing till the very end!

"We spend an average of thirty-three years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we are sleeping?" - If that Blurb isn't enough to suck you in then I don't know what will be

Anna O (aka "Sleeping Beauty") falls into a state of permanent sleep after stabbing two of her best friends. But what really happened? and should she truly be the one held responsible?

Sleep expert and forensic psychologist, Dr. Ben Prince is on the case but what he discovers could endanger not only Anna but also himself.

This entire book was expertly formatted dropping pieces of the puzzle chapter by chapter as it transports us between timelines to unravel the mystery of what actually happened on that fateful night. A gripping thriller with numerous shocking twists. It felt extremely reminiscent of the likes of 'The Silent Patient' and 'The Perfect Marriage' so fans of those I am sure would love this one too!

Thank you to Netgalley, Matthew Blake and Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to read this fantastic e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Anna O was sold as the big thriller of 2024 but right from the start it was overwritten and unengaging.
I'm sure some will love this book but it is one that I could not help skimming. So little of the over-explained premise made any sense (the main character Ben has apparently written best selling books and articles on Anna but is only now actually investigating what happened?), there are too many Harry Potter references ("10 points for Gryffindor", really?) and contrived mysteries that involve not explaining things that POV characters know ("It could not be. And yet..."), never mind the descriptions of people's physique ("the fatness"???).

This was a well written and twisty thriller that kept me guessing. Anna Ogilvy has been asleep for four years(resignation syndrome) since the stabbing murder of her two friends. Dr Benedict Prince is a psychologist who specialises in sleep disorders and Anna O is transferred to his care to try and wake her up. He discovers an apparent connection to a horrible murder case twenty years earlier, Sally Turner, the Stockwell Monster who had stabbed to death her two stepsons. The story is mostly told from Ben’s point of view with some other characters and Anna’s diary from before the murders. The plot is well constructed and the ending is surprising.