Having murdered her two closest friends Anna Ogilvy then fell asleep and has been that way for the last four years. Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist who has been approached by the Ministry of Justice to determine if the methods he describes in a journal article will be able to wake Anna O. Anna O by Matthew Blake is a psychological thriller that keeps you on your toes and has your head reeling by the end. Using a variety of media, which allows the story to move between different time frames, we learn the background of Anna O. During an outward bound event she stabbed to death her closest friends and has been unconscious since. Having a history of sleepwalking, it is assumed that Anna carried out the murders while asleep. The big question posed by the novel is can someone who commits a crime while asleep be held criminally responsible? Alongside this other questions such as "Can evil be cured?" and "Is evil inherited?" are also posed. Enter Dr. Benedict Prince, a psychologist who specialises in sleep disorders and works at The Abbey Sleep Clinic. Through this character, we are given lots of information on sleep disorders, the psychology of the mind and some historical examples of people who have claimed to commit crimes while asleep. All of this is done in laymen's terms to keep the reader involved. Throughout I kept coming up with different theories about what actually happened, the motives involved and the role of different characters. At times I wondered if it was an act to avoid prosecution, at other times I felt there was some type of conspiracy taking place; at no point was I absolutely convinced I was right. There is also the role that social media has played in the case. Not only has it kept the story alive but it has resulted in two very separate groups, those who believe Anna O is a villain and those who think she's a victim. The deeper the story delves into the background of the characters you realise that none of them are particularly likeable, the vast majority are motivated by self-interest, and this makes the reader doubtful about their actual involvement in the crime. We get hints early on that something has been covered up. As the conclusion approaches the anticipation has you holding your breath, the sense of dread is palpable. There are lots of layers to the big reveal, just when you think everything is clear the author adds another twist. This is one of those novels that you want to discuss with others as it raises so many questions.

Is Anna O Guilty or Not? When Doctor Benedict Prince is selected to take on the daunting yet delicate task of waking up Anna O, the female accused of murdering her two best friends in cold blood, he is unprepared for what will come. Anna O is spectacularly written and will have you gripped from the very first chapter. The twists and turns this story will take will leave you with book induced whiplash. A perfect pick for those who loved The Silent Patient.

Perfect for fans of The Silent Patient, Anna O is filled with mystery and intrigue with plenty of twists and turns along the way. The book started off very slow for me, I could have fallen asleep myself whilst listening as at first I couldn't get into it at all. I considered whether it would be a Dnf but did continue, and it DID get better around the 50% mark. The narration was good, but there were so many character changes that at points I struggled to follow along with so many diverging points of view. I do feel as though had I been physically reading this one, I would never have gotten through it, but that is more a me problem than the fault of the book itself. Rating rounded up to 3.5 stars.

Hmm a difficult one, this. I loved the premise of the book and found it enjoyable to begin with, but I felt it was a bit slow and overlong. By the end, I was a bit confused and whilst it was a big twist at the end, I felt slightly underwhelmed. Three and a half stars.

A woman accused of killing her two friends is unable to stand trial because.. she's been asleep for 4 years. I absolutely loved the idea! This book is perfect for fans of true crime and forensic psychology!