Four years ago two young people were stabbed to death at a rural hospitality farm, their presumed killer, found holding the bloody knife fell into a fugue state and has not woken up since. After being kept at Broadmoor she is transferred to a Harley street clinic where a young psychologist thinks he can wake her up. As his methods get closer to success, one of his senior colleagues is murdered, and as he is the one who found her, he is in the frame. As events become more and mor threatening to him the mystery of who did the original murders and why and who is now pulling the strings becomes more obscure. Some old case files from Broadmoor of the murdered senior might help him to work it out. Its a fascinating plot, utterly gripping and you won't guess whodunit.

Anna O by Matthew Blake is a mesmerising, psychological thriller. I loved the premise of this novel: A woman accused of killing two of her best friends but then falls into a deep sleep. Did she murder them in cold blood, or was she sleepwalking at the time and not in control of her actions? Guilty or innocent? And how can you prove it either way? Blake's writing is hypnotic! I also found it quite poetic at times. I loved the references to other texts in the book, such as Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, as well as the mention of Medea, Anna O theory and resignation syndrome, to name a few. I did find myself researching a lot, and then getting stuck into these fascinating subjects. The story is told mainly through Ben's point of view. Ben is a sleep expert and works in a sleep clinic in Harley Street. However, there are also chapters dedicated to Anna O's notebook, as well as Dr Bloom's case notes and some other characters. I have to admit I couldn't predict the outcome of this thriller. It took me completely by surprise and I loved the twist and turns. A fantastic book from start to finish. I did take my time reading it purely because I wanted to savour every page and not miss anything, but I also got caught up in my own research along the way. Anna O is a phenomenal debut novel. This is one to add to your TBR pile.

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.

Anna O by Matthew Blake is the story of Anna O, dubbed the “Sleeping Beauty” by the media. Anna Ogilvy was a budding 25 year old writer until she stabbed two people to death and then fell asleep. Dr Benedict Prince is a renowned forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep related homicides. The story is what happened to Anna, why and who is responsible for the murders and will the truth ever be known. On listening to the Audible version at times I wasn’t sure if the storyline was an extremely clever plot or nonsense. So my review is ambivalent, I did listen to all of the story. Recommended

The story focuses on Anna who has committed a double murder while sleepwalking…..or has she? She is found asleep at the crime scene and remains that way for 4 years with ‘Resignation Syndrome’ until a sleep expert gets involved. A clever idea with a tangly plot full of dual timeline characters. Slightly too long - my concentration did waver occasionally. Thank you to the publisher for my proof copy.