Name: Anna O
Author: Matthew Blake

About this book

Summary

Book Summary

Joining the ranks of Gillian Flynn, A. J. Finn, and Alex Michaelides, Matthew Blake delivers the thriller of the year: a dark, twisty, and shocking mystery about a young woman who commits a double murder while sleepwalking, and then never opens her eyes again.

What if your nightmares weren't really nightmares at all?

We spend an average of 33 years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we sleep?

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.

As Anna shows the first signs of stirring, Benedict must determine what really happened and whether Anna should be held responsible for her crimes.

Only Anna knows the truth about that night, but only Benedict knows how to discover it. And they're both in danger from what they find out.

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Media Reviews

"Blake never lets the reader, or his hero, get comfortable, delivering one game-changing twist after another. The exhilarating results are likely to shock even seasoned thriller fans." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Layered and grandly operatic in scope and tension." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A riveting, unsettling crime novel that will keep you turning pages well past your bedtime. Is Anna O a sleeping beauty or a sleeping killer? Matthew Blake's tension-filled thriller is as elusive and mysterious as sleep itself." —Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest

"An irresistible concept beautifully executed—certain to be one of the year's best thrillers." —Lee Child

"An audacious, inventive mystery, a thriller of ideas, and—here's irony for you—a novel about sleep to keep you up late. Anna O reads like a dream but unsettles like a nightmare; the premise is original, the writing stylish, and the payoff unforgettable. You won't forget her name." —A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

"A wickedly stunning work. Blake's experience as a screenwriter is on full display here as he ramps up the suspense and carves out his cast of wonderful characters with the skill of a real pro. The twist is one of the best I've read and ranks right up there with The Silent Patient. Sure to be wildly popular and to have fans clamoring for Blake's next work." —David Baldacci

"Anna O sits at the pinnacle of psychological suspense! It's a nonstop thrill ride through the darker sides of the human mind, filled with plot twists galore and populated by characters who are utterly real and undeniably appealing. This novel is written in the voice of a natural-born storyteller." —Jeffery Deaver

"Anna O takes a spellbinding look at a sleeping disorder that sounds like the stuff of horror movies ... With masterful control over a large cast of characters plus a plot that keeps you guessing, Blake proves to be at the top of his game with this story. Reminiscent of The Silent Patient in the best ways." —Stephanie Wrobel

This information about Anna O was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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She Treads Softly

unique, well-written literary psychological thriller
Anna O. by Matthew Blake is a very highly recommended, unique, well-written literary psychological thriller. If you love Hitchcock movies and thoughtful, intelligent even-paced mysteries, this will be a perfect choice for your next book.

Dr. Benedict (Ben) Prince is a forensic psychologist who is also an expert in sleep-related crimes. He has written articles and a book that have brought him to the attention of the public, especially regarding the case of Anna O. Anna Ogilvy stabbed her two best friends to death in her sleep when she was twenty-five. Since that night four years ago she has been in a deep sleep. This sleep, diagnosed as resignation syndrome, is a condition where a person enters an involuntary extended deep sleep as a way to avoid trauma. Ben recently wrote an article that suggested ways to address this condition, perhaps even cure it.

Ben works at the Abbey Sleep Clinic. When his boss Dr. Virginia Bloom summons him to a secret meeting with a man from the Ministry of Justice, he learns that Anna O. is going to be moved into the clinic. They want him to wake her up so she can be charged with murder. However, there are more secrets involved in this case that make success anything but a simple, guaranteed outcome.

Anna O. is a excellent, electrifying, exceptional, layered, and very unique novel. It is a very, very good complex psychological thriller. Anna O. is also much more literary, intricate, and thoughtful than the majority of psychological thrillers out there. Additionally, it does not follow the formula almost every other psychological thriller follows. The pre-publication notes on Anna O. really raised expectations to a pinnacle of excellence, which did a bit of a disservice to this intelligent, suspenseful, well-written novel that should be targeting literary readers who will appreciate and enjoy the basic mystery aspects while relishing all the other references made and layers it offers.

The narrative is told through several point-of-view, mainly Ben's, and Anna's journal entries. There are plenty of references to Hitchcock movies that help to add a thoughtful depth and an atmospheric tension. Readers can also expect references to many many literary works. Characters are portrayed as full realized, realistic complicated individuals. Readers are privy to private thoughts There are clues interspersed in the plot along with plenty of misdirection. Anna O. is definitely an engrossing literary psychological thriller written to be read carefully rather than racing through the pages.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via Edelweiss.

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