I avoid books with any hint of insomnia (I get fed up with the whole ‘I’m just so tired’ scenario on repeat) but thought it might be interesting to give the opposite scenario a try. Well, I’m delighted to say that I’m fully on board with the whole ‘are they ever going to wake up’ storyline. Anna O is a fascinating story, told in an interesting and compelling way. I was immediately engaged and, despite there being a lot going on with multiple POVs, many characters, different timelines and journal entries, I found it easy to follow and captivating. My only slight criticism is that it felt a little too long and repetitive in places but the ending (which I had to go back and listen to again as I thought it was so good) more than made up for it.

I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook version. Each of the narrators were brilliant and the excellent narration and seamless production absolutely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the audio ARC.

The audiobook's narration was great in taking us through this mystery/thriller, with the voices fitting the characters.
This book includes an intriguing concept with solid writing and a compelling atmosphere that pulls you in from the start. The psychological themes and mystery elements are well-executed, and the shifting perspectives across chapters add depth and variety to the storytelling. The plot twists are well-placed and keep the tension alive.

However, the pacing tends to lag in places, especially in the latter half, and the atmosphere—while immersive—sometimes feels overwrought. Characterization is a mixed bag: while the main male character is central to the story, his self-importance becomes grating, and some of the female characters feel underdeveloped or inconsistent in their motivations. Greater insight into their reasoning would have added much-needed depth.

Despite these flaws, Anna O is a compelling blend of psychological thriller and murder mystery that will appeal to fans of the genre. A good read overall, even if not without its shortcomings.

A very enjoyable book filled with twists and a mass of interesting information and facts into sleeping disorders.

I enjoyed seeing each new chapter being told from the different characters' perspectives - it certainly leads you to second guess yourself while trying to figure out who the unreliable narrator is!

There has been a lot of online hype about this book, and I certainly think it has been well-deserved.

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.

A bit of a slow burner and I found some parts at the beginning a bit boring but it redeems itself at the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for letting me review this ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

For me this was a bit of a slow burner but well written and I enjoyed the narration. Look forward to more by this author

I was lucky enough o receive a review copy of the audio book from Netgalley.

This Tory has an intriguing concept - a suspect who is fast asleep and cannot answer for her horrific actions. But who is Anna O and why did she murder her two best friends in cold blood.

In fact, there are many references to Truman Capote’s classic, as well as frequent quotations from Shakespeare throughout the novel - so many that is can feel a little heavy at times.

However, I was captivated by the story from the start. The narrators are very easy to listen to, and the story unfolds with as many twists and turns as you would expect from this genre. A good listen.

Anna O is a well written, complex, thought provoking novel which will keep you on your toes to the very end. Unfortunately, as is often the case in these types of books there wasn't one pleasant character amongst the cast. That, alongside the fact that it seemed to be rather drawn out made it rather depressing.
The narrators were all very good.

Wanted to love this after all the good things I've heard, just found it convoluted and dragged out. One of those where the author likes to share with you all the exciting research they have done.

Good selection of narrators did help this one along.

Great thriller and a mystery that keeps you guessing till the end. Multiple POVs and multiple characters all with their own version of what’s actually happened.

Anna O is a thrilling and twisty read with a unique presence - the culpability of someone who commits murder whilst asleep. I have been looking to read it for a while, and jumped on the opportunity to listen to the audiobook.

I thoroughly enjoyed the many psychology references throughout, both implicit and explicit. The concept of a forensic sleep psychologist was compelling and made for a really creative storyline. The author was supremely generous with red herrings and twists, making this a truly engrossing read. The ending was a surprise for me, and I enjoyed watching the threads unravel for the big reveal.

While the story got a little bogged down for me in the second half, overall this was a well paced, engagingly written and absorbing read. The narration truly elevated the story, with the production feel of a true crime radio play from the 20’s. The narrators brought the full cast of characters to life, and drove the build up of suspense with each chapter.

I would recommend this for anyone looking for a wonderfully twisty thriller with an intriguing psychological storyline.

Thank you HarperCollins UK Audio for a this ALC. Opinions expressed are my own.

I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narration throughout. Well paced and easy to listen to. I was fascinated by the premise of the story; is it possible to commit murder whilst asleep, basically. Sounds preposterous and as I missed the book first time round, the audio title seemed a good way to catch up. Well, this is a real thriller. Right from the outset there’s a sense of displacement and unreality. Anna, is alleged to have killed two of her friends…but was she sleepwalking? She was found, sleeping with the murder weapon and has been asleep ever since so can’t recount events. It sounds so implausible, but I was hooked right from the outset. Under a huge cloak of Government secrecy, Ben, a forensic psychologist specialising in sleep disorders, is brought in at the dead of night to investigate. Anna is in a secret clinic run by a colourful character and Ben is aided by his ex wife, a DCI who is looking at the criminal aspect. There are different timelines and POVs and this is a very clever multi layered thriller that kept me listening through most of the night. It’s very much a slow burn, with back story to the main characters revealed bit by bit as attempts are made to awaken the sleeping beauty. There are twists and I enjoyed the moral dilemma of culpability whilst indisposed along with the actual mystery. Very satisfying all round and a different take on the psychological thriller..
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an audio version of this title.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The narration was fantastic and I couldn’t stop listening. I really enjoy the go between the different characters. It had me guessing until the end. I good paced book.

3 - 3.5

I couldn't wait to start listening to this audiobook. As a lifelong insomniac (my first foray into sleep studies was age eight) I find anything with this premise fascinating.

Initially I was absolutely gripped by this story and the multifaceted narration is excellent. The relationship between the lead protagonists twists and turns in a satisfying tangle. However, for me after about halfway I felt that a. There was a lot of repitition happening and, b. There seemed to be convolutional red-herrings at every turn. Instead of adding to the intrigue I began to find them irritating.

On the whole this was an enjoyable 'read' but not one I'd revisit. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

This was really fast paced and I couldn’t stop listening! A great story but the ending wasn’t for me!

A complex, twisty, mind-messing psychological thriller with shades of 'The Silent Patient'.

Anna O is thought to have murdered her two friends on one sinister evening four years ago but she can't be convicted of the murders as she has remained in a deep sleep since that fateful evening.

Dr Ben Prince, a sleep expert is brought in, working along his side-kick nurse Harriet, to try and wake Anna from her slumber so she can stand trial. Further cast members include Ben's ex wife and young daughter, his clinical supervisor, Anna O's parents and mystery characters related to a similar case 20 years previously.

A slow burner initially and some concentration is required as this is told across multiple time lines and from several different points of view but it is worth the effort! The narrator does an excellent job of portraying all the different characters to create a very immersive experience.

I am grateful to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced listener copy of this recommended psychological thriller.

Anna O tells the story of Dr. Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. He is fascinated by the infamous 'Anna O' case, where a young girl stabbed two people to death and hasn't woken up since. When Anna herself is transferred to his sleep clinic and he is tasked with trying to wake her up so she can stand trial, things start to take a dark turn.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book as it was something a bit different to what I usually read. It brought up some really interesting questions about culpability for crimes when unwell and about justice.

The book was largely written across two timeframes, with one telling Anna's version of events from the past and the other from Benedict's point of view in the present. I did enjoy the other chapters of the story from other points of view as well as the summing up at the end, set in the future.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it was written well.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

This was one of those books to which I listened and was able to see the movie of it in my mind. It’s going to make a *great* film.

As a novel it was a little too wordy for me. Lots and lots of explanation. Lots of it. Including a big section in which the murderer explains and explains and explains how they did it.

Overall, I feel the author achieved their aims and I know exactly the friends and colleagues to whom I’ll recommend this book (because they will *love* it). And I will look forward to the TV or film adaptation because I know that is going to be great.

I was intrigued by the subject of this book which seems really dark and thrilling with the characters taking care of the famous Anna O, sleeping beauty killer who have secrets and connections to the famous woman. That being said, it jumps all over the place with the different characters, journal entries that it was hard to keep track of what year it was since I was listening to the audiobook. The narrators did a good job of making the characters feel real and while the story seemed messy, they are not to blame. It had interesting bits and when I got closer to the end when all the players revealed their secrets and who was actually behind it all and who got blamed for something they didn't do, though all of them were guilty of something, it was entertaining. This could have been better and sadly fell short for me.

Clever, complex and compelling. Official Rating ~ 4.5 ⭐️

The audio really allowed me to get fully immersed into this unique novel.
With each character having their own narrator it really brought their side of the story to life and gave them their own distinct personalities. I especially enjoyed Ben’s as throughout you can feel his melancholy and the toll this career defining case took on him.

I enjoyed how you are fed the information and the clever timing of when it switches perspective and format. I, like everyone, was trying to piece it all together so I could answer the question we start this story with; Is she innocent or guilty? 🤷🏼‍♀️
I quickly had my suspicions, which were correct but I never once saw the twists that came.

I also like the fact that it’s written in such a way it gave the illusion that it itself is a REAL true crime story, one you’d easily find articles about either online or in the newspapers. Absolutely brilliant.

And of course I loved that I was right not to trust a certain character. It made me feel smart! 😂

There was an aspect about the ending that I didn’t like but can’t explain without spoilers.

I do have a physical copy but that was just used when I wanted to highlight key moments, quotes or to document my theories.

Thank you, Harper Collins UK Audio for the audiobook via NetGalley.