Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "matthew-blake"

Anna O by Matthew Blake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A gripping psychological thriller exploring the shadowy realm of our time spent asleep.

In August 2019, Anna Ogilvy’s two friends were brutally murdered, a text message sent from Anna’s phone an apparent confession.

But in the four years since the murders, Anna has remained fast asleep, safe in a dream world away from prosecution.

Psychologist Dr. Ben Prince is enlisted to wake Anna from her slumber so she can stand trial and justice finally can be served.

‘Anna O’ is the debut psychological thriller by Matthew Blake. A dark and riveting novel, it centres on the case of the eponymous Anna O, an almost mythical aura having grown around young journalist Anna Ogilvy, who stands accused of murdering her two friends and business partners in a frenzied attack; but has since suffered with resignation syndrome, a condition that has resulted in her not waking from sleep for four years. Forensic psychologist Dr. Benedict “Ben” Prince, a writer, lecturer and psychotherapist at the Abbey Sleep Clinic, has proposed a pioneering method as a cure for the condition, and is approached by the MoJ to put his theories into practice. Through his therapeutic work, Ben is drawn into examining Anna’s case for himself, discovering the truth to be far more elusive and the circumstances surrounding the crime far murkier than thus far believed, while the impact on his own fragile life soon begins to spiral.

Narrated largely from Ben’s perspective and with excerpts from Anna’s diary in the months preceding the murders, plus some additional character perspectives woven throughout, Blake has crafted a delicious, intense thriller. Along with Ben, we are slowly drawn deeper and deeper, the mystery becoming almost an obsession. The media frenzy surrounding the crime and the furor that sprung up on social media in its aftermath continue to accelerate, rife with hyperbole, rampant speculation and conspiracy theories. Anna’s identity has splintered into a fictionalised duality – she is either a villainous Sleeping Beauty or the victimised Anno O; the evil fallen woman or an innocent angel. Ultimately, the question remains, is she guilty – either in the sense of culpability, or, perhaps, in whether or not she truly wielded the knife. Events take an unexpected turn as links to Ben’s mentor Dr. Virginia Bloom’s past work at Broadmoor with a woman who murdered her step-children are revealed, while the veiled identity of the murderer’s biological child, known only as Patient X, may prove to be vital. Ben begins to wonder, might Anna be innocent after all?

This is exactly the sort of dark and twisted thriller I love – swirling with mystery, intrigue and suspense, a twisting plot knotted with heavy doses of psychology and philosophy, criminological and Freudian references punctuating the narrative, along with mythological and literary allusions, sociological commentary, light touches of humour, and deep hues of atmosphere inspired by Greek tragedy and the Gothic. The original murder and crime scene is akin to a slasher, while the epistolary chapters lend an authenticity to the theme of “true crime journalism” that pervades the novel. As much a whydunit as a whodunit, ‘Anna O’ is simultaneously a propulsive thriller and a thought-provoking study in character, its multiple layers entwined into a complex and fascinating narrative which hinges on a central and universal premise – sleep continues to remain a mystery to us; its healing power, the mysteries of our dreams and nightmares, a metaphysical time when our bodies are at rest and our minds, perhaps our souls, continue to thrive. As Ben reminds us, we spend an average of thirty-three years of our life asleep. One cannot help but wonder - what truly happens when we slip into unconsciousness, and of what might we actually be capable?



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