Anna O: A Today Show and GMA Buzz Pick

Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist who studies sleep disorders. He believes people are capable of anything during sleep. He has been summoned to lend his expertise to a particularly notorious case involving a young woman alleged to have murdered her two friends before lapsing into a four-year coma. The authorities want Prince to examine the woman, Anna Ogilvy, and see if she is fit to stand trial.

Prince believes he possesses the ability to rouse Anna O from her lengthy repose. Prince re-examines the case’s ins and outs while speaking to the suspect’s mother and father. He learns of prior instances of parasomnia in Anna that went ignored. As Prince continues to study Anna, he must tread lightly as Anna’s case has become a cause celebre with many armchair detectives waiting to pounce on mistakes. The solving of one mystery may not be the end of Prince’s work.

Anna O possesses the strength and depth of a dark psychological thriller. The plot is intricate but never ceases to be absorbing. Matthew Blake writes an arresting mystery where each turn is unpredictable, the destination is unknown but the outcome is more than satisfying, even if unsettling.