”I study people who commit crimes when they sleep”
I was thoroughly mesmerized by this clever thriller from the very first lines. Anna O. has been asleep for nearly 1,500 days after committing the horrible murders of her two closest friend and business partners. Dr. Benedict Prince, a sleep disorder specialist and forensic psychologist, has been called in by the government to try and wake her and then determine whether she is finally fit to stand trial for her crimes.
The world has already convicted Anna in the court of public opinion especially since she sent a text message at the time of the murders practically confessing to the crimes. The public has also nicknamed Anna “Sleeping Beauty” and the references to her “Prince” were not lost. Similarly there was a real patient called by the name of Anna O. by Sigmund Freud and studied by him extensively. Fans of psychology and psychological thrillers will find lots to love in this twisty story!
The many characters are all hiding secrets here. The suspenseful, slow-burn story is told in through their multiple points of view as well as through Anna’s diaries and newspaper articles. As with all good mysteries, true motivations and backstories were revealed along the way which changed my perceptions of the main protagonists. The full cast narration was exceptional as was Dan Stevens’ stellar performance of Dr. Ben Prince. Overall a very intriguing thriller from an author to watch.
(Many thanks to @harperaudio for the audiobook listening copy!)
About the Book:
THE WORLD WILL KNOW HER NAME
What if your nightmares weren’t really nightmares at all?
We spend an average of thirty-three years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we are sleeping?
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 she hasn’t woken up since. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna suffers from 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 represent the last possible hope of solving the infamous “Anna O” case by waking Anna up so she can stand trial. But the doctor 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 knows he 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 will discover.