I absolutely loved Sarah Pekkanen’s latest suspense novel. Gripping from the first page to the last, it’s a true page-turner that kept me guessing all the way through. I read many of her books and she’s one of my favourite writer.

Just want to start by saying that any Sarah Pekkanen book I’ve read never failed to disappoint so I was very excited about this one.

Georgia is accused of killing her sister, Annabelle and has pleased insanity and is awaiting trial.
Amanda is a bar owner and Georgia’s twin sister, who has no clue Georgia exists until this high profile trial hits the media. Classic case of separated at birth and adopted by different families. Georgia asks to meet Amanda, as Mandy is her only hope in surviving the trial and surviving lock up. The twists and turns will keep you reading this one.

Sarah Pekkanen is one of my favorite thriller authors. The Locked Ward was entertaining, yet lacked a sense of anticipation I’ve grown accustomed to feeling in some of her other books. Georgia is being held in a psychiatric ward accused of killing her sister, Annabelle. She contacts her long lost twin sister, Mandy. Georgia comes from a lavish lifestyle, while Mandy lives in a small town and is the owner of a bar. Georgia claims Mandy is the only one she can trust that can help clear her name. The book switches POV each chapter between Georgia and Mandy. Georgia’s chapters are spent on flashbacks and present day paranoia that someone is out to get her. Mandy’s chapters are spent on under covering why her now deceased parents were hiding from her in addition to helping Georgia.
Overall, I thought the story was engaging, but the ending seemed rushed and a little thrown together. Georgia made it seem like there was a huge undercover operation out to get her, so when the real murderer was revealed it just seemed so off. Also, the reveal with Mandy in the last chapter also just seemed so random and like it didn’t fit her character.

I love Sarah Pekkanen writing and I usually really like her books but this one was just average for me. It was a pretty standard setup and completion.

I was gripped from the very first page of Sarah Pekkanen's newest thriller, The Locked Ward. The book centers on Georgia Cartwright, who is locked in a psychiatric institution while she awaits trial for the murder of her adopted family's biological daughter. As the story unfolds, her estranged twin sister, Amanda, is tasked with figuring out if Georgia is truly innocent or if she is a master manipulator. Pekkanen is a seasoned writer and it shows in her ability to weave a complex web of deceit, secrets, and family drama.
Pekkanen's writing style is engrossing and suspenseful, making it nearly impossible to put the book down. The narrative is fast-paced, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger that propels you to keep reading. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of the complicated relationship between the twin sisters. The tension between them is palpable, and the reader is constantly questioning who to trust and what to believe.
I'm giving this book four stars for a few reasons. The initial mystery is compelling, and the setting of the eerie psychiatric institution is a fantastic backdrop for the story. However, I found that the plot became a bit convoluted near the end, and I struggled to keep the different characters straight. With so many twists and turns, it was challenging to remember who was who and what their motives were, which made the final reveal less impactful than it could have been.
Despite this, I still highly recommend The Locked Ward to anyone who loves a good thriller. It's a dark and twisted read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While it was much more of a mystery than a thriller, it kept my attention and it was a quick read.

Georgia and Mandy are twins, separated at birth with the expectation that they'd never know of one another. Georgia finds out she has a twin and quickly learns as much as she can about her. Mandy on the other hand, has no clue until Georgia is arrested for murder.

This book primarily takes place in a locked ward on the psychiatric floor of a hospital. It creates this feeling of claustrophobia and being trapped.

I've enjoyed all the books Sarah Pekkanen has written and this one is no different.

I think Sarah is becoming a favorite thriller author for me!
This was a fast-paced one that was incredibly hard to put down and had me hooked from the first chapter.
The juxtaposition of first and second person in the chapters shockingly worked well in this story for me. It even helped heighten the eeriness felt in the story.
Everything slowly tied up into a fun little bow and it felt like the ending wasn't rushed, which is what tends to happen in a lot of thrillers.
Overall, loved this one!
Thank you to St. martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC of this story! All opinions are my own!

Sarah Pekkanen is back with another twisty thriller: The Locked Ward. The intro was insane. I couldn’t tell if it was hostage/taken situation - turns out, Georgia has woken up in a psychiatric institution. The ward is full of dangerous people, including Georgia, who is accused of killing her sister — Georgia has pleaded insanity, and isn’t speaking.

Meanwhile, Mandy works at a bar, and gets a call from Georgia’s lawyer. Georgia wants to Mandy to come visit her in the hospital. Mandy is wary. She’s never met Georgia, but curiosity gets the better of her and she goes. George has a shocking revelation, and insists she’s innocent. She needs Mandy’s help.

Prepare for the rug to be pulled out from under you several times, because nothing is what it seems in this twisty Whodunnit story. And Mandy may be putting herself in danger if she tries to help Georgia.

This was such a fun and quick read, perfect for anyone who loves a good thriller or twin story 😉

I unfortunately have nothing good to say about this book. it felt like nothing new, like a million things I've read before. the writing and characters were both very basic with nothing interesting going on. it was so boring and it felt like we kept focusing on and learning about things that truly had nothing to do with the main plot of the book.

Georgia Cartwright is accused of killing her adoptive family's real daughter and ends up in a creepy psych ward. Her twin sister Amanda isn’t sure if Georgia’s innocent or just playing her, but she can’t ignore the weird vibes and dark secrets surrounding their family. This book is a wild ride full of twists, sister drama, and seriously messed-up families.

I really enjoyed this one, but it was a wild ride! Within the first couple of chapters, I was hooked. The idea of the locked ward was just eerie enough to grab my attention and the layered characters and plot helped keep it throughout. The story was very fast-paced, with a lot of emotionally charged moments, and it 100% kept me on my toes.. I enjoyed the dual POVs, it was a little weird at first that one was in first person and the other in second but as the story carried on, it made sense to Georgia's character.

I enjoyed both Georgia and Amanda, and both played such a vital role in this book. I think the "mystery" was predicable for me about half way through, but I wanted to know the why and how, so I had to keep reading. This book dives deep into family secrets, mental health institutions with a strong mental health rep, and how society treats people of different statuses. I think this whole book was really well done, and though more mystery than thriller, I think there were great aspects of both. I look forward to reading more by this author and highly recommend this one!

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 1/5

Tropes:
Dysfunctional Family
Mental Health Rep
Family Secrets
Hidden Agendas
Political Power

Thank you so much St Martin's Press, NetGalley and Sarah Pekkanen for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was a good, quick read. A family drama of sorts. And a mystery to boot. I don't know how I feel about the crazy ward angle, or why it was necessary, but overall an entertaining thriller.

Wow, this book had me completely hooked right from the start! This story is a fast paced thriller, told from two POWs, and I flew through it!!

The Locked Ward follows two twin sisters who've never met and up until recently - didn't even know each other existed. Georgia was adopted into a wealthy family but always felt like the outsider - especially compared to her younger (biological) sister Annabelle. Now Georgia is in a psych ward, accused of her sisters murder. The other twin Mandy, who was raised by a poorer but more loving family, had no idea about her twin sister until Georgia reaches out to her for help.

I really enjoyed getting both sisters perspectives. Georgia's chapters are written in the second person which I thought was really neat, and helped me to feel more connected to her experience. I really felt for her and wanted to protect her. Mandy was smart, tough, and determined to figure out the truth. I enjoyed watching her dig through the situation and learn about Georgia and her past.

Overall, this one was super engaging with lots of great twists! I read it super quick but also did not want it to end.

My first read from this author, but it won’t be my last! The pacing of the book was great and the premise of twins and a locked mental institution ward was thrilling! I enjoyed all the plot twists and even though I kinda saw the final one coming, it was quite enjoyable! I highly recommend to others!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for exchange for my honest opinion.

Pekkanen is a must read author for me and The Locked Ward kept me interested and guessing, even though it wasn’t my favorite of hers.

The found family plot line is always a good one for me and I loved that in this case, it was with a twin … one accused of murder. I was intrigued with Georgia’s tactic of totally shutting down while in the psych ward after her sister Annabelle was murdered and she was accused of the crime. It really made me wonder if she committed it, particularly given the details of their sordid history.

Mandy was an interesting character and I liked solving the mystery of Annabelle’s death with her. Some things felt a little convenient, but maybe it isn’t too far fetched to think an attractive woman in expensive clothes getting away with whatever she wants!

I will say that this book felt so familiar in so many ways, particularly the relationship and plot between Georgia and Annabelle. I know I’ve read novels with similar relationship histories and plot arcs.

I listened to this novel on audio and really enjoyed it. The narrators were great and kept me engaged.

Overall, this was a good read but maybe not one that will totally stick with me. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio.

Georgia, a southern broke, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her adopted family. She is locked away in a psychiatric institution and plead with her sister, Amanda that she didn’t do this. But can her sister trust her? As the storyline unfolds we being to question if Georgia is a victim or a master manipulator .Will Amanda find out family secrets while trying to help her twin out?
I thought the plot line was great. The book is a thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s a quick read that reads like a Dateline episode. This was fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen is another unputdownable thriller from the author of several bestselling books. The story revolves around Amanda (Mandy), who has just found out that she has a twin sister. Not only does she have a twin sister, but her twin sister Georgia is currently locked up in a mental ward because she has been accused of killing her sister, the star of a wealthy Southern family. Now it's up to Mandy to figure out the truth. Is Georgia innocent? And if she didn't kill her sister, then who did?

Overall, The Locked Ward is an exciting thriller that had me on the edge of my seat! I sped through this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down! One highlight of this book is how exciting it was in certain parts, especially the chapters from Georgia's point of view in the psychiatric institution. I feel a chill down my spine when I think about those chapters. I did take off 1 star because the story felt a bit slow at parts, particularly from Mandy's point of view. It took her a while to figure out anything and some chapters felt unnecessary. I understand though that not every chapter can be exciting as those from Georgia's point of view. If you're intrigued by the synopsis above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

This book was a quick listen but it’s not one of Sarah Pekkanen’s best. Fans have come to love Pekkanen’s suspense and intrigue that keeps the pages turning. The Locked Ward has fewer twists than it could have but is still worth your time.
Georgia Cartwright was raised as the slighted adopted daughter in the prestigious Southern family. Rumors always swirled about the long seeded rivalry between Georgia and the Cartwright’s biological daughter. When she’s killed and Georgia found over her body, she’s thankful to find herself in the psych ward instead of prison. Not that she’s entirely safe there either. She reaches out to Amanda, her estranged twin sister to help her uncover the truth and rescue her from the locked ward.

Finding out you have a twin sister is one thing, but finding out she is being charged with the murder of her sister is another thing!

Amanda has always known she was adopted but she had no idea there was a twin sister adopted out to another family. Georgia lives with a rich family and seems to have it all from the outside but when her sister is murdered and she is arrested and put in a locked ward for mental illness. She contacts Amanda for help and that begins the hunt for the real killer. Secrets are revealed throughout the story and Georgia's life is pretty much hell in the ward but Amanda will stop at nothing to figure out how to save her sister.

There is a bit of a claustrophobic feeling with Georgia stuck in the mental hospital. She can't trust anyone. She is in her cell being watched all the time. Amanda is left to do all the dirty work on her own, trying to decipher it all from the murder to their separate adoptions. Good read.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy for review.

I’ve always enjoyed reading Sarah Pekkanen books and I love books that are set in a psych ward, but this one just didn’t quite hit like the others. The second person narration really took me out of the story which I think is the opposite of what the author was going for here. While some of the twist were predictable, it was still an overall decent book. 3/5⭐️. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Georgia is locked in a psychiatric ward for killing her sister. Georgia was adopted as an infant and the only person she wants to talk to while held in the ward is her biological twin sister, Amanda, who never even knew she had a sister. When Amanda visits, Georgia asks her the biggest favor - to prove she didn't do it.

I found this book fascinating, suspenseful, and shocking. The depth of the story and deception as it unfolds throughout the book was very well done. Without giving spoilers, I did not expect how far that part of the story would go. If you're looking for a quick thriller with an added element of twins separated at birth, this is the one.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Locked Ward.