The story line was amazing. The twists were unexpected. I read this book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down.

Crazy is as crazy does.

And that's in reference to this storyline.

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen, but The Locked Ward remained kinda keyless for me. There was so much potential in this one that, unfortunately, went to waste. Readers have become so much more sophisticated in their expectations because real life bangs the gong 24/7 with off-the-wall behavior by our fellow humans.

Pekkanen creates some intrigue in the first few chapters as we are introduced to Amanda "Mandy". Mandy runs a bar that was previously owned by her deceased adoptive parents. Out of the blue, she's contacted by a lawyer who informs her of the existence of a twin sister. Nothing could be more shocking to Mandy.......but shock is now in its infantile stages. There's plenty more to come.

Said sister is the wealthy Georgia Cartwright of Charlotte, North Carolina. Mandy has a DNA test run. Yup, she's the real deal. But the real deal just so happens to be locked in a psychiatric ward for observation. Said sister is accused of murdering her own younger sister, Annabelle. Georgia was hovering over her dead body. 'Nuff said.

Now here's where the story peaks. The setting within this psychiatric ward was far more intriguing than the bulk of the rest of the storyline. Pekkanen should have set up camp here and expanded her options. Then sterotypical characters slide in and out with obvious outcomes. The character of Mandy starts to deflate as well. And a so-called twist trips over its own feet at the end.

The Locked Ward is still a readable read. Just prepare for a bit of a lowkey presentation. I still will be hailing an Uber with a copy of Sarah Pekkanen's next offering in the back seat. Really and truly.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St.Martin's Press and to the talented Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity.

Loved the twists in this book! It was a great read. The mystery surrounding Georgia's innocence and the secrets of the Cartwright family are executed with a strong trajectory, featuring short, fast-paced, action-packed chapters. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development and the magnetic— at times, eerie-bond between the sisters.

I really liked this one! It was one I didn’t want to put down — I kept telling myself I’d read one more chapter and then flew through half the book. Some parts were a little predictable, but there were still enough twists to keep things interesting. The ending was a little far-fetched, but honestly, I didn’t mind — it was still a fun ride and I liked how it all wrapped up!!

3.5 stars

I read that “nothing is as it seems” in this book and that feels extremely accurate. It was a pretty fast paced thriller that kept me guessing CONSTANTLY, which I really love about psychological thrillers. I always feel a bit disappointed if I don’t have that feeling lol

I always say I LOVE when thrillers are dual POV (sometimes I like when it’s more too!) and this one executed it pretty well! I found Georgia, one of our main characters, relatively unlikable which made it even more interesting.

I wish I got a LITTLE bit more from this and it would’ve easily have been bumped up to 4 stars! I think if you like Ruth Ware then you’d like this one!

Thank you St. Martins Press for my copy of this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
If there’s one thing I can always count on from Pekkanen, it’s that she has a way of writing that makes you want to devour her books.

The plot kicks off with a shocking crime: Georgia is accused of murdering her sister. Why? The rumor is that she was jealous, especially since she was adopted.

Soon, Georgia finds herself committed, and her only hope is to reconnect with her long-lost sister, Amanda, in the hopes that she can unravel the truth.

What I also love about this story are the layers of intrigue: a private investigator, unhinged patients, a grieving family, a Senator… so many elements woven together that keep you hooked. Ultimately, I did guess what was to happen, but still a fun read.

🎧 I’m always excited when January LaVoy is involved in an audiobook. She brings such an engaging voice to the story—easy to listen to, perfectly paced, and she brings each character to life. She’s a top-notch narrator.

Note: Review to be shared on Instagram 06/30

Thank you NetGalley, macaudio25 and Sarah Pekkanen. Sarah Pekkanen has quite an ability to take turns that I actually don’t see coming which makes her books more enjoyable than most thriller/mystery books for me. This book had me listening intently and even re-reading parts of the ebook while listening to the audio to see if I could solve things. I thought the narration was really well done and I felt like I was in it with the sisters. Definitely enjoyed this book in both formats.

I liked the plot. I think the idea was great. I did really enjoy the narrator and thought she did an amazing job differentiating between the characters. I felt like this one might have lost the plot twist. I wasn't shocked at all. That being said, it was a good time.

I have read all of Sarah Pekkanen's books and The Locked Ward is without a doubt her best yet. It sucks you in from the start and keeps you guessing to the last page. I read a lot and can usually see the twists and turns before they are revealed, but this plot twist really surprised me. The characters are great ... interesting, flawed, complex ... the Locked Ward is one of those books that stays with you for a while. Definitely recommend!

This one did have interesting developments as it went on. The start with having a long lost twin sister did not give me hope for the book as a whole though. It was quick and the story kept moving through the two sisters’ povs. But there was a lot of predictability so it didn’t have me hooked like I wish I was.

The Locked Ward has too many stretches of reality in it to be believable. The ‘twin connection and intuition’ is far fetched; fraternal twins are simply siblings. The story kept me interested, although there were too many twists that forced me to suspend my believability factor, such as the twist that took place in the epilogue. The book has a weak plot and is a lackluster psychological thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Locked Ward.

Sarah Pekkanen really knows how to write a thriller that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. If you’re looking for an intricate mystery, this may not be for you. I like a thriller every once in awhile that is not too much of a complicated weaving of story lines. This book is a nice break from reality and I enjoyed the plot. Some of the twists were predictable and some were not.

Sarah is an auto read author for me, because I know I will get a good thriller that is not too scary and not hard to follow along to. I would suggest this book if you’re looking for something to read on the beach this summer as it will keep you engrossed from beginning to end.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
4 stars

Was it bitter, all consuming jealousy?
Pathological sibling rivalry?
Pure insanity?


I’m a fan of Sarah Pekkanen and per usual the synopsis drew me in BUT THEN the first chapter sealed the deal for me. I was fully invested after the first two pages and the very last line.

“From this day forward, you are the newest resident of the locked ward.”

This is told from two POV’s. There’s Georgia who was found standing over the body of her younger sister Annabelle and is currently being held in a psychiatric facility for the most heinous offenders, awaiting trial. Then there’s Mandy (Amanda,) who was contacted literally out of the blue by an attorney who states her twin sister needs her help. This stuns Mandy because she was raised as an only child! Her parents are deceased so she has no one to ask about Georgia…curiosity brings her to the locked ward for her first meeting with Georgia who whispers to Mandy that she didn’t do it and needs her help to get out of there.

This sets Mandy on a path where she is searching for clues and answers that can help prove Georgia’s innocence while simultaneously unraveling the mystery of why she has a twin that she was never aware of and how they came to be separated. I enjoyed the plot and the mystery surrounding this novel. Even though some of the twists were predictable, it was written well and it does have you vacillating between whether or not Georgia is guilty and just manipulating Mandy or if she’s actually innocent. I am not a twin so I don’t know anything about the twin bond, it was hard for me to believe that they had this bond and parallels in life right from the first meeting. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The chapters are short and fast paced, I liked the characters well enough and there was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me engaged. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, it fell flat. After the build up through the novel I guess I was expecting something more exciting and powerful?

Overall, while not my favorite Pekkanen novel, I enjoyed this read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I look forward to my annual summer Sarah Pekkanen thriller, and while this one didn't disappoint, it wasn't my favorite of hers. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Georgia is accused of killing her sister, Annabelle, and taken to a psychiatric ward. From there, Amanda (Mandy) is called to her side, and we learn they are estranged twin sisters. Everything is not as it seems, including why Georgia is in a psychiatric facility vs. jail, and how the sisters are connected. The short chapters, told from each sister's point of view, take the reader from Annabelle's murder through a twisty tale that includes a challenging childhood, a difficult mother, a senator, and a love affair. You are in Georgia's head while at the psychiatric ward and her encounters with the other patients, and then with Mandy on the outside, trying to figure out if her sister is innocent or just leading her on. The psychiatric ward is definitely not a place I'd want to be, so the creep factor is there during these scenes.

Like many of Pekkanen's prior novels, you are given a fun read that will have you turning the pages quickly, however, this one comes with easier to guess plot points. I'm usually up for the unexpected in my thrillers, so don't be surprised if this one doesn't shock you. All in all, still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

I just finished reading "The Locked Ward" by Sarah Pekkanen. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for thr advanced copy in return for an honest review.
I think I will start off by saying that I read this book in one day. The story and the mystery around the murder of one of the characters made it impossible to put the book down. Also the evolving story of the two twins was riveting. The story was told through the perspective of two sisters, Mandy and Georgia. One has been charged with murder and is in a locked ward waiting for an assessment. The other is a twin that she has never met and is the only one who can help solve the murder.
The back story is great and the way the story evolves is awesome. So many surprises along the way. Every character plays an important part and there are some really creepy characters along the way.
I loved the pace of th story and how each character had her own perspective. It made me root for both of them. I also loved the slow build up and how mostly everything was tied up at the end. I loved how characters I thought were good turned out to be super nasty and I liked how the mysery of the sisters Annabelle and Georgia and their relationship was written.
There was nothing I didn't like, except for the role of the father Stephen in the soty, but even that was explained.
Overall, I thought this book was great. There was a great mystery, a great tale of twin connection, and great villains and heroes, who did very villainous and heroic things.
Happy Reading

The author of this book has written suspense thrillers that were twisty and intriguing. Most of the time, I’ve noticed there may be a plot hole here and there but nothing quite as glaring as this latest book. It’s so difficult to rate a book that had some interesting moments but overall was a hot mess. 2.5 stars rounded down to indicate I would not recommend. It’s really a disappointing book.

I have loved other books by Sarah Pekkanen (especially ones she’s written with Greer Hendricks). Locked Ward was good, an entertaining read, but not my favorite storyline or characters. It’s a bit of a far-fetched plot with a lot going on and then is (too) neatly tied up in the end before you find out yet another twist that is interesting but not really fully developed enough to land.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the ARC.

The Locked Ward is a compelling psychological thriller that pulls you into the unsettling world of a psychiatric hospital, where secrets, trauma, and buried truths bubble just beneath the surface. Sarah Pekkanen does a fantastic job building suspense and creating layered, emotionally complex characters—especially the protagonist, whose struggle to untangle the mystery feels both urgent and deeply personal.
The pacing is strong, with enough twists to keep the pages turning, and the setting adds an eerie, claustrophobic tension that really enhances the narrative. This a gripping and thought provoking read that lingers with you afterward.

Sarah Pekkanen at her best! The Locked Ward was suspenseful, and full of twists I did NOT see coming. I read this in one sitting because I simply could not put this book down! If you are looking for a suspenseful thriller full of twists and turns with an ending that will shock you... this is your book!

BOOK REVIEW: THE LOCKED WARD

It’s the crime of the decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, adopted as a newborn, is accused of murdering the biological daughter of her wealthy, southern family.

Thank you @stmartinspress for my Netgalley copy and audio! I loved bouncing between physical and audio on this one!

THE LOCKED WARD is a totally bingeable psychological thriller that will leave you questioning everything and everyone! So many secrets, lies, and family dynamics going on, I loved it!!! I don’t wanna say too much cause I think this is a fun one to go into blindly but I would definitely add this to your summer tbr of you’re looking for a psychological thriller to binge by the beach/pool!