I can't recommend it enough! I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a couple of days!

This was a solid thriller! I think there were definitely some times where you had to kind of pretend things like this could happen in the real world, but otherwise it was good. I think that the end reveal was a little underwhelming, and just a little too convenient which bothers me sometimes. I did however enjoy the parts that took place in the psych ward, and I found it to be a really fast paced read, I finished it in one day. Overall the true message is the power of sisters<3

ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴡᴀʀᴅ 🔐
ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ
Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family.
Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only words she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ
After reading House Of Glass last summer and LOVING it, I knew I needed to get my hands on her newest book, The Locked Ward. This one hooked me in immediately and kept me guessing until the very end. Sarah Pekkanen knows how to write a thriller! I especially enjoyed the short chapters, and the back and forth dual viewpoints of each sister. Not only were the main characters written well, the “supporting characters” also packed a big punch in the storyline. Keep your eyes peeled for them. Trust NO ONE.

Did Georgia really kill her sister Annabelle? Or was she set up? Grab this one as soon as it releases, because you’re definitely going to want to find out!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Pub date: 8/5/25

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for access to this eGalley! I am a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen's thrillers along with the ones she has co-authored with Greer Hendricks. I thought it was so interesting to learn about the twin's story and I didn't know who was actually telling the truth.

The Locked Ward is a classic, deliciously twisted, and lightly trashy (in the best ways) thriller for fans of Freida McFadden, about a woman locked in a psychiatric ward awaiting trial and the twin sister who seeks to help her - all the while wondering if she's being manipulated. This book was everything I wanted it to be - twisty, page-turn-y, over the top, and so much fun.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sarah Pekkanen, and St. Martin's Press for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I say this a lot unfortunately. I feel like there could have been so much more to the story. That the characters could have been more developed. How? No idea.

Decent story, could have been more

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Locked Ward, by Sarah Pekkanenl, from St. Martin's /NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Oh my goodness what trash!

What trash, trash, twisted-y trash-ed-y trash!

I loved it! 5 stars in the trash category!!

Could not put it down, could not quit yammering on about it whilst I was a-reading, could not quit talking about why the Carolinas are so perfect a setting for such. And how books about twins slay me (Devoted Aunt to Precious Nephews No. 1 & 2).

Also? Having once (upon a time) been threatened with having my daily life ripped from me, I totally, totally, TOTALLY get what it is like to think you might never again get to wear your own pajamas, drink a cup of coffee in your kitchen, relax with a glass of wine after work.

Don’t take your daily lives for granted, folks.

Note To Future Kristi: Read more by this author.

DESCRIPTION
Was it...
Bitter, all-consuming jealousy?
Pathological sibling rivalry?
Pure insanity?

Whatever the cause—and everyone has a theory—it's the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family.

Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only words she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”

Amanda doesn't trust Georgia, but she can't abandon her in a place so eerie and menacing that it seems to exist in another dimension. Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family that's so depraved murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down a path of madness into the web of a master manipulator?

Nothing is as it seems in Sarah Pekkanen’s The Locked Ward, a shocking psychological thriller about the complex bonds of sisterhood—and what happens when they are stretched to the breaking point.

Some doors in the Locked Ward should never be opened.

I've always enjoyed Sarah Pekkanen's books and this was no exception. It was easy to read but full of twists, many of which were unpredictable for me. Solid 4 stars for sure.

Georgia wakes up strapped to a bed in a psych ward after she’s found standing over her adopted sister’s dead body. The only person she’ll speak to is her biological twin, Amanda, that’s she never even met. Can Amanda save the sister she never even knew she had before it’s too late or will Georgia end up in prison for life or worse? With nothing being as it seems, time is truly the most important thing and it’s running out quickly….

The book alternates between Georgia’s POV and Amanda’s. While I can totally get down with alternating POVs, Georgia’s POV being told in third person was a little obnoxious for me but otherwise l enjoyed the switching. For Georgia it was really about surviving where she was and the aftermath of what happened, whereas for Amanda there was more growth.

The storytelling kept you intrigued and every time you thought you’d figure it out there would be another twist or turn. I became really invested in both characters and would love to learn more of their story.

Overall, a great read that I’d highly recommend.

**Thank you NetGalley & St Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC**

I really enjoy reading Sarah Pekkanen books always fantastic reads! The premise of “The Locked Ward” was intriguing, great writing with lots of suspense.

Thank you to Netgalley / the Publisher / the Author for an e-ARC of this to be published book. (Expected 5 Aug 25)

I quite enjoyed this book, the first from Sarah Pekkanen that I have read. A psychological thriller about a woman accused of murdering her adoptive sister is locked in a psychiatric ward, and her estranged twin must uncover whether she's a victim of a twisted family or a dangerous manipulator before the clock runs out? Sign. Me. Up.

Two points of view: this book bounces back and forth between first and second person point of view. I’m not going to lie, it took my brain a quick minute to get used to this, but once I did I thought it was an awesome idea.

There was a lot of intrigue and breadcrumbs in this book, but not in a way that I found it easy to pin point the exact ‘who/what/why’ and the moments leading up to some pretty big revelations were tense.

Speaking of tense, I think Sarah Pekkanen did an awesome job at writing some scenes in the locked ward that filled me with some dread. There was angst, there was suspense – it was a good book.

I will say there were a few times where it felt a little too drawn out to get to the next plot point and there were a few characters I wish were fleshed out more, but if you’re into smartly written psychological thrillers, I would definitely give this one a go.



Errors in the book:

‘even thought it was Christmas Eve’ should likely be ‘even though it was Christmas Eve’

‘..what was clearly Annabelle’s apparent at 11:28..’ should be Annabelle’s apartment.

This was definitely an interesting read! I liked the dual perspectives of Mandy and Georgia but I wish we got deeper into their lives before their stories became intertwined. I also figured out the twist right before it was revealed but it didn’t ruin anything for me. Overall, this was a good story that kept me wanting to read more!

Gripping story about how secrets and jealousy can destroy. You are pulled into the story right away and it does not let go until the end. The book alternates between Amanda and Georgia telling their stories and it really highlights how perceptions matter in observations and relationships. When Georgia is arrested and put in a psychiatric war for allegedly killing her sister, she finds a way to involve her estranged twin sister, Amanda, to help unravel the mystery. Georgia's family wants nothing to do with her and they each have issues of their own. Another mystery floats through the story and is resolved by the end, but the reader is left wondering truths until the last minute.
If you want a riveting suspenseful thriller to wind up your summer or start your fall, I recommend this book!
#TheLockedWard #NetGalley
Thank you St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Boy oh boy does Sarah know how to write a twist! I really liked this book! It took me longer to get into it than the Glass House book but the second half was riveting!! There were a few loose ends that I wish had been revisited in the end but overall I really enjoyed it and I think any lover of a twisty thriller will love too.

Sarah Pekkanen always delivers a twisty keep you on the edge of your seat thriller. Her latest is no exception! This one did take a bit longer to really get into, but once it gets going, it goes! And doesn't stop until the end. Definitely recommend for a thriller you can't put down!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.

This thriller was uneven for me. It took a while for me to get into the story of twin sisters who were separated at birth and reunite when one of them is in a psychiatric institute to see if she’s mentally competent enough to stand trial. We know that Georgia is faking her psychological issues, but not what she’s guilty of if anything. Georgia grew up with money, but her sister, Mandy, grew up with love. Mandy wants to connect with her sister, so she visits her in the hospital, but when Georgia asks her to help prove her innocence, Mandy doesn’t know what she’s getting into.

I found parts of this very suspenseful.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 5, 2025.

This book doesn’t rush, it sits with you, quiet and unsettling. Every time I picked it up, I was drawn back in. The story unfolds in small, anticipation filled moments. The Locked Ward, left me feeling heavy in ways I didn’t expect.


Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and Netgally, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! If you love books with twists throughout, then you will love this book! I thought that I knew who did it, but I changed my mind as I continued to read.

I absolutely love a Sarah Pekkanen! I love her books and this was no exception!

I loved this storyline that left me wandering what in the world was going on in this messed up family. I loved reading both pov's of Mandy & Georgia! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TheLockedWard #StMartinsPress

So far both novels I’ve completed by Sarah Pekkanen; “ The Locked Ward” and “House of Glass” I’ve greedily devoured in mere hours after beginning them! I kept thinking I had everything figured out but then- BAM! another twist, another secret I was absolutely sucked into the events anxious for what was gonna happen, needing answers. If you’re looking for a thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat and saying “Just one more chapter” I highly recommend checking this out.