I read the Golden Couple a while back and really enjoyed it so I was really looking forward to reading this when I got approved for the ARC! I ended up liking it but not loving it. It definitely kept me interested and was a fast read but I felt it was overall kind of flat. With this specific story line it was pretty obvious it wasn’t what it appeared and there were only so many directions it could’ve taken so the shock factor wasn’t there.

The Locked Ward rotates POVs between two twin sisters, Georgia and Mandy. Georgia grew up with a wealthy family with dynamics less than ideal. After their family had adopted Georgia they were able to conceive naturally and she has felt like an outsider ever since. In present day Georgia is even being accused of her step sisters murder and inside “the locked ward.” Mandy grew up in a more normal setting as the only child to two loving parents. Neither sister knew they were a set of identical twins separated at birth until recently. Georgia had discovered before the incident and was the one to tell Mandy when she asked for her inside the locked ward. Imagine how surprised you’d be if you were Mandy?!

As you read you learn how money, power, rivalry and secrets fueled this particularly warped story. The short chapters and the dual POV definitely helped me like this one but overall I think they could’ve done more with the story. I almost think dialing back further into the years would’ve created a better storyline. Regardless, this was a pretty good read and I’d recommend if you’re looking for a fast-paced not-so-thriller mystery.

Thank you to net galley, the publisher and the author for this eARC!

I felt like the story was kind of uneven. I didn’t think that we got to know either of the new found sisters very well. The parts in the locked ward were supposed to be scary, I think but they were kind of repetitive especially in the earlier section. I think the author was trying not to reveal much about her at once but instead she ended up feeling like a really flat person who mostly missed her clothes.

I think there should have been more about the sister who owned the bar before she gets contacted by the attorney because we only see her in connection to trying to solve the case for most of the book. Why was she so willing to do all of this? Why was she so lonely?

The twist was fine if a bit predictable.

Ultra rich Georgia has been accused of killing her adoptive sister, Annabelle. She reaches out to the one person she thinks can help her; her twin sister, Amanda, who doesn’t even know Georgia exists.
Full of secrets, lies, and family drama, this was a fun, suspenseful read! No one is who they initially appear to be!

A summer release by a favorite psychological thriller author?? Heck yes! Suspense abounds in this story told in dual POV’s and filled with characters whose flaws will keep you on the edge of your seat as you try to determine who committed the crime. At the heart of the story is Georgia Cartwright, who is on lockdown in the psychiatric wing of a hospital. Adopted at birth, she is accused of killing her sister Anabelle who was born into their wealthy family. When Georgia requests a visit from bar owner, Mandy Ravenel, the relationship between these two is revealed and with the information Georgia shares , Mandy becomes involved in trying to find the killer and quickly finds herself in the middle of family secrets that have a deep emotional impact on them both. With themes of family deceit, the complexities of sisterhood bonds and the frailties of human nature, this thriller will keep you riveted as you try to play armchair detective

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the pleasure of being an early reader for one of my favorite thriller authors in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: August 5

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Pekkanen is damn good at her job. As I sit here right now, safe and sound in my house, the back of my neck is pricked and shivers run down my spine. I am creeped the hell out.

This one…this one will get to you. It’s real, it’s insidious, it’s under your skin before you know what’s happening. I am… at a loss for words. There’s nothing I can reveal that won’t be a potential spoiler. Just…trust me. It’s good. It’s better than good. Psychological thriller seems like an understatement. Perpetual creeping dread is closer to the reality. Damn. Do yourself a favor and read this one when it comes out this August. Just make sure no one’s behind you when you do.

🗝️Book Review🗝️
“The Locked Ward” @sarahpekkanen
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Genre: Thriller

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of this novel in return for my honest review.

I broke a month long reading dry spell with this book and I couldn’t be happier with the choice. It was gripping, intriguing and the plot twisted perfectly. This novel was expertly crafted.
I was hooked on following Mandy and Georgia through the maze of lies, and cover ups that were their lives. I definitely suggest adding this to your tbr list, you won’t want to miss it!

My blurb:
Georgia Cartwright has it all, she lives in a swanky penthouse, runs her own wedding planning business, and comes from one of the most connected families in the state. But when she is found standing over her sister Annabelle’s dead body, with blood on her dress, everything begins to fall apart.
She is sent to the locked ward.. a high security psych unit where she will be assessed before standing trial for her sisters murder.
Everyone has an opinion on Georgia, and why she possibly killed her sister… but Georgia has plan.. she’s going to find a way out of this, even if it means possibly killing someone else in the process.

There has never been a Sarah Pekkanen novel that I could ever put down. This is another fantastic novel I was up half the night devouring. Amanda is living an everyday life, grieving the loss of her parents and running their bar, when she gets a phone call that changes everything. She not only has a sister, but she has a twin sister, the megarich Georgina, who is currently accused of the murder of her sister. Georgina is presently on the locked ward of a psychiatric facility after being placed there due to the charged crimes. This starts a cat-and-mouse game where the reader is unsure of any sister's true intentions as Amanda moves into Georgina's apartment, and it becomes clear that Georgina has known about Amanda for a long longer than she is letting on. I loved the novel and enjoyed the ending, which I thought I figured out, but I enjoyed watching it all be tied together and buying a physical copy of this book!

Being adopted comes with challenges, but when your parents have a biological child they favor, the challenges are worse. Constantly painted as the bad child by their mother, Georgia is accused of killing her sister. Because of her mother's lies, everyone believes the worst of Georgia. The only person who can save Georgia is her twin, Amanda, whom she has never met. Twists and turns. Who needs a mother who doesn't love you?

WOW…. This book took me a while to read, but not because it was bad. I was taking my time letting it last. I loved this book. The twist and turns that came from this book had me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t guess anything that happened but I loved the whole ride. I took a day to really think about it and get over how mind blown I was with it. The set up for the entire book was amazing so that it pulled you through the entire book. Pekkanen sets herself up in the best way where everything is laid out (but takes an eye to see) and her pacing is constant throughout the book.


One of my favorite parts(that isn't a spoiler) is the way Pekkanen wrote the perspectives fo the sisters. The ability that she had to show the reader through the writing which sister it was is so clever. Mandy is written with “I” while Georgia is written with “you”. These subtle things are just what makes this author great.


Definitely a must read for thriller fans!


Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What an intriguing read!!! I really enjoy this author and I was beyond excited for this drop.
The whole twin thing was creative and that ending- wow! Whether she’s writing alone or with her dynamic due, I know I’m always in for a good read!

I wouldn't necessarily say this is fast paced, altho the chapters are short.
It kept me entertained and on my toes.

3.5 stars

Georgia Cartwright is accused of murdering her sister and it sets the media and everyone in a frenzy. Georgia was the adopted daughter of the Cartwrights, while her sister, Annabelle was their younger biological daughter. The family is uber wealthy, and connected and Annabelle is the apple of their mother's eye while poor Georgia is left out in the cold. So when Annabelle is killed and Georgia's is there covered in blood, she of course is the accused. Georgia pretends she is in shock and manages to end up in an mental hospital awaiting trial where lots of mental patients roam scaring her.

There just might be a way out of this mess if she can convince her newly discovered twin sister, Mandy, to help her prove it wasn't she who murdered their sister.

There was lots of innuendos concerning Georgia and the family is dysfunctional with political connections and sexual encounters to the politicos

With a few surprising twists, this book kept me reading and although it was not up to the standards of her previous book, The Glass House, I did like it for the twists.

This whodunit will surprise you as to the person who really did do it.

A peek behind the curtain look into a mental health hospital. Trust me, you don't want to be trapped inside that locked ward!
Two twin sisters separated at birth, reunited under extreme circumstances when one is accused of murder and put in a mental institution awaiting trial.
Mandy had no idea she was a twin, she didn't know about Georgia until then murder made the headlines and Georgia reaches out to her via her lawyer asking Mandy to visit her in the hospital..
When the two sisters meet for the first time there is an instant connection between them and Mandy is left with a decision, does she believe her unknown sister and help her clear her name.
The chapters are short and snappy and told from both of the sisters side, sucking you into their lives and an insight into the bond between twins.
It is a well crafted novel filled with some suspense and a dark undertone.
Its almost that time of year where people start to look for the perfect holiday read and The Locked Ward should be added to your hand luggage, it is an ideal travel companion!

Fun fast paced thriller told from dual points of view. If you like long lost twins, complex family dynamics, and murder mysteries then this is a perfect book for you. This book would be a perfect beach read and I’d recommend to anyone.

This book had me so intrigued in its entire duration! The relationship between the sisters was complex and stayed interesting. We find out so much about the characters which we love greta character development! Would love to read more by this author.

I've long been a fan of Sarah Pekkanen, and The Locked Ward did NOT disappoint! With short, action-packed chapters oscillating between twin sisters separated at birth, I flew through this book enjoying every twist and turn along the way. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

This book fell flat for me. I know mystery/thriller writers want to keep things fresh & keep people guessing, but as a reader I want these things to do somewhere. Georgia was met with the threatening presence of another patient & her nurse, Opal. These seemed random throughout the story & I don't feel like it added anything to it. It felt like they were thrown in there just because. I also was reading a nonfiction book about race & insanity during Jim Crow America at the same time so, to me, some of the patients descriptions felt insensitive or exploitative.

This book had a slow start, took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I was hooked!

Georgia Cartwright was found standing over her sisters dead body covered in her blood. But instead of going to prison she got herself put in a psychiatric institution. But she has plans, if they go her way, to hopefully get out.

Mandy is working in her parents bar, which she owns now after their death about a year ago. When he gets a call from a lawyer saying that her twin sister, who was just accused of murder, needs to see her. But Mandy was an only child? Who is this women calling herself her twin sister and what does she want?

I finished this book in a day and a half! Once I was hooked I couldn’t stop. POVs from both sisters, and easy to fly through with the short chapters! Keeping me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what the F is happening!! 👏🏻👏🏻

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!!

This was the first book I have read from this Author, and now I have to read more of her’s! Every page was suspenseful & thrilling, I couldn’t put it down!

I would highly recommend this book & cannot wait to read more by this author! 5+⭐️’s!

Thank you Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin’s Press, & NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing Arc!

My Thoughts

I love secrets.

I especially enjoy the ones that involve family drama and or relationships.

I also prefer that you have the chance to follow through different perspectives as the characters in a story reveal each plot point as it relates to their situation.

Starting out with Georgia Cartwright, who has been accused of murdering her younger sister then locked away inside a hospital mental ward, switching to her other sister Amanda/“Mandy” who had no idea she even had a twin sister until that point.

Georgia requests Mandy come visit her and when they meet the clock countdown starts on whether the truth will be found or Georgia will end up paying for a crime she insists she didn’t commit.

Working out the details using dual points of view until her final reveal brings everything together for her audience as the authors story flows at an easy-to-follow pace from beginning to end.

For me this author did a good job with both Georgia and Mandy’s characters, as well as each of their contributions that fleshed out not only the who but the why of Annabelle’s untimely death.

A decent setup and execution throughout this story that was well worth the time it took me to finish it.


[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.