Sarah Pekkhanen has sealed her place as a must buy author with this twisty tale of paranoia and menace. Georgia is locked up for a murder she may or may not have committed and during a visitation whispers a plea for help to her estranged twin. That's all you get from me in the way of the plot because you have to let this book unfold on its own time. It has short chapters that keep you turning pages so start early in the day so you have time to finish; otherwise, you may not sleep! This is from the mind of a brilliant author, and I look forward to reading many more of her books.

How many times can you use haltingly before it becomes redundant? After seeing that word for the 100th time, I was tired of it. This book felt drawn out. Mandy comes off so dense. Georgia, I don’t even know how to describe her. She’s made out to be so many things. While I didn’t expect who the killer was, I knew she was in on it somehow. In the end, I’m disappointed with this book. It didn’t wow me. Just felt so slow. No one is likable.

Loved it, Sarah Pekkanen is great at keeping you guessing until the very end.

When Georgia is arrested for the murder of her sister, her twin Amanda gets a call revealing they are twins and she never knew. Georgia thinks Amanda is the only one who can help her.

Switching between POVS of Amanda and Georgia, keeps you on the edge of your seat. Amanda is fighting to find out the truth while Georgia is helpless in the ward.

I loved both amanda and georgias characters and the story. I will definitely be recommending. Thank you Net Galley!

Prison or a psychiatric hospital—neither sounds ideal, but in this story, that’s exactly the choice Georgia faces after being accused of murdering her younger sister, Annabelle. Struggling to process what’s happened, Georgia finds herself under psychiatric evaluation while clinging to the hope that someone can prove her innocence. That someone? Not Annabelle—she's gone—but Mandy, Georgia’s twin sister... whom she’s never even met.

Told through dual perspectives, the story alternates between Mandy's first-person voice and Georgia’s in second-person—a stylistic choice that didn’t quite land for me and made parts of the narrative feel disjointed. However, the fast-paced structure, with short chapters and high emotional tension, kept the momentum going and made for a quick, engaging read.

While this book didn’t leave a lasting mark compared to others by this author, it still had its moments of intrigue. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

3.5⭐️ The Locked Ward was a solid read with an intriguing premise and better writing than the last book I read by this author. I appreciated the alternating POVs and the short chapters that kept the pace steady, though I wished for more suspense in both storylines.

The story follows twin sisters Mandy and Georgia—Georgia is accused of murder and locked in a psychiatric facility, insisting she’s innocent. Mandy, despite her doubts, sets out to uncover the truth and help her sister before it's too late.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

3.5

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen was a fairly easy and quick read, with short chapters and a flowy writing style that kept things moving. I appreciated the twin siblings separated at birth trope, which added an interesting emotional layer.

However, there were a few things that held me back from rating it higher. The dual POV was a bit confusing - one told in first person and the other in second person - which made it harder to fully connect with the characters at times. It felt like I should have been rooting for Team 1st person (Mandy) but I wanted to be rooting for Team 2nd person (Georgia). Also, some questions remained unanswered by the end, leaving me wanting a little more closure.

I would have liked to see more development around Mandy’s therapy sessions. Exploring her therapist’s role could have added depth to why Mandy is the way she is and how that influences her relationship and decisions surrounding Georgia. On top of that, there were quite a few details that felt unnecessary and didn’t really serve the storyline.

Overall, it’s an easy read that flows well, but it’s not without its flaws. If you’re looking for something light and engaging, it’s worth a shot—but don’t expect too much complexity. Perfect for those new to thrillers or love a thriller that doesn't make you think too much!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah writes the most suspenseful books and I always love her writing. These chapters are quick and the writing is so tight you can't wait to read another chapter. I loved the whole concept of this book having twins who have never met before and have them meet as adults with the one twin needing to help her twin sister.

This one was a gripping, twisty read with a cool psychological edge. I really liked the setting—a psychiatric ward always adds an eerie, tense atmosphere—and Pekkanen does a great job of making you question what’s real and who you can trust.

The short chapters and fast pace kept things moving, and I found myself constantly trying to figure out the mystery before the characters did (spoiler: I didn’t). It’s a suspenseful read without being overly dark, and the ending was satisfying without being too tidy.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen is about two sisters, twins,—Amanda (Mandy) and Georgia, who never knew about each other until Georgia finds herself in a mental hospital for the murder of her other sister, Annabelle, who she grew up in the shadows of. This book really kept me engaged and loved the short chapters alternating between the two FMCs.

There were lots of unexpected reveals and twists throughout. Definitely kept me engaged the whole time wanting to know where the story would end up, and there were many instances where I just didn’t know who could be trusted.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the author and publisher of this book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for the early copy.

I found this very meh. The ending was full of plot holes and very predictable. The more I try to make sense of the plot the more questions I have.
Did not sympathize with the 2 MC’s at all.
I really wanted to love this one but sadly I did not.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
I have read a couple other books by this author, and wasn’t a huge fan. This one caught my attention and I was hoping it wouldn’t disappoint! For the most part I really enjoyed this! It was mostly fast paced, at times it seemed drawn out, but keep up enough I didn’t lose interest. I was intrigued on how it would turn out and there were several little twists to it. Some parts I found a little odd, but overall it was a pretty good read!

This was a fast moving, intense story with a lot of twists I didn’t see coming. The two main characters are extremely interesting and seeing how they are connected and how their paths crossed to lead them to where they are now was really interesting. Georgia has everything to lose if she can’t convince Amanda what’s she’s telling her is true. And it’s a hard pill to swallow. But if Amanda admits deep enough, she’ll discover the truth for herself and save them both. It’s not an easy thing to ask of a stranger but it has the wildest backstory to keep you hanging in until the end. An end I never saw coming. I received an advance copy in return for my honest review.

The Locked Ward is a dark, twisty read that totally pulled me in. It follows Amanda, who's trying to figure out if her twin sister, accused of a high-profile murder and locked in a seriously creepy psych ward, is innocent or just really good at lying. The vibe is unsettling in the best way, and the whole "nothing is what it seems" thing kept me guessing. If you're into psychological thrillers with messy family secrets and unreliable characters, this one is worth picking up.

I really enjoyed this book!!! I was sucked in from the very beginning and wanted to know what happened

They say twins share a bond that defies logic—an invisible thread connecting their thoughts, emotions, and even pain. That’s exactly what Sarah Pekkanen explores in The Locked Ward, a gripping and emotional novel that dives deep into the complexities of family, identity, and second chances.

Twins Mandy and Georgia were separated at birth, each unaware of the other’s existence. But when Georgia is accused of murder, Mandy faces a life-altering choice: step into the chaos and confront the sister she's never known, or walk away and pretend none of it ever happened. Mandy chooses the brave path, and what unfolds is a beautifully written, twist-filled journey of sisterhood, redemption, and healing.

As someone who’s experienced estrangement in my own family, I was especially moved by the emotional reconciliation between Georgia and her father—a moment that brought me to tears. Pekkanen captures the rawness of regret and the power of forgiveness so authentically, it lingers long after the final page.

The Locked Ward is thrilling, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. A word of advice: when it comes to twins, don’t put all your eggs in the wrong basket...

The Locked Ward 👭🏼

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Pub Date: August 5, 2025

Georgia was adopted into a wealthy family, and is well known to have issues with their biologic daughter, Annabelle. When Annabelle is found murdered, Georgia is accused of the crime and placed in a high security psychiatric facility. Mandy is the only person Georgia will speak to. Problem is, Mandy is just finding out who Georgia is. Turns out Georgia is Mandy’s twin sister.

This was so good!! I got sucked in so easily with this one. Mysterious adoptions. Twins separated at birth that never knew the other existed. Creepy high security psych hospital. SIGN. ME. UP. I enjoyed how the story unfolded from both Mandy and Georgia’s perspectives, especially Georgia’s in the psych ward 😬 I love when an author leaves me hanging at the end of a chapter, making me need to squeeze in just one more.

I found the mystery of who killed Annabelle to be good, but the mystery of the twins separated at birth to be even more exciting. None of the twists were too earth shattering, but I didn’t mind. The intensity throughout the novel was so enjoyable and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! This is my first read by this author, but won’t be the last! This book is a page turner that I couldn’t put down. Loved the characters and the entire storyline. :)

I actually haven’t read any of this author’s books, so I gave this one a go from NetGalley not knowing what to expect other than I think she’s the Twisty Psychological Thriller type? I can get down with those. So by the time I’m done, I figured I’d either hate myself because I have an author’s backlog to catch up on or be relieved AF that I didn’t like it and I don’t have to add more to the TBR.

Great news — I don’t have to read another word by this author.

Mandy discovers she has a sister, Georgia, who has allegedly killed HER sister. Georgia has gotten herself into a… wait for it… locked ward. It’s so meh. I was hoping it’d be a batshit-crazy psychological thriller. Nope. Just pointless and forgettable.

“The Locked Ward” by Sarah Pekkanen follows estranged twins Georgia and Amanda. Georgia allegedly killed the biological daughter of her adoptive family, but a mental health plea lands her in a psych ward, instead of a cell. Now it seems Amanda may be the only person who can clear Georgia’s name. Amanda, although wary, can’t help but be intrigued. Is this twin she’s never met innocent? Or a master manipulator?
Spooooooooky. That’s the one word I left this book with. I think it’ll be a long time before I dive into another psych ward novel. Am I crazy? Are you crazy? Is she crazy? Hard to tell, but the walls are closing in and I need OUT. No, but in all seriousness, this is one of my least favorite themes.
Despite that, Pekkanen creates a powerful mystery with lots of psychological elements that keep you guessing. Can Amanda trust Georgia? Can Georgia trust Amanda? And with so many wealthy people surrounding the crime, is anyone involved safe?
Needless to say, I couldn’t put this book down until I got to the end. This book was fast paced and twisty, earning it a solid 4 stars from me!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC! This book publishes August 5th!

I loved the back and forth perspectives of the sisters, it helped build the story. However the last chapter seemed unnecessary and took away from the overall story


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