Twisty and binge-worthy psychological thriller. I loved the atmosphere of an eerie and claustrophobic psychiatric ward setting and alternate POVs. The Locked Ward is an unputdownable summer thriller that plays into the darker aspects of trauma, identity, and the blurred line from victim and villain. I rated 4 out of 5 starts only because there is a lot of familiar thriller tropes in this one - which is FINE as this is a thriller - but as an avid thriller reader it was fairly obvious what some twist were.

Confession. I received an E-ARC of this book a long time ago. Like, a reallllly long time ago. And I love Pekkanen's books, as well as the ones she writes with Greer. But every time I started to read this one on my phone or kindle, I gave up after a page or two.

Yesterday I got the audio, and devoured it in a day. Granted, I can listen to the lovely January LaVoy at 3x. Possibly faster, but that was the max for the app I was using. This book is short, only 3 hours at 3x, and I gobbled it up quickly.

There are two major plot points and two povs. Georgia has been accused of murdering her sister, Annabelle, at her 32nd birthday party. Georgia has been sent to a psych ward instead of jail. Georgia's pov is told in second person, which is not my favorite, but it does make it a bit more intense. You really get to be in that psych ward with her, and man, it's bleak. It's hard to figure out if Georgia did kill Annabelle, or how she plans to get out of it, at first. Annabelle, it turns out, is the biological daughter of Georgia's adoptive parents. And Georgia recently found out she had a twin.

Enter Amanda. Amanda is the other twin, who didn't know she was a twin either. So plot point 2 is figuring out how and why the twins were separated at birth. Did Amanda's adoptive parents know? How much of her life is a lie? Can she even trust Georgia, who she just met? How can she save Georgia, when some very powerful people are involved and want Georgia to confess to the murder?

I really loved this fast-past thriller. It kept me guessing till the very end! Definitely get this on audio.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen is a suspenseful family drama. As with most Pekkanen stories, there are twists, turns, and red herrings. If you enjoy suspenseful and contemplative themes, then you'll love this one. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

I loved House of Glass so I was very excited to read The Locked Ward and I have to say I was hooked right from chapter one. Georgia is currently being held in a psychiatric ward after being found standing over the body of her younger sister. Mandy is shocked to hear Georgia needs her help. She has never met this woman before. Mandy was raised as an only child…and Georgia claims she is her twin sister…wait what??

I liked the plot and twists and use of dual POV - we get to see both Mandy and Georgia’s view and as I tried to guess if Georgia was actually guilty or not!

Some of the twists were a little predictable but that didn’t take away from the story or the overall sense of tension and suspense. This would make a good end of summer #beachread There are two mysteries to solve - is Georgia guilty and why was Mandy raised alone?

3.5 ⭐️

I excitedly began The Locked Ward on a cross country flight and could not put it down. Sarah Pekkanen created two twin sisters that were separated at birth with no knowledge of each other. Georgia is currently in a locked ward after being accused of killing her younger sister, Annabelle. Her sister, Amanda, is running the family bar after her parent’s deaths when she receives a phone call from a lawyer asking to meet her sister. She immediately feels the instant bond with her twin and is very tentative about how to approach this dilemma. While visiting Georgia’s apartment she is flabbergasted at their similarities while also realizing the vastly different lifestyles. She is enamored with her clothes and purses. I so appreciated the way Georgia tracked down Amanda and her planning to free herself as well as Amanda’s sleuthing to determine who killed Annabelle.
Pekkanen takes you on a wild ride revealing the secrets both characters have. One truly evil woman caused so much pain. I loved the way the sisters connected, both Amanda and Georgia, and Annabelle and Georgia. I found myself cheering as their bonds grew tighter. I also found myself comparing Amanda and Georgia’s lives - money vs. love, and then Annabelle and Georgia’s lives - love vs. apathy.
Many many thanks to Sarah Pekkanen who is one of my favorite authors, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a thrilling arc of this just published read. Three and a half stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Georgia Cartwright is Locked away in a High Security Psychiatric Ward since she has been accused of killing her sister, Annabelle. She claims to be in a disassociate state, which seems unlikely, but will stay until the Court decides if she is fit for trial. Georgia finds out she has a biological sister, Amanda who was adopted into another family. So, Georgia decides she must introduce herself to Amanda and insist she help her because she says she isn’t guilty. The atmosphere is creepy, not a place one would usually stay or go to visit family, but it adds to the suspense element quite a bit. Also, they are twins, so form that Twin Bond instantly. This all seems a bit far fetched, but if you can go with it, it could make for a very twisty and intense story.

The biggest problem is the story isn’t that suspenseful. You can figure out most of the plots. The Intensity the sisters are supposed to have really is pretty thin, so character development is lacking. It needs more to make it a truly compelling psychological thriller. It is a decent read, but one that I am unlikely to remember that long.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sarah Pekkanen for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.

Mandy Ravenel was just waking up, checking her phone, seeing the story about a socialite who was accused of bludgeoning her younger sister to death, when the phone call came. It’s an attorney, asking Mandy if she’d be willing to visit her twin in the psych ward where they are holding her. Mandy’s mind is scrambled. She had worked late at her bar Sweetbay’s the night before and was barely awake. But she was sure of one thing. She was an only child.

But you were adopted, the attorney points out. And your sister, your twin sister, is Georgia Cartwright, the socialite Mandy had just been reading about.

Mandy lives in a small town not too far from Charlotte, North Carolina, where Georgia is. She can’t explain it, but she can feel a connection to the woman in the locked ward. So Mandy agrees to a visit.

The Georgia that she meets there is not the same woman who had been in the news reports. Those photos showed a beautiful, confident woman who ran her own successful party planning business. The woman Mandy meets in the hospital is a shell, emptied and barely conscious. But in a moment when they were alone and not being watched, Georgia told Mandy that she was innocent. And if Mandy didn’t get her out of there, then they would kill Georgia too.

Mandy isn’t sure what to believe, but she can feel that connection to Georgia. So she decides to spend a couple of days in Charlotte, trying to figure out who her sister is and what happened. She spends time at Georgia’s apartment, putting it back together from the police search. She tries to figure out what had happened to Annabelle, Georgia’s sister. She tries to figure out how twin sisters could have been separated and lied to their whole lives.

Meanwhile, in the ward, Georgia is just trying to survive. She’s shut down and pretending to be disassociating. She’s losing sleep and not eating. She doesn’t know who to trust, but there are some there that she is certain she can’t trust. She is hoping that Mandy listened to her, that she believes her, that she can help her. She feels like time is running out. Because it is.

And as Mandy starts to find answers and gets closer to the truth, the reason the sisters were split up, the closer she gets to a killer who is desperate to do anything it takes to keep their truth secret. Even if that means killing them all.

The Locked Ward is a thrill ride of a mystery, with wealthy Southern families and buried secrets that people will kill to keep. This story about the relationship between sisters and how that can save you or destroy you gave me the emotional ride I was looking for. Author Sarah Pekkanen is known for her twisty thrillers, and this one definitely delivers on twists.

I listened to the audio book, narrated so beautifully by January LaVoy. I thought it made the story more enjoyable to listen to the actor bring all the drama. I thought it was a fantastic way to experience this novel. LaVoy brought both sisters to life, and I was here for all the drama. This book was a little bit bananas, but lots of fun.

Egalleys for The Locked Room were provided by St. Martin’s Press, and an early copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

I enjoyed this. It had good movement and twists. The sister and family dynamics were interesting. I appreciated the points of view being different for the two main characters (first for Mandy and, uniquely, second for Georgia). Overall, I liked this.

Full review at: cassieetter.com/eclecticallybookish/reviews/the-locked/ward

Wow, what a layered story. When you think you know what is happening, something is revealed that makes your jaw drop. The story goes between current day and the past and is crazy good. Amanda and Georgia are twins separated at birth and never knew about each other. Georgia finds out about Amanda right before she was put in a psych ward for the murder of her other sister.

Socialite Georgia Cartwright is locked up in a mental ward, unresponsive after being found standing over the bloody body of her sister Annabelle. She’s not actually in a dissociative state; she’s faking to keep from being arrested. But neither, she swears, is she guilty.

Georgia sends a plea to one person for help: her twin sister. The catch is that Mandy Ravenel had no idea she had a sister, let alone a twin.

Can Mandy save Georgia? Should she? The quest turns Mandy’s life upside down, makes her doubt her late parents, and gives her a taste of what growing up with great wealth, as Georgia did, might have meant.

The plot of “The Locked Ward” unfolds briskly, with the twins getting alternating chapters. In a device thst works well, Georgia’s chapters are written in the second person — “you awaken slowly.” Mandy’s are in the first person — “I grew up 70 miles away, yet worlds apart.”

Together with Georgia, we experience the loss and loneliness of being locked away from the world. With Mandy, we turn detective to try to figure out who killed Annabelle, and why.

“The Locked Ward” is a quick and satisfying mystery that also says a lot about what makes a family.

Reviewed in print and online in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Kept me guessing until the very end! I loved the twist the story and the relationships took. Trying to understand everyone’s motivations was exciting. Definitely a great book for anyone who loves a good twisty thriller! Very well paced!

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen is a fast paced thriller that takes place in posh North Carolina. When socialite Annabelle is bludgeoned to death, her sister Georgia is the one to find her body. She is immediately blamed for the death, since the sister’s are anything but close. Georgia is adopted, Annabelle is the biological daughter, and their mother doesn’t even try to hide her dislike of Georgia. When Georgia is sent to the psych ward until her hearing for the murder of her sister, there is only one person who can help her…her twin sister. The problem is, her twin sister, Mandy, has no idea she has a biological sister, let alone a twin. As Mandy tries to uncover who is responsible for the death of Annabelle, she quickly finds out neither she or Georgia are safe. The people involved are not only wealthy, they are powerful, politically powerful, and no one can be trusted. Even Mandy isn’t sure her twin can be trusted as she searches for the truth.
The story is told in alternating chapters between Georgia and Mandy. It is really fast paced. While the first half of the book is more of a slow burn, the last half had me on the edge of my seat. I finished it in one sitting, at 4 am…yes, it was that good! The ending was so shocking, I honestly didn’t have an inkling who did it. Sarah Pekkanen is one of my favorite authors, and this book is another 5 star must read from me!
I would like to thank Netgalley, St Martin’s Press and Sarah Pekkanen for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an absolute gem! Penned by one of my favorite authors, it delivers yet another unforgettable story that showcases their storytelling prowess. The use of multiple points of view is a standout feature, adding depth and keeping me fully immersed as the narrative unfolded from different angles.
The two main characters were particularly compelling, each bringing a unique spark that made me root for them throughout. The unpredictable plot kept me on edge, constantly guessing where the story would lead next, which only deepened my investment in the book.
Overall, I loved every moment of this thrilling ride and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating read. This is a must-read that will leave you eager for more from this talented author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC of this book.
Georgia is in a psychiatric ward after being arrested for the murder of her sister, Annabelle.
Mandy is running her family’s bar after inheriting it when her parents died. Mandy receives a call one day from Georgia’s lawyer asking her to come visit her twin sister, that she never met. Her twin who could be a murderer. Skeptical, Mandy goes to meet Georgia and the connection is undeniable. When Georgia tells Mandy she is innocent of murder, Mandy feels compelled to uncover the truth about what happened.
In doing so, she discovers that there are people involved in this scandal that want Georgia dead and now she herself is embroiled in the scandal and could also be in danger.
This is a fast-paced story told by the alternating points of view of Georgia and Mandy. Georgia’s backstory is told via flashbacks from Georgia’s point of view leading up to the night Annabelle is murdered.
I enjoyed the book, but some plot points were a bit predictable. Georgia is made to be a lifeless shell of a person in the psych ward which made it hard to connect to her as a character.

This is usually an auto-read author for me, but I found absolutely nothing special about this book.

I have been of the opinion lately that all of the thrillers coming out by these really hyped up, mainstream thriller writers have all just been bland. It was basically a basic B of thrillers.

If you are new to thrillers or not an avid thriller reader, you might love it. If you read a ton of thrillers, there is nothing that stands out or that will blow you away.

We have twin sisters who didn't know about each other. One is locked up in a mental institution for a crime she says she didn't commit. She comes from a rich family who (you guessed it) is covering up some dark secrets. None of the plot or subplots were unique in any way.

Objectively, the book was fine. I just found it to be super basic and not at all memorable.

I've loved Sarah Pekkanen's prior books and while I enjoyed this one, it's not a favorite. This was a twisty psychological thriller and the premise was great, but I was definitely confused at some points and thought there were too many unlikely things happening. Georgia pretending to be mentally vacant (she wrote one college paper on it? how is that enough to go on years later...) and pulling in a complete stranger felt like a weird decision. The plot also hinged on a lot of "twin phenomena" that just made it feel a bit too gimmicky. I found the ending to be too out there and unlikely - I'm generally fine suspending reality for books but this was a little too over the top.

I enjoyed the short chapters and dual POV, as well as the dark vibes of this one. I'm always down for a family drama with secrets coming out, and the addition of people being unalived didn't hurt. Overall I enjoyed this one and it was an easy read.

3.5 stars

This one was underwhelming for me. I was hoping for more thrilling elements .
Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review..

Sarah Pekkanen knows how to write page turners.
This was really good and had me guessing until the last twist.

The Locked Door is a solid thriller with twists, interesting characters, an unreliable narrator, and a good plot. I really enjoyed the dual narration between Mandy and Georgia. Their connection grabs you right from the start and I really wasn’t sure where it was going to go!

The plot itself was good and had some twists in it. There were some side characters that felt important but then were removed from the story before I felt their time was up. While everything seemed to wrap up at the end, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something throughout the story. I can’t quite put my finger on what that thing was but I there were multiple times where the plot and/or character development just seemed a little off.

Still, it was a good read and I’ve read many books by this author and will continue to do so

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC. My review is honest and voluntary.