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


In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note in reviews that your ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will read anything that Sarah Pekkanen writes! She is an auto-buy thriller author for me! I loved the concept of this book, and loved the psych-ward setting. This wasn't my fave of hers, but I will say it is a quick and binge-able thriller; would make for a good beach read! I will continue to read all of her books :)

THE LOCKED WARD BY SARAH PEKKANEN 3.5
Georgia is in a locked ward of a psychiatric hospital for killing her sister.. What money can cover is one thing in this story. But Georgia found she had a twin and was able to let her know about them and she is helping Georgia prove she did not kill her other sister. Story gets complicated and the things going on at the psych place - was a lot of things happening. The basic story was good but at times I had to backtrack to figure out the story and who was who. I have enjoyed Sarah Pekkanan's other books but this one not so much.

thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange of an honest review!

this was a perfect summer popcorn thriller - fast-paced, exciting and twisty. after really enjoying house of glass, i was looking forward to this, and it didn't disappoint! i think there are a few twists that are easy to guess, but still enough surprises and enough excitement to keep readers engaged. this will be a great one for the pool, imo.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the privilege of reading this book.

The book was very emotional at times and eye opening. The psychiatric ward and inner working were believable and revealing.. I loved the character development and the plot.

I was shocked by the twists and turns. The twin element added so much to the story line.

A fantastic read.

Highly recommend.

I always enjoy everything by this author and this book was no exception. It is told in a 2 narrator alternating point of view that kept me wanting to read just one more chapter. There was good character development without being too detailed and slow. Looking forward to her next book already.

This was a quick and engaging read that I overall enjoyed. It's not as well-crafted as the drama/suspense novels at the top of the genre, but it's a solid read that I was eager to finish and find out the ending.

I was a big fan of House of Glass, and found myself just as dialed in to this story! After a few pages of wondering if this would pull me in like the last story did, I couldn’t put it down. This book had me tearing through pages to figure out all the connections - a truly propulsive read! I hope fans of House of Glass pick this one up in August, and I look forward to her next book!