📚: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
⭐️: 4/5

Georgia finds herself the newest arrival at the locked ward. Accused of her sister’s brutal murder, she looks to the outside world for help in the form of Amanda, whose bond runs unknowingly deep.

Filled with twists, this book was a page-ripper. I didn’t see the ending coming (but somehow I didn’t have my jaw on the ground, so minus a star for that?). The final twist was glorious - but I only wish it had been integrated into the full story a little more.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Locked Ward is out now.

Okay this book was SO GOOD. So many secrets, lies, twists, and turns. I loved all the drama and could not get enough.

I listened to this any chance I got and I was not disappointed whatsoever.

I love a classic whodunit with a spider web of secrets and lies!

I really love Sarah Pekkanen's work, and this was another great story. I was engaged from the start - and I loved the fresh take this story took. It was full of twists and turns, and I genuinely didn't know who to trust throughout. I love to be kept guessing, so I was very into this page-turner, which had danger lurking around every corner - super fun for those who love a twisty thriller!

Georgia, adopted by a very rich influential family, finds herself locked up in a psychiatric ward, accused of murdering her sister, who is the biological daughter of said family. Georgia, had recently learned that she was a twin and although she had no previous contact with Mandy (said twin) she contacts her to illicit her help in getting her found innocent and released from the hospital.

I wanted to love this story but I didn't. It was just okay and toward the end I found myself just wanting it to be done.

This author's books are a mixed bag for me. She does a lot of different things and I like that but I guess I can't expect every single project to land with me. The writing is always great, it's just not always for me.

Two twin sisters meet each other after a long time and a few bumps in the road. Own being in a ward and one not knowing she was adopted and has a twin sister. Rivalry, lies, and jealously are thrown into the mix and it causes some bad times as the two sisters grow to know each other.

I was provided both an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. Georgia has been accused of murdering her younger sister, but instead of prison she has been placed in a psychiatric institution on hold while she awaits trial. She is completely aware of what is going on, but to give herself time she is pretending to have a mental break. Unbeknownst to Amanda, Georgia is her twin and the only one she wants to talk to while she is locked up awaiting trial. Amanda and Georgia were both adopted as newborns but neither knew they were a twin. They both lived very different lives growing up, and Amanda is determined to find out how they are connected and find out the truth about her new sister. She unravels a web of lies and manipulation in a world of wealth she doesn't understand. As she pretends to be part of Georgia's world to find the truth, she realizes that there is much more to the story than anyone let on.

I found this to be very entertaining and fast paced. The story alternates between Mandy and Georgia's points of view. We get to learn about their lives growing up and who they are today. How their relationships with their families shaped them and how things progressed to the night of the murder of Annabelle the younger sister. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and a big unexpected twist at the end that I never saw coming.

I have enjoyed this author’s writing in previous work and this one is no exception. The story gripped me from the beginning, with twists that kept coming. I am always drawn to a setting within a psychiatric facility so this one drew me in from the title alone. Then the characters and the plot kept me intrigued. I picked it up and put it down in the first third to half of the book but once it hit about 50%, I was propelled to the end and stayed in bed reading until I had finished the entire thing.
For fans of a psychological thriller, with roots in the Deep South, and rick people behaving badly, this one is for you! It hits every point beautifully. I highly recommend it!

#TheLockedWard #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

Slightly disappointed with this one. Not sorry I read it but wouldn’t be something I’d just recommend openly.

Loved other books by this author so was super excited to get an early copy of this one.

Alternating POV by twin sisters Amanda or Mandy and Georgia who have grown up separately with very different adoptive parents. Mandy gets a surprise call from an attorney stating her sister who she has no idea exists wants her to visit in the locked ward where she is being held for murder.

Shock value wasn’t there. Very mild story. Liked the sisters and their story unravels nicely but missing twists and excitement.

Thanks to netgalley for my advanced electronic reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh. My. Wow. The tension in this book? Off the charts. From page one, The Locked Ward had me in a chokehold. The POV switches were executed so well; each voice felt distinct, layered, and full of secrets, and it kept me flipping pages way past bedtime.

Was it probably an accurate depiction of its setting? No.
Did I care? Absolutely not.

I was completely enthralled and addicted, and that first twist? My jaw dropped. This is the kind of twisty thriller that makes you pause just to process what you’ve read, then dive right back in because you have to know what happens next.

Yes, the ending was a little lackluster for me, but honestly, the entire journey was such a wild ride that I closed the book grinning. Over the top? Maybe. But sometimes that’s exactly what you want from a fast-paced psychological thriller.

📖 Perfect for fans of B.A. Paris, Alice Feeney, and anyone who loves high-drama, unputdownable suspense.

Sarah Pekkanen delivers another thriller with The Locked Ward. The story is so twisted and filled with family drama. I didn’t have any idea how the story would end. Pekkanen’s books keep getting better and better!

The turmoil and drama between the sisters and demonic mother was the lifeblood of this book. I was really looking forward to more about the locked ward parts. However, it was propulsive after it got going and like with all of Pekkannen’s books, it ended up going it unpredictable ways. I enjoyed it, but it was not her best. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve loved Sarah Pekkanen for a long time- both as a solo author and a collaborator with Greer Hendricks. I’m always excited to read one of her books. The Locked Ward was no exception. This book started off so strong and had so much potential. The premise was intriguing, as were the two main characters. But in the end, I was a little disappointed with it. There were a few things in the story that I felt were never fully explained or resolved. The ending also seemed to come out of nowhere- I think it was meant to be the big shock or twist but it fell a little flat for me. Maybe my expectations were too high?

Overall it was still entertaining and a good read.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The premise hooked me—twins separated at birth, one accused of murder, the other pulled into the chaos. But the execution didn’t click for me. Georgia’s chapters are written in second person present tense, which kept pulling me out of the story instead of drawing me in. Every chapter ended with an overly dramatic mic-drop line, and instead of feeling tense or urgent, it started to feel repetitive. Ultimately, I decided to step away rather than push through. Just not my style, but others may enjoy the high-drama pace.

Twin girls adopted at birth by two families. One is middle class. One is upper class. The rich one is accused of murdering her family’s biological daughter. The other tries to get her freed from The Locked Ward, a psychiatric hospital where she is being held on a murder charge.

The premise sounds intriguing. However, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The twins, who have never met, have an instant “twin bond”, which didn’t feel realistic. The twists in the plot were much too obvious to this veteran thriller reader. The conclusion was just as easy to foresee. You know you are in trouble when the best part of the book was the atmosphere. Unless you have never read a psychological thriller before, it is best to skip The Locked Ward. Read the author’s much better book, Gone Tonight, instead. 2 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced review copy.

Great suspense that kept me guessing. The characters were engaging and the sister bond added some nice complexity. The plot was twisty enough to keep me guessing, but not totally unbelievable.

"The Locked Ward" by Sarah Pekkanen is a suspenseful mystery. Mandy is stunned to learn that she has a twin sister, who has recently been locked in a psychiatric ward & is accused of killing her adoptive sister. Mandy searches for answers in an unfamiliar world, the world of the rich & powerful.
This novel kept me engrossed and I didn't want to put it down.

Another great book from Sarah Pekkanen!

The Locked Ward is like if The Parent Trap was a thriller. Twins were separated at birth and didn’t meet each other until much later in life, when one of them is being accused of murder.

Just like every other book I have read from Sarah Pekkanen, The Locked Ward was impossible to put down. She has a way of keeping you on the edge of your seat, dying to know what happens next.

Thank you to Sarah Pekkanen & St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's for allowing me to review this arc.

I really liked this book.. The adopted daughter of wealthy parents finds herself in a psych ward for murdering the biological child of her parents. The twist, Georgia, who is in the ward finds out her biological mother had twins, and her wealthy parents didn't take her, hires a PI to find her and enlists her help to find the real killer. Quick fast paced read. Enjoyed!

I will happily read anything Sarah Pekkanen writes. She’s an amazing storyteller. The book centers around two sisters — twins — separated at birth. One becomes embroiled in a murder case, accused of killing her adopted sister. The other gets dragged into it all. Lots of suspense, red herrings and creepy mentally ill patients. Ms Pekkanen does not disappoint.