This was a fun, twisted read. It kept me guessing until the end, and even threw another twist into the epilogue. This is the second book I’ve read from Sarah Pekkanen, and it is my favorite thus far. Definitely worth a read!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the digital ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I think a 3.5 stars is most accurate for this book.

The multiple POVs and multiple timelines made things a little confusing. I enjoyed reading from both characters, but I know that a lot of reviews have preferred one over the other.

I got confused at first with keeping all the characters straight at first, but then I started to understand.

I’ll always read her books no matter what. I feel like I need to say that without a doubt, but I don’t think this was her best.

I didn’t predict the ending, but it wasn’t as shocking as I had hoped it would be for the buildup.

This was the first book I've read by this author but won't be the last.
The book's setting takes place in the south with southern politics and southern mannerisms. Sarah Pekkanen did a great job creating the setting and characters that bring their own personal background stories.The story centers around family secrets and sisters who were all seeking for some truths.
"Family stories are like the old game of telephone. As they get passed along, details blur and change. Embellishments are added."
I feel like the novel has a slow start but about 50% into the book I was sucked into looking for the twists and looking for answers. I do feel this book holds more mystery than thrills but the scenes that played out in the psych ward were chilling.
I didn't see the ending coming. But once it all unraveled it made sense.
Thank you Netgalley for gifting me a complimentary copy. This review and my opinions are exclusively my own.

Sarah Pekkanen is an auto read for me, so when I was graced with an ARC of this book, I was so excited!

Once again, Sarah delivered. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists in this book and I ate it right up, finishing in a little over a day.

I’m a psych nurse in a “locked ward”, so I can be critical of authors when they try to write a book with that setting. But. Sarah hit the mark. You can tell she did her research, down to psych safe items, the kind of patients you might see and the legal lingo. Well done! I especially liked that she called the one to one staff “watchers”, made it feel a certain type of way.

This book kept me on my toes in a whodunnit kind of mystery, with enough red herrings that made you think oh I know where this is going. But hah! Guess again.
The way she wrote about the twin connection kept me enthralled and invested in the fate of both sisters. Sarah’s writing style is just spectacular.

I cannot wait to read her next book!!

Special thanks to netGalley and st. Martins press for giving me the privilege to read and review another one of Sarah Pekkanen’s books!

I have read a few of Sarah Pekkanen books and also the ones written with Greer Hendricks as well! Definitely a treat if you’re love psychological thrillers and suspense! Twins separated a birth, Georgia, accused of committing a murder and locked in a psych ward and the other, Amanda, who has never spoken a word to her sister and who clearly can’t be trusted… but claims to be innocent. From here it’s a mind game of finding out if Georgia is really a murderer or was she framed? SP is truly a hidden gem of an author and I look forward to see more of her books!

Thank you to St.Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book follows sisters as they navigate a murder that has happened. Georgia is locked up in a psychiatric hospital, and reaches out to her long-lost twin sister, Amanda for help. Amanda then tries to figure out what happened, and how she can help Georgia escape her fate in the locked ward.

This was a 2.5 star read for me, and unfortunately, I found it fell a little flat. My biggest complaint was about the pacing in this book - it felt really slow. I also felt like both Amanda and Georgia's character development was very surface level. This book is supposed to be a psychological thriller, but the only psychological part of this story was the fact Georgia was in a psychiatric institution.

I did enjoy the cast of supporting characters and I did not see the twist coming in this book!

I am all in for the twins separated at birth trope. It seems one twin always end up super rich & privileged while the other has a better family life but not much in the way of money or resources, In this case, Georgia was the rich sister & Amanda ended up with the better family, When Georgia gets arrested for murdering her little sister Annabelle she reaches out to her twin Amanda to help her get out of the psych ward. Amanda knows she’s adopted but not that she has a sister out there in the world especially a twin. The mystery of what really happened to Annabelle was engaging and fast paced. I did not see that ending coming. I really liked the characters except for evil Patty and Opal in the psych hospital.

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book.

Compelling psychological thriller about sisters with a unique connection.

Georgia Cartwright is locked up in the psych ward after she’s accused of murdering her younger sister, Annabelle. Pretending to be in a disassociate state, she is desperate to prove her innocence and reaches out to Amanda — her twin. The shock of finding that she has a twin is almost too much for Amanda, owner of a bar, to process, but she tries to wade through all the secrets and lies of Georgia’s wealthy family to find out the truth.

I enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters and the slow reveals about their relationship as well as what happened with Annabelle. Some of it was predictable, but definitely kept be interested and invested. The narrative is told in alternating points of view between Amanda and Georgia. Raised separately, their twinship is an awakening for them both. The other characters were rather one dimensional and it seemed like a few threads were left unanswered, like who were their birth parents, etc. and what about Patty? Anyway, I liked it well enough.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, January LaVoy, did a great job of giving two distinct voices to the twins and even included a fairly convincing southern accent. She always brings te characters in the book to life and her performance enhances my appreciation of the story.

Told from dual point of views, this is a story of two sisters twins actually who didn’t know the other one existed until just recently. One of them is locked in the psych ward of a hospital being accused of murder and the other one is trying to figure out if she deserves to be there while she figures out more about her long, lost twin. This book got a slow start, but by about 30% and it picked up and I was hooked I could not put it down. Lots of twists in an ending that will leave you wanting more.

So so good I couldn't put it down. Quick, short chapters, lots of twists. I thought I knew where this was going but I was completely wrong. I absolutely love this author and can't wait for more books from her.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Sarah Pekkanen, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah Pekkanen does twisty, propulsive, fast-paced novels so well and The Locked Ward is her latest winner! Bar owner Mandy is shocked when she receives a phone call from a public defender, stating that her twin sister, Georgia Cartwright, is asking to see her and is a patient at a psychiatric unit. Mandy, like everyone else, has seen the news about The Cartwright Case. Gorgeous, privileged Georgia, adopted as an infant by the Cartwright family, is accused of killing her sister, Anabelle (the Cartwright's biological daughter). Mandy knew she was adopted but certainly did not know she was a twin, let alone that her twin is Georgia Cartwright. Curiosity gets the better of Mandy and she decides to meet Georgia in the locked unit. There, shockingly, Georgia tells her she has to get her out of there and that she will die otherwise-and of course that she isn't guilty. While Mandy isn't ready to trust Georgia yet, she isn't comfortable leaving her alone in the locked unit-where danger seems to be lurking around every corner. Georgia is subtly giving hints to Mandy, leading Mandy down the most dangerous rabbit hole. Is Georgia a danger to everyone or is she the victim of a wealthy and prominent family who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets? Told in alternating perspectives from Georgia and Mandy, each chapter is short and captivating-I flew through this novel in 2 days. Readers will find themselves staying up late to finish this one-and remember-with Sarah Pekkannen-nothing is as it seem-which makes her books so enticing. 4.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

4.5 Stars ! This was such a good thriller. It was so hard to put down. I liked the premise of the setting in the high security mentally ill ward. It was different than any thrillers I have read lately. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing and I did not see the ending coming. I highly recommend giving this one a read if you enjoy a fast paced suspense novel.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

While this was a pretty quick read with fairly short chapters, I felt like something was missing. Some parts of the story seemed far fetched to me and was hard to keep my attention. I normally really enjoy Sarah Pekkanen, but I think this just wasn’t the book for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to review!

I love love love Sarah Pekkanen’s books. So when I received the email that I was approved for this book, I became excited. Unfortunately this book feel short for me. There were some details throughout the book I wish we had as the reader. The story just didn’t catch my attention and therefore I didn’t really care about the characters. I’m still going to read Sarah Pekkanen’s books. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital copy.

I was completely engrossed in this story! The storyline was captivating, and I found myself unable to put it down. I was very eager to continue reading, and the ending was truly satisfying.

I really enjoyed this one! It’s quick, tense and full of twists and big revelations. Rich politicians always seem to have juicy secrets with the means to cover their tracks and an enormous amount of power, which made this one so riveting. I definitely bounced back and forth on if I thought Georgia was innocent or if she was incredibly good at being deceptive and was guilty - you will have to read it to find out! January LaVoy did an amazing job with the narration on this one. Thanks to St. Martins Press for my ebook and to Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

Started off well, but every twist fell flatter and flatter for me. And I'm pretty sure non-identical twins don't work like that.

Having worked on a locked psych unit before, I was curious how this book was going to be--they honestly did a great job capturing some of the visual depictions and rules of a psych unit to protect patients from themselves---though I'd like to think safety is not quite of an issue as was portrayed here!

The plot centers on fraternal twins who were separated at birth and adopted into very different families: one adopted into a wealthy family filled with little love, and the other adopted into a less well-off family that makes her feel like the center of their universe.

Georgia, our more well-off sister, has been confined to a psychiatric facility and feigning insanity after being accused of murdering her sister Annabelle. She is hoping to buy some time while the truth is uncovered in hopes she'll be set free. Only a couple months prior to this incident, Georgia had discovered her twin sister, Mandy's existence when hiring a private investigator to look into some other family drama. She calls upon her sister's help feeling she is the only one who can help her--and their first time meeting is on the locked ward.

Mandy has recently lost her parents and so is intrigued by this newfound family. Their bond is instantaneous--a felt sense, an innate trust, a shared connection.

Determined to uncover the truth, Mandy poses as someone from Georgia’s past and inserts herself into Georgia’s world. The story unfolds from two perspectives: Georgia inside the institution and Mandy digging into the family's secrets on the outside. Like most psychological thrillers, twists and turns emerge, and you're left questioning everyone's motives.

The ending did turn out to be a shock for me--I always love when I'm not guessing exactly what happens or "I think I know" and then I'm wrong--this was it for me! Though slower to start, LOTS unfolded at the end which made getting to the revelation worth it.

I also loved the way the two different perspectives were written--the style of writing from the perspectives of Georgia and Mandy was different enough that I would know who's chapter it is based on writing style alone--very impressive to me.

Being an identical twin myself, the strong connection between the fraternal twins was carried out quite heavily---sure this is a talked-about phenomenon, but it's really not as strong as laid out here and is more commonly found in identical twins (it's like being a doctor watching Grey's Anatomy, I suppose--where you're left going "yeah right! There's no way that would happen...").

Overall I gave this 4 stars--I liked the read, and found the reveal at the ending quite entertaining! I probably wouldn't bother reading it again, but I would recommend to other readers for a rather quick entertaining read!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review!

Twins, separated at birth. The titular locked ward, where one (Georgia) is being held for...murder. The murder of her *other* sister, the biological child of her adoptive parents. Her rich, southern, adoptive parents.

This is the story of Georgia and Mandy: their birth and separation, the murder, their finding each other, the high stakes sleuthing, the sinister goings on at the institution (not necessarily in that order), and more!

Lots of mustache twirling, everyone's a suspect, whiplash twists. This one will keep you guessing until the very, very end.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub. date 8/5/2025)

I love a dual narrative that builds the story from multiple angles and "The Locked Ward" by Sarah Pekkanen does just that. The story excels at layering in disposition and backstory, while propelling the narrative forward from each side.

Twin baby girls were ripped from one another as newborns and raised in separate adoptive homes, never to be talked about again. As adults, there lives intersect when one is accused of murder and thrust into a psychiatric institution awaiting trial and her estranged twin is the only one that can exonerate her.

Pekkanen masterfully weaves in dichotomic themes—rich vs poor, mentally well vs mentally ill, authentic vs inauthentic—organically exposing each one from start to finish. I was captured off the bat by the concept of a wealthy woman, imprisoned against her will, having to put all of her faith and trust in her sister, whom she has never consciously met. This basis provides for an intriguing and entertaining ride, sprinting to a violent end spiraling out of control.

Some of the characters felt worn and common, and the ending fell slightly flat for me. And as it goes on, I struggled a little bit with believability but that's not necessarily the point. Overall, I read this novel very quickly and enjoyed the experience.

"The Locked Ward" puts wealth invincibility to the test, staging a showdown of resources and reality.

Thank you to Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin's Press, & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my authentic review.