Georgia who was adopted as newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her family. Now she is locked in a psychiatric institution while she awaits trial.
Will her twin sister, that didn’t even know she existed, be able to help her?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What amazing thriller this was. One point the hopelessness was almost too much. What would you do if you had no one on your side. It is the such a horrible feeling.

The plot kept me guessing and the end twists were perfect. There was just little bit of dragging in the middle but that point I was so invested to know how the story end so I couldn’t stop reading.

This was my first book by this author and it sure won’t be my last! I loved the back and forth between character point of views and I did not see this twist coming until closer to the end! The “Angel of death” character included in the story was perfectly creepy. I loved the pacing of this one and will definitely recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this thriller that tells of a young woman looked up an institution for a murder she did not do, and her twin sister who has never known that she had any siblings trying to determine how many secrets can one life hold.

My brother and I have had our share of problems over the years, but I know that we love each other in our own special ways. One of these is that he trusts me to look after his children, something that my babysitting skills of him should give him pause. I do remember once saying If you are going to die, do it after Transformers. So I guess he trusts me. My brother has known me all his life. So I understand siblings and the bond that is between them. However is their a bond between sisters if they have never meet? What happens when the first meeting is in an institution that seems out of of the Victorian era, or even Arkham, Massachusetts. Are there ties that bind, to are their ties that make one believe the lies. The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen is a story of murder, old money, older rage, how systems can be corrupted, and what does a sibling owe another, especially one they never knew existed.

Amanda is trying to get by in this new stage of her life. Once Amanda, known as Mandy had a job in PR firm, with respect and trust, and a sense of purpose. Now Amanda runs her deceased parents bar, and feeling lost. Mandy has been causally following the story of Georgia Cartwright, the adopted daughter of an old and powerful family, who has been accused of killing her sibling. The case is all over the news and Mandy is soon a part of it as it turns out that Mandy and Georgia are identical sisters, separated at birth. Mandy is asked by Georgia's lawyer to meet her new sister and Mandy does so not knowing what to expect. What she finds is a woman she quickly knows is her sisiter, and in a place out of a horror novel. Georgia tells her new sister, that she is innocent, and that it is a plot to either make her made, or even worse to have her killed. Georgia begs Mandy to help her, as everyone else has given up, or is being paid off. Mandy begins to investigate wondering why she and her sister were separated, and who profits from Georgia's incarceration or death. Soon it becomes clear that there are powerful forces against her, and that Georgia's life is not the only one at risk.

A fun novel, a beach read full of thrills, twists and turns. The story moves fast, with short chapters that keep things going, and never letting readers go hey wait a minute. The story has a lot of atmosphere, especially in the place that Georgia is locked up, a mix of Batman's Arkham Asylum, and the place in Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion. The characters are well developed which helps make things believable, and aid the story when things get a little odd. Pekkanen has a nice style a little removed, but can insert a twist, or a jump scare right when the story calls for it. One can easily see this as a streaming film. A great read for those summer days by the pool, or enjoying the air conditioner.

Unfortunately, this fell flat for me. It was predictable from the first few chapters. However, that being said, this was a fun read.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

OMG wow this book was so good I loved the institution setting and then trying to solve the murder while not falling victim of the space. This book was a wild ride and I cant wait to own the physical copy and re read this. Wow this book I just cant get over how it was almost atmospheric but in a building.

This was a solid psychological thriller. I liked how the narrative went back and forth between the characters, and I particularly enjoyed Georgia’s use of the second person, since I rarely see that.

This was another good thriller from Ms. Pekkanen. Thank you for the advanced copy to read and review. Georgia is in the psych/locked ward and contacts her sister, Mandy (who didn't know they were sisters!) with hopes of helping her get out and cleared of charges. This two POV format is quite compelling if alittle longer than I liked but it kept me engaged. The POV of Georgia was in the 2nd person and being as such as clever and creepy as it gave the reader a perspective of being IN the locked ward and experiencing what Georgia was going through there. Overall, a decent thriller with surprise twist at the end which I'm still sitting on. 3 1/2 star read for me. This author's books are always at least a good reading time for me.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of “The Locked Ward” in exchange for a review.

This isn’t my first Sarah Pekkanen novel, but I’m sad to report that I think it’s my least favorite.

What I liked:
Short, quick chapters that kept the pacing speedy
The tense/mysterious vibes stayed consistent

What I didn’t love:
Georgia’s storyline was told on third person, and I thought it would lead to a twist or reason at the end, and it just…didn’t. Maybe it was the disassociation of the locked ward? Idk it was just distracting
The epilogue felt like an unnecessary “twist” with no real purpose or weight on the story
We jumped from past to present in Georgia’s storyline often, and there was no clear delineation that made parts harder to follow
Peripheral characters seemed tossed in to make the whodunnit harder to suspect, but it left storylines unfinished and confusing

Overall, it was entertaining enough in the moment, but it wouldn’t be a thriller I’d recommend.

Wow! This book ended with a twist i never suspected. I was captured from the first chapter. A few grammatical errors but overall I would definitely recommend this book to others.

The Locked Ward" had a gripping beginning that immediately pulled me in with its intense premise. However, as the story progressed, it didn’t offer the same level of suspense and intrigue I had come to expect from her previous books. While the pacing slowed down a bit, it still maintained a solid narrative. Overall, I would recommend it to fans of her work.

I have enjoyed this author in the past so I was excited to get an advance copy of this book. It tells the story of 2 sisters, twins, who didn't know the other exsisted until one is accused of murdering a third sister. She is now being kept in a "locked ward" and the sister on the outside is pulled into helping her sister....we as the reader didn't know who to trust. I liked the "twin bonds" that are described in the book...lots of twists along the way, especially the end. A great, well written thriller.

I was highly anticipating this book after reading Glass Houses by Sarah Pakkanen, but it wasn't as good. Georgia wakes in a psychiatric ward after learning she murdered her younger sister. Georgia was adopted into a wealthy family, so maybe it's revenge? Is she crazy or is she a murderer? Neither option seem great and so Georgie reaches out to the twin sister she has never met, Amanda (Mandy). Family issues, sibling rivalry, twins who have never met, and a whirlwind of twists and turns made this an interesting read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7361348324
Thanks to Sarah Pekkanen and St Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The Locked Ward is a fast paced psychological thriller, alternating povs between twin sisters separated at birth and raised by different families. As the story unfolds, we learn the truth about Georgia and Mandy’s complicated past and upbringings and why Georgia reached out to Mandy for help after being locked up in a psych ward for murdering her other sister. I greatly enjoyed reading this book and found myself hooked from the first chapter, not wanting to put it down because I needed to know how this story was going to end. I found the plot twist at the end to be a complete surprise that I did not see coming at all. I highly recommend The Locked Ward to all psychological thriller readers, it is definitely at the top of my list this year.

Georgia has been accused of murdering her sister. The only way she knows to protect herself, is by pretending to be insane to keep her out of prison.

According to Georgia, she’s innocent. She reaches out to Mandy, her long lost twin sister that doesn’t even know that Georgia exist. She tells Mandy, 'you have to help me or they’re going to kill me.'

Sarah Pekkanen is one of my favorite authors. I was honored to be chosen to be an ARC reader for her upcoming book. 

My biggest take away from The Locked Ward is, you can tell this author knows what she’s doing. It felt a very formula thriller. Which is great, but also slightly disappointing. The overall story and revealed twists were predictable. I still left the book feeling entertained.

The character building of the story is really the best part of the book. Both characters were well built with unique voices. I enjoyed the short, fast, paced structure of the book that kept me reading. It made this book hard to put down once you started.

My only real gripe with the format is it was the way it was written. It was written between two points of view, Georgia and Mandy. One was first person and one was second person. I’m not sure why the author chose to write like that? It not only was unnecessary, but it was actually distracting as a reader. It stood out way more than I would have thought. If you know why an author would do that, please let me know on the comments below because I’m baffled.

Overall, I feel this is a very strong, basic three star thriller. A great plane read. I would recommend this book to friends, but I’m not sure I would remember what the actual book is about. If asked, I would see the author and say, “yeah everything she writes is great.”

Amazon Link - The Locked Ward By: Sarah Pekkanen

Stats: 320 pages - Expected publication August 5, 2025

**Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fast-paced page turner about the bonds of estranged twins and how messed up the rich and powerful are. I read it within two evenings and found myself staying up to get to the next chapter and see what happens.
Mandy and Georgia are estranged twins who just find out that the other exists. Mandy is wrenched out of her daily existence of running her deceased parents bar by a phone call from a lawyer about the imprisonment in a psychiatric ward of her veryyyyy wealthy twin sister, Georgia. The lawyer and Georgia want Mandy's help in proving Georgia's innocence in the murder of her adopted sister.
Phew, what a mouthful! Is Georgia a psychopath, playing Mandy to be released from prison? Will Mandy regret meeting and attempting to help her sister? And how far will the very wealthy go to protect their own interests???
Didn't really break new ground as far as psychological thrillers go, but I was entertained.

The Locked Ward
Sarah Pekkanen
08/05/2025
St. Martin’s Press

Sarah Pekkanen - this is a banger. Every book you have written or co-written just seems to get better! The Locked Ward is best going in blind, so avoid spoilers. Just know that there will be plenty of perfectly placed red herrings on this journey! Told between two alternating POV’s with two unreliable characters - Mandy, who owns a bar and recently lost her parents and Georgia, a wealthy socialite accused of murder - the reader follows these to women finding out how they and their families are connected. The novel delves into complex themes like family dynamics, politics, wealth and power, and the deep, often complicated bond between sisters, especially twins.

This book grabbed my attention right from the start. Sarah Pekkanen's portrayal of a mental hospital ward is unmatched. The eerie mix of unsettling tension and the complexities of misunderstood individuals make a challenging environment to maintain your sanity. I genuinely believe Sarah did her research while writing this novel; it felt like I was right there on the locked ward with Georgia from the very first page. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. It’s a nail-biting, can't-put-it-down story that keeps you hooked until the very end. So, prepare for a thrilling ride!

This author is hit or miss for me, and The Locked Ward landed somewhere in the middle. The premise was intriguing, and there were moments of strong storytelling, but parts of the book felt uneven, and I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I’d hoped. It had some compelling moments, but overall, it didn’t fully pull me in the way I wanted it to.

I was really excited to read The Locked Ward because I loved House of Glass, but this one was just ok for me. The story begins with Georgia waking up locked in a mental ward of a hospital after she has been accused of murdering her little sister.

The only person Georgia wants to speak with is Mandy, who we find out is her twin sister. They were each adopted by two different families and this is the first Mandy is hearing about a twin sister. Georgia wants Mandy to help prove her innocence, so we spend a lot of the book navigating the mystery of what actually happened, all the while watching at Georgia and Mandy get to know each other.

My main issue with the book is that the lead up to the ending was SO overly dramatic but left SO many unanswered questions. Between Patty, Josh, Opal, Kyle... every one of these storylines is basically left unfinished. Why have all these storylines with these side characters, and just abandon them to a lackluster climax?

Overall, it started off really strong but just lost it at the end. I do still recommend giving it a try as I really do like Sarah Pekkanen a lot. Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars

This was a true popcorn thriller, a quick bingeable read with a twisty narrative! I really enjoyed the short chapters & alternating POVs. I really appreciated the uniqueness of this novel.

The story revolves around Georgia & Mandy. Georgia wakes up and finds that she is locked in an asylum after being arrested for murdering her sister, Annabelle. Mandy may be the only one who can save her, but how?

I recommend going into this book knowing only that- the twists and turns are so much more enjoyable when discovered on your own!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion! All thoughts are my own.

The locked ward was suspenseful thriller. I can't say enough how much I loved this book. I would recommend this one. I would give it 5 out of 5 stars. Probably in my top 5 books for 2025