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

The wealthy socialite Georgia Cartwright is accused of murder and locked in a psychiatric institution. Her only way out? Asking her twin sister to find out what really happened and get her out before it’s too late. The only problem is that her twin, Amanda, has no idea she exists until their fateful first meeting. While Amanda doesn’t fully trust Georgia, she can’t help but be pulled into her web and the mystery of who’s really responsible for murder before they kill someone else.

This was… fine. It was like eating a meal you’ve tasted before. Maybe not revolutionary, but satisfying enough and worth finishing. I’ve read a lot of Sarah Pekkanen’s books and I don’t think this is the best of the best, but I was entertained. I did find the person POV distracting at times, and overall wanted a little bit more.

My very first ARC book! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the copy!

This book hooked me from the very beginning and left me guessing the entire way. Loved the short chapters and the way seeds were planted, knowing what what’s said or done was important but having to wait for the why.
Highly recommend this book, quick read.

First you have Georgia, whose adopted family dynamics was interesting to say the least. Then you have Amanda, who sadly lost her adoptive parents. Both are living extremely different lives, but I love the way everything came together.

Overall I found this book a very solid thriller, that I would recommend to thriller lovers and those wanting to get into thrillers.

I’m pretty sure I’ve read all of this authors books, even ones she has co authored. I would have to say this is one of my favorites. I love that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. Because of this, I could hardly put it down.

The idea of having a twin you know nothing about was intriguing enough. Add in the fact she was accused of murdering the daughter of the family she was adopted into you have a hit. Having chapters in both points of view was in of my favorite aspects of this book.

The beginning started off great, shortly after things changed. There were many plot holes in this story, unnecessary characters and just so much time with nothing going on. I found it really hard to finish this one.

The Locked Ward was an excellent read! It's been a while since I've read a well written and suspenseful plot. Pekkanen carefully wove a story together with many red herrings. She tied up all loose ends by the end of the novel, which is a delight! It wasn't the typical story line and was refreshing to read a new idea. The way Pekkanen built the story line was excellent and exciting. It got very hard to put down, especially the last 1/4 of it. By that point, I'm usually bored and ready for things to end, but it wasn't the case with The Locked Ward. Highly recommend!

First, I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sarah Pekkanen for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen is a fast-paced psychological thriller filled with unreliable characters and unpredictable twists. Told from dual POVs, the story centers around two sisters seeking to uncover truth in a web of lies. It explores themes of family dynamics/relationships, wealth/power, and the complex bonds of sisterhood and the twin connection.

The short chapters keep the story moving quickly, making it an engaging and easy read. The plot constantly keeps you guessing, with surprising twists that keep you on edge.

Highly recommend this read to anyone looking for an unpredictable, unputdownable read!

✨️Review✨️
The Locked Ward by: Sarah Pekkanen
5/5 🌙's

Overview: Georgia has always been the bad sister. The one no one wanted. It's always been about Annabelle the perfect daughter. That is until Annabelle dies. Now the news talks about Georgia. Her mean streak has just continued.

Thoughts: This book kept my attention from the very beginning. The way that Sarah captured a ward in a mental hospital is unparalleled. I used to work at our state mental hospital and the creepy crawly mixed with the misunderstood it is a hard place to stay sane. I truly believe that Sarah did her homework while writing this book. I felt like I was on the locked ward with Georgia from the very beginning. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a mystery. This is a nail biting hooked until the end type of story. So buckle up.



Many thanks to netgally, st. Martin's press, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure in reading. all opinions are my own.
Publish date: 8/5/25

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
This is a very good family mystery that I found hard to put down.
Two women find out they are twins, one of whom is in a mental hospital and the other one gets swept up in helping her newfound twin stay out of jail.
There are some really interesting twists and turns and the ending is excellent. I really enjoyed this book.

Perfectly suspenseful. I never would've seen the end coming. This is the first I've read of this author, and it certainly won't be the last after reading this one! Have already recommended to several of my friends!

I’ve always loved this author; she’s amazing. This book is very good, but it’s not the best of hers by far. The writing style was good, and the plot kept me interested, though it didn’t have many shocking surprises. Overall, it was a very good story, and I would recommend it.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah Pekkanen is an auto buy for me so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Locked Ward. I flew through it in less than 24 hours. Georgia Cartwright is accused of murdering her younger sister, Annabelle and has pleaded insanity. Locked in a psychiatric ward, the only request Georgia has is for her lawyer to contact, Mandy, a twin sister who has no idea Georgia even exists but who ultimately is the only one who can save her. I loved the family drama, the murder mystery, the sister bond and the setting of this story. The ending is one I didn’t see coming. Bravo yet again Sarah!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Twins separated at birth?! Rich people drama?! Messy relationships?! What's not to like! This book was FANTASTIC. While I did guess the very last twist at the end, that didn't take away from my enjoyment. I can't reccomend this enough.

Georgia is accused of killing her sister. Georgia recently discovered she has a twin sister out there in the world. They were separated at birth. Georgia knows the only person to help her is this sister she has never met.
I love Sarah Pekkanen but this just didn't work for me. The Locked Ward did get my attention at first. But then it just turned in to a story that should have been over way sooner than it was. I didn't really care for any of the characters or storyline as the story progressed.
I will always be grateful for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Special thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen, and St. Martin's Press. 3 stars for me.

“You soak it all in and think about how often the tales we tell ourselves are fictions. We’re both the unreliable narrator and the gullible listener in our own life stories”

I love this quote from the book!

🏥I stayed up late for this one! What a thrilling story of two women who didn’t find out they were sisters until adulthood. Georgia is in the hospital’s locked ward and in custody for the murder of her sister. She seeks out Amanda, the biological twin sister she just found out about, and begs her to help. Georgia pleads to Amanda for help; she didn’t do it. Or did she? Amanda has to decide if she believes Georgia enough to want to help her.

🏥The intricate details Pekkanen infuses into this story are so believable, yet so thrillingly off the charts with psychological madness! I don’t know how she does it, but she accomplishes it every time. The family dynamics are heartfelt and learning of each of the twin’s lives apart since birth are gut-wrenching. This has happened before and that is why I find it so interesting.

🏥Twisty and full of turns in all of the unhinged psychological thriller directions we love, this book is already my number one thriller this year.

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

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was a highly engaging thriller with a unique concept.

This is my second book I’ve read from this Author and wow was it good. Hard to put down, had me in suspense and then the end 🤯. I guess you can’t really trust anyone, if you like twist I highly recommend you read this. Loved how short the chapters were and the different pov’s between both sisters.