The Locked Ward fell flat for me. The back and forth between the two characters broke up the flow of the story.
I did not care for either Georgia or Mandy… twins separated at birth. Georgia was willing to put her sisters life in danger to save herself and Mandy had this unexplained rage that was never really fleshed out.
There was also multiple times when either of the sitters was in the edge of danger(esp Georgia) that … whew… someone saved them. Seemed like a lazy plot point.
Of course there was a few big twists that this genre depends on … but they were predictable and unoriginal.
Thanks net galley for this arc that allowed me to read and review this book in advance.

Sarah Pekkanen is such a beautifully talented writer, and this book is no different. Her way with words is incredible and this book took me on a rollercoaster ride. I was thrilled to have been granted the opportunity to read this book.

Super interesting and unique concept for a psychological thriller!

Georgia is put into a mental institution under the impression that she killed her sister. Mandy gets a call from Georgia’s lawyer, telling her that they’re long-lost twins.

The book goes back and forth between the two women’s POV’s, but Georgia’s is set in second person.

The beginning of the book was a bit confusing as it leaves a lot for you to wonder about, and it took about 40% to finally feel like something worthwhile was happening. But I really liked it once it picked up and it fully had me sucked in!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I saved The Locked Ward on my ereader for a day when I knew I could absolutely block out the real world and fall into one of my absolute favorite author's fiction; worlds. I am glad I waited a little bit because I could not put her latest novel down!! So so so so good!!! Twins separated at birth!! Insanity, murder, family drama! Twists, twists, and more twists! The Locked Ward is classic Sarah Pekkanen, taken to the nth degree! Highly recommend!!!!

Thank you NetGalley & St Martins Press for the ARC! Sarah Pekkanen is an auto read for me and I'm so grateful for this copy!

When Georgia Cartwright gets locked up in a psychiatry ward, there's only one person she wants to see and it's someone she's never even met.
Amanda receives this call not believing what she's hearing, she's an only child. How can she possibly have a sister?
Through Amanda, Georgia fights to prove her innocence. She did NOT kill her sister and she should NOT be locked up here.

I love a good murder mystery but throw in some crazy family dynamics that unfold and it makes for a thrilling read. There were so many twists I did not see coming and the dual POV from the two sisters was exciting. There were a few plot points that made me want more, but it was an otherwise fantastic read! I can't wait for everyone to get their hands on this later this year.

A thrilling novel that leads you through a web of deceit, long-lost family, and more. Pekkanen does a great job of showing two sides of this twisted story and keeps you asking, did she do it?

The story revolves around twin sisters who were separated at birth. Georgia is the adopted daughter of a wealthy Southern family, while Amanda lived a quiet life with her parents and is now the owner of her local bar. When Georgia is accused of killing the biological daughter of her parents, she is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. Insisting she is innocent, Georgia makes a desperate attempt to connect with her estranged twin sister and asks her to help set her free by finding the true killer.

Determined to help, Amanda immerses herself in a world foreign to her in an attempt to help save her sister and seek the truth.

This well-crafted thriller hooks you from the first page and propels you through a book you won't want to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read such a thrilling ARC from one of my favorite authors in exchange for my feedback and review!

Obsessed is an understatement!

As a girlie who has read a lot of thrillers, it’s hard to impress me anymore and this one completely delivered.

I loved how easy it was to get through, I didn’t see a lot of the twists coming and the characters were really unreliable and unhinged. I recommend going into this one completely blind and seeing where it takes you!

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐈𝐟…
✨you’re in a reading slump
✨you like a book with multiple twists
✨you need a book to binge in a day

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🫶🏻thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC
🚨pub date: Aug 5/25

WOW!! The Locked Ward was a fabulous twisty, fast paced thriller with an ending that I did not see coming. I just kept flipping pages and telling myself that I would just read one more chapter but just couldn’t put this book down. Sarah Pekkanen just keeps getting better and has become a favorite author, I can hardly wait for her next thriller. . Highly recommend!

Thank you to St, Martins Press, Sarah Pekkanen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC of The Locked Room.

Sarah Pekkanen never disappoints and The Locked Ward is no different!

This thriller kept me on my toes the entire story with so many twist and turns. Honestly, there wasn’t a chapter that didn’t make me feel anxious - as all good thrillers should!

Five stars!

I love Sarah Pekkanen books and automatically wanted to read this one. Her psychological thrillers are great. I thought this was interesting because it has family drama, a who done it and much more. I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read. Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my review.

Thank you St. Martin’s for the ARC!

I’ve been a big fan of Sarah’s past two releases, this wasn’t my favorite of her’s but it did keep me engaged and guessing. I feel like it was missing something, and there were some loose ends that I wish there was more resolution to, not just glossed over at the end. (Patti, Opal). Some scenes could have been expanded, the picnic date, that whole story line with the son.. I have questions.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sarah Pekkanen and St Martin’s press for the ARC and opportunity to review this book. It really was a fast paced page turner. While a few twists were predictable the author did a great job of wrapping the storyline up. I really enjoyed the way Mandy’s character grew through the story and the way she fought to protect her loved ones. Another great read from this author.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

* Tropes/themes:
* Murder
* Toxic families
* Twins (separated at birth) (twin connection)
* Secrets
* Dual POVs (one in second person POV)
* Short chapters
* Psych ward
* Corrupt healthcare workers/angel of death
* Poor institutional care
* Wealth and classism
* Another amazing book by Sarah Pekkanen.
* Suspenseful, tense, and super twisty.
* Engaging.
* Kept me on my toes and I never knew who I could trust or who the actual killer was.
* Made me wonder what I would do in that situation.
* Some small things were a bit predictable but most of it wasn’t.
* The ending was super satisfying but it did wrap things up very nicely.
* I could see this being an awesome movie.
* A little far-fetched.
* Binge-worthy
* Content warnings:
* Murder
* Death
* Death of parents
* Death of child
* Attempted suicide
* Classism
* Rape
* Stalking/obsession
* Infidelity
* Disassociation/mental illness
* Child abuse
* Confinement

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen was my first read by this author; however, it will not be my last! The Locked Ward is a fast-paced psychological thriller from a dual POV: Georgia and Mandy. I loved how the author demonstrates how twins who were separated at birth can have similar personality traits. Thank you Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for ARC.

I enjoyed the plot and execution of the book, I felt like it was a little long though. There was a lot of things that I feel like were just thrown in. A lot
Of characters to keep up with as well. 3.5-4 stars

I may or may not have squealed when I got the ARC email for this book. When it comes to thrillers, Sarah Pekkanen knows what she is doing, and this book was no exception. Shortly after discovering she has a twin sister, Mandy, whom different parents adopted at birth, Georgia is institutionalized after being accused of murdering her adoptive sister, Annabelle. Georgia realizes she has no one else to turn to for help, so she reaches out to Mandy with the hope of proving her innocence. Mandy is forced to choose between helping her newly discovered sister or sticking to her quiet life running her parents' bar.
This book reeled me in from the first chapter. Some aspects were a little outrageous, but what thriller isn’t? I found it to have the perfect mix of expected and unexpected twists. While I enjoyed the short chapters and alternating POV between Georgia and Mandy, I didn't love the second-person POV used for Georgia. Overall, 4.5/5 stars for me. I definitely would recommend!

The Locked Ward is set to be published on August 5, 2025. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Sarah Pekkanen for my ARC!

The first couple chapters of this book almost lost me. I didn't find the backstory very believable with two adult twins that have never met each other or know that the other exist in the context of one being placed on a psychiatric ward for killing the sister she grew up with. The writing in the first couple of chapters was also choppy and had poor flow, but it did pick up. I did get hooked on the story with the quick chapters and the never ending twists/new info coming about. I didn't figure out the major twist at the end but did catch onto a few of the others.

3/5

TRIGGER WARNING: Rape

First off- I am a huge Sarah Pekkanen fan! Thank you for my digital copy for an honest review! This was a solid read, as always. I love the dual POV between the two sisters: Georgia, who is accused of murder and Mandy, who tries to find out who’s responsible while also learning secrets from her past. With high society players involved and the stakes being even higher, can Mandy figure out what really happened or is Georgia spinning a twisty tale of deceit? I was hooked from page one.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Georgia was adopted as a baby by a rich couple in Charlotte, but then her parents had a biological daughter, Annabelle, shortly after. Annabelle was clearly the favorite and Georgia was the outcast. Annabelle is killed at her own birthday party and Georgia is the main suspect. She ends up in a psychiatric ward rather than prison. From the psych ward, she calls Amanda, who she informs at the first visit is her twin. Amanda, is shocked because she knew she was adopted into a great and loving family, but they never said anything about her having a twin. Now that her parents are dead, she can't ask any questions about her background, but she believes she and Georgia are twins and she agrees to help Georgia clear her name.

I knocked this book out pretty quickly on a long day of travel. I was engaged in the story and wanting to know what had really gone on both with Annabelle's murder and all those years ago to split up Georgia and Amanda. There wasn't that total shock moment in this one that you get in some of this author's other novels, but overall it was a good read and everything was explained and wrapped up nicely. I like this author and will definitely read more from her.

How would you feel if you found out you had a long-lost twin? How would you feel if you found she’s been charged with murdering her adoptive sister? And now she wants to meet…

Told in a duel POV from the twin sisters, Mandy tries to help Georgia prove her innocence before someone figures out how to kill Georgia.

I love to read thrillers. I have not read one of Pekkanen’s books before but I’ve heard good things. I enjoyed the characters in this book but I was not wowed by the ending and the suspense was lackluster. The short chapters and author’s writing did, however, keep me engaged enough until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Sarah Pekkanen for the ARC. All opinions and comments are my own.