I will read anything Sarah Pekkanen publishes. I still have previous titles I haven't read by her that I need to get on my list. The Locked Ward was another fantastic, suspenseful book that truly had me turning page after page until the story was done. She is a master at suspense and twists. Also, I'm a sucker for anything that's set in a psych hospital or psychiatric ward. No idea why, but that particular setting always seems to make things that much more suspenseful.

Read this one. You won't be disappointed.
Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

With the intriguing cover and premise, I was looking forward to reading this.
Pros: Easy, fast read with incredibly short chapters that alternate between Mandy and Georgia. Always ending in a cliffhanger way that make you want to keep reading. It's somewhat twisty yet not very surprising.
Cons: Felt like yet another rich people are awful storyline. Very slow paced, even with the short chapters it felt boring at times. The story was farfetched and I had difficulty caring about any of the characters.
Middle of the road for my rating since I did want to know what happened.

This is a huge miss, and I would not have finished it if it had not been a NetGalley ARC. Zero engaging narrative and incredibly boring. Skip it.

Sarah Pekkanen is one of my go to writers so I was very happy to receive the ARC of her new upcoming book. Also I had also received an ARC of her other recent book, House of Glass. I thought this book was awesome. So if you read the blurb, Georgia is the adopted daughter of a very influential family with ties to Senator’s etc. But as soon as she is adopted her mother finds out she is pregnant so she really was not thrilled to have adopted her. In any event the biological sister is only a few months younger and their relationship is very difficult but on Annabelle’s 32nd birthday party Georgia is accused of killing Annabelle, hence the locked ward. Now we find out that Georgia has found out she has a twin sister named Amanda but likes to be called Mandy. Mandy receives a call from an attorney who notifies her about this and says Georgia needs to see her. Now Mandy has no clue that she has a twin sister but of course is aware of Georgia’s situation. It has been all over the news Her adoptive parents have passed away so she cannot ask them if she was a twin. But she goes and meets her at the psychiatric ward and it is revealed they are twins. From that point on the story alternates between Georgia and Mandy who Georgia needs Mandy desperately to help prove she did not murder Annabelle The chapters were quick and once I opened this book I could not put it down till the major twist at the end. I thought this book was awesome. I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and I want to thank them for this ARC. If you like psychological thrillers with twists and turns then when it becomes available you should read it or try and request an ARC from NetGalley. No spoilers here.

This book included all my favorite components: mental health and psychological twists, mystery, suspense. It had me wrapped in from the start and I read it in 3 evenings. I highly recommend this author and the book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. I felt like there were some unanswered questions at the end and maybe that was a setup for book 2? Anyhow, I give this book 5 stars.

Sarah Pekkanen knows how to deliver a thriller! Just like in “House of Glass,” her characters in “The Locked Ward” are interesting and complex, and the pacing keeps you engaged and on the edge of your seat. I was disappointed that a couple of plot points weren’t fully explained and the ending, although satisfying, felt rushed. Overall, though, I highly recommend this if you like suspenseful thrillers.

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

Wow!!! I just finished reading THE LOCKED WARD by Sarah Pekkanen, and all I want to do is google her other books so I can read them immediately. This book had everything I love in a great suspense thriller… just enough hints, a few red herrings, and fantastic writing. I loved it.

I liked how the narrator voice alternated chapters between Georgia and Amanda. It allowed the reader to really take a nice peek into the mind of both MCs. I did find it a tiny bit odd how Georgia’s chapters were in 2nd person pov (using “you” instead of “I”.”) I also wish there hadn’t been QUITE as many clues to what I think was supposed to be a big reveal in the last chapter regarding Amanda’s past.

But despite those small criticisms, I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in a day. If you like smart strong female MCs, and twisty plots… The Locked Ward definitely should be on your TBR list.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Release Date Aug 5, 2025

Thank you to the publisher for an arc of this book.

I normally don’t go for thrillers too often but the idea of a girl locked up in a psych ward for the murder of her sister and her long lost twin sister having to uncover the real killer was too good to pass up.

I really enjoyed this story and the secrets we unfolded throughout. The whole book had a slightly spooky feel like someone was always watching over your shoulder similar to what the characters were experiencing. I do think there could have been one or two more big family secrets or that the ending could have had a more drawn out explanation, but I did not predict the ending so I was happy with that. There was a few loose ends that could have been addressed and I would’ve liked a little more detail in the last 20% of the book. A bomb was dropped on us at the very end so I’m wondering if we’ll see more from Mandy and Georgia or if that was just to shock the readers. This was my first book by this author and I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.

I loved this book. It was a mysterious yet suspense filled story. I will be recommending this to all of my fellow readers. It's an awesome read! It would be terrific for book club!

Exceptionally good novel with suspense and surprises galore. Easy to read, impossible to put down. Move to the top of your TBR list.

⭐️: 4.5/5

Imagine you were adopted and always believed you were an only child. One day, while watching the news, you see a segment about a woman who has killed her own sister. Suddenly, there’s a knock on your door, and a lawyer informs you that his client, the “murderer,” wishes to speak with you. It turns out she is your twin sister, from whom you were separated at birth.

The Locked Ward is a gripping story featuring complex characters intricately woven into a web of family secrets. It is dark, emotional, and filled with unhinged family dynamics.

This was one of the twistiest books I’ve read in a while. Describing it as a psychological thriller would be an understatement. The short chapters made it nearly impossible to set down.

The ending was perfect; I never would have seen it coming. I was left with my mind blown and questioning my own sanity. 🤯


✨Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

It ended and I feel lost. Another brilliant book that meets my high expectations! I would give it more stars if I could. The story is a true page turning thriller.

What would happen if you were put into the Locked Ward? You know how they say the walls have ears? Well it is true here. Trust nobody and do not trust your own eyes. People tells stories and they change your actual memory.. The last 10% got me good. No spoilers but Patty was the one who bothered me big time
Bravo bravo

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. This is my first book from Sarah Pekkannen and I really enjoyed reading the story. I found the story very intriguing. I wanted to keep reading to found out who murderer was. I thought this story had good twisted and turns to it. I will say the actual writing was different (from the two main characters point of view), in that one twin spoke in first person, while the other twin spoke in second person.

Give me a psych ward ANY DAY. Books about psychology is my absolute jam. The Locked Ward definitely took a turn I wasn't expecting. I think there were a few loose ends at the end of the book, but it was an overall quick and enjoyable read.

This psychological thriller is a tightly woven, suspenseful journey set within the eerie confines of a locked psychiatric facility. The protagonist’s descent into doubt and fear is both chilling and emotionally resonant. The story is filled with sharp twists, a haunting atmosphere, and just the right dose of emotional complexity. A fast-paced, immersive read that will keep you questioning what’s real until the very end.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen and St Martin’s Press for the free ebook In exchange for an honest review.

This was a very easy, fast paced and twisty read. I loved the locked ward aspect and the separated sisters at birth made it that much better. This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it was a good thriller nonetheless.

The Locked Ward is an entertaining, quick thriller with a strong start and a creative approach. The beginning of this book had me fully hooked. This might be an unpopular opinion but I love when there is an unreliable narrator! So, I was instantly drawn into the story and couldn’t wait to see where it was going. I also really appreciated the unique format and writing style. It felt fresh and made the reading experience more engaging.
As the plot unfolded, though, things started to feel a bit too predictable. I found myself guessing most of the twists pretty early, which took away some of the suspense. That said, it was still a solid read with a great pace and some interesting themes around mental health.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC of The Locked Ward.

I had seen some different opinions on this one so wasn’t sure how I would feel when reading it. By no means was this a jaw dropping, 5 star read but I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for their next read!

The short addictive chapters made it hard to put down as I tried to piece together what really happened to Annabell.

The chapters alternate between the two twins point of views one told in first person and one in second. This was a super unique choice and I loved how it played into the story. Ive never read anything like it.

This one is more of a mystery than a thriller but I really enjoyed it and didn’t find it at all predictable.

Another great book hitting shelves this summer! Add this to your TBR and watch for its release!!

2.75/5

To me, this book was very slow and lacked the gripping moments you usually find in a thriller. I struggled to leaned into the ''investigation'' part of it and even though the author used double POVs, shorts chapters, as well as using second person narration (very unsual, but kinda worked here) to engage the reader I did not care for the characters. I aslo found out the killer basically when the murder was introduced and so, for these reasons, it fell flats for me. To be honest, I pushed myself to finish it because it was an ARC but otherwise, I would have put it down and might have come back years later because I refuse to DNF a book (controversial, I know).

* This eARC was kindly provided to me by St Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *

The suspenseful writing kept me reading this book way after my bedtime. Jumping back and forth between the sisters was simultaneously frustrating and exciting. And it built up to a great ending.