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.

I highly recommend this to any thriller lover. Gripping and "unputdownable".

It really has everything, sibling rivalry, twin connection, wealth, psych wards, family relationships.

My friend recommended this as a read now ARC and I'm so glad I did because I will be recommending to everyone.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it to be very compelling. It came with complex characters and a great storyline. The premise started off really strong and it came with a well rounded ending. While I liked the dual point of views in the book, I found it to be different, because one was written in first person, while the other point of view was in second person.

I love short chapters so this was such an easy read. A lot of complicated and messed up family dynamics in this one. Nothing like being accused of murdering your younger sister and hoping your estranged twin (who you didn’t know about a month ago) can clear your name while you are in a psychiatric facility.

Not a lot happens in this book, while a lot is going on at all times. Easy 4 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of The Locked Ward. All opinions in this review are my own.

This was an amazing book with shocking twists as answers are uncovered and finally revealed. It has all the elements if a great psychological thriller.

I loved “House of Glass” and was really anticipating this book but something just fell short for me. I would say this is somewhere between a 3-4. I was intrigued and just confused enough to want to know what was happening. The ending was an interesting twist but also a bit predictable. Also there were side stories that didn’t feel like they were needed and some character developments that needed to be flushed out a bit more. Finally, the switch to second person in Georgia’s chapters never really made sense to me.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins press for an early copy.

The Locked Ward absolutely sucked me in and kept me hooked until the epilogue. I wish I could’ve read this book faster because the buildup throughout the book was intense and had me needing to know what happened next, what secret Mandy was going to uncover, and what actually took place on that night.
Georgia gets accused of killing her sister and ends up in a hospital psych ward to try and figure out how to prove her innocence. She has to secretly team up with a twin she just found out about, and whom no one else knows exists, in order to prove her innocence, all while pretending she is mentally ill to save herself from going to trial. The emotions Mandy goes through while she is discovering all this new information are not only believable, but relatable. With so many powerful people at play, I was constantly trying to figure out who Georgia and Mandy could trust and the truth about what actually happened. There’s a lot going on in this one in the best way possible and when you find out a bit of information about a secret affair, everything you thought you knew about the book was flipped upside down. Another twist (that I wish I could shout about) came out of nowhere, and I was so shocked I had to re-read the part 3x.
The way Georgia and Mandy’s relationship grows through all of the turmoil was so fulfilling, and although there were times where their trust in each other was questionable, I felt that made it more authentic and believable. I really liked this book, and I’m happy this was my introduction to this author and I’m excited to read another by her!

I’ll start off by saying overall I did enjoy this book. It has a good plot and a nice twist at the end. There are some edits that still need to be done grammatically. I wish there was more of an unraveling at the end rather than everything being thrown at you all of a sudden. There could be a deeper connection built to the two main characters as it feels surface level. It was fairly accurate of a psych ward setting. Honey needed more of a background established as did Georgia and Annabelle’s relationship. The idea behind this book could be great but it isn’t quite there yet.

NetGalley review!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this incredible suspenseful thriller!   Told from the perspective of two girls who are tightly connected in ways they could never imagine! One is in the locked ward for mental patients at the nearby hospital, suspected of murdering her half-sister. The other lives two hours away, running her family’s bar, inherited after her parents’ death. The murder brings these two together, as the one wants to leave the hospital and the other girl is her only way out! A story of family love and the secrets unspoken in order to provide for a happy family life. Politics and pride play a major role in this tale of coverup, lies and protective secrets….and the people involved in these families are just as guilty as the killer!  A quick read that will have you turning the pages until you find out the truth!  A truly wonderful book full of intrigue and suspense! Don’t miss this new thriller…release date August 5th! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 stars - thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy of The Locked Ward in exchange for this honest review. This one is publishing soon in August 2025!

I’ve enjoyed Pekkanen’s solo works in the past as well as some of her duo work with her writing partner, and I find her thrillers to be very easy to read, especially with the short chapters - this one is aligned with her traditional pattern. I really typically enjoy twin storylines, even though they can be a bit predictable, but this one left me with something I was craving - the actual thrills. Nothing really read like high stakes and had me jumping in surprise, and a few of the things in the plot (aka the reasoning behind some of the actions?) seemed a bit unresolved. Overall this one was fine and easy to read, just wasn’t my favorite of hers.

Thank you again to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This was an interesting story, though the execution was a little odd in places. It centers on Georgia, who is locked up in a psychiatric ward after being accused of murdering her sister. Turns out she has a biological twin sister named Mandy in addition to the murdered sister, but Mandy doesn't know she exists. She feels that Mandy is the only one that can help her but has to be careful in getting her to help without putting them both in danger. The story alternates between the 2 women's POVs, though Georgia's is told in the rarely used 2nd person, which I found somewhat jarring.

The story itself was engaging but there were times where I felt like neither character acted as expected and it threw me off a couple times. I never had a twin myself so maybe I don't know what I am talking about, but I did think it was weird that they were able to immediately have this extreme kinship even though they didn't even know the other existed until recently. I thought that the twists in the story were good and I still uncovered some new ones when I thought I had everything figured out. The end worked well and tied things together in a way that worked, while still leaving the reader thinking.

Overall, interesting story and decent read for those who like mysteries and domestic suspense. I'd round up from 3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen tells a compelling story that sheds light on the failings of the judicial system, particularly how even those with privilege can fall victim to its dysfunction. The pacing is strong and the themes are powerful, making it a quick and engaging read.

However, the novel is weighed down by too many plot threads that never quite come together. Storylines like the bride and the bookbinding, the relationship with Scott, the DuPont character, and where was Honey's husband this whole time?? It all felt underdeveloped or abandoned. These elements had real potential but ultimately left the narrative feeling disjointed and unfinished.

Pekkanen delivers an important message with emotional impact, but the lack of cohesion and resolution in several subplots keeps this from being a truly satisfying read.

As someone with three sisters, this book posed some very interesting questions. How far would you go to save your sister? Even if she is locked up with the country's worst killers? What if your sister is a killer?

Can Amanda believe her sister when she says she did not do it, or it this just another of Georgia's manipulations? I raced through this book to find out - and you should too!

The Locked Ward has an intriguing concept, but the execution just wasn’t it for me. It wasn’t horrible, I didn’t hate it, but it really dragged on. Plus, I didn’t have any connection to the characters. Everything was just a bit flat for me in this one.

Also, it kept switching back and forth between first person and third person POV. Which I found very distracting and that made it more difficult for me to really get into the book.

I loved the idea of this book, and that it has twins in it, but unfortunately it ended up not being for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released August 5, 2025.

In The Locked Ward, Sarah Pekkanen delivers a haunting and emotionally charged look inside a psychiatric hospital, where the lines between patient and professional begin to blur. Told through the eyes of a psychiatrist struggling with his own demons, the novel explores themes of mental illness, trauma, and the fragile boundaries of trust. Pekkanen’s writing is immersive and empathetic, drawing readers into a world that is both unsettling and deeply human. With sharp insight and psychological tension, The Locked Ward is a thought-provoking and compelling read.

The Locked Ward is an interesting read where we meet twin sisters, separated at birth, who were previously unaware of the twin's existence. They meet when Georgia is charged with the murder of her other sibling, and she reaches out to Mandy as the only one who can help.

The book had a good pace as the chapters switched between Georgia's and Mandy's stories, giving both the current situation and narratives about the past. Georgia was adopted by an affluent family while Mandy was adopted by a couple that ran the neighborhood bar. We slowly get the background on both Georgia's upbringing and being treated poorly as her sibling is a biological child who is favored, even to the point where Georgia is sent to boarding school when the siblings have conflicts. Mandy grew up in a loving home, but did lose oer parents in an accident, and she now runs the family bar.

It is quickly evident that Georgia is in danger due to her family's wealth and connections, all the way up to being close with a senior state senator with an eye for bigger things. Mandy is soon in danger herself as she is being followed and surveliied. The two of them need to unravel the past, including why they were adopted in the first place, which leads back to a twisty conclusion.

I recommend The Locked Ward to those who like twisty thillers that keep you guessing until the end. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy.

Talk about a bingeworthy book! I had basically finished this book during a single flight/ one sitting because I just could not put it down!

The story basically follows two women, Mandy and Georgia. Georgia has just been accused of killing her step sister/ the biological daughter of her parents and has been placed in a psychiatric institution. Here, she reaches out to her newly discovered twin sister, Mandy, for help in figuring out what actually happened to help get her our out of the place before “they” get to her.

This book has super short and quick chapters which was one of the reasons it read so quickly! But the pacing and plots also moves along at a good pace and there were alternating POVs to keep me engaged the entire time. I was equally interested in reading Mandy’s perspective where she is learning more about Georgia, Georgia’s adopted family and their powerful friends, and understanding what happened to where they were separated so long ago. Then with Georgia’s POV, we get glimpses of her time in the institution and how she manages to keep herself going and survive while also getting some flashbacks to events that ultimately led up to the murder. Having these timelines made for a thrilling ride where I was trying to figure out how it all tied together in the end.

Ultimately this story exhibits some weird and messed up family dynamics, scandal of people in positions in power, and just lots of other drama. There’s also the theme of sisterhood and the complexity of it which I found interesting at times, particular as things developed later on.

Overall if you are going to be on the hunt for a fast, psychological thriller this summer, then be sure to add this to your TBR!

The Locked Ward is a slow-burning, atmospheric thriller that keeps you guessing until the final pages. The novel’s greatest strength lies in its mood and setting. Tension is built by going back and forth between the characters. The Locked Ward is a standout thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn't let go. It's a mind-bending journey through a world where nothing is as it seems.

Wow! This book was full of twists and turns. An ending no you never expected. I think Sarah’s books get better with each one she writes. Could not put this one down. Recommend!

The question is how far would you go to save your sister? Absolutely obsessed the author called Florence and the machine out! The silence from Georgia throughout definitely shows what kind of person she really is. I really like the dual POV from both sisters throughout the book. It was very easy to follow. Every time I had to put this book down I caught myself randomly thinking about the next twist. The end of chapter 25!!!! I never swiped so fast to the next chapter. This book was everything a thriller needs. I will be purchasing a physical copy when it’s released!