This book pulled me in fast and did not let go. It is tense, emotional, and just unsettling enough to keep you on edge the entire time.

The story centers on two sisters, one of them locked inside a psychiatric facility and accused of something unthinkable. From the start, I was questioning everything. Every look. Every line of dialogue. Every memory. It keeps you guessing in the best possible way.

The atmosphere is claustrophobic and eerie, but the heart of the story is about trust and betrayal and what it means to truly protect the people you love. The pacing is sharp and the emotional moments hit hard.

If you like thrillers that make you feel something while keeping you completely hooked, this one is absolutely worth the read.

I’ve been a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen for years and loved getting to review her last book, House of Glass. When the opportunity came up to read The Locked Ward before publication, I didn’t hesitate.

This one pulled me in right away. Told through two POVs, it’s a fast-paced mystery with suspense that keeps you turning the pages. The short chapters make it an easy book to fly through, but the story is layered with juicy family drama and fascinating research on twins and their behaviors.

Pekkanen is so good at creating an atmospheric setting. The dynamic between Georgia and Mandy is compelling, and the relationships between the sisters feel real. It’s a gripping read with intriguing characters, plenty of tension, and twists that kept me reading late into the night.

✨ Pair it with:

📀 Playlist: Moody indie tracks with Lana Del Rey, Hozier, and The National

🍸 Drink: A cold gin and tonic with lime or a glass of Sauvignon Blanc

🥨 Snack: Sea salt kettle chips or a cheese board with sharp cheddar and honey

🍰 Dessert: Dark chocolate tart or espresso brownies

🕯️ Vibe: Dim lighting, a rainy night, and a cozy blanket

Special thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my review!

Georgia Cartwright has been accused of murdering her sister and is currently locked away in a psychiatric institution awaiting trial. When her estranged twin, Amanda, visits, Georgia says only one thing: “I didn’t do it.” It’s up to Amanda to piece together the mystery and uncover the truth that could set her sister free.

Sarah Pekkanen once again delivers a twisty mystery that kept me guessing until the very end in this advanced listening copy. The story is told in dual POV and narrated by January LaVoy, who does a fabulous job bringing each character to life. However, the shift between first-person and second-person narration felt a bit jarring at times. I found it distanced me slightly from the tension I expected, particularly in Georgia’s sections. Still, the unique structure and gripping premise make this a compelling and memorable listen.

Some stories grip you from the outside. This one crawls under your skin and stays there.

Twins. A psychiatric ward. A murder charge. And Sarah Pekkanen—need I say more?

When Georgia Cartwright is accused of murdering her younger sister, the media calls it the Crime of the Decade. But behind the headlines lies something much darker. Georgia, adopted at birth and now a poised, public figure, is locked inside a high-security psychiatric facility with the city whispering she snapped out of jealousy, rage, or madness.

Her only hope? Amanda—her estranged twin sister. The one she’s just found… and now desperately needs.

But trust is a fragile thing, especially between strangers who share a face. Amanda doesn’t know what to believe. Georgia says she didn’t do it. She pleads, "You’ve got to get me out of here." Yet the deeper Amanda digs, the more distorted the truth becomes. Family secrets, twisted loyalties, and the suffocating atmosphere of the Locked Ward blur the lines between reality and manipulation.

Is Georgia a victim? A pawn? Or a cold-blooded killer playing the ultimate mind game?

This is Sarah Pekkanen at her absolute best—razor-sharp pacing, emotional depth, and a constant sense of creeping dread. Every chapter pulls you deeper into the claustrophobic chaos of the mind… and the maze of sisterhood gone very, very wrong.

A well written book that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the night. I look forward to reading more of this authors books in the future

I wasn’t wowed by any twists, and certain plot points were relatively predictable but I still enjoyed it. The premise is unique and I was invested in both sister’s stories. I always enjoy books by this author.

An absolutely fantastic “who done it”. I really loved the pace of this one & the writing style. I found myself very engaged & hooked throughout the whole book. There was a plot whole of a character that I thought needed a deeper dive, but maybe that was set up as a red herring? Would read more from this author. Thank you to St Martin’s Press for this gifted ARC.

Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family. While she is locked away in a psychiatric institution where they keep the most violent offenders, she contacts her estranged twin sister Amanda and she slowly parcels out details that point to her innocence, she wants Amanda to follow the clues and help her prove she didn't do it. Before Georgia contacted her, Amanda wasn't even aware she had a twin. She knew she was adopted, but her adopted parents had both passed away, and they never told her anything about her biological family. Amanda doesn't trust Georgia, but she can't abandon her in a place like that, so she begins to dig for answers. Is Amanda being manipulated, or was Georgia set up to take the fall?

I love this author's books. This one was a little slower paced, but it was still really good. The chapters alternated between Georgia & Amanda, so you got both sides of the story. You can't tell if Georgia is manipulating Amanda, trying to get herself released or not, and after awhile, everyone looks suspicious. The stakes gradually ramp up, so slowly you don't really notice it, until all of a sudden, everything explodes. Then there is a nice twist at the end that I definitely was not expecting. If you like psychological thrillers, then you should definitely check this out.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. The book starts with Georgia waking up in a locked ward after being accused of killing her sister. Her only hope is her twin sister Mandy, who has no clue she even exists. The story goes back and forth between Mandy and Georgia as they try to prove Georgia’s innocence.
This book was somewhat predictable but not in a way that took away from the story or made it less enjoyable. It was a fast read that I thought was well written.

Glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy family and, as a result, is locked in a psychiatric institution. Amanda (Mandy) Ravenel, also adopted as a newborn, is shocked to learn that she has a twin sister who is asking for help in proving her innocent of the murder of her sister Annabelle.

This story is told in short chapters from the points of view of Georgia and Mandy and I was thoroughly entertained by the book. Interestingly, Georgia's chapters are written in 2nd person which is unusual but worked well. I don't imagine it's easy to do. I found the scenes in the psychiatric hospital and descriptions of staff and patients to be especially chilling. There are some parts of the book that had me raising my eyebrows but I decided not to take it too seriously. The ending was a bit of a surprise but not really shocking. I've had mixed luck with this author's books but I'll definitely be watching for whatever Sarah Pekkanen comes out with next.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, via Netgalley, for inviting me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. This review will be published on Goodreads on August 3, 2025 and on amazon.ca on or after August 5, 2025.
Publication Date: August 5, 2025

The Locked Ward is a end-of-summer thriller from Sarah Pekkanen.

"Everyone is shocked when glamorous Georgia Cartwright is accused of killing her sister. Maybe it's the fact that she was found standing over her sister's body and covered in her blood. She is locked away in a psych ward for vicious killers. Georgia was adopted and only one she'll talk to is her twin, Amanda. Amanda didn't even know she had a twin. All that Georgia will say is 'I didn't do it - get me out of here.' Amanda doesn't trust Georgis but can't leave her. Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family or is Amanda being led astray by a master manipulator?"

Pekkanen keeps you guessing in this story of two sisters. Georgia is already manipulating the system - what else is she doing? Amanda struggles to find her footing after discovering a twin. And that her family has secrets. (It's always secrets)

It was interesting to watch Amanda adapt to changes in her world-view. Not sure how I would react if I found out I had a twin.

Another good story from Pekkanen.

Rating: 3.5 stars

This was a solid read overall, even though the pacing dragged a bit in places. Despite that, I found myself genuinely enjoying the story. The twist completely caught me off guard. The characters were engaging and had some good depth, though I do wish they’d been fleshed out just a bit more. I really liked how the narrative shifted over time; it starts out feeling like one kind of story, but as things unfold, there are some great full-circle revelations. That said, a few threads felt unresolved by the end. Still, the premise was refreshingly unique, and it definitely held my attention throughout. I’d be interested in checking out more from this author in the future.

The Locked Ward is about twin sisters, Georgia and Mattie, separated at birth. Georgia is arrested for the murder of her adopted parents' biological daughter and is committed to a psychiatric hospital, until her trial. After a separation of 30 years, Georgia reaches out to Amanda for help. Amanda didn't know that she was a twin, but she decided to help her sister. The idea of the story sounded worth a read. The characters felt flat and lost in the writing that I found slow and the plot that was, for me far- fetched.

i really enjoyed this one! I tend to really fly through Sarah Pekkanen's books and this one was no exception. I was quite shocked at the ending tbh, which i love since i had convinced myself I had figured it out. There were a few far fetched parts of this book, but overall it was a well-written and believable thriller.

Georgia wakes up and finds herself locked up in a psychiatric hospital, accused of murdering her sister Annabelle. Everyone says she did in a jealous rage. After all, she has hated Annabelle her whole life since Annabelle was the 'real' sister while she was just the 'adopted' one. Georgia says she didn't do it though.

And then there is Mandy. She is just living her life, running her parents' bar after they died a few years ago. Until Georgia requests to see Mandy and tells her that they are actually sisters. She always knew she was adopted, but another sister, a twin sister... how did this happen?

As the sisters try to piece together Annabelle's life and who may have killed her, the secrets start to come out. No one is quite what they seem. Did Georgia really kill her sister? If not, who did? And why? There are some good twists that keep you guessing and keep you entertained. A quick, easy popcorn thriller!

Oh my gosh this was definitely a twist and turn book all the way to the end. Georgia Cartwright was a 32 year old high end wedding planner and she had a younger sister Annabelle that was favored by her parents throughout their life time. Cartwright were well to do and very good friends with Senator Dawson and his wife Dee-Dee. Georgia was always being left out of family photos and vacations. Then suddenly Annabelle is killed and it looks like jealousy may have been the cause with Georgia being sent to a locked ward for a mental evaluation. Then Mandy comes into the picture which is a long lost twin of Georgia. Oh the tangled webs we weave! Great book and will definitely keep you turning the pages!

I received this ARC from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As the sister of twins myself, I was excited to read this book... even though in this scenario I would be the victim bludgeoned by a paperweight 😆. It starts out with Georgia waking up in a mental institution accused of unaliving her sister, trying to survive among other sometimes violent patients. She reaches out to the only person she thinks might help her, her twin sister she only just learned about.
When Amanda gets a call that a twin sister she never knew she had need her help, she skeptical but curious. Something is off about Georgia and she doesn't trust her, but she can't abandon her in that awful place, so she decides to help. What follows is a twisty psychological thriller with so many unexpected surprises. It started out a little slow but once things got moving, the pacing was great and I couldn't put it down! I love this author and she's become one of my favorite thriller writers.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Amanda always knew she was adopted but had no idea she had a sister let alone a twin sister. That is until the glamorous Georgia requests a visit from her, where she is locked up in a psychiatric ward. Georgia is accused of killing her so sore, which is her adopted mom and dad’s biological daughter. Georgia claims she is innocent and needs Amanda’s help to prove it. Can Amanda really trust her twin sister?

This book is told from Amanda and Georgia’s POV and alternates between them. Each chapter ends on a mini cliffhanger that makes you keep saying, “just one more chapter!” I devoured this book and it was definitely a five star read for me.

Georgia is accused of killing the sister she was raised with, Annabelle. From inside the locked psych ward, she reaches out to the twin sister she had been separated from since birth, Amanda.

Amanda is skeptical of Georgia’s claims of sisterhood and her innocence and sets about trying to discover the truth.

A great thriller that had unforeseen twists and turns.

I have really enjoyed Sarah Pekkanen's books that were cowritten with Greer Hendricks, but this was my first of Sarah's solo books and it wasn't for me. I was intrigued by the premise and thought it had potential, but I wish I DNFed it. While the plot grabbed me quickly, it did not keep me engaged, and I kept putting this down to read other books.

I enjoyed the fast pacing and short chapters, and this was part of what initially sucked me in. But I quickly found that I did not like the writing style, which included alternating dual POVs, one in first person and one in second person. I found myself confused about which sister was which for much of the book, which may have been partially because I kept picking it up and putting it down.

I was compelled to keep reading to see what the twist would be, but felt the ending was unsatisfying and wish it tied things up a little more neatly. In the book's defense, I found my mind wandering a bit at the end as I just wanted to finish up, so this could also be just a me problem.