3.5🌟
What’s worse? A life in prison? Or a life locked up in a psychiatric hospital? I’d like to hold out for the third option, please!🙋🏻‍♀️

Georgia has just been arrested for the murder of her younger sister, Annabelle. Suffering from shock, or possibly a breakdown, she’s been held for evaluation in a psychiatric hospital.

Her only hope is for her sister to help find the truth. No, not Annabelle, she’s dead! Georgia needs her twin sister Mandy. A woman she has yet to meet!

Told from two POVs. Mandy, in first person and Georgia in second person. (Why, I don’t know😩) I have to say, it felt awkward and mildly distracting.

I did enjoy the short chapters as it helped move the storyline forward, finishing in only a few sittings. Will it stick with me in the long run? Likely not. I’ve been a huge fan of this author but unfortunately this wasn’t a favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press

This was such a suspenseful and intense book! I could not stop reading it and it had just the right amount of creepiness and intrigue! Highly recommended!

I am always, always ecstatic when I get an email from Sarah's publishing company inviting me to read her newest work. Sarah is by far one of my absolute favorite authors and when I get the opportunity to be introduced to a new, exciting thriller, I abandon with joy whatever I'm reading at the time and jump right in. As someone who reads hundreds of books each year, with a DNF list that is continuing to grow, I have to admit I am a fairly critical and discerning reviewer. I can honestly say that I have never, ever, been disappointed by one of Sarah Pekkanen's novels. The Locked Ward, her newest thriller, is no exception.

As we begin the novel, we are looking through Georgia's eyes, smelling what she smells, feeling the way her lips are sticking together. We soon find out that she is restrained to a bed in a sterile, bleach-scented, and stark room, a far cry from what Georgia remembers her life to be. We are thrown into the fear Georgia feels and learn that prior to waking up in this room, she was a high-powered and wealthy woman who had it all, but has been confined to "the locked ward."

Chapter two begins in Mandy's voice. Mandy is reading about a salacious crime that is all over the news. Mandy is a hard working bar owner who has never met, let alone interacted, with people from the tax bracket that she's reading about. So it's a complete shock when she gets a call that will change her life in a million big and small ways. The phone call is from an attorney that represents Georgia Cartwright, the very socialite that she was reading about in the paper. The floor drops out from under her when she is told that not only is Georgia requesting her presence at the psychiatric institution where she is currently confined, but that Mandy is Georgia's sister, her twin!

The thriller alternates between Georgia's and Mandy's perspectives and is both a story of the deep connection that twins often share, and the ways in which we find that things are not always how they seem. This novel is exceedingly well written, as expected. The plot is propulsive and well-driven, the characters are flawed, complex, and sometimes unreliable. The atmosphere provides the perfect backdrop for the grittiness of the locked ward, the deceptive grandeur of the elite, and the complexity that exists as Mandy tries to navigate both worlds while examining whether or not her entire life has been a lie.

I continue to absolutely devour Sarah's writing as soon as I can get my hands on her newest work. I believe I read this in one sitting, as I just couldn't put it down until I knew how it ended. I can't say enough about the characters, the settings, the detail, and the way that Sarah is able to tear back the curtain of people's motivations, deceptions, and fallibility. I want to thank Sarah, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for inviting me to dive headfirst into this new novel. I will be waiting with bated breath for Sarah's next one.

SYNOPSIS
- Georgia Cartwright has been accused of murdering her half-sister and is locked in a psychiatric hospital, awaiting trial.
- She reaches out to Amanda—her twin sister, whom she’s never met—to help prove her innocence.
- Mandy, raised in a loving but modest home, is drawn into Georgia’s world of wealth, dysfunction, and secrets.
- As Mandy investigates, she starts to question: Is Georgia truly a victim of a corrupt, powerful family? Or is she manipulating Mandy into a deadly trap?

MY THOUGHTS
- Anything by Sarah Pekkanen is an auto-read for me. This is the sixth book of hers I’ve read (Gone Tonight, House of Glass, The Wife Between Us, The Golden Couple, You Are Not Alone), and she always delivers.
- The cover is stunning. It immediately sets the eerie, suspenseful tone.
- Loved the dual POVs. The alternating chapters between Georgia and Mandy added depth and kept the tension high—especially in Georgia’s chapters.
- Short, punchy chapters = easy to binge. The pacing was great, making this a fast but choice read.
- Dysfunctional family drama + secrets = chef’s kiss. Wealth, power, manipulation, and twisted family ties drive the plot in the best way.
- The tension was just right. Some moments had me completely hooked, especially as the truth unraveled. I thought Georgia’s chapters were particularly tense.
- Well-plotted and well-written. Pekkanen knows how to craft compelling, layered characters and keep the reader engaged.
- The ending was satisfying. Not necessarily shocking, but it wrapped things up well.
- Did require some suspension of disbelief. A few plot points felt a bit far-fetched, but nothing that ruined the experience.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A fast-paced, gripping psychological thriller with dual POVs, short bingeable chapters, and plenty of family dysfunction. The tension was great, and while some parts required a little suspension of disbelief, the well-plotted story and satisfying ending made up for it.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on August 5, 2025.

I give Sarah Pekkanen’s The Locked Ward 4/5 stars. I felt as if the story line drew me in but it also had me wanting more, especially at the end. If you want a quick and captivating read, this book is for you!

A twisty thriller from one of my favorite writers. The story is fast paced and action packed. There are a lot of surprises and I found myself guessing until the very end of this book.

Sarah Pekkanen does it again! There’s nothing like an easy to read, fast passed thriller to cleanse your reading palate. This book was easy to dive into and get hooked from the beginning. Personally I was not shocked by the twist but that does not mean that it wasn’t an enjoyable read! There were some elements that were surprising but the main twist, for me, was not one of them. I love the unreliable narrator/gullible listener style of writing and this came through with that!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ah yes, the evil twin trope, coupled with "I'm innocent but incarcerated". The book started off very interesting, but became rather slow as the chapters went on. The psychological aspect of this novel adds intrigue and keeps you reading and potentially even wanting to research further--I would recommend for fans of Alex Michaelides.

This was a little slow to get into but once I hit around 40% I feel like the end of every chapter had some kind of revelation and I loved it!! I stayed up late finishing because I had to know how it ended.

The Locked Ward is a thriller, but it is also a story about sisterhood and the deep bond that sisters share. Georgia is locked away for a crime. Mandy discovers that she has a long-lost sister who is enmeshed in a complicated web of dark family secrets. Mandy must unravel the complexities of Georgia's imprisonment while navigating the reasons why she and her sister were separated at a young age. This book has a little bit of everything from political intrigue to familial ties to a multi-pronged mystery. I enjoyed it from start to finish!

The only thing I didn't like was the 2nd person POV, which took me out of the story a little. I think it was done to help distinguish the characters and the way that they think, but I think the chapter titles with the names on it was enough for that. Nevertheless, it was a fun read, and all of the questions were resolved in the end. What I did like were the twists with some of the other characters and how well Pekkanen writes villains. I think the author writes her villains in a realistic way without being too ridiculous or over-the-top. This is a solid thriller that has many enjoyable elements, especially if you enjoy stories that are relationally based and heartwarming in the end.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and the publishers on NetGalley who sent me an e-ARC! This book was well worth my time, and I'm so glad I was able to read it early.

Sarah Pekkanen is one of my favorite authors and once again she has another hit. I was hooked from the first few pages and couldnt put this down. Highly recommend this book.

This story unfolds in dual timelines of the 2 main characters. One knows they are sisters, the other does not. Or at least not until we get a little way into the story. It quickly gets interesting from there. One sister is locked in an institution after being accused of murder and she summons her sister to see her and dig to the bottom of what happened, using carefully selected clues that she feeds to her. This is so full of twists and turns that leave you asking what really happened. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

The Locked Ward follows two twin sisters, separated for the last 32-years. One into a wealthy, prominent family and the other to a middle-class, bar owning family. One is an only child while the other has a sister, born 4 months after the adoption. Believing that she is the unwanted child, Georgia Cartwright fears she is hated by her adoptive family while Mandy Ravenel is welcomed into the arms of a loving mother and father.
It isn’t until Annabelle Cartwright, Georgia’s adoptive sister, is found murdered on her own 32nd birthday that Mandy is made aware that she has a twin sister. Georgia has been transferred to a psychiatric ward to await the next steps in what would become the trial of the year and the two of them begin meeting when Georgia requests Mandy’s help.

What ensues is a wild ride of deception, infidelity and the bond between two sisters separated by years and different families. Sarah Pekkanen embodies the voices of two women desperate for answers to the different things they have faced in their lives: for Mandy, who her parents knew of her twin sister and told her nothing about it and for Georgia, who really killed Annabelle when they had just begun to rekindle their own sisterly bond after years of jealousy and resentment of each other.

I never truly saw the twist coming, and thought I had it figured out more times than I could count. With this in mind, I’d say this was a particularly successful thriller. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and author Sarah Pekkanen for the wonderful opportunity and ability to receive this ARC copy of The Locked Ward.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley but opinions are my own.

This is my second book by this author as an ARC participant and I enjoyed this one as much as the first. Hooked from the get go and eager to see what was going to happen next. Good twists and turns throughout, and really good writing. This book also had great character development.

This book has short chapters with alternating POVs between Georgia and Mandy, both of which I really enjoy in books. It was really interesting to see their connection throughout the book as well.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller. It did take me a little bit to get into it, but overall, it had amazing plot twists! I highly recommend this smscn

After enjoying House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen and some of her books written with Greer Hendricks, I requested The Locked Ward when I saw it hit NetGalley.

📖: The wealthy and glamorous wedding planner, Georgia Cartwright, has been accused of murder and is locked in a high security institution. After learning she has a twin, Georgia believes her sister, Mandy, may be the only person she can trust. Through short chapters and alternating perspectives, details of Georgia and Mandy's histories are revealed.

🤝: This may be a good fit if you enjoy:
- thrillers involving twins
- rich people problems
- wondering who to trust

💭: As a thriller lover, it's hard to resist a book set in a psych ward. Let the "who can we trust" games begin! I found The Locked Ward entertaining throughout, and I appreciated the short chapters with cliffhanger endings to keep things rolling. I would consider this a good thriller for readers dipping their toes into the genre.

I've seen some reviews critiquing how Georgia's chapters are written in second person. After the first few chapters I barely noticed, but I will say it makes the couple uncomfy moments in the ward more intense (IMO).

Rating: I liked it! (3.5 rounded up)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook early in exchange for an honest review.

The Locked Ward
Georgia Cartwright was raised in a wealthy family but always in her younger sister, Annabelle’s shadow. Annabelle was the golden child and her parents never hid it. Then Annabelle is found dead and everyone says Georgia did it. Georgia winds up in a psychiatric hospital and she knows she’s only got one chance for help and it’s not from the family that raised her.
Mandy was raised as an only child and in a completely different atmosphere. Maybe they weren’t rich but she always felt loved and cherished. After Mandy’s folks pass away she takes over their small town bar and is living a seemingly quiet and content life. That is until Georgias lawyer calls Mandy requesting she visit his client at the psychiatric hospital. Someone Mandy has never even met but the lawyer says they’re sisters… twin sisters.
Sarah Pekkanen has a way of always grabbing your attention right from the first chapter as you keep trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy of The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for an honest review. It publishes August 5, 2025.

Sarah Pekkanen does it again! This book had me gripped in the best possible way. I was looking for any chance to read it. I stayed up late, I woke up early, anything I could do to keep turning the pages!
The two POV’s were done exceptionally well, and definitely had me on edge. I enjoyed both perspectives, and was fully invested.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy of The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for an honest review. It publishes August 5, 2025.
Wow, just wow! Sarah Pekkanen does it again. This book had me gripped in the best possible way. I was looking for any chance to read it. I stayed up late, I woke up early, anything I could do to keep turning the pages!
The two POV’s were so good, and definitely had me on edge. I enjoyed both perspectives, and was fully invested.
One thing that I really enjoy about Sarah’s work, is that she doesn’t use a lot of sex, drugs, bad language, etc. to carry the story, but writes so well that you don’t miss those things.
This book only had two curse words that I can remember, which for some people, it’s a big deal.
Overall, bravo! I can’t wait for the next one!

I was absolutely gobsmacked by Sarah Pekkanen’s last book “House of Glass” — she knows how to write about twisted families.

Told through the POV of twin sisters, Mandy (first person POV) and Georgia (second person POV). Mandy knew she was adopted, but had no idea she was a twin until a lawyer calls her and tells her that her sister wants to see her. That sister is Georgia, who also knew she was adopted. Georgia’s adoptive parents, presumably struggling with fertility, then miraculously found themselves pregnant with another girl, Annabelle. Georgia’s adoptive sister was only a few months younger, but even as babies, Georgia went from beloved daughter for a very short time to unwanted spare. She had hired a private investigator to locate her birth parents and discovered Mandy. Now Georgia, a socialite wedding planner, is being held in a psychiatric hospital for supposedly murdering Annabelle at her birthday party, and Georgia has her lawyer reach out to Mandy, the owner of a bar. Why?

Surprisingly, Mandy feels an immediate psychic connection to Georgia. When they meet at the hospital, Georgia is impersonating “The Silent Patient” but manages to tell Mandy that she, too, is in danger, and convey some clues that her sister could follow. Again, why?

Mandy is intrigued enough to start her own inquiries into Annabelle’s murder, fielding questions like “Who was the bad seed? Georgia or Annabelle?” “And who really killed Annabelle?” Plus, what happened to Mandy and Georgia’s birth parents that separated twins at birth?

The change in POVs did not irritate me (I know second person POV is anathema to many readers). It was actually easier to realize the transition between narrators (which would be great for the audiobook). The author has constructed a suspenseful, twisty story with main characters who are strong and clever. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Annabelle and Honey have striking green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Alas, Georgia’s knowledge of suitable statement flowers for weddings may never be put to use again; and too bad Mandy couldn’t keep her mom’s espaliered apple tree.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!