Georgia is accused of a terrible crime - killing her biological sister. Now Georgia is locked in a special ward while awaiting trial. She gets an unexpected visitor, the only person that may be able to find out what really happened and free her. But all is not what it seems. There are secrets among these wealthy families and their friends. A bit of a twist at the end and quite an interesting read. I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first read for this author and she BLEW ME AWAY!!! The way she alternates between first and second person for characters really puts you in the story! I loved the unpredictability of this book! This would be a great book if you have found yourself in a slump and want to re-ignite your passion for reading an unpredictable, unputdownable book!!!

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately this fell incredibly flat for me. While the initial premise was intriguing, there were far too many moving parts, and I was disappointed that the twist that I had envisioned didn’t play out in the end.

Twists, turns and slow burn, this novel keeps the reader turning the pages and trying to find the right path of whodunnit. Georgia Cartwright, a wealthy woman wakes up in a locked ward accused of bludgeoning her younger sister to death. She is refusing to speak to anyone, but only wants to see one person, Amanda (Mandy) Ravenel. Imagine Mandy’s surprise when she receives a call from Georgia’s public defender to go and meet his client- considering they have never met before. Due to curiosity and some sort of connection, Mandy goes to visit Georgia and she learns some deep secrets that turn her life upside down. Told from dual point of views as well as flashbacks of the two growing up. A well written and plotted story with nicely developed characters. There are some outstanding points that I feel might lead to another book on one of the other secondary characters. This book had so much depth with the plots of love, sisterhood and was nothing like any thriller I’ve read before. Definitely pick this book up if you like psychological thrillers that will keep you on your toes. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and St. Martin's Press. The Locked Ward comes out on Aug 5 2025.

Another great thriller from one of my faves. The pacing and storytelling are perfect for a summer read. Most exciting was a thriller where the characters all felt so grounded—taking believable actions in a surreal situation. Will definitely recommend!

I absolutely loved the book
Such an interesting story of mothers and daughters
An interesting mystery as well.
I really enjoy her writing

I enjoyed the back and forth of the two main characters; this made for a faster read. Loved the ending and the character development. I’d recommend to anyone who is looking for a fun, fast paced thriller that will have you wanting more!

The title is not my favorite, I’d recommend changing.

This book was GOOD! It kept me engaged and wondering what was going to happen next. The story is told from two point of views.I found myself flying through the last 50% of this book because I didn’t want to put it down. I was surprised by the twists and thought the author tied everything up really good. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley, author Sarah Pekkanen, & St. Martin’s Press for the digital advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Georgia has been accused of killing her younger sister and is being held in the psych ward. The only person who may be able to help is her twin sister. The problem is her twin sister doesn’t know she exists! This one was a little slow to start but picked up and became unputdownable! Lots of twists I did not see coming. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Georgia Cartwright is accused of killing her sister, Annabelle, and fakes insanity to avoid jail while waiting trial. The problem is, she has to play the part so no one can catch on. She must watch her back to avoid getting caught lying, all while trying to prove her innocence behind the locked ward. With help from a PI, she discovers she has a twin sister named Amanda.

Mandy hears about the high profile crime all over the news. The last thing she expects is getting a call from the accused murderer's lawyer, claiming that Georgia is her twin sister who wants her to come visit. Can Mandy really trust Georgia? Can Georgia find out the true killer in time?

The Locked Ward was an intense ride. It drew me in from the very beginning. It's dual point of view and short chapters made it a quick read. I enjoyed the suspense of not knowing who the characters could trust. Every chapter brought more danger and uncertainty. Of course, it wouldn't be a good thriller without a last minute plot twist!

This book was as addictive as it was entertaining. The story line of this thriller was so different from others and had absolutely no holes in it. Unrelentingly twisty and turny! It was unputdownable! Sarah Pekkanen has done it again and created a psychological thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end!

The Locked Ward was a total page-turner—I couldn't put it down. It powerfully captures the unbreakable bond between sisters, even in the darkest of circumstances. The story weaves in just enough unsettling elements to keep you guessing, and the twist completely caught me off guard. I loved every second of it.

“The Locked Ward” by Sarah Pekkanen is a wild ride from beginning to end. Our two POVs; twin sisters that have recently found each other and have led vastly different lives. Georgia was raised in wealth and high society and Amanda raised in a small town. What brought these two together and being separated since birth? Georgia is accused of murdering her little sister and locked in a ward for the criminally insane. Amanda is brought into this high class, high profile case and has to determine if she can not only trust Georgia but if she wants to put herself in the middle of a murder investigation? Southern crime drama at its finest is all you will find here.
This is the definition of a page turner. I didn’t want to stop until I knew the truth. I can say without a doubt that I enjoy the first person narrative the most, so reading from Georgia’s POV wasn’t as enjoyable. I didn’t guess the twist and for me that’s always a win. Do yourself a favor and read this. I feel like this will end as a “Top 10” read of the year

First off, thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC!

I won’t lie, I went through many emotions reading this book. It definitely has its moments where it not only spooked me, but had me questioning everything.

Structurally, this book is great if you like short chapters. The POV changes each chapter and gives you small insights into both main characters. It sometimes switches between past and present for both women as well to give extra details and backstory. It makes the book easily digestible and fun to read with the different perspectives you are exploring.

The overall story was okay. At first, it really had me hooked with so many different possibilities and endings that could have happened. One way I like to judge thriller books by is if they shock me and I can’t say that this one exactly did that. The twist in the storyline was definitely interesting, but not something that had me staring at my ceiling in surprise.

The underlying themes of family dynamics and how they are often very different for every person was a nice touch. It gave emotional depth to the characters and the story that shows how complicated family can be.

All in all, I did enjoy this book. It wasn’t as thrilling as I had anticipated going into it, but it was a good read overall and I would recommend it to others.

I will post my reviews on social sites closer to the books release date!

This was my first Sarah Pekkanen book and I will definitely be checking out more. I liked the short chapters, it helped the fast paced feel. The plot is interesting and unlike any other books I’ve read recently.

Read this book early to review from Netgalley. This book had me nonstop reading every chance I got. I absolutely loved the story and it kept me on my toes the whole time. Some may think the POVs are written slowly, but the storyline had me hooked. Highly recommend.

The premise of this book sounded very promising and just like the kind of thriller I’d love to dive into. Having read House of Glass, I was excited to give this one a shot. However, a little disappointed in the execution. Things I liked: the short chapters, alternating POVs/narrators, the build up to the dark and twisted secrets at the center of the plot. Loved the twin angle as well, and the fast pace.
Things I didn’t like: why was one narrator’s POV in second person? But the other was not? This was weird. And made all the writing feel a little stilted. For me, the ending fell a little short and was a bit predictable.
Overall not sad I read it but a little sad it didn’t live up to its promise. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

ARC REVIEW- Thriller

Pub Date: August 5, 2025

Gripping and intense! I loved that I was pulled in from the very first page. There was so much tension I didn’t know which character was hiding something up until nearly the very end. Lots of emotional turmoil, family bonds, and hidden truths. I didn’t not want to put this down until I finished!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for a gifted copy of this book!

4.25

Quick and easy read that keeps you engaged and invested!

As this book hasn’t been released yet, I did find two errors during my read (filler words were missing - nothing too crazy) but that did not take me out of the story at all!

If there were things I’d nitpick about…why did one of the POVs refer to themself in second person while the other didn’t? I was expecting a twist there but none came. Also, I feel like we were told about a character’s dark, hidden nature but weren’t shown it. That would have been cool to explore for a chapter or two.

The ending got me though (which I’m surprised I didn’t guess it but nevertheless).

Towards the very end when two characters were able to openly talk (I’m trying not to spoil anything) the prose felt…awkward BUT I will chalk that up to the ‘getting to know you’ stage of things 🤷🏽‍♀️

All in all an interesting mystery that I’d recommend as a palette cleanser between your more standard fast paced thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced read!!!

TW: some expletives (few and far between), psychological child abuse, attempted sexual assault, rape, drugs, alcohol abuse

Full review on GR: loveM

Book Review

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Shoutout to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advanced readers copy, due out August 5, 2025!

I am absolutely a Sarah Pekkanen fan and this one did not disappoint. Twins separated at birth, an affair, a heinous murder, a mental ward, a cover up, and the hints of a budding romance. This one has all the things!

The story is told between two sisters, Mandy and Georgia, who have no idea they are twins until later in their lives. Will one twin be able to save the other? I loved the two points of view and the shorter chapters. That always keeps me wanting to come back for more.

There was a twist I didn’t see coming and I will admit, made me dislike one specific character (no spoiler) more than I thought possible.

I don’t want to give anything away. But put the release date on your calendar and grab this one!

#twins