Socialite and wedding planner Georgina is committed to a psych ward for allegedly killing her sister, Annabelle. At the same time she enlists her twin sister Mandy for help. This part was a bit disjointed, but towards the end it kinda comes together. Thanks to the publisher for a copy.

This did not end up working for me! What started as a fast paced thriller, that kept me engaged, lost me by about 45% in due to the pretentious nature of the characters, second-person POV, and the weak reasoning behind the crimes. Further supported by the lazy and poorly written ending, this book was a miss.

Ooooh this one had me hooked from the first chapter! I loved the premise - Mandy is minding her business one day when she gets a strange call. In an instant, her world was changed...not only was she being contacted by a social heiress after committing a crime, but she learns she's actually her long-list twin sister.

I've never read anything by Pekkanen prior to this but due to reviews of her other books, I was excited to be approved for this one! I really enjoyed the dual POV between Mandy and Georgia - Georgia's second person POV was a little hard to connect with at first, but I found that it created a more jarring, creepy atmosphere that was perfect to set the mood for this story. Hearing both sides of the story made me bounce back and forth between different ideas of what really happened and encourages readers to truly consider what makes for a "happy" or "perfect" life. Money doesn't always equate to happiness.

Was the ending a little predictable? Yeah - I had a pretty good idea about halfway through the book after a very specific character interaction. Did it make it any less suspenseful or fun? No way! This one was an easy read with snappy pacing that would make for a perfect book club convo. Thanks so much for this ARC and for introducing me to a new author I'll certainly be reading more of!

3.75⭐️

The Locked Ward was not my favorite by Sarah Pekkanen but still a very enjoyable read.

I love thrillers with shorter chapters. It keeps things moving and interesting. This was definitely a perk in this book. The Locked Ward is also told in dual POVs: Mandy and Georgia.
Georgia's POV was in second person which was a little strange, but it worked. A very engaging and suspenseful read. At no point did I think I had it figured out - there were some twists and turns that were very unexpected!

Georgia Cartwright was adopted into a wealthy, Southern family as an infant. Unfortunately, she never really felt that she belonged, she always came second to her sister, Annabelle.
Georgia and Annabelle didn't form that sisterly bond because from early childhood, Georgia was made out to be a villain by her mother, Honey Cartwright. Georgia as the villain seems to be proven true at the beginning of this story when Georgia is found standing over her sister's bloodied, dead body. This will be described as "The Crime of the Decade."

As Amanda Ravenel is scrolling through headlines of the latest murder, her phone rings with a call from "private caller." Mandy answers the call never expecting it to be Georgia's public defender. She just learned of the suspected murderer minutes ago while reading the headlines. It appears, however, that Georgia knows just who Mandy is as she is requesting her sister come see her in the locked ward.

Get ready for a novel full of deception, misconceptions and manipulation! This is definitely one you want to get on your TBR!

Thank you Sarh Pekkanen, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Solid 4 stars

I always enjoy a Pekkanen book, she never disappoints. This was the usual page turner, who really did it, good twist at the end type of book.
This is a great weekend read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly rate this book.

Thank you Sarah Pekkanen for another phenominal, edge of your seat psychological thriller. You will not be able to put this book down - she grabs you from page one, shakes you loose at the very end...but still ends the book with a "NO WAY"! Thanks for the ARC!

I was sent a copy of this ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review. While this is my first book by Sarah Pekkanen, I have heard many great things and was super excited to get a chance to read The Locked Ward. From the start I was intrigued by the institution type setting and was completely invested within a chapter or two. I would have loved to hear more about Georgia being locked in the ward and Mandy owning the bar. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because it's not a story that will stick with me for months or years to come. There was nothing that really set it apart from other thrillers, but I would recommend it to my family and friends. I thought it was entertaining and loved the plot. The characters were very relatable too. The book was easy to get into and overall I thought it was a very good, enjoyable read.

I was very excited to get the opportunity to read this. I’ve been a huge fan since I met the author years ago at a book expo. I really enjoyed this dark, intense story. The characters were so well developed and I was never sure what was going to happen next, which is rare for me. I would highly recommend this!!!

4-1/2 stars (rounded up) for a compelling thriller that grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. This is my third Sarah Pekkanen book, and it definitely won't be my last. The Locked Ward introduces us to Georgia, who has been confined to a psychiatric ward in the hospital after being accused of killing her sister. Georgia is adopted, and her sister Annabelle was born only four months after the adoption was finalized. There's always been rivalry and animosity between the two, but who'd have expected it to go so far?!

From the hospital, Georgia reaches out to Amanda, the twin sister she only recently discovered, in hope that Amanda can help prove her innocence and solve the mystery of Annabelle's death. Meanwhile, she's coping with creepy and sometimes aggressive patients, along with some questionable hospital staff, while trying to maintain her sanity even as she's pretending to have lost it.

I read this novel almost straight through over two days, it was so engrossing. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and #NetGalley for providing a free digital download in exchange for an objective review.

Firstly thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book for my review. All opinions are my own.

This book was extremely anticipated by me and ended up being a complete letdown. At 20% everything was just extremely ridiculous and over the top and I found myself not caring at all about either of the sisters.

Nothing made sense and like I stayed before everything was just extremely over-the-top along with the closed caption writing it was just too much.

Two things that really bothered me was the fact that a senator would have way more security at their house, and the fact that no one recognized the twin sister at the funeral

And the fact that a girl who is being held in an insane asylum for murdering, her sister is able to give a random person two pieces of her hair for DNA and that the DNA test came back in two days… unrealistic

I have loved some of Sarah Pekkanen's books, but did not feel this way about The Locked Ward. The premise sounded so good, I couldn't wait to dig in. But... and this may sound harsh... The title and story felt like a Freide McFadden wannabe. And hers haven't even been clicking for me the past couple of times. The story just didn't seem fresh. It was a fast read but but nothing new. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am normally really entertained by Sarah Pekkanen's novels (especially her books with Greer Hendricks) and this one was a solid read! It was intriguing from the start and definitely kept my attention. I liked the quick chapters and the changing points of view. There were lots of good twists too. I would recommend this one for anyone wanting to binge a good book!

The beautiful and beloved Annabelle is dead. Georgia had a tumultuous relationship with her sister and all signs point to her being the murderer. Afraid of going to jail, she feigns mental instability and ends up in a locked ward. But time is running out and danger is ever near, so Georgia grasps at her last hope: her estranged twin sister.

Thank you Sarah Pekkanen and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Everything written here is my opinion and my opinion alone.

I really enjoyed this thriller! The dual POV really added to the story and gave a close look into each twin's mind. I was definitely kept guessing on who was guilty and who was innocent in all the drama.

I definitely recommend this one to thriller lovers! It is unforgettable, twisty, dramatic, and filled with suspense!

A big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I enjoyed this read all the way through. I like the author’s style of writing and found it intriguing from the first page. The alternating perspectives throughout is something I always enjoy and it worked well for this story specifically to see it play out from both sides.

I thought the characters were well thought out and grew throughout the story. I did not see the ending coming and appreciated the last small twist at the very end. Would definitely recommend everyone read this thriller when it is released!

This was a good one...finding out you have a sister and she's locked up accused of murder. Obviously you need to solve it! Breezed through this one.

What a twist! The story had me hooked from the very beginning. The story is about three sisters: one murdered, one accused of her murder and is sent to a psychiatric ward, and one who is thrown in the middle to save her estranged sister from going to prison. I loved the writing style and the fast pace. It kept me wanting to read more to find out what happens next. I liked the alternating POVs between the two main female characters. If you're into psychological thrillers with complex female characters (and a twist!), I would recommend picking this one up!

Mandy Ravenel leads a relatively blue-collar lifestyle. An only child with a background in Marketing, when her parents passed away, she left Marketing behind and took over her family’s bar, Sweetbay’s.

Mandy wakes to headline news one morning that a local Senator’s child, Annabelle, has been murdered. Witnesses on the scene point at Georgia, her sister. The two have had a difficult relationship since they were children. Georgia was found at the scene covered in blood and traumatized, so she was sent to a Locked Ward at a nearby hospital for a psychological 48h evaluation/hold.

The day after the murder, out of the blue, Mandy receives a call from Georgia’s lawyer, telling her that Georgia has requested that she visit her in the Locked Ward. Mandy has never met Georgia and is intrigued (and confused) by the request, so she visits Georgia that afternoon.

This story has a bunch of twists and turns with a couple of different storylines/points of views (Mandy and Georgia). Extremely well-written and engaging.

Review for The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

A taut, intelligent thriller set inside a psychiatric hospital, The Locked Ward showcases Sarah Pekkanen at her best. The pacing is tight, the atmosphere tense, and the twists land with impact. Characters are complex and believable, and the plot unfolds with precision.

A compelling, well-crafted read. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Georgia has been sent to The Locked Ward (code for "psychiatric facility") for killing her sister Annabelle. Georgia swears she would never hurt her sister, but can the insane truly know the difference between what their mind tells them and reality? The Locked Ward is tense and suspenseful, but loses some credibility by using an alleged affair between Annabelle and a US Senator as a motive for murder. These days "indiscretions" by powerful men are not only accepted but expected. And Georgia has just found her "long lost twin" Mandy, who Georgia enlists to help prove she is innocent, but by doing so is Georgia making Mandy the next victim? Like other Sarah Pekkanen novels The Locked Ward veers off in multiple directions and possible suspects as the plot builds to a shocking (but not totally unexpected) conclusion. There's a lot of "certifiable" and evil people here, but not all of them are in The Locked Ward.

Super interesting concept and really compelling plot! It kept me curious the whole time.

However, I really struggled with suspending disbelief for what I think were some pretty glaring plot holes. The dialogue and interactions between characters often felt forced and super plot convenient. I think this book could have benefited from another round of two of edits... the story really did have me hooked, I just had a hard time looking past some of the other issues.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!