I want to start off by saying…. I really wanted to like this book. I thought the description was good which was why I signed up for the ARC. And maybe I just don’t vibe with this author? Idk. It just did not do it for me. I bc hold t connect with the characters. The twists weren’t that appealing. I wasn’t hooked into it. It took me FOREVER to read and I’m a fast reader. I think maybe it was a me thing and not the books fault.

I did like the twin aspect of the book. The secret twin is always a really good hook for me because I just want to know how we got here and why! So that part was appealing. If you like mystery books, I’d say this is 100% that. I just don’t think it was for me. Not my fav.

2.75 ⭐️

A psychological thriller with all the elements of suspense: who is telling the truth, and who did it?

The author knows how to tell a story; it is well-written suspense fiction that will keep you guessing. Even though it wasn't my favorite, I was still intrigued enough to keep reading until the end. The story centers on two twin sisters who were separated at birth and reunited after a murder is committed, with one sister being blamed. The other sister tries to uncover the truth about what happened, questioning whether her sister is the real killer or just being manipulated into a web of doubt created by the same people responsible for their separation. The story involves lots of family drama, dysfunction, and the consequences of evil behavior.

Ughhh... Ok, so I enjoyed this dynamic duo's latest read, but unfortunately did not love it as much as I had anticipated. And I really really really wanted to love it. :-(

This book was fast-paced with short chapters and dual POVs, which made it really easy to read. It definitely had an eerie and creepy feel throughout. And I figured out the big twist early on, but that did not affect my feelings towards this story.

However, I did have a few issues that did: it dragged at times making me lose focus, the two MCs should have probably been in their 20's instead of their 30's, and the mom was too much of a cliched privileged rich white woman to take too seriously.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for advanced ARC and ALC copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

Just read The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen—super intense! It dives into the world of psychiatric care with a twisty mystery at its core. I couldn’t stop turning pages. Dark, smart, and emotional in all the right ways. Definitely recommend if you're into psychological thrillers!

The Locked Ward is an addictive, fast-paced thriller that is perfect for summer reading! I tore through this one in just a few days, and I loved the short chapters that alternated between the two sisters' points of view. The book begins with Georgia's perspective from a locked psychiatric ward after she is accused of murdering her adopted sister, Annabelle. Georgia reaches out to her twin sister, Amanda, who was adopted by different parents, and insists that she is innocent. Amanda uncovers a web of deceit in Georgia's family in her quest to discover if her sister is innocent or truly insane. Be sure to add this one to your summer reading list: The Locked Ward releases on August 4th! Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and author Sarah Pekkanen for the librarian preview copy.

Thank you for the opportunity to review early - I enjoyed The Locked Ward quite a bit. Pekkanen's style sings through here - it was completely gripping and I enjoyed the whole thing.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkahen tells the story of Georgia Cartwright a wealthy socialite who wakes up in a locked ward after allegedly murdering her sister. There are alternating chapters with Mandy who gets involved with solving the murder.

I liked the different POV and the short chapters. It kept me reading. The author reveals the characters slowly making you want to learn more about them and also changing your perspective of them.

A good thriller read. Although there were some twists it was a bit predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Georgia is in a locked ward after being accused of killing her sister but insists that she is innocent. Mandy is running the family business when she gets a call from Georgia's lawyer. Turns out Georgia and Mandy are twins separated by birth and Mandy has to help Georgia find answers to what really happened that resulted in her being locked up. I've never read any books by this author before but the story was really good and I will definitely seek out her other books. Pacing was perfect and the twists were good and all supported an excellent premise.

Imagine finding out you have a whole family you didn't know about, that lives a glamorous life, is beautiful and charismatic, but you only know because your sister is in a psych ward., accused of murder and needs your help. Would you help her? Would you help her if it puts your own life in danger? This book is the epitome of family drama and while I found the story original and parts were interesting, there was WAYYY too much drama for me. This book could've been done better with less characters and less drama. By the end, I didn't care to read it anymore and I only did because I wanted to know if Georgia actually married her sister or not.

What I did like is the theme of family betrayal. It's sad that people who are supposed to love you and be the closest to you can hurt you so much and not feel an ounce of remorse. Unfortunately, that part was relatable to me and was the only part that I could connect to. I found reading about the psych ward interesting and the contrast between the lives of the two sisters, interesting. I enjoyed the short chapters and going back and forth between the two sisters perspectives, but overall, this book wasn't for me.

This book was about rich people's family problems and it just made it hard to care about that aspect at all.

Oh wow a twisty, turny thriller that I flew through. I really enjoyed this story. What a quick read.

The eARC: 3.5⭐️
The Audio ALC 2.5⭐️

I have had this book on my NetGalley Shelf for months but purposely waited for the ALC to come so I could do an immersion read having loved The Glass House. Sadly, I am really disappointed and wish I had just read it without the narration as I think I would have liked it much better.

First, the book is fine. There is some creative stylistic writing choices in this 1st person Duel POV book. You have long lost twins Mandy and Georgia. Mandy’s chapters are written in class in 1st person. Georgia on the, who is on a psych hold at a hospital, on the other hand is written in 1st person but uses “You”. Unlike a book that’s written in 2nd person, Georgia is still referring to herself and not the audience. It’s a clever stylistic use to showcase the characters disconnect within herself while she is in the psych unit while drawing the reader into the story like a true 2nd POV would do. However, I don’t think it was universally effective as it just didn’t have the impact I think the author was hoping for.

Now, it is completely possible that the audio narration is responsible for that disconnect. On the positive while narrator January LaVoy spoke at a slow pace it fit with the style of the book. The problem came with the different character voices she did as they were not consistent and at time so subtle that it made it more confusing than engaging. Particularly when she did make voices. It was though she didn’t even try.

Because of said stylistic choices that Ms Pekkanen used it requires the narrator to use her vocal skills to differentiate between when “you” is mentioned in Georgia’s chapters . In the written prose it’s clear because she skillfully uses italics when Georgia is referring to another person (usually Mandy) but you don’t get that differentiation in the narration and it makes a disconnect between what you’re hearing and what you’re looking at on the page. I even chose to just consume the audiobook for certain chapters and then it caused me to have to rewind for clarity.

All that being said for some people, especially if they had no preconceived notions about Sarah Pekkanen’s writing, may really enjoy this. There are some minors twists but they are significantly foreshadowed so they really don’t come as a surprise.

In the end, I wish I had just read it with my eyeballs and recommend if it’s an option to read it that way. It is a swift read with fairly short chapters. Ms Pekkanen is sometimes an overly descriptive writer. It’s something I personally appreciate and like as it allows me to dive into the story and have a complete picture of the setting.

It comes out August 5th 2025 and is available for preorder.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC and eARC from Macmillan Audio and St Martins Press through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

As an only child, Mandy is still recovering from the recent loss of her parents, running the family’s bar, and working hard. Then she receives a phone call from Georgia - wealthy, glamorous Georgia Cartwright - who is locked in a psych ward, accused of killing her sister in a fit of jealously and rage. Now Georgia claims that Mandy is her twin sister, both having been adopted by different families as babies. And she claims that she is innocent and begs for Mandy’s help in saving her life. Mandy must figure out - Is Georgia really innocent or is she a cold blooded killer? Should Mandy trust her and try to help? Is Mandy’s own life in danger? Is anyone really who they claim to be?

As the chapters alternate between the narratives of the two women, the twists and turns keep coming in this page-turner from Sarah Pekkanen. Just when you decide you know the truth, another surprise is waiting. Pekkanen does a great job developing the characters, insuring that you are invested in their lives as you read their stories. And I was invested! This book kept me up much too late reading to find answers. This domestic thriller is not to be missed!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a fun, twisty thriller! The Locked Ward follows twin sisters Georgia and Mandy—who don’t even know the other exists until Georgia ends up in a psych ward, accused of murdering her adopted sister Annabelle. From there, things spiral fast. Georgia reaches out to Mandy for help, claiming she’s being framed, and the story takes off.

I loved the short chapters and how the POV alternated between Georgia and Mandy—it kept the pacing quick and the tension high. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the ending totally blindsided me in the best way. I originally had it at 4 stars, but that final twist definitely earned it a 4.5. A perfect summer read if you’re in the mood for something suspenseful and fast-paced!

3.5 ⭐️

It’s the Crime of the Decade.

Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of bludgeoning to death her younger sister Annabelle, who is her parents biological daughter, just 4 months younger than herself.

She is now locked up in a psychiatric institution awaiting trial-no longer a successful wedding planner, and lover of ugly dogs. She is just Case Number NC-0416729.

Amanda Ravenel is a successful bar owner and Georgia’s OTHER sister-her TWIN sister, but she doesn’t find this out until the high profile case hits the news and a lawyer calls to inform her of this fact. Apparently the girls were separated at birth and adopted by different families. And, now Georgia is asking to meet Mandy.

The only words she whispers when she meets her estranged twin sister are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here before they kill me.”

Well, that sounds crazy.

But, Georgia knows that one item inside her purse will tempt Mandy into investigating. So she has it released to her twin, because Mandy is Georgia’s only hope.

A favorite quote: “ The most dangerous animal on earth isn’t the great white shark or a hungry crocodile or a mama bear. It’s the human being.”

Is Georgia innocent as she claims?

Amanda isn’t sure but she is curious enough to find out.

This is a FAST paced story with short chapters which alternate between the POVs of Georgia and Mandy. It explores family dynamics and twin synergy but the second half reads more like a sudsy, SOAP OPERA, than it does a thriller.

I have been a fan of the author since I started reading her collaborations with Greer Hendricks and always look forward to her latest book. Although this wasn’t a personal favorite of hers, for me, it did keep me engaged from the very first page to the last, so for that I am rounding my 3.5 stars to 4.

Expected publication date: August 5, 2025

Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

After months of being in the worst reading rut ever….. this is the book that finally got me out of it! I loved every second of this story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Written in the two sisters’ perspective. This author is an auto-read for me. I love her thrillers and find them intriguing. The story was fast paced, had twists throughout, and I never guessed the killer. I liked the short, action-packed chapters. Well written psychological thriller that I recommend.

3 stars on Goodreads. I liked this story at times and the pace was great at the beginning but the story started to drag towards the middle and never really grabbed my attention through the end. Wasn’t my favorite from this author, but I still think others will consider this a decent read.

Another quick fast paced whodunit story from Ms. Pekkanen. I have read several of her books and each one has been an enjoyable read.
This is a many twists and turns murder/mystery with the author turning the suspense up a notch about 40% in, nice twist. For the most part this is a completely believable story, with just a few stretching points. I liked all the characters, especially Amanda, and the development of the entire story was well done.
I would call this a great quick beach read coming in with high 5 stars.
This is my own opinion expressed in this review. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

3.5 ⭐️

Not my favorite, unfortunately. The shifting POV and the use of first person in one and second person in the other bothered me. I also didn’t find the “reveal” to be gratifying. Hopefully this is just a bump in the road, as I generally really enjoy her stuff.

Sarah Pekkanen's The Locked Ward plunges readers into a labyrinth of psychological suspense, masterfully exploring the twisted dynamics of family, identity, and the unsettling nature of truth. When the glamorous adopted daughter, Georgia Cartwright, is accused of a shocking murder within her wealthy Southern family, the stage is set for what becomes "the Crime of the Decade."

Pekkanen skillfully builds an atmosphere of creeping dread as Georgia, confined to a menacing psychiatric institution, pleads her innocence to her estranged twin, Amanda. The core of the narrative hinges on Amanda's perilous journey to uncover the truth, forcing her—and the reader—to question everything: Is Georgia an innocent victim caught in a web of family depravity, or a cunning manipulator leading her sister down a path of madness?

This novel is a gripping exploration of sisterhood's complex bonds, stretched to their absolute breaking point. It's a tale where nothing is as it seems, filled with unexpected twists and a constant sense of unease. Fans of intense psychological thrillers will find themselves captivated by The Locked Ward's eerie setting and its relentless descent into the dark corners of the human psyche. Prepare to have your perceptions challenged; some doors in this ward are best left closed.