Great story by Sarah Pekkanen. I am a fan of her books and this one did not disappoint. The twists in this story and character relationships kept my interest. 4.5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait until I can read the next book by Sarah Pekkanen. Five out of five stars from me and would be more if I could.

You wake up, and check your phone the news reads about a woman murdering her sister the night before. As you get to the shower your phone rings, it says a private call on the screen and you feel you should answer. The lawyer on the phone informs you that your sister wants to see you, she also happens to be the one you just read about who killed her sister.
That’s how this story begins.
How could I not be hooked immediately? There’s so many twists that you would never expect and you’ll love them! Excellent.

I love her books and this one was great! I don't know how she does it coming up with so many twists but this book will keep you coming back for more!! I also love when she teams up with Greer Hendricks. The Golden Couple is my favorite collab by them if you loved this book read that one now.

I really enjoyed this book! First of all, the title made me immediately want to read it; any hospital-based book is always enticing to me. Also, I am originally from the Charlotte, NC area, so the references to places there was great. I absolutely did not expect the twist with Mandy at the end! This book kept my attention, for sure! Thanks so much for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

Amanda was raised by two loving parents who left her a thriving bar, and she always believed they were the best parents anyone could have. Their deaths turned her world upside down, as she had only known their affection and the family business. However, there was a significant secret they had kept from her: she was adopted. To make matters more complicated, Amanda has a twin sister named Georgia, who was aware of Amanda's existence but had never had the opportunity to meet her. Georgia even hired a private investigator to learn more about her long-lost sister, but until now, their paths had never crossed.
Georgia's arrest for her sister's murder changed everything, leaving her with only Amanda to turn to. Although Amanda is initially distrustful of Georgia, her investigation into the circumstances of her sister's murder leads her to believe that Georgia is innocent. As Amanda unravels the threads of their separation, she grows increasingly curious about Georgia's life and the path she could have taken. This newfound insight sparks a twinge of envy, but as she delves deeper into a world she never knew, she discovers that things aren't always what they seem.

Meanwhile, Georgia endures harrowing experiences in a psychiatric ward, feeling increasingly distant from her goal of proving her innocence. Amanda knows she must keep pushing forward before it's too late. This story is a thrilling exploration of family secrets and the lengths one will go to protect them. You won't be able to put it down! Initially, the pacing felt a bit slow, but soon you'll find yourself captivated by the lives of the wealthy and their myriad secrets. A heartfelt thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the amazing opportunity to read and review this gripping tale—I loved the twisted ending!

This thriller kept me hooked from the very beginning. It is very fast paced and captivating. Told from two sisters points of view, this book keeps you guessing until the very end. 4 stars! Cannot wait to read more by this author.

“But our surfaces are mirages. They project lies. Everyone has hidden layers, including me. Especially me.”
The Locked Ward included some of the ingredients I always look for in a good suspense book; a whodunnit, a good call back, and an unexpected twist! I read a good amount of suspense and thriller books and have gotten pretty good at guessing endings but was pleasantly surprised at this one. I thought I had it figured out but was definitely wrong in the end. This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Pekkanen but will definitely not be the last.

A psychological thriller centering around twins, separated at birth, and aren’t aware of the other’s existence. Georgia is adopted by a wealthy family but often described as the “bad child”. Stories of her tormenting and abusing her little sister Annabelle, her adoptive parent’s biological daughter, while growing up led to resentment and an estranged relationship with both her parents and sister. Mandy is adopted by a middle class family, had a more humble childhood, but was surrounded by love instead of animosity. Both girls have led completely different lives thus far.

Georgia ends up in the locked ward of a psychiatric hospital where she awaits trial for the murder of her sister, Annabelle, after she is found standing over her bludgeoned body.

Mandy receives a call from Georgias lawyer that she’s requested to see Georgia in the ward. Mandy has no idea who she is until it is revealed that she’s a twin and her sister needs her. Mandy who has always felt alone and was missing someone, is intrigued thus beginning a wild journey of unraveling the truth. Is Georgia innocent? Why were they separated? What would their lives be like if they were switched?

I loved the interesting relationships between the sisters, the dynamic between Georgia and Annabelle and then Georgia with Mandy. I enjoyed their stories unfolding and what it meant to be sisters.

I thought it was an interesting story as psychiatric wards/medicine has always been interesting as a healthcare provider. I liked the alternating POV from Georgia and Mandy, but I didn’t understand why Georgias was told in second person vs. first like Mandy’s. As the twists unfolded, they weren’t the biggest reveals and you could maybe figure out a few, but it was well written and kept my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this twisty story.

I wasn’t sure about this book at first but when it picked up, it was so good! I absolutely ate it up.

Georgia is locked in a mental institution after harming her youngest sister Annabelle. Georgia was adopted as a newborn and she finds out she has a twin sister who was given to another family.

Amanda is Georgia’s twin sister and she goes to the mental institution to hear Georgia’s reasoning behind what happened to Annabelle.

I recommend giving this book a read if you love Sarah Pekkanen books.

Thanks netgalley and publisher for the chance to read this book for free in return for my honest opinion.

Pub date is 8/5/25

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
Publishing date - 08/05/25
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. Loved it!! Memorable characters… suspense Absolutely unputdownable. It’s fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
Publishing date - 08/05/25
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. Sarah Pekkanen is one of my must-read authors, and her newest book did not disappoint! The short chapters and alternating points of view kept me turning the pages. Absolutely unputdownable. It’s fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read that keeps you guessing until the very last page! Highly recommend this one when it releases on August 5th.

The Locked Ward was a great read. I've been a Sarah P. fan since she was co-writing thrillers. She does a fantastic job writing solo. The Locked Ward kept me guessing until the very end. If you are fan of a thriller with many twists and turns, as well as one that builds anticipation as one chapter ends and another begins, pick this book up.

Title: The Locked Ward
Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mandy is summoned to a psychiatric hospital to meet the twin sister she never knew she had, Georgia. Georgia has been accused of murdering her adopted sister in a fit of rage and she knows the only person she can have help her discover the truth and free her is Mandy. Placing Mandy in uncertain danger, Georgia plays the role of incompetent patient while Mandy searches for the truth.

Positives: Amazing character development! From Georgia to Senator Dawson to Honey, Pekkanen writes distinct roles for each within her novels and even when you think you know exactly who did what, she throws in the twist that causes one of more characters to veer right in your mind. I thought I had the twist right shortly before it was revealed, but then I was blindsided by the other one that happened. This one will be a great late summer read!

Struggles: Mandy was very trusting of someone she didn’t know existed pretty quickly, but there is the womb bond that twins forms that transitions to life on the outside.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on August 5, 2025.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #TheLockedWard #sarahpekkanen #StMartinsPress

3.5 ⭐️
After loving House of Glass, I was really looking forward to reading The Locked Ward!
Told from alternating points of view, we follow first Georgia, who has been locked away in a psychiatric ward, accused of killer her sister Annabelle. Not feeling she can trust anyone else to help her, Georgia reaches out to her other sister, Mandy, of whom she recently learned existed after being separated at birth by adoption.
While there was a good twist in the end, I was left a bit unsatisfied. While Mandy’s story was told from the first person perspective, Georgia’s was told from second person… and I really thought that would come to mean something! But it didn’t. And so now I wonder what the point was. Hmmm…
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of The Locked Ward in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! I was hooked on this book from the beginning. It was told with dual POVs - Mandy & Georgia. They are twin sisters that didn’t know the other one existed and Georgia needs Mandy to help her prove she’s innocent. There was some things that I predicted and some things I didn’t. With the build up of this book, I was really hoping for a gut-punch twist which sadly I didn’t get. Overall a decent read with short chapters & fast-paced, but didn’t give the wow factor of a 4 or 5 star read for me.

Sarah Pekkanen's "The Locked Ward" plunges readers into a world of wealth, family secrets, and unreliable narrators, delivering a twisty psychological thriller that explores the complex bonds of sisterhood. The novel centers around Georgia Cartwright, a glamorous woman from a wealthy Southern family, who finds herself confined to a psychiatric institution, accused of murdering her sister. As she awaits trial, Georgia reaches out to her estranged twin sister, Mandy, a bar owner who had no idea of Georgia's existence.The story unfolds through alternating perspectives, with both Georgia and Mandy offering their accounts. Georgia's narrative portrays a woman desperate to prove her innocence, while Mandy grapples with the shock of discovering a twin and the moral dilemma of helping someone she barely knows, and perhaps cannot fully trust. The use of two unreliable narrators adds layers of intrigue, keeping readers guessing about the truth behind the murder.Pekkanen delves into themes of family dynamics, the corrupting influence of wealth and power, and the complicated relationship between sisters. The novel explores how jealousy, rivalry, and long-held secrets can fracture even the closest bonds. The stark contrast between Georgia's privileged upbringing and Mandy's more modest life highlights the impact of social class and the different paths taken by twins separated at birth.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down. When a plot is well-crafted and the characters are vividly brought to life, it can be hard to tear yourself away from the pages. A compelling ending is the cherry on top, leaving you both satisfied and yearning for more.

This book was 5 stars, I loved it! I had to jump on and write a review as soon as I finished it. I loved the concept of the book. It left me wondering the whole time if Georgia had killed her sister! I also thought the dynamic of the twins was very unique! I would definitely recommend this book to others, it was so good! Sarah Pekkanen is one of my must-read authors, and her newest book did not disappoint!

Thank you to @netgalley for the gifted arc. This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. Georgia is locked in an asylum after supposedly murdering her sister but is not speaking to anyone claiming a psychotic break.

Amanda is contacted out of the blue and thrust in the middle of this matter finding out that Georgia is her twin she knew nothing about.

Amanda doesn’t know who to trust but is determined to unravel the truth behind her parentage and whether her sister is murderer.

This was fast paced and completely bingeable. 5⭐️

Georgia is locked in a psychiatric ward after she bludgeoned her sister to death. Georgia reaches out to her twin sister as the one person she believes can help her. Mandy is shocked to learn that she has a twin sister.

You get dual points of view from Mandy and Georgia. It was interesting to read Georgia's thoughts and her plan. She says she didn't do it and asks her sister to help her. Mandy is determined to help her sister and find out the truth about the past.

This was a slow burn. Just didn't love it like I did House of Glass. I got to the end and I had so many questions.