I really enjoyed book. It’s a premise I’ve never read before. There were plenty of twists and turns. I liked the way the book was written things were revealed as time goes on and you are always guessing. I can’t wait until this comes out I will be buying for my shelf. Thank you netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy!

My favorite author did not disappoint me with this storyline which I cannot quit thinking about. What a great story about twin sisters who were not raised together and who suddenly discovered each other after 30 plus years. Lots of twists and surprises which kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrilling read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this fabulous read.

The Locked Ward is a twisty, murder mystery. But you do have to suspend your belief in facts and logic a few times to keep going with the plot.

Rich socialite Georgia is accused of murdering her younger sister and has been locked in a mental health ward until she can be determined fit to stand trial. She is faking being unresponsive to avoid jail. She contacts her twin sister Mandy for help solving the murder (which she insists she didn't do). Mandy, who didn't even know she was a twin until hearing from Georgia, immediately begins investigating. Georgia has a few scary interactions with other patients and staff, Mandy has a one night stand, there is a mysterious second death that is given short shrift (we never do find out if it was even murder), there is a climactic final scene, and then there are several more chapters after that, that felt like the author just wanted to keep dragging the story out.

It was a good mystery and there are a couple of hard to guess plot twists. The character development of Mandy is good, but we are told she has a red belt in Tai Kwan Do and regularly practices with her six-shooter, so I kept expecting to see her kick some bad guy butt. Never happens. The rest of the cast of characters are the typical stock of mystery novel inhabitants; the scary mental patient, the mean staff member, the crazy suitor, the nice guy suitor, the gruff but loveable P.I., the evil Mother, the wimpy Father. None of them are fully fleshed out but I guess that's ok, as they don't get much time in the story anyway. It is all alternating chapters about Georgia and Mandy's thoughts and experiences.

This was an okay little read for mystery lovers, with some chapters that dragged on and a couple of surprises at the end.

Oh Sarah Pekkanen what a dark book!!!! This book absolutely took me time to get into just because it starts out in such an intense setting. I pushed through and while I enjoyed the book it wasn’t personally one of my favorites and I have been trying to figure out what exactly did not connect with me as a reader.

Two women's lives suddenly become entwined as one is accused of murdering her sister. Together they must work to find the killer, but it is difficult not knowing who to trust.

I thought this was really well written and I enjoyed following the story as the two sisters work together to discover the truth. I thought this was going to go one way but I was proved wrong and I love when a story surprises me with an ending. Really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

When Georgina is accused of murdering her adoptive sister, she relies on her long estranged twin Amanda as the only person who can help prove her innocence. But Amanda, who only just found out about Georgia's existence, isn't sure she can trust her.

I was very excited going into this one as the premise was quite intriguing, and I've loved all of the author's previous work. This book started off super strong and I was hooked from the first chapter, which led into such a scandalous and suspenseful read right up until the end! The multiple POV's were well done and I couldn't help trying to guess what might happen to make a great twist. The short chapters also kept me hooked and flowed well. A couple of creepy characters really added a little extra something. One thing I didn't love was one character POV told in the second person, but I could get past it. Overall this was an enjoyable read and I think fans of the author will love it.

I wanted to love this book! I loved the other books by this author that I have read but this one wasn’t my favorite. It was a quick read and kept me engaged but I didn’t find the twists super exciting. I also thought more focus should’ve been on Georgia faking her condition in the locked ward. Overall, this one was good, not great for me. 3.5 stars

3.5 stars! A high stakes, past paced thriller that really doesn’t let up with the twists and turns. I liked our dual POVs of both sisters Georgia and Mandy; It created a very interesting way for the plot to unfold and really upped the stakes. Although somewhat predictable in the end I still really enjoyed the ending and the author did a good job of tying up all the loose ends. I especially liked the little reveal in the epilogue chapter, it was very satisfying (I always support women’s wrong) I definitely wouldn’t say this is a groundbreaking or unique thriller but it’s still very enjoyable to read. Would recommend to anyone looking for a quick thriller read with a few good twists.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “The Locked Ward” will be published August 5, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Sarah Pekkanen for an ARC of The Locked Ward! I was eating this book up - I loved the story going back and forth from Mandy to Georgia and the cliff hangers at the end of the chapters that I sighed loudly anytime I had to put down the book. I was about to grab some popcorn because the suspense was killing me. I know whatever Sarah writes is going to be a great thriller. The crime of the year has happened and Georgia Cartwright is at the front and center. Georgia is adopted and accused of murdering her sister, the biological daughter of Honey and Stephen. Georgia is locked up in a psychiatric institution before trial. Amanda, or Mandy, receives a random call stating she has a twin sister and she wants to meet her.. but she’s at the psychiatric unit. Mandy meets Georgia and is torn - can she really trust her sister that she’s just met and is accused of murder? There is so much at war for Mandy being thrown into a whole new life and world - she needs to help her sister, but this whole situation may be bigger than she ever expected. This psychological thriller will take you through a new perspective of sisterhood.

Overall, I loved this story. It came me on my toes & it was a very quick read! My favorite part was the twists & turns that kept you wanting to keep reading because everything you were reading may not have been true.

Buckle up and hang on for a wild, exhilarating ride of The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen! This story is told in two points of view, one by Mandy and the other by Georgia, and is exciting trying to figure out all of the secrets. If you read this, hold on and enjoy! It’s a great read!

NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, thank you for this advanced copy. I loved it!

I'm a longtime fan of Sarah Pekkanen and this book didn't disappoint. I'm a sucker for thrillers based around an asylum setting so this one kept me turning the pages late into the night. As expected there were some great twists and reveals. This was the perfect length for a thriller-suspense novel, not too short and not too long. The pace was steady throughout the novel. I will keep coming back to Pekkanen's novels as long as she keeps writing page-turners like this.

Oh my goodness. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but the end I received wasn't it. Such a great book with that notorious twist at the end. I wish I could get an update on the lives of Georgia and Mandy and see where their futures take them.

Georgia finds herself in a high-security psychiatric ward, accused of murdering her sister Annabelle. Amanda is surprised to find out she has a twin sister who was adopted and raised in a wealthy family. Amanda isn't sure if she can trust Georgia, but agrees to help her find the real murderer.

The Locked Ward is an engaging, twisty-turny mystery with salacious high-society family secrets.

4.5⭐

I love a good whodunit kinda book. I had my guesses but I'm going to admit that I'm not too great at guessing. 😂🙈

The psych ward that Georgia was locked in was eerie enough that I was creeped out.

This was a quick, easy read with short chapters that kept me flying through the pages. The story centers around Mandy, who finds out—out of nowhere—that she has a twin sister named Georgia. Georgia’s in a psych ward after being accused of killing the biological daughter of her adoptive family, and she begs Mandy to help her. From there, you’re left wondering—is Georgia a victim, or is she playing everyone?

I had a good time with this one. I did figure out the twist pretty early on, but it was still a fun ride that kept me entertained from start to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this ARC.

Sarah Pekkanen books have always been an auto read author for me. But “The Locked Ward”, dare I say it, is her best one yet!

Georgia Catright, a daughter of a rich southern family, is accused of killing her sister. Since she is adopted, her family accuses her of the murder and she is currently in a high security mental hospital. What does Georgia do to help her innocence? Reconnect with her long lost twin sister, who she has never met before.

I loved this one!! I do both love twins and locked wards theme in books, but I was hooked from the start! I was invested in how they found each other, why they got separated as babies, and of course the murder. Many twists and turns and it all came together at the end. An easy 5 ✨

The dual POV was told between Georgia and Mandy. Georgia is locked up and she's asking Mandy to help her. But while she asks for help, she also forewarns Mandy that her life may be in danger. I felt like the obvious thing was Georgia was falsely locked up but what you see isn't what you get with this one. I normally really love Sarah's books, this one was just ok for me. It is fast paced but I felt like it was missing the Sarah Spark.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
4/5 🌟

I really enjoy this author and her latest thriller did not disappoint. The cover was a bit creepy but the story is a bit twisted so that fits.

We meet Mandy who is a normal women that finds out she has a twin on the same day she is reading about this twin being accused of killing her sister and is in a psych ward. The story unfolds in two narrations Mandy being her account and Georgia in the second person narrative. Which is unnerving to say the least.

I love a thriller where you don’t know who is playing who and what the truth is and the plot here is just that. I did think the willingness of Mandy was a bit crazy but the last bit does explain maybe why she’s able to jump into this case and help her sister.

The betrayal and uncover work and slow unfolding of secrets was so gripping and I could not put this one down.

This was entertaining enough but I found myself getting confused at times. I was reading this during some personal struggles in my life and I feel that this affected my retention. If you’re familiar with my reviews and reading habits, you know that I normally read books pretty fast but this one took me a while.

I think this is worth checking out but I didn’t enjoy it as fully as I think I could’ve. I believe this was partly due to my own life circumstances. Once this book publishes, I would like to do a reread and give a more in-depth analysis.

I can say that I generally find Sarah’s books to be entertaining. This one wasn’t my favorite of hers but I think I would still recommend it.

Please forgive the lacking review. I hope to amend it in the future when I’m in a better mindset.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.