Sarah Pekkanen really knows how to write a thriller that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. If you’re looking for an intricate mystery, this may not be for you. I like a thriller every once in awhile that is not too much of a complicated weaving of story lines. This book is a nice break from reality and I enjoyed the plot. Some of the twists were predictable and some were not.

Sarah is an auto read author for me, because I know I will get a good thriller that is not too scary and not hard to follow along to. I would suggest this book if you’re looking for something to read on the beach this summer as it will keep you engrossed from beginning to end.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
4 stars

Was it bitter, all consuming jealousy?
Pathological sibling rivalry?
Pure insanity?


I’m a fan of Sarah Pekkanen and per usual the synopsis drew me in BUT THEN the first chapter sealed the deal for me. I was fully invested after the first two pages and the very last line.

“From this day forward, you are the newest resident of the locked ward.”

This is told from two POV’s. There’s Georgia who was found standing over the body of her younger sister Annabelle and is currently being held in a psychiatric facility for the most heinous offenders, awaiting trial. Then there’s Mandy (Amanda,) who was contacted literally out of the blue by an attorney who states her twin sister needs her help. This stuns Mandy because she was raised as an only child! Her parents are deceased so she has no one to ask about Georgia…curiosity brings her to the locked ward for her first meeting with Georgia who whispers to Mandy that she didn’t do it and needs her help to get out of there.

This sets Mandy on a path where she is searching for clues and answers that can help prove Georgia’s innocence while simultaneously unraveling the mystery of why she has a twin that she was never aware of and how they came to be separated. I enjoyed the plot and the mystery surrounding this novel. Even though some of the twists were predictable, it was written well and it does have you vacillating between whether or not Georgia is guilty and just manipulating Mandy or if she’s actually innocent. I am not a twin so I don’t know anything about the twin bond, it was hard for me to believe that they had this bond and parallels in life right from the first meeting. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The chapters are short and fast paced, I liked the characters well enough and there was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me engaged. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, it fell flat. After the build up through the novel I guess I was expecting something more exciting and powerful?

Overall, while not my favorite Pekkanen novel, I enjoyed this read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I look forward to my annual summer Sarah Pekkanen thriller, and while this one didn't disappoint, it wasn't my favorite of hers. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Georgia is accused of killing her sister, Annabelle, and taken to a psychiatric ward. From there, Amanda (Mandy) is called to her side, and we learn they are estranged twin sisters. Everything is not as it seems, including why Georgia is in a psychiatric facility vs. jail, and how the sisters are connected. The short chapters, told from each sister's point of view, take the reader from Annabelle's murder through a twisty tale that includes a challenging childhood, a difficult mother, a senator, and a love affair. You are in Georgia's head while at the psychiatric ward and her encounters with the other patients, and then with Mandy on the outside, trying to figure out if her sister is innocent or just leading her on. The psychiatric ward is definitely not a place I'd want to be, so the creep factor is there during these scenes.

Like many of Pekkanen's prior novels, you are given a fun read that will have you turning the pages quickly, however, this one comes with easier to guess plot points. I'm usually up for the unexpected in my thrillers, so don't be surprised if this one doesn't shock you. All in all, still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

I just finished reading "The Locked Ward" by Sarah Pekkanen. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for thr advanced copy in return for an honest review.
I think I will start off by saying that I read this book in one day. The story and the mystery around the murder of one of the characters made it impossible to put the book down. Also the evolving story of the two twins was riveting. The story was told through the perspective of two sisters, Mandy and Georgia. One has been charged with murder and is in a locked ward waiting for an assessment. The other is a twin that she has never met and is the only one who can help solve the murder.
The back story is great and the way the story evolves is awesome. So many surprises along the way. Every character plays an important part and there are some really creepy characters along the way.
I loved the pace of th story and how each character had her own perspective. It made me root for both of them. I also loved the slow build up and how mostly everything was tied up at the end. I loved how characters I thought were good turned out to be super nasty and I liked how the mysery of the sisters Annabelle and Georgia and their relationship was written.
There was nothing I didn't like, except for the role of the father Stephen in the soty, but even that was explained.
Overall, I thought this book was great. There was a great mystery, a great tale of twin connection, and great villains and heroes, who did very villainous and heroic things.
Happy Reading

The author of this book has written suspense thrillers that were twisty and intriguing. Most of the time, I’ve noticed there may be a plot hole here and there but nothing quite as glaring as this latest book. It’s so difficult to rate a book that had some interesting moments but overall was a hot mess. 2.5 stars rounded down to indicate I would not recommend. It’s really a disappointing book.

I have loved other books by Sarah Pekkanen (especially ones she’s written with Greer Hendricks). Locked Ward was good, an entertaining read, but not my favorite storyline or characters. It’s a bit of a far-fetched plot with a lot going on and then is (too) neatly tied up in the end before you find out yet another twist that is interesting but not really fully developed enough to land.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the ARC.

The Locked Ward is a compelling psychological thriller that pulls you into the unsettling world of a psychiatric hospital, where secrets, trauma, and buried truths bubble just beneath the surface. Sarah Pekkanen does a fantastic job building suspense and creating layered, emotionally complex characters—especially the protagonist, whose struggle to untangle the mystery feels both urgent and deeply personal.
The pacing is strong, with enough twists to keep the pages turning, and the setting adds an eerie, claustrophobic tension that really enhances the narrative. This a gripping and thought provoking read that lingers with you afterward.

Sarah Pekkanen at her best! The Locked Ward was suspenseful, and full of twists I did NOT see coming. I read this in one sitting because I simply could not put this book down! If you are looking for a suspenseful thriller full of twists and turns with an ending that will shock you... this is your book!

BOOK REVIEW: THE LOCKED WARD

It’s the crime of the decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, adopted as a newborn, is accused of murdering the biological daughter of her wealthy, southern family.

Thank you @stmartinspress for my Netgalley copy and audio! I loved bouncing between physical and audio on this one!

THE LOCKED WARD is a totally bingeable psychological thriller that will leave you questioning everything and everyone! So many secrets, lies, and family dynamics going on, I loved it!!! I don’t wanna say too much cause I think this is a fun one to go into blindly but I would definitely add this to your summer tbr of you’re looking for a psychological thriller to binge by the beach/pool!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's press for the digital ARC!

Adopted at birth, Georgia has always hated Annabelle, her parents miracle biological daughter. So no one is surprised when Georgia finally snaps, brutally murdering Annabelle on the night of her 32nd birthday. Georgia, however, insists she didn't do it. And the only person she'll speak to... is the sister who doesn't know she exists. Can Mandy prove Georgia's innocence? Does Mandy even believe her? Because if Georgia didn't kill Annabelle... who did?

This one was really hard to put down. Fast, nice short chapters, some nice red herrings. However, there were some ends tied up in ways I didn't really understand, and essentially I had to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the book. However, if you can overlook the more questionable aspects (shallow characters/relationships, cliches), Pekkanen gives some serious creep factor here.

This was a really engaging and entertaining book! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I read the book. The multiple POV helped keep the book suspenseful but there were also some twists that I never saw coming! Georgia and Amanda’s experiences throughout the story were so vastly different from each other but they were both going through so many harrowing situations. I alternated between the book and audiobook and I’ve got to say, the audiobook was phenomenal. Narrator @saskiaaudio is one of my favorites so I was thrilled to hear her narrate all the characters!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've read Pekkanen alone and with Greer Hendricks, and I'm kind of thrilled that this book was a return to a sole effort of Sarah's brilliance. No offense to the writing team with Greer Hendricks, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Locked Ward.

We get two points of view, Georgia and Amanda, twins who were separated at birth and adopted by vastly different sets of parents. Sometimes, having wealthy parents isn't necessarily a better option.

Georgia has been put on an involuntary psych hold after being found with her murdered sister Annabelle's body. She's presumed the only suspect and is in a locked ward. Who can she trust? Can she survive a psych ward or prison?

Amanda has a strong, distinct voice. Mandy inherited her parents' bar and left her marketing job to run the business 90 minutes from Charlotte, NC, where Georgia grew up ignored by her "mother" Honey. Mandy was well loved by her parents. Her resilience is admirable, particularly as she recalls a friend in college who was assaulted.

Georgia has to make a connection with her sister and get her to save her while risking her life. The twin connection is incredible, but Georgia has to pretend that she's in a practically catatonic state. Threats in the form of creepy male patients, horrible nurses aid, and the less obvious one which I didn't see coming.

Sure, part of the story is a little convoluted, and the ending was a little anticlimactic in terms of shockers, but I enjoyed this book. Well worth buying or borrowing, available August 5, 2025. 4.5/5☆

This book gave me Freida McFadden vibes. It was a great popcorn thriller with an interesting plot. Twin sisters separated at birth now come together to save one of them. Add in a psych ward and I was hooked!

I really enjoyed the dual POV. The switch from first person to third person took some getting used to but it made the story work. I couldn't put this book down.

I will say, the ending went a little bit left, but it kept my attention. I didn't see that twist coming. Thank you to Netgalley, and the publisher for my ARC.

I read this book both with audiobook and ebook, and both were excellent formats that I highly recommend. Thank you to both St. Martin’s Press for the arc and Macmillan Audio for the alc!

In this thriller, two narrators set the scene for the reader. One is Georgia, who wakes up alone, locked up in an institution after being accused of murdering her sister. The other is Mandy, who is contacted by Georgia and told that she is her estranged twin sister. Mandy is Georgia’s only hope of proving her innocence and finding what really happened that day, but there are powerful people involved, and Mandy doesn’t know who she can trust. Is Georgia lying?

I am a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen, both as a solo author and as part of her duo with Greer Hendricks. This book is a bit more far fetched than others and requires a bit of suspension of disbelief. If you can set aside some of the unlikeliness of events, I think it’s a very enjoyable popcorn-type of thriller. It’s attention-grabbing right from the start, fast paced, and ends with a couple of good twists. As a twin mom, a few aspects of their fraternal twin bond had me chuckling, but that’s where the suspension of disbelief might be required (along with a few other areas). That said, it was absolutely entertaining and a fun thriller that I think many readers will enjoy.

OMG - one of the best books I have read this year. This book is filled with twists and truly feels like a roller coaster ride in the best way. The author did a great job of having a lot of suspects, making you constantly change your mind about who did the murder. If you like stories that include sisters and their drama, this book is for you. I read this in one night because thats how good it is!

Read Completed 6/28/25 | 2.5 stars | Book #95 of 2025
Thank you to the publisher for approval of the review copy via Netgalley.

I think Sarah Pekkanen & Greer Hendricks need each other. I haven't felt the magic from either one of them being on their own.

THE LOCKED WARD started out okay, but it had a lot of odd choices to me that didn't make sense. The book is about two twin sisters who only just find out about each other, but one has been sequestered in a psychiatric hospital after being accused of murdering her adopted sister.

SPOILERS -- I wanted the twin thing to mean something. It really didn't at all. They weren't identical, so the author wasn't using that as some sort of confusion or plot device. They were separated at birth, but the reason for it was just dumb and also kind of didn't make sense when it came down to it. [ There was a LOT going on with this in the conclusion. Georgia's mom was going to adopt when they found out that it was twins. She said "technology wasn't as advanced in that time so they didn't know it was twins." In what I'm assuming was like 1993, if they're 32? They couldn't tell someone was having twins in 1992???? No. She said "I only wanted one baby" and that's why the twins were split up, but she ended up getting pregnant with her own... so now she has.... two babies anyway. Why would she then adopt both daughters and then hire someone to take the other one away? Why didn't she just say that she didn't want to adopt twins? I don't know much about the adoption process, but I'm pretty sure if there are twins and you're surprised by it, like... I think you can chance your mind. That's a big step. The adoption process is also not quick and easy like, Yeah I'll just take a baby. It's a rigorous process. For this to be just totally glossed over and then one baby to basically be sold off -- This was stupid and annoying. (hide spoiler)]
Mandy and Georgia also started having the whole twin telepathy thing only after they meet (though I guess you can't know you have it before if there's no twin to talk to), but that also felt like a huge stretch and also wasn't used enough for anything. One would know the other was going to call or needed them. Okay. And? It was too much and not used well enough to matter, so it just irritated me.

The plot was a little tired. It's not anything new and the journey getting there wasn't very exciting. I will admit, the time in the locked ward was very tense, but it was also in a way that focused on abuse so I truly hated it. I can't stand reading about abuse so while it was very atmospheric and made me feel things, it wasn't enjoyable.

The characters themselves were pretty boring. Mandy pretty much only existed to help Georgia and there was nothing interesting about her. She didn't really have a personality, and with Georgia intentionally shutting down, she also ended up lacking personality.

Lastly, Georgia's POV was written in second person for literally no reason at all. To dissociate? Maybe? I was hoping there would be some twist to make it all worth while but it was not.

The ending was supposed to floor me but it didn't. It had nothing to do with anything else and it was just added in for shock value.

Overall, this was a miss for me, and the more I think about the plot, the less impressed I am.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I've read most of the books by this author. They are all very engaging and often thrilling reads. This one was no different, however, lacked some more of the thrill of the secret behind what actually happened for me. It was still a solid thriller for me at 3 stars.

Okay—imagine finding out out of nowhere that you have a twin? It’s the kind of premise that immediately screams psychological thriller, and Sarah Pekkanen pulls you in fast with that hook.

The concept is fantastic and really delivers on the suspense. I loved the contrast between the sisters, and the way the POVs are written differently makes that even more effective. The voices feel distinct, especially as the tension ramps up and you start to question who’s telling the truth—or how much of it.

The writing itself was a little rough in spots, which I expected since this is an ARC. It didn’t take away from the story, but I do hope the final version gets a round or two of edits to smooth out the flow and tighten the pacing. Some scenes felt just slightly off rhythm or too on-the-nose.

Georgia is such a strong character. I loved how smart and strategic she is—she’s never just reacting, she’s always calculating. On the flip side, Josh’s obsession with her was a bit much at times. It served its purpose, but it started to feel repetitive and heavy-handed.

That said, I liked the way things unfolded in the end. It wasn’t jaw-dropping or shocking for shock’s sake, but it was satisfying. The ending tied together the plot without overstaying its welcome or trying too hard to force a twist.

If you’re into layered psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators, fractured family dynamics, and high-stakes secrets, this one’s absolutely worth a read. I’ll be curious to see how the final release shapes up—because the bones of this are really solid.

What a book! This is a dual storyline, told by Georgia and Mandy. They are twins. Georgia’s other sister is killed and she is put in a psych ward waiting on being charged with her murder. Mandy is the only one who can help try and save her. This story has everything.. from murder, betrayal, family secrets and revenge!

This was actually my first Sarah Pekkanen book & I'm pleasantly surprised. This book was very fast-paced, so it held my interest, and I truly enjoyed the setting. I finished another book previously about dual narratives between sisters, so I do think that made me a little more bias toward this, but I would still recommend it regardless of that. Some parts were a little cheesy for me, but I still found that I couldn't put it down.