Georgia Cartwright is accused of killing her sister, Annabelle, and fakes insanity to avoid jail while waiting trial. The problem is, she has to play the part so no one can catch on. She must watch her back to avoid getting caught lying, all while trying to prove her innocence behind the locked ward. With help from a PI, she discovers she has a twin sister named Amanda.

Mandy hears about the high profile crime all over the news. The last thing she expects is getting a call from the accused murderer's lawyer, claiming that Georgia is her twin sister who wants her to come visit. Can Mandy really trust Georgia? Can Georgia find out the true killer in time?

The Locked Ward was an intense ride. It drew me in from the very beginning. It's dual point of view and short chapters made it a quick read. I enjoyed the suspense of not knowing who the characters could trust. Every chapter brought more danger and uncertainty. Of course, it wouldn't be a good thriller without a last minute plot twist!

This book was as addictive as it was entertaining. The story line of this thriller was so different from others and had absolutely no holes in it. Unrelentingly twisty and turny! It was unputdownable! Sarah Pekkanen has done it again and created a psychological thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end!

The Locked Ward was a total page-turner—I couldn't put it down. It powerfully captures the unbreakable bond between sisters, even in the darkest of circumstances. The story weaves in just enough unsettling elements to keep you guessing, and the twist completely caught me off guard. I loved every second of it.

“The Locked Ward” by Sarah Pekkanen is a wild ride from beginning to end. Our two POVs; twin sisters that have recently found each other and have led vastly different lives. Georgia was raised in wealth and high society and Amanda raised in a small town. What brought these two together and being separated since birth? Georgia is accused of murdering her little sister and locked in a ward for the criminally insane. Amanda is brought into this high class, high profile case and has to determine if she can not only trust Georgia but if she wants to put herself in the middle of a murder investigation? Southern crime drama at its finest is all you will find here.
This is the definition of a page turner. I didn’t want to stop until I knew the truth. I can say without a doubt that I enjoy the first person narrative the most, so reading from Georgia’s POV wasn’t as enjoyable. I didn’t guess the twist and for me that’s always a win. Do yourself a favor and read this. I feel like this will end as a “Top 10” read of the year

First off, thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC!

I won’t lie, I went through many emotions reading this book. It definitely has its moments where it not only spooked me, but had me questioning everything.

Structurally, this book is great if you like short chapters. The POV changes each chapter and gives you small insights into both main characters. It sometimes switches between past and present for both women as well to give extra details and backstory. It makes the book easily digestible and fun to read with the different perspectives you are exploring.

The overall story was okay. At first, it really had me hooked with so many different possibilities and endings that could have happened. One way I like to judge thriller books by is if they shock me and I can’t say that this one exactly did that. The twist in the storyline was definitely interesting, but not something that had me staring at my ceiling in surprise.

The underlying themes of family dynamics and how they are often very different for every person was a nice touch. It gave emotional depth to the characters and the story that shows how complicated family can be.

All in all, I did enjoy this book. It wasn’t as thrilling as I had anticipated going into it, but it was a good read overall and I would recommend it to others.

I will post my reviews on social sites closer to the books release date!

This was my first Sarah Pekkanen book and I will definitely be checking out more. I liked the short chapters, it helped the fast paced feel. The plot is interesting and unlike any other books I’ve read recently.

Read this book early to review from Netgalley. This book had me nonstop reading every chance I got. I absolutely loved the story and it kept me on my toes the whole time. Some may think the POVs are written slowly, but the storyline had me hooked. Highly recommend.

The premise of this book sounded very promising and just like the kind of thriller I’d love to dive into. Having read House of Glass, I was excited to give this one a shot. However, a little disappointed in the execution. Things I liked: the short chapters, alternating POVs/narrators, the build up to the dark and twisted secrets at the center of the plot. Loved the twin angle as well, and the fast pace.
Things I didn’t like: why was one narrator’s POV in second person? But the other was not? This was weird. And made all the writing feel a little stilted. For me, the ending fell a little short and was a bit predictable.
Overall not sad I read it but a little sad it didn’t live up to its promise. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

ARC REVIEW- Thriller

Pub Date: August 5, 2025

Gripping and intense! I loved that I was pulled in from the very first page. There was so much tension I didn’t know which character was hiding something up until nearly the very end. Lots of emotional turmoil, family bonds, and hidden truths. I didn’t not want to put this down until I finished!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for a gifted copy of this book!

4.25

Quick and easy read that keeps you engaged and invested!

As this book hasn’t been released yet, I did find two errors during my read (filler words were missing - nothing too crazy) but that did not take me out of the story at all!

If there were things I’d nitpick about…why did one of the POVs refer to themself in second person while the other didn’t? I was expecting a twist there but none came. Also, I feel like we were told about a character’s dark, hidden nature but weren’t shown it. That would have been cool to explore for a chapter or two.

The ending got me though (which I’m surprised I didn’t guess it but nevertheless).

Towards the very end when two characters were able to openly talk (I’m trying not to spoil anything) the prose felt…awkward BUT I will chalk that up to the ‘getting to know you’ stage of things 🤷🏽‍♀️

All in all an interesting mystery that I’d recommend as a palette cleanser between your more standard fast paced thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced read!!!

TW: some expletives (few and far between), psychological child abuse, attempted sexual assault, rape, drugs, alcohol abuse

Full review on GR: loveM

Book Review

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Shoutout to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advanced readers copy, due out August 5, 2025!

I am absolutely a Sarah Pekkanen fan and this one did not disappoint. Twins separated at birth, an affair, a heinous murder, a mental ward, a cover up, and the hints of a budding romance. This one has all the things!

The story is told between two sisters, Mandy and Georgia, who have no idea they are twins until later in their lives. Will one twin be able to save the other? I loved the two points of view and the shorter chapters. That always keeps me wanting to come back for more.

There was a twist I didn’t see coming and I will admit, made me dislike one specific character (no spoiler) more than I thought possible.

I don’t want to give anything away. But put the release date on your calendar and grab this one!

#twins

There is nothing more I could want in a psychologically thriller than a psych ward and murder! That is what I got out of this book. Filled with twists, turns, twin to twin energies, and mental illness. I really enjoyed this read. It was a quick and enjoyable one. The story line was well though out in my opinion and it transitioned smoothly. I liked the dark secrets revealed as well.

Trigger warning: This book has moments of potential triggers for some such as mental illness, assault, and child abuse.

If you like those types of reads, this is a high recommendation from me.

The book was so good, it told through the life's of two sister and a murder and a locked ward highly recommend

Sarah Pekkanen does it again! From the very first chapter—one of the strongest openers I’ve read in a long time—this book pulls you in and refuses to let go.

I’m a huge fan of thrillers with multiple POVs, and this one absolutely delivers. The alternating perspectives aren’t just a stylistic choice—they’re essential to the story’s structure and suspense. Each character’s voice is distinct, and the pacing is sharp while still offering just enough detail to fully immerse you in the story.

The plot twists come fast and hard, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, Pekkanen throws in another layer. The stakes keep rising, and the scope of what’s really happening is bigger and more shocking than you’d expect.

The Locked Ward is a tightly woven, high-stakes psychological thriller that’s going to be a hit when it drops on August 5th. Don’t miss it—this one’s a must-read!

This book kept my interest, but lacked character development. I feel as if there was so much we could've learned about the characters, but they were described superficially. I understand that the twist was a big aspect of the plot, but it was lackluster.

e-arc provided by Netgalley

This was a solid thriller, very much like Sarah Pekkanen's other works. I am also not the biggest fan of some random reveal happening in the last chapter but that honestly happens a lot in thrillers

I like author and I like the book, but it didn’t blow me away or keep me in suspense. Yes, it leads you down a certain path with a nice little twist. But it wasn’t as shocking as I expected or needed it to be for me to give it the 4th star.

Ever since reading Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen, I have been anxiously waiting for this novel to come out! I am so glad to say that the wait was worth it, and this book did not disappoint!

This book follows the story of two sisters, Georgia and Mandy. They have only recently discovered that they are twins, as they had been seperated at birth when they were both adopted. Unfortunately, Georgia is locked in a psych ward after allegedly murdering her other sister, and is hoping that Mandy can help her create a reasonable doubt that she is the murderer.

Pekkanen keeps the reader engaged not only through the various twists and turns throughout the book, but also ny diving deep into the complicated family dynamics both sisters face. Some of the themes regarding adoption and grieving are described so beautifully, and I think a lot of readers will relate to Pekkanen’a descriptions throughout the book.

This book got a 4/5 stars for me because I did feel as if there were a few storylines that felt incomplete at the end, and I did have some questions….however, the main problem in the book was resolved nicely at the end. I did also feel that the book was a bit too long, and that it started to drag a little towards the middle. However, I flew through the last 75%, and needed to know what happened!!

I think that this would make an excellent book club pick as there are a lot of topics in here that can be discussed and debated. I am excited for everyone to read it!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of the novel in exchange for my unbiased review! This book is out in the U.S. on August 5th, 2025!

Georgia is locked up in a psychiatric ward after allegedly murdering her sister at a party. She needs help and she turns to her twin sister for help…who she found out about a month ago and doesn’t know she exists. There are a lot of twists and turns throughout the book. I loved the short chapters, it kept me turning the pages quickly. While I enjoyed the book, it wasn’t as good as her others and not quite as gripping.

Holy twists and turns! This book kept me guessing the whole way through. I loved the locked ward aspect and the different POV's. I thought the book was going in a direction I've read 100 times in different books, but it really surprised me with its unique premise. I love this author and this book is one of my new favorites!