I've read many of Sarah Pekkanen's books so I was excited when I saw she had written another. The Locked Ward is not my favorite book by her, but definitely one that is worth the read. The book kept me wanting to read to find out what happened. There were several twists in it that I did not see coming which made it exciting!

This story quickly grabbed my attention with the short chapters and alternating POV. However, it was not my favorite work from Pekkanen. I think the biggest downfall to thrillers is the unbelievable nature to the end of so many plot lines. I also didn’t appreciate the attitude/beliefs portrayed about the other patients that were on the same psychiatric floor as one of the leading characters.

Georgia is arrested for murder of her sister, Annabelle, and instead of going straight to jail she was taken to a mental health facility on a mandatory 72 hour hold.

Mandy gets roped into the drama and intertwined to the story of Georgia, murder, and suddenly she has to figure out who really killed Annabelle and why.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sarah Pekkanen for this eARC, publishing August 2025.

I've read every book by Sarah Pekkianen, but this was one of my least favorite. The plot was very unrealistic and ridiculous and predictable. The characters were not well-developed. The ending was a disappointment.

This book is best suited for a newer thriller reader.

I was given an ARC of The Locked Ward from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first book I have read by Sarah Pekkanen and I will definitely be reading more of her work! I enjoyed her writing style and loved the twists that I didn't see coming!

I was excited to receive an ARC of this book as it takes place in a psychiatric ward, which is always interesting to me!

Georgia is placed in a psychiatric ward while awaiting the decision if she's going to face charges for murdering her sister or be deemed mentally ill and have to stay in the ward and be forced to take psychiatric medication. Before her sister's murder she found out she had a twin sister who she was separated from at birth. She gets in contact with her twin to help her prove her innocence.

This story went back and forth each chapter from each sisters' point of view. I couldn't put it down as I was anxious to see where the story was going. I kept telling myself "just one more chapter" even though it was already late and past my normal bedtime!

I just couldn’t get into this book. One sister is locked up for killing her younger sister. Along comes her twin who didn’t even know she had sisters! Just kind of drug out. Not super interesting. Little shocking at the end but not something I would recommend.

Love everything by this author. Always suspenseful, fast paced and sorry to fet to the final page. GReat story great intrigue and great entertainment.
This author is top notch. One of my faves

You know a thriller is good when you blow through it in less than 48 hours. This murder mystery/thriller has unexpected twists that keep you guessing right to the end.

I’ve read everything by Sarah Pekkannen and if you enjoy her other work, this one does not disappoint! Told in dual perspectives, the book follows estranged twin sisters, Georgia and Mandy. Georgia is accused of murdering her parents’ biological daughter; she contacts Mandy, who had no clue she was twin, for help when she finds herself locked in a psych ward. This is a very fast-paced, psychological thriller that kept my attention from the start. I read it very quickly and didn’t guess the ending (always a bonus!). An easy, enjoyable read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel!

A very good book that drew me in immediately and kept me reading until the end! I didn’t guess the end, which I love! It had a good pace and I really enjoyed it.

Secrets and lies, murder and cover ups and sibling rivalry all tied up in this thriller of a book. Mandy has just discovered she has a twin locked up in a psych ward and she is asking to see her. What follows is twists and turns to get to the truth.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was very easy to binge with its addicting content and short chapters. Each chapter left me wanting more! There are so many secrets revealed and several shocking twists.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc!

I really loved this authors last novel. I think she’s really got a handle on what a psychological thriller is. This one was fast paced and easy to read. It was interesting to try to figure out what was going on. It’s dual perspective but it doesn’t take away from the novel at all, and I feel that it would only make sense that way. I think this is a solid thriller and I recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. This will be out August 2025. Make sure to add it to your list!

While this one hooked me from the beginning and had me flying through it, the ending did not deliver and IS THERE ANYTHING MORE DISAPPOINTING? It crushes me when a book has me in a chokehold the entire story and the ending falls flat. I guess it says something positive about the writing style, but ugh. Always such a bummer.

I do generally enjoy Sarah Pekkanen books and will continue to read her books. I really enjoy her writing style, I just haven’t had that WOW! ending from her …. yet ;)

This book was just okay. Georgia’s chapters were really boring, and I didn’t understand or enjoy the second person POV. Also, she brought up so many things that just never panned out or lead anywhere - what was the deal with the senator’s sons? Why were they so creepy, and what was with the “lol I think he may be a stalker” plot line? Even after things were supposedly sorted out, I still felt like I had no idea what was going on. The whole book Georgia is convinced she’s going to be killed by the deep state, and then…I guess not? And did she know it was her mom all along, or not? I don’t know, and I just didn’t care enough about the characters to worry about it.

Sarah Pekkanen is a favorite author of mine. Her latest, The Locked Ward, was a page turner. Don’t miss this one.

Sarah Pekkanen has long been a must-read for me, and continues to keep that title in her latest novel!

The story follows two women, twins who didn't know about the other growing up. One is locked away for murder, and the other is trying to follow breadcrumbs to figure out what really happened the night someone died.

The POVs go back and forth as Georgia must live in a psychiatric ward, and Mandy plays detective. There were multiple twists and turns and jaw-dropping moments.

It's an intense, quick-read, as I got through it in 24 hours. If you've enjoyed this author before, don't skip this novel!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

I jumped at the chance to read this upcoming mystery/thriller, as I loved the author's last book, House of Glass. While this was a fun book to read, the ending and big reveal to both mysteries seemed a bit contrived.

Georgia is in the locked ward, being found insane and guilty of murdering her sister Annabelle. We don't know Mandy, but out of the blue she is contacted and told she has a fraternal twin. Conveniently her parents are both dead. So she does a DNA test to confirm that she and Georgia are sisters. Alternating short chapters are Georgia in the locked ward- trying to prove her innocence and trying to recruit her long lost twin. The other chapters are Mandy as she tries to solve two mysteries; why were she and Georgia separated at birth, why did her parents never tell her she had a sibling? And the second mystery, who killed Annabelle and how did they frame Georgia?

Overall the plot was pretty silly at times, it felt a little too melodramatic and it was hard to determine why the characters were acting the way they were. There wasn't a whole lot of character development. Also it seemed kind of convenient that Georgia just found out about Mandy just before being accused of murder.

I did have fun reading this, as it has good pacing and the short chapters keep you turning the pages. But it was missing a lot of elements that we love in a good mystery. Hopefully Sarah Pekkanen's next book will be back up to her standards.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC. Book to be published August 5, 2025.

I thoroughly enjoyed this psych ward setting type thriller. I literally work on a psych ward, so this setting was super easy to picture in my head and I loved how accurate the setting was described, feel like some research was definitely done here haha ! I was constantly trying to guess what was going on and the amount of times that I switched my guess was too many too count , and I still didn't fully predict the ending! This was my first Sarah Pekkanen and now I just want to read all her books !

I’ve enjoyed every book Sarah Pekkanen has written. I’m always eager to read her newest novel. The Locked Ward was written with alternating chapters by two female characters. As the mystery of “who done it” unfolds, you learn more about the two women and root for them to find the answer to a murder.

I love Sarah Pekkanen’s books and The locked Ward was no exception. Georgia is being kept in a locked psychiatric ward after being arrested for the murder of her sister., Annabelle. As Georgia awaits her trial, she sends her sister, Mandy a message to come help her. This sister had no idea she had a sister as she was adopted.

This is a fast paced thriller with lots is twists and turns and keeps the reader highly engaged from beginning to end. It’s told through the points of view of the two sisters and it strikes the perfect balance of tension and thriller.