Give me a psych ward ANY DAY. Books about psychology is my absolute jam. The Locked Ward definitely took a turn I wasn't expecting. I think there were a few loose ends at the end of the book, but it was an overall quick and enjoyable read.

This psychological thriller is a tightly woven, suspenseful journey set within the eerie confines of a locked psychiatric facility. The protagonist’s descent into doubt and fear is both chilling and emotionally resonant. The story is filled with sharp twists, a haunting atmosphere, and just the right dose of emotional complexity. A fast-paced, immersive read that will keep you questioning what’s real until the very end.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen and St Martin’s Press for the free ebook In exchange for an honest review.

This was a very easy, fast paced and twisty read. I loved the locked ward aspect and the separated sisters at birth made it that much better. This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it was a good thriller nonetheless.

The Locked Ward is an entertaining, quick thriller with a strong start and a creative approach. The beginning of this book had me fully hooked. This might be an unpopular opinion but I love when there is an unreliable narrator! So, I was instantly drawn into the story and couldn’t wait to see where it was going. I also really appreciated the unique format and writing style. It felt fresh and made the reading experience more engaging.
As the plot unfolded, though, things started to feel a bit too predictable. I found myself guessing most of the twists pretty early, which took away some of the suspense. That said, it was still a solid read with a great pace and some interesting themes around mental health.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC of The Locked Ward.

I had seen some different opinions on this one so wasn’t sure how I would feel when reading it. By no means was this a jaw dropping, 5 star read but I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for their next read!

The short addictive chapters made it hard to put down as I tried to piece together what really happened to Annabell.

The chapters alternate between the two twins point of views one told in first person and one in second. This was a super unique choice and I loved how it played into the story. Ive never read anything like it.

This one is more of a mystery than a thriller but I really enjoyed it and didn’t find it at all predictable.

Another great book hitting shelves this summer! Add this to your TBR and watch for its release!!

2.75/5

To me, this book was very slow and lacked the gripping moments you usually find in a thriller. I struggled to leaned into the ''investigation'' part of it and even though the author used double POVs, shorts chapters, as well as using second person narration (very unsual, but kinda worked here) to engage the reader I did not care for the characters. I aslo found out the killer basically when the murder was introduced and so, for these reasons, it fell flats for me. To be honest, I pushed myself to finish it because it was an ARC but otherwise, I would have put it down and might have come back years later because I refuse to DNF a book (controversial, I know).

* This eARC was kindly provided to me by St Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *

The suspenseful writing kept me reading this book way after my bedtime. Jumping back and forth between the sisters was simultaneously frustrating and exciting. And it built up to a great ending.

I highly recommend this to any thriller lover. Gripping and "unputdownable".

It really has everything, sibling rivalry, twin connection, wealth, psych wards, family relationships.

My friend recommended this as a read now ARC and I'm so glad I did because I will be recommending to everyone.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it to be very compelling. It came with complex characters and a great storyline. The premise started off really strong and it came with a well rounded ending. While I liked the dual point of views in the book, I found it to be different, because one was written in first person, while the other point of view was in second person.

I love short chapters so this was such an easy read. A lot of complicated and messed up family dynamics in this one. Nothing like being accused of murdering your younger sister and hoping your estranged twin (who you didn’t know about a month ago) can clear your name while you are in a psychiatric facility.

Not a lot happens in this book, while a lot is going on at all times. Easy 4 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of The Locked Ward. All opinions in this review are my own.

This was an amazing book with shocking twists as answers are uncovered and finally revealed. It has all the elements if a great psychological thriller.

I loved “House of Glass” and was really anticipating this book but something just fell short for me. I would say this is somewhere between a 3-4. I was intrigued and just confused enough to want to know what was happening. The ending was an interesting twist but also a bit predictable. Also there were side stories that didn’t feel like they were needed and some character developments that needed to be flushed out a bit more. Finally, the switch to second person in Georgia’s chapters never really made sense to me.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins press for an early copy.

The Locked Ward absolutely sucked me in and kept me hooked until the epilogue. I wish I could’ve read this book faster because the buildup throughout the book was intense and had me needing to know what happened next, what secret Mandy was going to uncover, and what actually took place on that night.
Georgia gets accused of killing her sister and ends up in a hospital psych ward to try and figure out how to prove her innocence. She has to secretly team up with a twin she just found out about, and whom no one else knows exists, in order to prove her innocence, all while pretending she is mentally ill to save herself from going to trial. The emotions Mandy goes through while she is discovering all this new information are not only believable, but relatable. With so many powerful people at play, I was constantly trying to figure out who Georgia and Mandy could trust and the truth about what actually happened. There’s a lot going on in this one in the best way possible and when you find out a bit of information about a secret affair, everything you thought you knew about the book was flipped upside down. Another twist (that I wish I could shout about) came out of nowhere, and I was so shocked I had to re-read the part 3x.
The way Georgia and Mandy’s relationship grows through all of the turmoil was so fulfilling, and although there were times where their trust in each other was questionable, I felt that made it more authentic and believable. I really liked this book, and I’m happy this was my introduction to this author and I’m excited to read another by her!

I’ll start off by saying overall I did enjoy this book. It has a good plot and a nice twist at the end. There are some edits that still need to be done grammatically. I wish there was more of an unraveling at the end rather than everything being thrown at you all of a sudden. There could be a deeper connection built to the two main characters as it feels surface level. It was fairly accurate of a psych ward setting. Honey needed more of a background established as did Georgia and Annabelle’s relationship. The idea behind this book could be great but it isn’t quite there yet.

NetGalley review!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this incredible suspenseful thriller!   Told from the perspective of two girls who are tightly connected in ways they could never imagine! One is in the locked ward for mental patients at the nearby hospital, suspected of murdering her half-sister. The other lives two hours away, running her family’s bar, inherited after her parents’ death. The murder brings these two together, as the one wants to leave the hospital and the other girl is her only way out! A story of family love and the secrets unspoken in order to provide for a happy family life. Politics and pride play a major role in this tale of coverup, lies and protective secrets….and the people involved in these families are just as guilty as the killer!  A quick read that will have you turning the pages until you find out the truth!  A truly wonderful book full of intrigue and suspense! Don’t miss this new thriller…release date August 5th! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 stars - thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy of The Locked Ward in exchange for this honest review. This one is publishing soon in August 2025!

I’ve enjoyed Pekkanen’s solo works in the past as well as some of her duo work with her writing partner, and I find her thrillers to be very easy to read, especially with the short chapters - this one is aligned with her traditional pattern. I really typically enjoy twin storylines, even though they can be a bit predictable, but this one left me with something I was craving - the actual thrills. Nothing really read like high stakes and had me jumping in surprise, and a few of the things in the plot (aka the reasoning behind some of the actions?) seemed a bit unresolved. Overall this one was fine and easy to read, just wasn’t my favorite of hers.

Thank you again to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This was an interesting story, though the execution was a little odd in places. It centers on Georgia, who is locked up in a psychiatric ward after being accused of murdering her sister. Turns out she has a biological twin sister named Mandy in addition to the murdered sister, but Mandy doesn't know she exists. She feels that Mandy is the only one that can help her but has to be careful in getting her to help without putting them both in danger. The story alternates between the 2 women's POVs, though Georgia's is told in the rarely used 2nd person, which I found somewhat jarring.

The story itself was engaging but there were times where I felt like neither character acted as expected and it threw me off a couple times. I never had a twin myself so maybe I don't know what I am talking about, but I did think it was weird that they were able to immediately have this extreme kinship even though they didn't even know the other existed until recently. I thought that the twists in the story were good and I still uncovered some new ones when I thought I had everything figured out. The end worked well and tied things together in a way that worked, while still leaving the reader thinking.

Overall, interesting story and decent read for those who like mysteries and domestic suspense. I'd round up from 3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen tells a compelling story that sheds light on the failings of the judicial system, particularly how even those with privilege can fall victim to its dysfunction. The pacing is strong and the themes are powerful, making it a quick and engaging read.

However, the novel is weighed down by too many plot threads that never quite come together. Storylines like the bride and the bookbinding, the relationship with Scott, the DuPont character, and where was Honey's husband this whole time?? It all felt underdeveloped or abandoned. These elements had real potential but ultimately left the narrative feeling disjointed and unfinished.

Pekkanen delivers an important message with emotional impact, but the lack of cohesion and resolution in several subplots keeps this from being a truly satisfying read.

As someone with three sisters, this book posed some very interesting questions. How far would you go to save your sister? Even if she is locked up with the country's worst killers? What if your sister is a killer?

Can Amanda believe her sister when she says she did not do it, or it this just another of Georgia's manipulations? I raced through this book to find out - and you should too!

The Locked Ward has an intriguing concept, but the execution just wasn’t it for me. It wasn’t horrible, I didn’t hate it, but it really dragged on. Plus, I didn’t have any connection to the characters. Everything was just a bit flat for me in this one.

Also, it kept switching back and forth between first person and third person POV. Which I found very distracting and that made it more difficult for me to really get into the book.

I loved the idea of this book, and that it has twins in it, but unfortunately it ended up not being for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released August 5, 2025.