In The Locked Ward, Sarah Pekkanen delivers a haunting and emotionally charged look inside a psychiatric hospital, where the lines between patient and professional begin to blur. Told through the eyes of a psychiatrist struggling with his own demons, the novel explores themes of mental illness, trauma, and the fragile boundaries of trust. Pekkanen’s writing is immersive and empathetic, drawing readers into a world that is both unsettling and deeply human. With sharp insight and psychological tension, The Locked Ward is a thought-provoking and compelling read.

The Locked Ward is an interesting read where we meet twin sisters, separated at birth, who were previously unaware of the twin's existence. They meet when Georgia is charged with the murder of her other sibling, and she reaches out to Mandy as the only one who can help.

The book had a good pace as the chapters switched between Georgia's and Mandy's stories, giving both the current situation and narratives about the past. Georgia was adopted by an affluent family while Mandy was adopted by a couple that ran the neighborhood bar. We slowly get the background on both Georgia's upbringing and being treated poorly as her sibling is a biological child who is favored, even to the point where Georgia is sent to boarding school when the siblings have conflicts. Mandy grew up in a loving home, but did lose oer parents in an accident, and she now runs the family bar.

It is quickly evident that Georgia is in danger due to her family's wealth and connections, all the way up to being close with a senior state senator with an eye for bigger things. Mandy is soon in danger herself as she is being followed and surveliied. The two of them need to unravel the past, including why they were adopted in the first place, which leads back to a twisty conclusion.

I recommend The Locked Ward to those who like twisty thillers that keep you guessing until the end. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy.

Talk about a bingeworthy book! I had basically finished this book during a single flight/ one sitting because I just could not put it down!

The story basically follows two women, Mandy and Georgia. Georgia has just been accused of killing her step sister/ the biological daughter of her parents and has been placed in a psychiatric institution. Here, she reaches out to her newly discovered twin sister, Mandy, for help in figuring out what actually happened to help get her our out of the place before “they” get to her.

This book has super short and quick chapters which was one of the reasons it read so quickly! But the pacing and plots also moves along at a good pace and there were alternating POVs to keep me engaged the entire time. I was equally interested in reading Mandy’s perspective where she is learning more about Georgia, Georgia’s adopted family and their powerful friends, and understanding what happened to where they were separated so long ago. Then with Georgia’s POV, we get glimpses of her time in the institution and how she manages to keep herself going and survive while also getting some flashbacks to events that ultimately led up to the murder. Having these timelines made for a thrilling ride where I was trying to figure out how it all tied together in the end.

Ultimately this story exhibits some weird and messed up family dynamics, scandal of people in positions in power, and just lots of other drama. There’s also the theme of sisterhood and the complexity of it which I found interesting at times, particular as things developed later on.

Overall if you are going to be on the hunt for a fast, psychological thriller this summer, then be sure to add this to your TBR!

The Locked Ward is a slow-burning, atmospheric thriller that keeps you guessing until the final pages. The novel’s greatest strength lies in its mood and setting. Tension is built by going back and forth between the characters. The Locked Ward is a standout thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn't let go. It's a mind-bending journey through a world where nothing is as it seems.

Wow! This book was full of twists and turns. An ending no you never expected. I think Sarah’s books get better with each one she writes. Could not put this one down. Recommend!

The question is how far would you go to save your sister? Absolutely obsessed the author called Florence and the machine out! The silence from Georgia throughout definitely shows what kind of person she really is. I really like the dual POV from both sisters throughout the book. It was very easy to follow. Every time I had to put this book down I caught myself randomly thinking about the next twist. The end of chapter 25!!!! I never swiped so fast to the next chapter. This book was everything a thriller needs. I will be purchasing a physical copy when it’s released!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5 stars
Creepy, emotional, and totally addictive
This book pulled me in right away—twins separated at birth, one thriving, the other locked in a psychiatric ward for allegedly killing the sister she was raised with? Yes, please.

Pekkanen does a great job balancing suspense with some real emotional depth. I found myself questioning everything and everyone, and just when I thought I had it figured out—plot twist. It’s dark, twisty, and totally bingeable, but also makes you think about identity, trauma, and what shapes who we become.

Docking a star only because a few character choices felt a little rushed, especially near the end. Still, I flew through this and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves smart thrillers with a psychological edge.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.


Georgia was adopted at birth, one day Georgia wakes up in the psychiatric ward of the hospital. She’s been accused of murdering Annabel, the birth daughter of the wealthy family that adopted her. There’s only one person who can help prove Georgia innocent, her estranged twin sister Amanda. Problem is, until this moment, Amanda didnt know Georgia existed. Amanda goes to visit Georgia and Georgia whispers to her “I didn’t do it, you’ve got to get me out of here”. Is Georgia innocent? Why were the girls separated?

This story switches back and forth between Georgia and Amanda’s POV. It kept me interested the entire time and I kept wanting to know more. The epilogue made my jaw drop. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good who dun it mystery. This book releases on August 5th.

I received a free copy of, The Locked Ward, by Sarah Pekkanen, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Georgia Cartwright has been accused of murder, did she do it? Georgia is in a psych ward, but is visited by her twin Amanda, though they are not close. This book was a little disturbing to read at times, these characters are really sick.

I had previously read House of Glass by this author and really enjoyed it for a thriller (not my usual type) so was excited to see this one come up on NetGalley!
What worked: I really enjoyed the short chapters and fast pacing. This book was the definition of "just one more chapter before I go to bed!". For real. I finished this book in one sitting in 3.5 hours without hardly blinking or breathing.
I also really liked the writing style. Switching between 1st and 2nd person for the two sister's POVs really helped me to differentiate between their stories and keep their back stories/details separate in my head.

What didn't work: The plot twists were very predictable and the red herrings could be spotted from a mile away (still loved them though!). There were several times in Georgias 2nd person POV that randomly went to 1st person and it pulled me from the story and confused me.
I enjoyed the increasingly more sinister background for Mandy, but wish the finale for her hadn't been so rushed.

ARC Book Review : “The Locked Ward” by Sarah Pekkanen.

Thank you to @netgalley and @sarahpekkanen for granting me access to this book prior to publishing date which is August 5th, 2025!

Rating: 4/5 stars

“The Locked Ward” by Sarah Pekkanen is an incredibly entertaining read! I’ve always loved a good “who’s telling the truth” storyline, and this one delivers that suspense beautifully. It kept me hooked from the start. While I was hoping for a jaw-dropping twist at the end—maybe because I’ve been on a Freida McFadden binge lately—it still wrapped up in a satisfying way. A gripping, well-paced thriller that I’d absolutely recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sarah Pekkanen for this ARC.

78 chapters, but they were short chapters. I enjoyed this book, but it didn't blow me away. It was an interesting story yet I felt like it was missing something. I think because even though Georgia and Mindy are twins and both kept saying they felt a connection, I didn't feel it. I kind of didn't like either characters. The ending was kind of interesting, but it didn't shock me either. I still enjoyed this book even though it doesn't seem like it with this review. I just expected much more.

Another awesome ARC from NetGalley! Amanda, a bar owner recovering from the loss of her beloved (adoptive) parents, is contacted by an attorney letting her know that her biological twin sister Georgia has been accused of the murder of her "sister," is in a psychiatric ward awaiting trial, and refuses to speak to anyone but Amanda. Amanda has to grapple with deciding whether she should trust Georgia, the odd twin-connection she's experiencing, and her own personal demons while Georgia is trying to survive being locked in a ward that is much more dangerous than it should be. While the book description focuses on Georgia, I really felt that Amanda's story dominated as she tried to immerse herself into Georgia's world in order to solve the mysteries of Georgia's life and her own. For some reason, the title of the book bothered me because I felt like Georgia's experience in the psych ward was not the primary focus of the book, but I really enjoyed the writing, pace, and mood of this book.

This was a fun, fast-paced thriller/mystery. It had a strong premise, but the suspense aspect & ending fell flat for me. The writing style also wasn’t my favorite (tho I did enjoy the short chapters and dual POV!) That being said, I did binge it in a day & enjoyed the read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

A solid and very entertaining thriller with enough twists and turns and scattered breadcrumbs to still have secrets to reveal at the end. Great novel for a weekend escape.

This book was fast paced and kept me engaged throughout. It was interesting to hear from both Mandy and Georgia and to find out about the dark secrets of their families.
I would have liked to hear more about Mandy's parents and how exactly the adoption came about. I also felt like Colby was a bit of a weird character, and I had so many questions about him.
Overall, I enjoyed this one.
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Georgia has been accused of killing the biological daughter of her adopted family. Her lawyer reaches out to Mandy who had no idea she not only had a sister of her own, but a twin. She goes to visit Georgia in the psych ward she’s been placed into. You have to to get me out of here or they will kill me. Is Georgia a victim or is she manipulating Mandy?

I really enjoyed this one. Though I guessed the whodunnit very quickly, it was still an entertaining and twisty thriller.

I could not put down the The Locked Ward, by Sarah Peekkanen! It was a fast paced, engaging thriller about 2 sisters Georgia and Mandy, who were separated at birth. Georgia, the who grew up rich and privileged, finds herself accused of murdering her adoptive sister Anabelle. Did she do it? And if not can Mandy help her prove her innocence?

I enjoyed this book and would recommend to friend.

Thank you to St Martins Press for the ARC through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Sarah Pekkenen book and I can honestly say that I cannot wait to read more of hers! The twists in this one kept coming, the different perspectives from Georgia and Mandy kept the story moving quickly and the final reveal was perfect!

I’ve always loved Sarah Pekkanen, and The Locked Ward was another awesome read. It’s a psychological thriller involving a mental institution (already had me interested), with twin sisters and a murder. Super suspenseful and just the right amount of creepy. Definitely kept me hooked the whole way through.