Firstly thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book for my review. All opinions are my own.

This book was extremely anticipated by me and ended up being a complete letdown. At 20% everything was just extremely ridiculous and over the top and I found myself not caring at all about either of the sisters.

Nothing made sense and like I stayed before everything was just extremely over-the-top along with the closed caption writing it was just too much.

Two things that really bothered me was the fact that a senator would have way more security at their house, and the fact that no one recognized the twin sister at the funeral

And the fact that a girl who is being held in an insane asylum for murdering, her sister is able to give a random person two pieces of her hair for DNA and that the DNA test came back in two days… unrealistic

I have loved some of Sarah Pekkanen's books, but did not feel this way about The Locked Ward. The premise sounded so good, I couldn't wait to dig in. But... and this may sound harsh... The title and story felt like a Freide McFadden wannabe. And hers haven't even been clicking for me the past couple of times. The story just didn't seem fresh. It was a fast read but but nothing new. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am normally really entertained by Sarah Pekkanen's novels (especially her books with Greer Hendricks) and this one was a solid read! It was intriguing from the start and definitely kept my attention. I liked the quick chapters and the changing points of view. There were lots of good twists too. I would recommend this one for anyone wanting to binge a good book!

The beautiful and beloved Annabelle is dead. Georgia had a tumultuous relationship with her sister and all signs point to her being the murderer. Afraid of going to jail, she feigns mental instability and ends up in a locked ward. But time is running out and danger is ever near, so Georgia grasps at her last hope: her estranged twin sister.

Thank you Sarah Pekkanen and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Everything written here is my opinion and my opinion alone.

I really enjoyed this thriller! The dual POV really added to the story and gave a close look into each twin's mind. I was definitely kept guessing on who was guilty and who was innocent in all the drama.

I definitely recommend this one to thriller lovers! It is unforgettable, twisty, dramatic, and filled with suspense!

A big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I enjoyed this read all the way through. I like the author’s style of writing and found it intriguing from the first page. The alternating perspectives throughout is something I always enjoy and it worked well for this story specifically to see it play out from both sides.

I thought the characters were well thought out and grew throughout the story. I did not see the ending coming and appreciated the last small twist at the very end. Would definitely recommend everyone read this thriller when it is released!

This was a good one...finding out you have a sister and she's locked up accused of murder. Obviously you need to solve it! Breezed through this one.

What a twist! The story had me hooked from the very beginning. The story is about three sisters: one murdered, one accused of her murder and is sent to a psychiatric ward, and one who is thrown in the middle to save her estranged sister from going to prison. I loved the writing style and the fast pace. It kept me wanting to read more to find out what happens next. I liked the alternating POVs between the two main female characters. If you're into psychological thrillers with complex female characters (and a twist!), I would recommend picking this one up!

Mandy Ravenel leads a relatively blue-collar lifestyle. An only child with a background in Marketing, when her parents passed away, she left Marketing behind and took over her family’s bar, Sweetbay’s.

Mandy wakes to headline news one morning that a local Senator’s child, Annabelle, has been murdered. Witnesses on the scene point at Georgia, her sister. The two have had a difficult relationship since they were children. Georgia was found at the scene covered in blood and traumatized, so she was sent to a Locked Ward at a nearby hospital for a psychological 48h evaluation/hold.

The day after the murder, out of the blue, Mandy receives a call from Georgia’s lawyer, telling her that Georgia has requested that she visit her in the Locked Ward. Mandy has never met Georgia and is intrigued (and confused) by the request, so she visits Georgia that afternoon.

This story has a bunch of twists and turns with a couple of different storylines/points of views (Mandy and Georgia). Extremely well-written and engaging.

Review for The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

A taut, intelligent thriller set inside a psychiatric hospital, The Locked Ward showcases Sarah Pekkanen at her best. The pacing is tight, the atmosphere tense, and the twists land with impact. Characters are complex and believable, and the plot unfolds with precision.

A compelling, well-crafted read. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Georgia has been sent to The Locked Ward (code for "psychiatric facility") for killing her sister Annabelle. Georgia swears she would never hurt her sister, but can the insane truly know the difference between what their mind tells them and reality? The Locked Ward is tense and suspenseful, but loses some credibility by using an alleged affair between Annabelle and a US Senator as a motive for murder. These days "indiscretions" by powerful men are not only accepted but expected. And Georgia has just found her "long lost twin" Mandy, who Georgia enlists to help prove she is innocent, but by doing so is Georgia making Mandy the next victim? Like other Sarah Pekkanen novels The Locked Ward veers off in multiple directions and possible suspects as the plot builds to a shocking (but not totally unexpected) conclusion. There's a lot of "certifiable" and evil people here, but not all of them are in The Locked Ward.

Super interesting concept and really compelling plot! It kept me curious the whole time.

However, I really struggled with suspending disbelief for what I think were some pretty glaring plot holes. The dialogue and interactions between characters often felt forced and super plot convenient. I think this book could have benefited from another round of two of edits... the story really did have me hooked, I just had a hard time looking past some of the other issues.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Another thriller from Sarah Pekkanen! This unique story is about Georgia Cartwright, an adopted daughter of the the wealthy Cartwright family. Georgia was always the lesser-loved daughter in the family, so it came as no surprise when she was accused of murdering Annabel, her not-adopted sister. Georgia is being held in a locked ward while she awaits her future. There she contacts her twin sister who she recently discovered. She asks Mandy to help her and assures her of her innocence. As Mandy becomes involved, having never known she had a twin, she learns more about her own family situation. She also has to decide whether Georgia is telling the truth. This is a fast-paced, highly engaging novel. I highly recommend!

3.5✨ I always love a mental institution setting so that definitely bumped up my enjoyment of this one. But other than that, the overall story was just average for me personally. I would still recommend it for it a casual psychological suspense.

I was highly engaged in this roller coaster family drama from the first page to the last. Georgia is framed for her sister's murder and contacts her twin, who doesn't even know her. Amanda sets out to assist Georgia as the clues she finds lead her to believe someone else killed her sister. The wealthy family drama comes into view as Georgia reminisces about her childhood and being the daughter her mother never wanted. Amanda's life is so different living with a loving family. She and her twin are very different, yet brought together under unusual circumstances. One becomes very engaged with both of their lives. In the end, one questions what lines one will cross for love. The characters were wonderfully written, and the plot masterfully unfolded in each chapter. I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes a good thriller. This may be one of my favorite books by Pekkanen.

I just finished this book- I loved it!! I was guessing the whole time, it was very engaging. You need to read it! This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

In "The Locked Ward," a compelling psychological thriller, Georgia Cartwright, a sophisticated woman adopted at birth, finds herself confined in a psychiatric institution, accused of the murder of her biological sister, Annabelle. The narrative commences with Georgia in a secured ward, urgently communicating with her estranged twin sister, Amanda, entreating, "I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here." Amanda wasn’t even aware that she had a biological twin sister. The story unfolds through the alternating perspectives of Georgia and Amanda, illustrating their markedly different upbringings and the intricate emotional dynamics of their newly discovered connection. The narrative intensifies as Amanda races against time to unveil the truth and safeguard her sister, confronting ethical dilemmas throughout her journey. In this novel, the themes of sisterhood, identity, adoption, privilege, and family secrets are explored. The short, briskly paced chapters maintained my attention and engagement throughout the story. Additionally, as the story was told from the viewpoint of each sister, it really allowed one to get to know the characters. This thrilling novel underscores the complexities inherent in family dynamics and the lengths that an individual will go to in order to hide or uncover a truth.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

3.5🌟 rounded up

ARC review- 08/05/2025 pub date

I found this book to be a little predictable. I had it pretty much figured out about halfway in. The thing that drove me absolutely crazy was that one main character was written in 2nd person and the other was written in 3rd person. I felt like the constant switching back and forth took away from the story. Overall, I liked the book and would read more by this author.

I've usually enjoyed Sarah Pekkanen's books and when I saw the opportunity to read this one, I jumped on it! It felt flat to me, and I started just waiting for the twist to come....and it never came. I did feel like for a long while that I was reading about one character and not two based on the split personality one character mentioned, but that wasn't the case. Neither of the main characters seemed very fleshed out and I didn't find myself really caring about what happened to either one. I wanted something more twisty and suspenseful and the book just never got there for me. Thank you for providing me this copy to read and review!

Such a great read! Sarah is fantastic when it comes to DPOV with characters. I was hooked from the start and truly loved every minute of this book.

I was a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen's book "House of Glass" which is what drew me in to this title. It did not disappoint! I found both main female characters to be likable, and was eager to finish the story. I enjoyed the dual perspective, and the twists were interesting and kept me hooked.