Georgia is locked in a psychiatric ward, accused of bludgeoning her sister to death. She’s in a semi-catatonic state but knows enough to request a visit from her twin sister, Mandy, having recently learned of her existence.

Mandy however knew nothing of her twin sister. She was adopted and her parents have died. Mandy grew up in modest circumstances while Georgia grew up wealthy.

Mandy visits and decides on her own to do a bit of sleuthing, and slowly uncovers some long-buried secrets.

The short chapters moved this story along at a decent clip but for me, it was missing that oomph to elevate it beyond a decent 3 star read. There were times my attention waned, and, as a nurse, the descriptions of the psych ward didn’t ring true. As a Nana to identical twin granddaughters the sudden twin “bond” among grown women who had never met rang hollow as well.

I’ve enjoyed two of the author’s previous books and even though this one was not a complete winner, I will definitely try her next.

I was excited to read this based on the book summary. The story seemed like it was perfect for fans of McFadden, with family drama, suspense, and creepiness rolled into one. Unfortunately I found it began slow, and didn’t move along or hold my attention until half way through. The story is told from two viewpoints, Georgia and Mandy, one in first person and the other in second person. It was easy to follow along, and I love multiple POV stories, but found the shift from first and second distracting (for lack of a better term). Things aren’t always what they seem and I was able to guess the plot twist., though there were some unexpected twists sprinkled through out. A quick weekend read for those looking for a psychological thriller.

I loved House of Glass so I was excited to receive an ARC of The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen but I was disappointed as it was not at the same level as her previous book.
The story deals with the murder of Annabelle Cartwright, supposedly by her sister, Georgia, who is currently in a locked ward in a psychiatric facility. Georgia has a newly discovered twin sister, Mandy (Amanda), who visits her in the locked ward. Once the two are reunited, Mandy begins to look into Annabelle’s murder.
The story alternates between Georgia and Mandy’s point of view as new facts come to light and eventually the murderer is discovered. This proves to be a shock to the reader and the twin sisters.
The story delves into adoption, paternity, the wealthy and famous, the connection between twins, and life in a psychiatric facility’s locked ward.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

This book was an immediate attention grabber but after that is seemed to fall a little short. The short chapters made it easier to read but the just wasn't as much drama as I would have liked.

This Story follows Georgia and Mandy, twin sisters separated at birth only to be reunited when Georgia is locked in a mandatory psych hold instead of prison awaiting the hearing since being accused of her adopted sister’s (Annabelle) murder. Though Mandy had no idea she had a sister let alone a twin she could be the only person to help get her sister out of the situation and find the real murderer.

The sisterly bond was cute but it felt a little forced to me, also the amount of times the book referenced a paper that was written in college was maddening. way too much hinged on these two things. Overall the ending I wanted to be more and it just wasn't

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I binged this one so fast! Lots of family secrets, who can you trust? Georgia gets accused of murdering her half sister. She needs help and who better to help her find her innocence? The twin sister she just found out she had. The buildup and mystery kept me hooked the whole way through. That said, the ending felt a little underwhelming compared to the strong lead-up. Still, a solid read overall!

Big thanks to Netgalley, and St. Martin’s Press for my e copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: August 5, 2025

Im always a fan of Sarah Pekkanen books and this was.no exception. It took me a bit longer to get through, but I'm glad I did.

Mandy, seemingly and only child receives news that her twin sister needs help. She quickly learns the truth about her family and about hr sister Georgia.

This felt a little different than some of her others while still having some suspense and intrigue.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc! I unfortunately was a bit let down by this book. For me the first half of was very slow despite the short chapters. I just didn’t feel hooked into the story and kept waiting for that to change. Once things picked up, I did enjoy connecting the pieces of the story but personally just wasn’t too invested!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!

In this captivating read, Pekkanen draws readers into a suspenseful world filled with secrets where everyone is a suspect! A web of dangerous secrets and morally ambiguous choices will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Pekkanen skillfully crafts a cast of characters that embodies the duality of human nature, with ulterior motives often expertly masked. The interplay between desperation and ambition drives the plot forward, inviting readers to explore themes of trust, deception, and the lengths one will go for a chance at keeping secrets hidden. This book is perfect for fans of medical mysteries, asylums/psychological ward settings, and eerie stories with human monsters!

Solid read! I was entertained throughout the book with a few twists. There’s a working against the clock aspect that made you root for finding the truth but with unreliable narrators who knows if everything is what it seems. I really enjoyed this book would read something by this author again!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! All opinions are completely my own

I spent a good 80% of this book thinking what in the world is going on and how are these storylines related/what could a potential motive for hiding all of these secrets be? I thought that there would be no way that Sarah Pekkanen could wrap this neatly up in a way that didn’t make me want to throw my kindle across the room… But I never should’ve doubted her. Short chapters, questions about who to believe, clues in detours galore… This was a good one.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC.

Where Do I Begin???

Ms. Sarah Pekkanen!! This Was Such An Amazing Read. I Didn’t Know Who To Trust Or What To Believe. The Story Had A Slow Buildup But It Makes Sense The Deeper You Get Into The Story. I Finished This Book Hours Ago And Am Still Amazed By That Ending!

The Story Resolves Around Two Sisters Georgia and Mandy. One Sister Is Is Locked In An Asylum And Looks To Her Sister Who Is Free For Help. They Work Together To Get Through Some Family Trauma, Clear Her Name, And Find Out The Truth Regarding Past Events. In The End Everything Works Out…. Or Does It? Read To Find Out!!

Thank You To The Net Galley Team For Allowing Me To Read An ARC In Exchange For My Honest Review.

Sarah Pekkanen takes us on a deep dive into a thrilling whodunnit. You’ll find dual points-of-view, murder, a psych ward, and abuses of power in this page turner.

I loved the short chapters which kept the storyline moving quickly, but there was just A LOT going on this book and I unfortunately still have many questions. However, I cannot emphasize enough how entertained I was. Lots of lies, lots of deceit, lots of thrills. This will be a fast and easy read for anyone looking for a palate cleanser.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy. I still consider Pekkanen a must read author.

A fun, face paced read. The story starts off rocking from the first chapter and the suspense doesn’t let up. This is the story of two twins: one standing accused of murdering her adoptive sister and the other, who is just learned about her accused murderer twin. The story unfolds from both of their perspective as they both attempt, within their means to try and solve the crime.

One twin, the accused is stuck in a locked psychiatric facility and the other is trying to solve the truth of who her twin really is, who her parents really were and what actually happened the night of the murder.

I enjoyed the fast pace of the novel and the level of suspense is high throughout every chapter. You really are rooting for both twins as the story unfolds. The are plenty of twists along the way to keep you hooked.

I did find that the forced suspense at seemly every chapter fell flat for me. Things like “this changes everything”, and the like just didn’t resonate with me. It just felt like manufactured suspense when it really wasn’t needed. The plot alone does that.

Parts of the ending were kind of meh to me as well, most of it was satisfying but there was one that just felt like throwing in one more twist as a “gotcha” that really didn’t hit the mark for me and honestly, didn’t feel relevant to the story at all.

If you like a fast paced, fun thriller, this is absolutely the book for you. It’s a page turner that will def keep you up reading to see what happens next. If you’re a fan of Freida McFadden, you’ll love this book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advance reader copy!

DNF @ 100 pages 💔.. I cannot get into this one, at all.. and I feel zero inclination to continue to see where it goes ☹️
Issues for me:
-One POV being 1st person and the other POV being 2nd person doesn't flow well and it makes the read tough to enjoy
-The immediate escalation from character introduction to "hi you're my long lost twin get me out of here they're trying to kill me" was done way too quickly
-I dislike both main characters and have zero desire to root for / see where the plot takes them

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date August 9th, 2025

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4!

The Locked War is a quick, suspenseful read featuring 2 sisters following a murder with one being held in a psych ward. Pekkanen really brings the characters to life with dual POVs, however one of the POVs is written in second person narration which I felt was very odd and at times hard to comprehend. There was a ton of suspense throughout the story leading to a twist that was definitely unexpected, but not worth the build up for me.

I do feel like the average reader will love this book, but as someone that reads a ton of thrillers, I just didn't feel the wow factor like I normally do from Sarah Pekkanen. I would recommend The Locked Ward to any readers that love reading about psych units, sister drama, or family drama rolled into one book.


Thank you to Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

So amazing!! This was such a great thriller. I will say you will 100% be thinking one thing and be totally surprised. It does hook you in very good. I did love the end as well, it leaves it open to additional pieces of the story but also a great and complete end. This is my 3rd book from Sarah Pekkanen and probably my favorite yet! :) Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to catch this one early. It releases Aug 5 2025. I will be snagging a copy!

Very much enjoyed this book!
The secrets unfolded in a very pleasing way, and the story kept me interested the whole time. Loved getting to know the sisters, and seeing a new relationship blossom and unfold.

Really makes you think about what you would do if you were being held in a psych ward for a crime you didn't commit.

Thank you for the opportunity on reading an ARC copy of the locked ward! Atmospheric , total page turner. I kept binging this and read in just a little over 24 hours. This book was a total banger! 5/5 recommend!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Sarah Pekkanen is an author I always enjoy reading. This story is no different. I had a wonderful time reading it and had trouble putting it down. I think the story concept is fascinating because it would be crazy to find out you have a twin sister due to her being accused of murder.

Usually, second-person narration can be difficult to pull off and not well-liked by most people. However, I think it was executed well. It seemed to be a way to build the character of Georgia in this book.

I will say there were moments where the story could drag on a bit, mainly due to random anecdotes the characters had when they looked at/found something. I wanted more of a faster pace to the story.

The plot unraveled in a great way, and I enjoyed how each reveal kept happening. Truly, not everything was as it seemed in this book. The twists kept coming and delivered each time. I love how the story had an element I never saw coming. There was a deep conspiracy within the initial murder that our main character, Amanda, had to unravel. In my opinion, the ending was also really good. I really liked how it all came together and the twists were revealed.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen due to be published August 5, 2025.
Also recommended by Sarah Pekkanen: House of Glass and Gone Tonight!
Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family. She is locked in a psychiatric institution, and when her estranged twin sister, Amanda, visits she tells her she didn’t do it. Is Georgia a victim or a master manipulator?

I loved this book – it was such a unique concept, and it held my interest the entire time. Told in alternating chapters by the sisters, it uncovered their mysterious separation and reunion and the reasons for their lives. It was a fast-paced storyline and a must read for psychological thriller fans!

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