A dark and deceitful story and j felt that I couldn't breathe throughout. I loved the main character and was desperate to find out the truth. Lots twists and turns, a brilliant psychological thriller

Laura Winters was found alone, soaked in somebody else’s blood. She doesn’t remember what happened or why she has lost her memory. The only thing she is certain of is that the only psychologist she can talk to is Emma Best. Emma has just six days to unlock Laura’s memories to find out the truth.

This thriller was a mindfuck and I love that! It had a cleverly crafted plot which I loved. My only criticism is that I found the pace a little slow at the very start, but the intrigue of the situation kept me invested. By the time I got to the last 55% of the book, I was racing through it and could barely put it down! I really really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline books for providing me with an ARC of this book to review! All opinions are my own.

Well, this was a roller-coaster!

It is well done, keeps you guessing throughout the book. It makes you think whether you are going crazy too or not MB Eventually I kind of knew where this was going but I wasn't prepared for the final twist.

It is fast-paced, perfect for summer. I read this while on holiday.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book it was your typical fast paced thriller with twists and then another twist highly recommend for fans of Frieda McFadden etc

This was a great read. I was hooked early in the story and although I mostly figured it out, it didn't stop my enjoyment! It had an intenseness to it which I haven't felt reading a thriller in a while. It kept me wanting to read more. I was hoping for more conversations during therapy but did find it weird that there would be a group of people who needed to sit through the sessions as I know this wouldn't happen in real life. It was well written, fast paced and I was able to speed through, as I just wanted to get to the end, hoping for a final twist. I will say, I didn't expect the ending. Not even something my mind went to which was great!

There were lots of twists and turns in this, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really enjoyed this story

This is a fast paced book by this author. I loved the storyline, it had me gripped from beginning to end. The flow of the book was very easy to follow and the chapters were at an ideal length as I do not like long chapters.
I loved the plot twist at the end. I was not expecting that at all. Thank you so much for the early access to read this book. Wishing every success to the author on publication day

When Laura Winters is found covered in blood, that is not the only reason - however justified - for her to be distressed. Because Laura cannot remember how she came to find herself in this position!

Taken to a facility for psychiatric care, she does somehow, despite her amnesia, seem convinced that she does not want to speak to anyone except one particular psychiatrist. But no one, including Laura herself, seems able to explain why that is so...

A suspenseful story that offers all the twists and turns any reader could desire, this one easily gets 3.5 stars and is not to be missed.

Fast paced and engaging, with just enough detail to feel authentic. While the plot was predictable, the solid writing and believable world kept me reading. I loved that it felt well researched and accurate but without feeling too clinical or analytical. It really did help being the story to life and the characters all felt very realistic and so it was easy to just get lost In the plot

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

This book keeps you gripped from start to finish. The ups and downs of the story make it am excellent read. Enjoyed very much.

#TheWomanInWard9 #NetGalley
Naomi Williams delivers a chilling psychological thriller that grabs you from the opening page and refuses to let go. The Woman in Ward 9 is an unsettling dive into memory, identity, and the secrets we try to bury.
Laura Winters is found alone, soaked in blood that isn’t hers, with no memory of what happened. Admitted to a psychiatric ward, she refuses to speak to anyone—except one psychologist. But why him? With only six days to uncover the truth before Laura is moved, the clock is ticking. As pieces of her memory return, disturbing questions arise. What is Laura hiding? What really happened the night she was found? And why does she seem to know more about her therapist than she should?
Likes:
1 Gripping Premise: A mysterious woman, covered in blood, with memory gaps and a strange connection to her psychologist—an irresistible hook.
2 Fast-Paced Structure: The six-day countdown adds urgency, making each session with Laura feel crucial and charged with tension.
The Woman in Ward 9 is a taut, claustrophobic thriller packed with psychological mind games, dark secrets, and a race against time. Perfect for fans of The Silent Patient and Shutter Island, this one will keep you guessing until the very end.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for giving me an advance copy.

When psychologist Laura is found by police she’s covered in enough blood to indicate that someone has died. In a stupor and unable to remember what happened that night she’s brought to Heaton Hospital. She requestes the help of Emma, a renowned psychologist on domestic violence. Emma has a week to prove whether Laura is a victim or a killer.

I felt very self congratulatory when I thought I’d worked out the premise of the book about 10% of the way in. Great twists towards the end. A fab easy read of a page turner. An easy 4 star for me. Thanks to Nrtgalley and the publishers for the arc.

The idea this story was written from was very clever and I was intrigued from the start. I loved the way the author made me uncomfortable with the lack of communication tools but I was overwhelmed by the number of psychologists almost to the point of laughter. However the tale had plent to hold my interest beyond this and the ending was a real shock.

I knew from chapter one that I was going to love this book. Straight in at the deep end Laura has found herself in Ward 9, a psychiatric unit after waking on her kitchen floor covered in blood that wasn’t hers. With no recollection of what happened or who the blood belongs to, she must undergo a strict six day therapy session with psychologist Emma to hopefully unlock her memory. Laura a psychologist herself has specifically requested Emma to undertake the sessions. As the lines begin to blur between reality and her patient, Emma becomes increasingly concerned about everything going on at Heaton Park institution.

This was a great read, although I figured out the ‘twist’ early on that didn’t take away from the story as a whole and was a fab psychological thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for my gifted eARC.

A very accomplished debut novel which on the whole held my attention throughout.

That said I did work out the plot twists fairly well in advance so it is a credit to the author that I remained fully engaged. At times it is a disturbing novel, especially when highlighting the abuse happening in a supposedly safe environment. As a medical professional I'd like to shake my head and say that would never happen but, from the news we all know things can and do.

Some suspension of belief is required around some of the more procedural actions but I've no problem with this in novels. If everything were purely factual books would be both very long and often very boring.

I reccomend this as a well written psychological thriller ( there may be some emotional triggers for individuals due to the subject matter) and thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

I noticed sone reviews for this seemed to follow a pattern of ‘having to finish it in a day’, I have to add myself to that but got to say I almost, almost had it as a DNF, I couldn’t see where the book was going and then it went and once it had got to that point it really was ( anno its a cliche but… ) pretty impossible to put down, it’s only when it all makes sense you can look back and think ‘right, I get it now’

Am so glad carried on reading it and not going to say anything else except it is a mind game of a book and will lead you round to where you think you know, but you don’t……

The Woman in Ward 9 is the kind of psychological thriller that sneaks up on you, wraps around your brain, and doesn’t let go until the final page—and even then, it lingers. Naomi Williams delivers a deeply unsettling and utterly absorbing debut that had me questioning everyone, including the narrator.
The story kicks off with a bang: Laura is found drenched in someone else’s blood, completely disoriented, and with zero memory of what happened. That alone was enough to reel me in. She’s placed in a secure psychiatric facility, where Dr. Emma is assigned to unravel the truth hiding in Laura’s fractured mind. So far, so chilling—but it gets better.
As Laura begins to talk about her past, especially her charming and “perfect” boyfriend, something clicks in Emma’s mind… because the man Laura is describing? Sounds exactly like her own husband. Cue the goosebumps.
I loved how this story plays with perception—who’s telling the truth, who’s manipulating whom, and how easy it is to blur the lines between victim, witness, and perpetrator. The dual unravelling of both Laura’s and Emma’s realities was cleverly done, and I found myself constantly second-guessing what I thought I knew. The writing is sharp and immersive, and the pacing? Perfectly tense, with just enough time to breathe before diving deeper into the psychological shadows.
By the end, I was torn between awe and horror. Williams crafts a climax that is both satisfying and haunting—a twist that had me rethinking earlier chapters and mentally screaming, “How did I miss that?!”
If you enjoy twisty, dark, psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators and a touch of domestic suspense, The Woman in Ward 9 is a must-read. Just be warned: once you start, you will binge it.

The storyline of this reminded me of the plot of Shutter Island bur with extra twists. I found the start a little slow and it took me a while to get into it. Once there I was hooked and had to read the last 80% in one go. Loved the characters, who were very individual in their own ways. I really enjoyed it and was amazed at the psychological research to produce such a plausible storyline.

This was such a good thriller, it had me gripped right away and I knew I just had to find out the truth!