Thank you for this ALC NetGalley & Macmillan audio.


I went into this hopeful because I really enjoyed the audiobook of Gone Tonight by this author. While I did enjoy this overall, I don’t think the switching point of view lends itself particularly well to listening rather than reading with my eyes. I found the pov switch confusing a lot of the time due to not really being able to tell the difference in character voicing.

I do think I will re-visit this in a physical form in the future to see if my opinion changes.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of The Locked Ward. This book is about twin sisters, Georgia and Mandy, who find each other while Georgia is being accused of killing her other sister. Georgia reaches out to Mandy for her help in proving her innocence.

I found the story interesting; however, I wasn’t a big fan of the different points of view of the sisters. I found it a little confusing at times going back and forth from 1st person and 3rd person. I did enjoy getting to hear both ends of the sister’s stories though. Especially since it dug into their pasts. The ending left me with some questions and put a good twist in the story. I would definitely recommend the audio I think that January Lavoy did a fantastic job narrating. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to other readers!

First I would like to say that I went into this book sceptical. I did not like the last book this author put out, House of Glass. But I know this is a very popular author and wanted to give them another try. I'm so happy I did because I really loved this book. The story was very engaging and fast paced. The twists were not very dramatic, but it was nice reading a story without the most over the top "twists" an author can think of. These twists were all very plausible and went along with the story line.
Georgia was made out to be the evil sister, so obviously she had to have been the one who killed her sister. I loved how everything came together in the end and how the perspectives were changed. It was done so well.
5 stars. Can't wait to read another from this author.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for my gifted copy.

Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family.

Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only words she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”

Review:
For the first several chapters I thought January Lavoy was the wrong voice for thrillers. I felt she didn't do a good job switching characters....at first. Then she turned it around for me. The story moved slow and there were several eye roll moments for me. I loved The Glass House but this was definitely not nearly as good.

A quick read that follows Georgia Cartwright during her time in a psych ward after she’s accused of killing her adoptive sister out of jealousy. She enlists the help of Mandy, her biological twin sister whom she’s never me, to help prove her innocence and get her out. The story is told from two points of view, which I usually enjoy in thrillers. However, one POV is written in first person while the other is in second, which made the narrative feel disjointed. I appreciated the short chapters that kept the pacing brisk, but the thriller elements didn’t wow me the way this author’s twists usually do.

Thank you NetGalley, macaudio25 and Sarah Pekkanen. Sarah Pekkanen has quite an ability to take turns that I actually don’t see coming which makes her books more enjoyable than most thriller/mystery books for me. This book had me listening intently and even re-reading parts of the ebook while listening to the audio to see if I could solve things. I thought the narration was really well done and I felt like I was in it with the sisters. Definitely enjoyed this book in both formats.

I liked the plot. I think the idea was great. I did really enjoy the narrator and thought she did an amazing job differentiating between the characters. I felt like this one might have lost the plot twist. I wasn't shocked at all. That being said, it was a good time.

Sarah Pekkanen really knows how to write a thriller that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. If you’re looking for an intricate mystery, this may not be for you. I like a thriller every once in awhile that is not too much of a complicated weaving of story lines. This book is a nice break from reality and I enjoyed the plot. Some of the twists were predictable and some were not.

Sarah is an auto read author for me, because I know I will get a good thriller that is not too scary and not hard to follow along to. I would suggest this book if you’re looking for something to read on the beach this summer as it will keep you engrossed from beginning to end.

When Amanda learns that her estranged sister, Georgia, has been arrested for murdering her adoptive family's biological daughter, she's shocked.... but not as shocked as when she visits and Georgia tells her that she's innocent, that it's all part of a big cover up, and that people are out to get her.

Alternating POVs between Georgia, imprisoned in a locked ward thinking about how she got there, and Amanda, exploring Georgia's world and trying to determine if her sister is telling the truth. The alternating chapters told by such different people made for a really fast read. I was listening to the audiobook and didn't want to put it down. The story did start to get a little crazy in the back 1/3rd where it borderline unbelievable, but the author did throw in a couple details that kind of ground the story and explain. The whole thing was really entertaining, and the narration was great. It would definitely make a really good miniseries.

BOOK REVIEW: THE LOCKED WARD

It’s the crime of the decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, adopted as a newborn, is accused of murdering the biological daughter of her wealthy, southern family.

Thank you @stmartinspress for my Netgalley copy and audio! I loved bouncing between physical and audio on this one!

THE LOCKED WARD is a totally bingeable psychological thriller that will leave you questioning everything and everyone! So many secrets, lies, and family dynamics going on, I loved it!!! I don’t wanna say too much cause I think this is a fun one to go into blindly but I would definitely add this to your summer tbr of you’re looking for a psychological thriller to binge by the beach/pool!

I read this book both with audiobook and ebook, and both were excellent formats that I highly recommend. Thank you to both St. Martin’s Press for the arc and Macmillan Audio for the alc!

In this thriller, two narrators set the scene for the reader. One is Georgia, who wakes up alone, locked up in an institution after being accused of murdering her sister. The other is Mandy, who is contacted by Georgia and told that she is her estranged twin sister. Mandy is Georgia’s only hope of proving her innocence and finding what really happened that day, but there are powerful people involved, and Mandy doesn’t know who she can trust. Is Georgia lying?

The audiobook was narrated by January LaVoy, and she did an amazing job. Her range of expression is impressive, and she is able to switch accents without becoming distracting. I really felt like she was engaging as a narrator and increased my enjoyment of the book overall since I was alternating between ebook and audio.

I am a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen, both as a solo author and as part of her duo with Greer Hendricks. This book is a bit more far fetched than others and requires a bit of suspension of disbelief. If you can set aside some of the unlikeliness of events, I think it’s a very enjoyable popcorn-type of thriller. It’s attention-grabbing right from the start, fast paced, and ends with a couple of good twists. As a twin mom, a few aspects of their fraternal twin bond had me chuckling, but that’s where the suspension of disbelief might be required (along with a few other areas). That said, it was absolutely entertaining and a fun thriller that I think many readers will enjoy.

First thing, I always love listening to January LaVoy! It made a big difference in finishing this book. I was intrigued by the premise of the book. One of the POVs was set in the second person, so the vibe was off from the start. It felt like it was supposed to be a portent but wound up being more confusing. It definitely had twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end!

Read Completed 6/28/25 | 2.5 stars | Book #95 of 2025
Thank you to the publisher for approval of the review copy via Netgalley.

I think Sarah Pekkanen & Greer Hendricks need each other. I haven't felt the magic from either one of them being on their own.

THE LOCKED WARD started out okay, but it had a lot of odd choices to me that didn't make sense. The book is about two twin sisters who only just find out about each other, but one has been sequestered in a psychiatric hospital after being accused of murdering her adopted sister.

SPOILERS -- I wanted the twin thing to mean something. It really didn't at all. They weren't identical, so the author wasn't using that as some sort of confusion or plot device. They were separated at birth, but the reason for it was just dumb and also kind of didn't make sense when it came down to it. [ There was a LOT going on with this in the conclusion. Georgia's mom was going to adopt when they found out that it was twins. She said "technology wasn't as advanced in that time so they didn't know it was twins." In what I'm assuming was like 1993, if they're 32? They couldn't tell someone was having twins in 1992???? No. She said "I only wanted one baby" and that's why the twins were split up, but she ended up getting pregnant with her own... so now she has.... two babies anyway. Why would she then adopt both daughters and then hire someone to take the other one away? Why didn't she just say that she didn't want to adopt twins? I don't know much about the adoption process, but I'm pretty sure if there are twins and you're surprised by it, like... I think you can chance your mind. That's a big step. The adoption process is also not quick and easy like, Yeah I'll just take a baby. It's a rigorous process. For this to be just totally glossed over and then one baby to basically be sold off -- This was stupid and annoying. (hide spoiler)]
Mandy and Georgia also started having the whole twin telepathy thing only after they meet (though I guess you can't know you have it before if there's no twin to talk to), but that also felt like a huge stretch and also wasn't used enough for anything. One would know the other was going to call or needed them. Okay. And? It was too much and not used well enough to matter, so it just irritated me.

The plot was a little tired. It's not anything new and the journey getting there wasn't very exciting. I will admit, the time in the locked ward was very tense, but it was also in a way that focused on abuse so I truly hated it. I can't stand reading about abuse so while it was very atmospheric and made me feel things, it wasn't enjoyable.

The characters themselves were pretty boring. Mandy pretty much only existed to help Georgia and there was nothing interesting about her. She didn't really have a personality, and with Georgia intentionally shutting down, she also ended up lacking personality.

Lastly, Georgia's POV was written in second person for literally no reason at all. To dissociate? Maybe? I was hoping there would be some twist to make it all worth while but it was not.

The ending was supposed to floor me but it didn't. It had nothing to do with anything else and it was just added in for shock value.

Overall, this was a miss for me, and the more I think about the plot, the less impressed I am.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Audiobook

Absolutely unputdownable. I devoured The Locked Ward in just a few sittings and was completely captivated from the very beginning. Sarah Pekkanen delivers a masterful psychological thriller that expertly peels back layers of family secrets, trauma, and the façade of perfection.

The audiobook was phenomenal — the narrator didn’t just read the characters, she embodied them. I thought I had the story figured out early on, but wow… I didn’t see the twist coming at all. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, it flipped everything on its head in the best possible way.

This is a story about the things people will do to protect an image, no matter the cost. It’s about what happens when truth claws its way out of the darkness. If you love tightly wound family drama with shocking reveals and haunting intensity, The Locked Ward is a must-listen.

Highly recommend.

ALC review

"The Locked Ward" by Sarah Pekkanen is a psychological thriller.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advance listener copy.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

Georgia is accused of killing her sister and is currently locked in a psychiatric institution.
She was adopted as a newborn and found out that she has a twin, Amanda.
Now she needs her help to demonstrate that she is inocent.

The audiobook is narrated by January LaVoy and she does small changes with her voice when the perspective changes from a sister to another.
It also helps that the narration changes from 1st (in Amanda's POV) to 3rd person (in Georgia's).

The short chapters helped me finish this book in one day as I kept listening to find out more.
There is a lot of suspense, mystery and secrets with a few unexpected twists.
You do not know who you can trust and who is lying.

Over all this was good thriller with fast pace and interesting plot.

The characters were a little hard to follow since there were so many, but that’s the beauty of audiobooks.
Also the narrator wasn’t annoying which was a plus.

Anyway, here’s my review (which was already posted on goodreads but will be added to my tiktok and instagram shortly):

3.5/5 ⭐️
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ARC! I had this one on my TBR already as I’ve read “House of Glass” by Pekkanen and enjoyed it.

Georgia Cartwright lives a life in the spotlight, but everything crumbles when she is accused of murdering her own sister. She plays the insane card (after studying psych in school) and refuses to speak to anyone besides Mandy. Mandy lives a normal life, running a bar that her dad left her when he passed away. Also, she’s never even heard of Georgia besides reading about the death of Annabelle Cartwright in the newspaper. But Georgia claims that they are twins and something inside Mandy makes her trust her.
But is Georgia telling the truth when she claims she didn’t do it? How can Mandy be sure she trusts her? So much family drama unfolds throughout this story, it’s hard to keep track who actually is telling the truth and who is lying.
The books go back and forth from the two sisters POV. There’s a lot of characters introduced who are just as suspicious as Georgia herself, if not more.
The twists were a bit underwhelming, I saw two of them coming, but the plot was good. I enjoy a good psych ward setting. And the final twist at the end was my favorite! Overall a good psychological thriller to indulge in this summer, and the audiobook narration was pretty good, as well.

The Locked Ward, written by Sarah Pekkanen, narrated by January LaVoy, was another fantastic psychological suspense novel by one of my favorite authors. The story and narration were both great- Pekannen is a gifted author and January LaVoy is equally gifted at bringing characters to life. I do wish that Georgia and Mandy had been voiced by two narrators rather than just one. But it didn't impact my overall enjoyment of the book. I loved these two sisters that had been separated as infants and completely empathized with their individual stories. Highly recommend!

It took me a little while to get into this book. The switch from the Mandy’s first person to Georgia’s second person was jarring at times. I did like the multiple POVs it was interesting to see their views of each other as the story moved along.

I did really like the mystery part of the story. It was interesting, and not too easy to figure out.

Sarah’s books are best unresearched, just jump in!! Seriously! Stop reading this & get the audiobook on 8/5/2025!

This is my second book by this author & I loved it! A story of 3 girls. One dead, one in a locked psych ward & one oblivious to being adopted. Twins. Who are the blood siblings? Who killed Anabelle? Why? So many possibilities. Is all what it seems?

So many questions! I loved watching twists unravel & what an ending! Just what I needed!

Thank you Macmillan Audio & NetGalley! Hope to see a lot more from Sarah Pekkanen!

We have a story here about twins separated at birth, that's not the main plot, but it is an important piece of the story. Georgia grew up in an affluent house with her adoptive parents and their biological child, Annabelle. Annabelle is murdered one day, and Georgia is found over her body, covered in blood. She is placed in a locked ward under a psych hold. While in the ward, she has her lawyer reach out to her bio sister, Mandy, to try and help her get out of this mess. The thing is, Mandy has no idea Georgia exists outside the newspaper headlines. So, needless to say, she is very surprised by the call from the lawyer. Mandy grew up outside the big city, and she took over her parents' bar once they passed away. Though not affluent, Mandy grew up with a loving set of parents and an overall happy life, except she has a hard time connecting with people. As Mandy tries to help Georgia, she digs into her life, trying to learn everything about her, finding the secrets buried with their adoptions and why they were split up. Along the way, she digs up more than she bargains for and finds that she is no longer safe.

This was a good premise overall. Georgia is faking a dissociative state to try and buy time for Mandy to help her, but while in the ward, she not only has to face her past, but also the cruelties of her fellow wardmates and healthcare workers. Not everyone is cruel; most are there to help, but she becomes helpless where she was once powerful. We alternate from Mandy to Georgia in each chapter, and the chapters themselves are fairly short, giving you brief glimpses into each of the sisters' lives and where they are in the story. I think I felt more compelled by Georgia's story than Mandy's, mostly because Georgia grew up with everything but had no real love, and Mandy grew up with all the love and turned out mostly ok, but overall detached. That could be because she knew part of herself was missing, but had no idea what that part was. We also explore a little of that twin connection, even though the twins only met after they were 32 years old, they still have a bond. It feels like we explore the theme that the rich and powerful have these secret lives and get away with anything. Anyway, if you enjoyed "House of Glass" by the same author, you'll enjoy this story as well.

The narrator did an amazing job. I don't think I've listened to a January LaVoy book that wasn't amazing. She brought a similar but different personality to the voice of each twin to have that subtle difference between chapters and characters.