Another slam dunk from Sarah Pekkanen! I love her solo thrillers, as well as those she co-authored with Greer Hendricks. I guess it is weird to say I find her books to be a sort of comfort read, since they are all about deceit, treachery, murder . . . all the fun stuff!! But I just really love her style. This one is a little more narrowly focused into a family dynamic, but there is still plenty to keep you wondering as you try to figure out who is guilty, who is sane, what everyone's motives are. As always, there is a big signature twist at the end, but I didn't even need it. January LaVoy, one of my favorite audiobook narrators, is the perfect partner. Oh and a fun twist for those local is that it is set in Charlotte and nails a lot of local nuance, including the old money country club. If you love a slow burn psychological thriller, look for this publishing August 5th. Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced access and the opportunity to share my review.

You have a twin you did not know existed? She’s in a psychiatric hospital for killing her sister and wants your help? Yes please!

This is a fast paced thriller with continuous suspense. There’s plenty of rich people behaving badly and some nicely done twists. Immensely enjoyable.

January LaVoy is a top notch narrator and does an amazing job with this performance.

Ughhh... Ok, so I enjoyed this dynamic duo's latest read, but unfortunately did not love it as much as I had anticipated. And I really really really wanted to love it. :-(

This book was fast-paced with short chapters and dual POVs, which made it really easy to read. It definitely had an eerie and creepy feel throughout. And I figured out the big twist early on, but that did not affect my feelings towards this story.

However, I did have a few issues that did: it dragged at times making me lose focus, the two MCs should have probably been in their 20's instead of their 30's, and the mom was too much of a cliched privileged rich white woman to take too seriously.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for advanced ARC and ALC copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

Two twin sisters reunite under extraordinary circumstances...one is in a psych ward for allegedly killing her adopted sister. Georgia had money, good looks and a privileged life, but now she is in a locked ward and trying to survive. Georgia reaches out to her twin sister Amanda to help her. Amanda is shocked because she did not know she had a sister, let alone a twin, given that she was adopted. As Amanda is piecing things together on the outside, the story gets more intense as some of the players are well to do people with a lot of resources. I highly enjoyed this book and the twists that took place. I was wondering why the POV from Georgia was in 2nd person. Such a great summer thriller!

Creepy, fast-paced, and loaded with tension, The Locked Ward pulled me in from chapter one. The psychiatric hospital setting adds a constant layer of unease, and I loved how the story blurred the lines between sanity, control, and truth. Some twists were easier to spot, but the execution kept things compelling all the way through. It’s the kind of psychological thriller you’ll fly through in a day because you have to know how it ends.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Rated R for language, disturbing content, and mature psychological themes.

3.75 stars

I really enjoyed this as an audiobook! There were plot twists scattered nicely throughout the book and I was intrigued to know how it all came together. Initially I found it slightly difficult to keep track of who was who and how they were related, however as the book continued it became clear and all of my questions were answered! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook, it was a fun listen and I am happy to provide my honest review.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC (Advanced Listening Copy) of The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen.

I thought this started out strong and I was engaged and interested in Georgia and Mandy’s stories. I always enjoy short chapters and dual POV. I became less captivated as things progressed and more pieces came to light and thus found the second half less entertaining. A solid 3 star read. I really enjoy this author and will continue to read her books but this just wasn’t a hit for me.

For me, this was just ok. I was really excited for this book but it fell a little short for me. I feel like part of the reason is the dual perspectives sometimes I was confused who was who and then I'd figure it out. It felt a little disconnected because of this.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to listen to the e-audio book prior to publication. I have loved the previous Sarah Pekkanen books I have read. This one I think I would have enjoyed more as a book than an audio book. With the character going back and forth, it was a bit difficult for me to keep track of in an audio book format. However, I did enjoy the story for the most part and the narrator was great.

The Locked Ward is a fast-paced, suspenseful ride that dives deep into the darkness of family secrets, mental health, and the bond between twins. When Georgia Cartwright is accused of murdering her biological sister and confined to a high-security psychiatric facility, her twin is pulled into a dangerous web of lies, trauma, and hidden truths.
I loved the short chapters, and every twist kept me guessing.
Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

I enjoyed listened to The Locked Ward. The alternating chapters of Georgia and Amanda made it more interesting and thrilling. I do wish there two different narrators though. The locked psychiatric institution where Georgia is kept was very detailed and creepy. I gasped several times while listening. This book is about Georgia who was adopted is accused of of killing the biological sister of of her wealthy parents. Then she calls Amanda who did not even know about a twin sister..... it goes from there. It is very twisty at the end. This was a great psychological thriller and you will not know what is true until the end.

The eARC: 3.5⭐️
The Audio ALC 2.5⭐️

I have had this book on my NetGalley Shelf for months but purposely waited for the ALC to come so I could do an immersion read having loved The Glass House. Sadly, I am really disappointed and wish I had just read it without the narration as I think I would have liked it much better.

First, the book is fine. There is some creative stylistic writing choices in this 1st person Duel POV book. You have long lost twins Mandy and Georgia. Mandy’s chapters are written in class in 1st person. Georgia on the, who is on a psych hold at a hospital, on the other hand is written in 1st person but uses “You”. Unlike a book that’s written in 2nd person, Georgia is still referring to herself and not the audience. It’s a clever stylistic use to showcase the characters disconnect within herself while she is in the psych unit while drawing the reader into the story like a true 2nd POV would do. However, I don’t think it was universally effective as it just didn’t have the impact I think the author was hoping for.

Now, it is completely possible that the audio narration is responsible for that disconnect. On the positive while narrator January LaVoy spoke at a slow pace it fit with the style of the book. The problem came with the different character voices she did as they were not consistent and at time so subtle that it made it more confusing than engaging. Particularly when she did make voices. It was though she didn’t even try.

Because of said stylistic choices that Ms Pekkanen used it requires the narrator to use her vocal skills to differentiate between when “you” is mentioned in Georgia’s chapters . In the written prose it’s clear because she skillfully uses italics when Georgia is referring to another person (usually Mandy) but you don’t get that differentiation in the narration and it makes a disconnect between what you’re hearing and what you’re looking at on the page. I even chose to just consume the audiobook for certain chapters and then it caused me to have to rewind for clarity.

All that being said for some people, especially if they had no preconceived notions about Sarah Pekkanen’s writing, may really enjoy this. There are some minors twists but they are significantly foreshadowed so they really don’t come as a surprise.

In the end, I wish I had just read it with my eyeballs and recommend if it’s an option to read it that way. It is a swift read with fairly short chapters. Ms Pekkanen is sometimes an overly descriptive writer. It’s something I personally appreciate and like as it allows me to dive into the story and have a complete picture of the setting.

It comes out August 5th 2025 and is available for preorder.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC and eARC from Macmillan Audio and St Martins Press through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: 🎧
The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
Narrated by January LaVoy

9 hours 4 minutes at 1x
6 hours 3 minutes at 1.5x
4 hours 32 minutes at 2.0x (which is how I listened) 🎧

It’s the Crime of the Decade.

Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of bludgeoning to death her younger sister Annabelle, who is her parents biological daughter, just 4 months younger than herself.

She is now locked up in a psychiatric institution awaiting trial-no longer a successful wedding planner, and lover of ugly dogs. She is just Case Number NC-0416729.

Amanda Ravenel is a successful bar owner and Georgia’s OTHER sister-her TWIN sister, but she doesn’t find this out until the high profile case hits the news and a lawyer calls to inform her of this fact. Apparently the girls were separated at birth and adopted by different families. And, now Georgia is asking to meet Mandy.

The only words she whispers when she meets her estranged twin sister are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here before they kill me.”

Well, that sounds crazy.

But, Georgia knows that one item inside her purse will tempt Mandy into investigating. So she has it released to her twin, because Mandy is Georgia’s only hope.

A favorite quote: “ The most dangerous animal on earth isn’t the great white shark or a hungry crocodile or a mama bear. It’s the human being.”

Is Georgia innocent as she claims?

Amanda isn’t sure but she is curious enough to find out…

This is a FAST paced story with short chapters which alternate between the POVs of Georgia and Mandy. It explores family dynamics and twin synergy but the second half reads more like a sudsy, SOAP OPERA, than it does a thriller.

I have been a fan of the author since I started reading her collaborations with Greer Hendricks and always look forward to her latest book. Although this wasn’t a personal favorite of hers, for me, it did keep me engaged from the very first chapter to the last, so for that I am rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4.

Expected publication date: August 5, 2025

Thank You to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley Shelf!
As always, these are my candid thoughts

THE LOCKED WARD is Pekkanen's newest thriller that I am clocking as just average and nothing that you need to race to the bookstores on release day to purchase. Maybe get it from your library and give it a shot, but this felt like a book I have read 100 times before.

Definitely recommend listening to this as an audiobook! I enjoyed it more and the narrator did a fabulous job bringing this to life. With alternating POV's, I find myself way more interested in Georgia's chapters, but overall the short chapters and multiple POVs really made this a great thriller. I did guess the twist early on, but that is because I am not new to the genre!

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen is such a mind bending thriller! The story dives straight into the drama with Georgia, a woman accused of murdering her younger sister, locked up in a facility for violent offenders. Right away, she tells her twin sister Amanda, “I didn’t do it,” and that sets the tone for this twisty ride. The suspense is intense, especially with all the family secrets and psychological manipulation thrown into the mix. I loved how nothing was straightforward, and that every time I thought I had it figured out, something would flip the whole story upside down. This book was chilling, addictive, and impossible to put down!

It can sometimes be a mixed bag with Sarah Pekkanen, but I liked this one. I think I enjoyed this as much as Gone Tonight, if not more. This was a decent, fast paced thriller. It had all the likeable, classic thriller tropes like the plot twists, red herrings, unreliable narrators, murder, etc. But I think the book really shined when it was discussing sisters' relationships. I'm a sucker for subplots covering relationship dysfunction and connection. It makes everything else more meaningful.

And the second person POV! So hard to pull off, but so satisfying when done successfully. I really liked some of the choices Pekkanen made. It elevated this mystery thriller.

January LaVoy's narration also elevates this work, since she's an absolute queen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC. This comes out August 5, 2025.

3.5 ⭐️

Not my favorite, unfortunately. The shifting POV and the use of first person in one and second person in the other bothered me. I also didn’t find the “reveal” to be gratifying. Hopefully this is just a bump in the road, as I generally really enjoy her stuff.

This was a run of the mill thriller. It was suspenseful enough to keep me interested, but I had the twists figured out before the end. So it lacked any real shock factor for me.

I flew through this audiobook! Sarah Pekkanen has done it again! Another five star read. Pick up The Locked Ward in August!