The Locked Ward dives deep into the unsettling bond between two sisters who barely know each other—but suddenly need to trust one another to survive. Sarah Pekkanen delivers tension, family dysfunction, and eerie psychiatric ward vibes in spades. I loved watching Amanda navigate the chilling unknown, questioning whether blood really is thicker than truth. A slow-burn psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Thank you Sarah Pekkanen, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

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The Locked Ward offers a captivating mix of twin-sibling intrigue, unreliable narration, and clinical eeriness. Ideal for listeners who crave quick-moving, atmospheric thrillers with bold emotional stakes—but if you prefer deeper character development or a more traditional prose style, the storytelling choices here may feel uneven. Overall, it’s a strong, suspense-packed listen with a twisty, unsettling edge.

Mandy is busy running the bar she inherited from her parents when she gets a call from a defense attorney - her twin sister has been accused of murder and is being held in a psychiatric institution. This is the first Mandy has heard of a twin, Georgia, but she's instantly curious about this woman and she crime she claims she didn't commit. Mandy is quickly sucked into a world of the rich and powerful where nothing is quite as it seems. The closer she gets to her twin's secrets, the more danger she is in. Meanwhile, Georgia is fighting to stay sane and safe inside the locked ward where no one is ever really safe.

The Locked Ward was intensely readable and both Mandy and Georgia were so interesting. Georgia's chapters are told in second person which made them a little jarring and was perfect during her time in the locked ward. There were just enough red herrings and side mysteries to keep me guessing without weighing down the plot and I had such a good time trying to untangle everything. This is going to be the perfect summer thriller!

The narrator does such an excellent job bringing Mandy and Georgia to life and differentiating their voices! I definitely recommend picking this one up on audio.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the free copies of this book.

I have been a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen’s thrillers since her days co-authoring with Greer Hendricks, so I knew I had to pick this one up. Plus that cover 🤌🏻

Southern socialite and wedding planner, Georgia, is being held in a locked ward, suspected of killing her adoptive sister. She calls on Amanda, her recently discovered long-lost twin, to come to her aid. But appearances are not what they seem, and questions about who can be trusted will have you racing to the end to figure out what’s going on.

I was hooked and fully captivated by this book from the first chapter right through to the end! I was a little disappointed by the ending, but still taken aback by the final reveal and thought this was an addictive read. The Locked Ward is a complicated family drama, filled with deadly secrets and twists around every corner.

🎧: This book is written in dual POV, alternating between Georgia and Amanda, and the narrator did such a good job distinguishing between the two I thought it was dual narration! Fantastic narration and excellent pacing definitely had me hooked.

Another amazing psychological thriller from Sarah Pekkanen! I will literally read anything she writes, and I have loved them all! The Locked Ward had such a perfect creepy atmosphere with twisty layers of family dynamics and narrators that you’re not quite sure you can trust. I didn’t want to put it down, and I loved how she wove everything together in the end! Also, the narration by January LaVoy was SO good!

The Locked Ward is a story of two sister finding each other. We have Georgia. She has been charged with the murder of one sister. She has been locked in the psych ward, hence the name of the book, for killing her sister Annabel. Mandy is another sister, the twin of Georgia, and she gets the call that she has a sister. Of course Mandy is adopted so she ups and goes to the psych ward to meet this sister. When meeting Georgia she gets the plea for her to help her because she didn’t do it.

Now I had a hard time deciding what to rate this. I did really like the book. I liked the characters, I liked the story but…I did have a hard time believing that two twins who are fraternal would all of a sudden after meeting starting getting that twin sense that people talk about. Or that it would click into place that fast.
I do like that we get more information over time. I liked the twist and how it was delivered. I will say since I experienced this in audio format and was really just zoned in to listening my braining didn’t put it together as fast as it normally would so that was a plus!
The audio was great! This is not the first time I have heard a January LaVoy narrated book. It was very well articulated. It was paced well. Very clear even at higher rates of speeds and it kept me really wanting to listen the entire time. If January LaVoy is narrating I want to listen!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

THE LOCKED WARD is a gripping psychological thriller. I liked the characters of Mandy and Georgia and found it interesting how they were connected. The scenes of the locked ward were eerie and had me on the edge of my seat! The mystery kept me guessing and I loved the added twist in the epilogue. I relish this author’s work! I not only recommend this audiobook, but her others as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to the publication day.

3.75 stars

Look. There's a reason Pekkanen is a best seller. This author knows how to keep us on our toes and questioning what we'd do if we found ourselves in the creepy situations of any of her characters. Readers get all of those disturbing benefits in _The Locked Ward_.

Amanda and Georgia are twins, but they only recently learned about this (one much more recently than the other). They're 32, so this is a long-held secret. The circumstances under which they are meeting now? Not exactly ideal. After all, one of them is in the titular locked ward, and it's not because she's accused of being a model citizen.

Like most thrillers, one must suspend disbelief when it comes to some of the coincidences and conveniences that befall these characters, but who cares about all that? If you're here for a summer thriller or an any-season read that'll keep you engaged without too much thinking necessary, this is a great option. There are many characters with sus motives and behaviors, hidden and sometimes surprising connections, and some questions that may leave readers pondering even after they've come to the final lines.

I enjoy this writer consistently and I look forward to whatever Pekkanen has for us next!