I’m a perma-fan of Pekkanen, and this book didn’t disappoint. I actually wondered if I should re-read it because there’s so much detail and such a slow burn on the plot that I have concerns I missed things.

Just like her others, this is a well-written, suspenseful read where I didn’t know who to believe for the duration. My loyalties went back and forth between the characters for hours. In the end? I still don’t know if I chose correctly!

January LaVoy is my favorite narrator, and she really took this story over the top! Well done.

When Georgia is accused of murdering her adopted sister out of jealousy she enlisted the help of her twin sister Mandy, who did not know she existed, to help clear her name.
i overall really enjoyed this book and listened to the audiobook all in one day! the story is interesting and fast-paced with lots of little twists and reveals to keep the reader gripped. I really enjoyed the tense switch between the two POVs, with Mandy’s chapters being in first person and Georgia’s chapters being in 2nd person. I thought this was a very interesting and unique touch that really helped add to the eeriness of Georgias chapters which take place mostly in the psych ward. I also thought the big reveal at the end was not too predictable and made sense with the story. Overall if you like a good, quick easy mystery/thriller, or if you have liked books by this author in the past, i think you’ll enjoy this book! I also think this would be a great book for someone just getting into the genre.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Macmillan audio for the advanced listeners copy of this book!
Publication date: August 5, 2025

Loved this book! This is my second book by her and I loved them both!

This is a thriller based mainly in a psychiatric hospital. Amanda and Georgia are long lost twins, and Amanda was adopted out at birth.

Georgia is accused of killing her younger sister but swears she didn’t do it and is locked in a psychiatric hospital. That’s where Amanda comes in. Amanda is on a mission to find out what really happened. But as she starts to find out who’s involved, and when people start turning up dead, she begins to get nervous.

What a wild ride! This one had me gripping the edge of my seat from the start!!

I was intrigued to start this one based on the description and being born in NC, I love reading books set there! This book covers themes like sisterhood, family, and alternates POVs each chapter.

The start of this book moves quickly, but then begins to fall a little flat about halfway through. Once the final twist and motive is revealed, the plot fell off for me. However, I did overall enjoy the storyline and I will definitely read another book by Sarah Pekkanen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

THE LOCKED WARD by Sarah Pekkanen
Sarah Pekkanen has just an ability to totally draw in the reader and keep them reading. This story is no exception! Just when I think it is going one way, there are plenty of twists and turns in this captivating, psychological, suspenseful thriller.
This is only the second book of Sarah’s I have read, the first being House of Glass. Now I am compelled to go back into her library and read the others. This is 4 stars.

I really enjoyed Sarah Pekkanen’s book ‘The Glass House’ and I was excited to get an audiobook ARC for this book.

This story didn’t capture my attention and suck me in as much as her previous book. I did still enjoy the story overall, but it felt a bit unrealistic. It was a quick read and I enjoyed the short chapters and multiple POVs.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the audiobook ARC.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for the book #TheLockedWard by #SarahPekkanen. I really enjoyed this book filled with lies, deception and murder. Georgia Cartwright has just been locked up for the murder of her younger stepsister. Amanda has just found out she is the twin of Georgia’s and has been asked to visit her in the institution. Amanda is shocked to learn she has a twin but also it makes sense to her in that she feels something has always been missing. Georgia has asked Amanda to help prove she is innocent. Can Amanda prove this before Georgia is murdered in the institution?

An incredible audio for this amazing psychological thriller that is completely bingeworthy. The complexity of the characters keeps you on your toes and keeps you wanting more.

This was an excellent audio! January LaVoy is always a star and she read this flawlessly. I even liked her male voices. The story left a bit to be desired though. I am still somewhat confused on the author's use of second person narration with Georgia's character. It is an unusual choice and I kept thinking maybe this would take a psychological thriller turn where Georgia and Mandy were the same person, etc. I do wish the author had explored the mental illness/unreliable narrator trope. The story was meant to be twisty- and it was- but most fell a bit flat. I wasn't super satisfied with the ending. I wanted a different explanation for who was responsible for Annabelle's death. I wanted more- especially after Georgia saying- "you have no idea how deep this goes." I do love Sarah Pekkanen and will definitely continue to read her books but this one wasn't my absolute favorite by her: Thank you @macmillanaudio and @netgalley for a copy of this ALC of this title. All my reviews are unbiased.

Audio Book Review:
This audiobook is narrated by January LaVoy. She does a fantastic job. Characters are distinguishable by the tone of their voice. Really enjoyable in audiobook format.

This story revolves around Georgia and Mandy. Georgia is in a psych ward after being arrested for murdering her sister Annabel. Georgia was adopted and Annabel was the biological, favored daughter, of her adoptive parents.

Mandy is running her parent’s bar after their passing when she is contacted by Georgia’s lawyer. He claims Georgia is not only her sister, but her twin sister, and Mandy is the only one she’ll talk to.

Mandy asks Georgia to help prove her innocence before she meets an untimely end in the locked ward. Mandy must submerse herself into the sister she’s just mets life to try to uncover the truth.

Mandy hears so many tales about the horrible relationship Georgia and Annabel had. Just who is this woman asking for her help? Can she be trusted?

This is a fun read with some great little plot twists thrown in.
I like that I didn’t see what was coming before it happened. Really well written, I highly recommend it!

Huge thanks to McMillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I really liked this thriller. It was fast paced with great twist that I personally didn’t see coming.

Georgia was adopted right before her sister, Annabel, was born and they’ve been stuck in a competitive cycle ever since. So when Georgia is caught over her sister’s dead body, no one doubts she is the murderer. She is taken away and locked in a psychiatric facility awaiting trial. But Georgia knows the secret her parents have kept from her, she is a twin, so while it looks like everyone has abandoned her she reaches out to the one person she hopes will help her clear her name, her twin Amanda.

A messy family drama mixed thriller, this one worked for me. Told from dual POV between Amanda and Georgia we are kept guessing on who we can trust and who might be hiding something.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin Press for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

📚ARC Review 📚

The Locked Ward⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family. Now locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial, the only people she will talk to her is lawyer and her twin, Mandy, who she recently found out about.
Amanda doesn't trust Georgia, but she can't abandon her in that place. Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family that's so depraved murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down a path of madness into the web of a master manipulator?


This southern, psychological thriller had me hooked within the first few chapters. I loved how the chapters were short, fast-paced and each left you wanting more. The twist and suspense in this made it easy to binge. I grew up near Charlotte, NC and really enjoyed the narrator. Her accent was really good and just added the extra layer for the southern feel. I didn’t expect that twist at the end either. Overall, this was such an easy, binge-worthy read.

This book will publish on August 5, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced readers copy and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

I’ve been reading and listening to a lot of mystery, suspense, and thrillers lately and I’ve noticed they are tough to review without spoilers. So bear with me here. This book was excellent, it kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing the whole way. Georgia and Mandy are such strong characters and their story was intriguing.

Georgia’s experience in the locked ward was full of suspense. Watching her navigate terrifying situations really sucked me in. Mandy has spent her life trying to find someone to connect with and finding out about Georgia really created some internal turmoil that just added so much to the story.

I listed to the audiobook version of this book narrated by January Lavoy. This was the second book I’ve listened to January narrated and I loved it just as much. She’s able to change her voice enough for each character that it feels like you’re listening to multiple narrators. She really makes any audiobook more enjoyable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this southern fried psychological thriller. The audiobook was especially well done as the narrator absolutely nails the Carolinian accent, which added such a rich layer of authenticity that it almost felt like going home.

While this isn’t a twist heavy thriller, the reveals that do come are well executed and genuinely surprising (a rare treat in a genre where twists can often feel telegraphed). What stood out most to me were the twin characters, who were fully fleshed out and distinct. I especially appreciated the creative use of second person narration for one of the twins. It gave the story an eerie intimacy and, in audio form, made it instantly clear whose perspective we were in at any given moment.

Atmospheric, clever, and quietly haunting, The Locked Ward delivers its chills with precision and style. A great pick for fans of psychological thrillers with a southern gothic flavor and strong character work.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Sarah Pekkanen for the Audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

This one started a little slow for me and I didn't warm to the characters right away. Once I got further in it became engaging and I found the overall story interesting.

I was disappointed with the lack of basic medical research. There were a couple of times in the story where something occurred and it drew me out of the story because it just wouldn't happen. This would have been very easy to research and one part is definitely common knowledge. Plus, there wasn't even any reason to add those details. They did not progress the story at all.

Second, there was too much discussion about the twin-mind connection for my taste. It came up multiple times and again wasn't necessary for the story to progress. I think the story would have been better without it.

Otherwise, I found the story kept my attention and I looked forward to reading it. I wanted to know what happened the night Annabelle was killed and what would happen to the characters in the story. I was curious how it would play out and for the most part the story was well told. I was satisfied with the reveal at the end, though there was a small bit tagged on after the story that wasn't needed.

I was fortunate to have both the audiobook and ebook. The audio was narrated by January LaVoy and very well done.

I think this was closer to 3.5 stars due to the reasons I mentioned above, but I'm going to round up because it kept my interest and the majority of the book was 4 stars for me. Plus, the narration was excellent.

Sarah Pekkanen’s thriller, “The Locked Ward,” is a real page-turner! Two twins, separated at birth, reunite under dire circumstances. Georgia Cartwright, accused of murder, sits in a psychiatric ward, while her twin sister, Mandy, may hold the key to the truth. The narrative races forward, revealing secrets as the sisters’ paths cross. Clever twists and turns with a surprising ending.
Another favorite narrator, January LaVoy, performed the audiobook. Fabulous and bringing characters to life, LaVoy pulls you into the story. I finished it in a day, eager to know the ending, and wasn’t disappointed.

I had high hopes going into this because I had heard good things about Sarah Pekkanen books. This one just did not do it for me, I wasnt compelled to finish it as I normally am when it comes to thrillers. i felt it dragged on. I also thought the ending was ridiculous and had nothing to do with the overall plot. Not my favorite thriller.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio for the ARC/ALC copies of this great new thriller!!

Coming 8/5!!!

This was a fantastic and truly captivating read. Pekkanen does an excellent job pulling you into the story with compelling characters and a tense, atmospheric setting. While there were a few pieces left unanswered that I wish had been explored more deeply, the overall experience kept me hooked from start to finish. Highly recommend for fans of psychological thrillers!

The audio was done wonderfully, per usual! Macmillan really knows how to bring stories to life!

I enjoyed the scientific exploration of twins and the in-depth look inside a psychiatric ward whose elements were fascinating and well-researched. However, I found the cast of characters confusing, perhaps intentionally so, but it made it difficult to stay engaged. I wasn't particularly invested in anyone's motives or emotional arcs. Despite a looming murder trial, the narrative lacked a sense of real consequence, which made the stakes feel surprisingly low. Overall, intriguing ideas, but the execution left me feeling detached.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The narrator was great!

This was a book I was so excited about, because House of Glass was such a good read. Sarah stays true to being an amazing thriller author.

What I loved about this book: This story grips you from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the very end. In true Sarah Pekkanen form, you don't see any of the twists that come throughout the book. There were many moments where I went back and forth between believing both of the narrators. I was suspicious of every single character and had a feeling of creepiness the whole way through.

As good as this book was, it wasn't perfect. I wish the POV wasn't 2nd person for only one of the narrators. It took until about halfway through the book to get used to it. The epilogue felt very out of left field as well.