Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two women who have never met come in contact after one of them is accused of murdering her sister and ends up in a psych ward.

The Locked Ward was fast paced with alternating POVs. I enjoyed the setting building of the psychiatric institute.

Spoilers ahead.

I loved Sarah Pekkanen’s last book House of Glass a lot so was a bit disappointed to not love this one. I wish there was more character building for Mandy at the start of the book. I didn’t feel like I got to know any of the characters and the plot felt a bit forced and formulaic. I wasn’t surprised by any of the twists and felt they were quite obvious. I also felt the ending didn’t make a lot of sense in that the senator was doing all he could to ensure his affair remained a secret yet that all went out the window as soon as Honey was revealed to be the killer.

All in all, it was a quick read but I kept hoping for more. Regardless I will pick up the authors next book as I feel she has the potential for another hit.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!!!

I have loved every single one of this authors novels I have read, and this one did not disappoint! I absolutely love a plot that includes a mental health facility. While that is not the main scene in this novel, every other one was just as intriguing. I definitely could not put this down, especially when the clock was starting to run out.

Sarah Pekkanen has done it again with The Locked Ward.

With Georgia Cartwright locked away for murder and pretending to be catatonic, she gets a message out to the one person she believes can help set her free - her twin sister Mandy. The only problem? Mandy has never heard of Georgia because they were adopted by different families at birth, so why would she help this stranger, and why would she believe in her innocence.

As Mandy learns more about Georgia, she discovers that there is more to the murder than meets the eye; meanwhile, Georgia is doing everything she can to survive in the locked ward, holding out hope that Mandy will find the proof that she needs before it's too late.

The Locked Ward will have readers questioning whether Georgia is to be trusted up until the very end when unexpected secrets are revealed that change the course of the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

Sadly this was not for me! I’ve enjoyed previous books by this author but it almost felt as though someone else wrote this one. The exposition heavy writing made the first half a slog and there were quite a few plot holes along the way (or at least I was left with a lot of questions!).

The plot had potential but I felt like the characters were flat and as a former psych nurse, I found the whole “locked ward” setting to be a bit like a soap opera or caricature as opposed to a genuine representation of a psychiatric hospital. The author spends a lot of time explaining details of the ward that just don’t add up or matter to the storyline.

Overall, I didn’t think the thrilling elements were all that thrilling and the ending felt rushed and pretty anticlimactic. Overall, a bust for me but hopefully just a one off as I’ll definitely try SP again!

Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader! All opinions are my own!

This was a title I was invited to read on NetGalley (yay!) but unfortunately, the payoff just wasn't there with this story. Told in alternating POVs between sisters, we've got one sister in a locked psychiatric ward accused of committing a murder and another sister out kind of single white female-ing her life while trying to (maybe?) get her out of this situation and it's just like... the build up is there, but the ending felt a bit rushed and not worth the build to me. I was intrigued and read this quickly over the course of just a couple sittings, but it wasn't my favorite of Sarah Pekkanen's books.

Thanks Netgalley for the free ARC! I really enjoyed the majority of this book. It was an interesting premise and I like how instead of using I for the protagonist’s pov, the author used you. It added a more personal and stimulating effect to the story. I kind of felt like I was in a choose your own adventure book, but not quite. I felt the conclusion was a little bland, and I was tiring of the novel towards the end. All in all, a good book and I do recommend. This is my honest opinion; and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

What a page turner! I was hooked from the beginning and this book never let up! Sarah Pekkanen has been one of my favorite authors for years and she’s written another great book.
When Georgia is accused of killing her sister Annabelle, she is held in the locked ward of the mental facility. Her only hope is her twin sister Mandy. But the problem is that Mandy doesn’t know Georgia exists and Mandy harbors secrets of her own. After Mandy is drawn into Georgia’s life, she’ll stop at nothing to uncover the truth, even if she loses everything including her own life along the way.
If you don’t read anything else this year, read this one, you won’t be disappointed!

Sarah Pekkanen’s *The Locked Ward* is a thrilling read that dives into family drama, jealousy, and the tricky nature of truth. The main character, Georgia Worthington, is declared not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of her younger sister. Adopted into the Worthington family, Georgia is stuck in a high-security psychiatric hospital, trying to convince her estranged sister, Amanda, that she didn’t commit the crime.

The dynamic between Georgia and Amanda is complex, filled with guilt and mistrust. Amanda struggles with her own feelings of emptiness while trying to uncover the truth about Georgia’s case. The setting of the locked ward adds a tense atmosphere, making readers question Georgia’s innocence right along with Amanda.

Pekkanen’s sharp writing keeps the story moving and explores themes of sibling rivalry and family loyalty. With plenty of twists, the book wraps up in a haunting way that leaves you thinking about justice and the secrets that can either bond or break a family. If you enjoy psychological thrillers like *The Silent Patient*, you’ll definitely want to check out *The Locked Ward.*

An easy, twisty thriller for anyone who is a fan of this author. Its everything I expected and needed!

I have loved some of Sarah Pekkanen's books, but did not feel this way about The Locked Ward. The premise sounded so good, I couldn't way to dig in. But... and this may sound harsh... The title and story felt like a Freide McFadden wannabe. And hers haven't even been clicking for me the past couple of times. The story just didn't seem fresh. It was a fast read but but nothing new. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I love her books so was really excited for this one! Georgia and Mandy are twins but Georgie is on the psych ward of a hospital and Mandy is the owner of Sweetbays, a bar she loves. So when Georgia is committed after murdering Annabelle at her birthday party with a gift Georgia has given her, Mandy is confused as it's unlike Georgia and she is mute and unresponsive in the psych ward. But Mandy loves her sister and is sure there are things she doesn't know so she vows to get to the bottom of it. It's a crazy search for the truth and even crazier trying to decide who the real villain is!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital advanced reader copy for review. I want to preface this by saying there were a good amount of errors in the copy I received that I'm sure will be ironed out before publication, so I am setting that aside when giving my rating. If you were a fan of House of Glass and Gone Tonight, I think you'd enjoy this book. Pekkanen's writing is very accessible and keeps the reader engaged. I finished the book in less than two days. I was able to guess some of the twists, but not all of them. I've marked Pekkanen as a must-read thriller author going forward.

Sarah Pekkanen writes such an addicting thriller. I flew through this one. It’s an immediate fast start with action right from the start. While somewhat predictable it was super enjoyable with excellent writing. Highly recommend for a quick read/fast paced thriller!

Sarah Pekkanen writes some of my favorite thrillers, so when St Martin’s Press invited me to read her newest release early, I was beyond excited! (Bushels of thanks to them!!!)

This twisty thriller follows two perspectives: Georgia, who is in the locked ward of a hospital after being suspected of murdering her sister, and Amanda, Georgia’s fraternal twin sister. Amanda becomes involved after she visits Georgia on the locked ward and Georgia tells her she is innocent.

I really enjoyed following both perspectives and seeing the story come together. Everything that Georgia experienced on the locked ward was crazy and creepy, and Amanda also had a lot of excitement in her chapters as she put together the pieces of what happened to Georgia.

I did predict a couple of the twists and I will say that I wanted a bit more from the ending, but I found this a very quick and enjoyable read. I’d definitely recommend it if you like thrillers.

Book Review✨

Psychological Thriller
4/5⭐️

•Georgia, is institutionalized in a max security psychiatric hospital for only the most violent offenders- for the murder of her sister, Annabelle. Can her estranged sister, Amanda, help her? Can Georgia be trusted?


Short chapters. Dual POV where both perspectives keep you interested. The layout of this story is very much like a Freida McFadden book- where the chapters are so short, but end on a note where you have to read the next one- then all of a sudden, the book is done! I loved the setting of the psychiatric hospital, the atmosphere was thick and you could really put yourself in Georgia’s shoes. I thought that I guessed the ending 100 times and I was so wrong! I read the last 50% of this in one sitting- did not move once 😂 Twist after twist. This is going to get so much hype when it comes out! Add this to your TBR.

This book starts out strong with Georgia, our MFC, who was adopted, standing over her bloodied and dead sister holding a book end that she had bought her for her birthday. Georgia is sent to a Mehran mental hospital where she awaits on whether or not she'll be found competent to stand trial.
Meanwhile, Mandy gets a call from the hospital advising her that her sister would like her to pick up her stuff. Mandy is shocked because, as far as she knows, she's an only child. When Mandy gets to the hospital, Georgia immediately claims that Mandy needs to help her out.
After meeting Georgia, Mandy immediately feels a connection and wants to uncover the truth. Is Mandy being played, or is there more to this story?

After reading The Locked Ward and having already read House of Glass, Sarah Pekkanen is now an author that I'll blindly buy her books.


Moving on to The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen. I'm excited to start this one. I hope it's just as exciting as House Of Glass. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

It’s a good read if somewhat predictable overall . I felt the story has been told before .
This authors other books much better
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

4.5/5

Georgia is accused of murdering her sister. She has a secret. She’s actually a twin. Mandy is the twin who had no idea she even had a sister.
Georgia had her lawyer get in contact with Mandy. As Georgia is sitting in a psychiatric ward. She’s trying to get Mandy to pick up on things and help save her.
The story has so many twists and turns.

Great book!

I was excited to read this book as I loved this author’s House of Glass. Unfortunately, it didn’t measure up for me. I couldn’t get into it until mid-way through and even after that, it was slow paced and contrived. Wish I had liked it more!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed The Locked Ward. There was ample suspense & and interesting family dynamic. I’ll also state that the author really fulfilled her research duties, having worked in a psych ward myself. I finished the book within 48 hours & again, I enjoyed it but IDK if it’s b/c this is nearly the only genre I read or what, it just didn’t keep me gripped as say, the Anonymous Girl did. Ms Pekkanen is a fantastic author, an auto-read for me but I do still miss the collaborations with Greer Hendricks…..Sorry, but gotta give honest reviews🫣. Solid 4 star read!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️