I great psychological thriller by an author who does it best. I loved that the book was told from two perspectives. You think you know where this book might go but there are twists. I was hooked on this book from the start!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. LOVE Sarah Pekkanen books and was so excited to get approved for this one! Told from alternate POV - Mandy and Georgia. Georgia finds herself locked in a mental ward and contacts a person that she has never met to help her. Mandy finds herself in the middle of chaos. This one kept me on the edge of my seat! Definitely recommend!

I was quite excited to be approved for an ARC edition on NetGalley for this one as I’ve been a Sarah Pekkanen fan for over a decade.

I read 80% of this book in one evening as that was how hooked i was on this storyline. I thought for awhile I had an idea of how it was going to turn out and then there ended up being a few twists near the end, including in the final pages that I didn’t see coming.

I struggled getting through this book. I ended up having a friend send spoilers because I just can't get into it. Nothing against the author, the story just flows very slowly for me

I did enjoy this book, the dual perspective was interesting and it was a good suspense that kept you guessing. It was quite enjoyable. What stopped it from being 4 stars was all of the loose endings with several characters. It just didn't feel resolved.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's been a long time since I've read a book and been absolutely clueless on what could happen next and it was so refreshing. I audibly gasped on several occasions and this book had me hooked from the very beginning.

I enjoyed reading this book with the twists and turns. Imagine not knowing that you had a twin sister and you were split up at birth. Your twin, Georgia grew up in extreme wealth with all opportunities given to her. You, Mandy, grew up in a world where there was love. Now Georgia is in trouble and locked up in a mental institute and her only chance is for Mandy to save her. Can she do it?

I loved the twists and turns and where the story took me.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance read

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.75 Stars. Round up
This book grabbed my attention quickly, I enjoyed the short chapters and alternating POV. The writing style is great, I just felt for me personally the ending fell short.

This Story follows Georgia and Mandy, twin sisters separated at birth only to be reunited when Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution since being accused of her other sister’s (Annabelle) murder. Though Mandy had no idea she had a sister let alone a twin she may be the only person who can save Georgia and prove her innocence.

The sisterly/ twin bond aspect was cute.
The amount of times Georgia mentioned the ONE paper she wrote in college made me roll my eyes multiple times.
Overall this was a good fast paced read. I am not disappointed to have read it, I did enjoy myself with it, I just wouldn’t read it again.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book, I was hooked quickly and didn’t want to put the book down. I enjoyed all the twists and turns.

I give this 3.5 stars because every time I picked it up to read, I didn’t want to put it down but the ending just fell a little flat for me.

This story was intriguing, with the chapters flipping between the two sisters and the past and present colliding. I was trying to solve the murder mystery throughout the book and can say I was way wrong and pleasantly surprised for the “whodunnit.”

However; the ending got a little too weird and felt off. I’m sure the twin connections talked about in this book are real but they just seemed too fantastical and made it weird for me lol. And then finding out what Amanda did was anticlimactic, she already said over and over she was full of rage sometimes.

Anyways - good book! My second by the author and I would read more by her. Thank you netgalley for the arc!

If you're looking for a quick and easy read that is fairly surface level, this is a good place to start. I've been in a bit of a slump & this arc got me back into reading. It is not the most thrilling novel pekkanen has written, but it was enjoyable for the most part. I found the characters pretty flat & the storyline a bit predictable at times but I enjoyed the short chapters and the overall pace of the book. The only other part I struggled with was the second person narration of Georgia. It was difficult to engage with it. Overall It was easy to consume and got me ready to dive into some deeper thrillers. 3 stars

I love Sarah Pekkanen so much. I was really excited to receive an ARC of The Locked Ward. When Amanda discovers that she has a twin sister and she is in an institution being accused of murder, she must find out what the truth is in order to help Georgia get out of the Locked Ward. 4/5 stars, really good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the early releasecopy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Let me start by saying that I'm a huge Sarah Pekkanen’s work. In her usual style this one was fast-paced, easy to read and kept you guessing the whole time. The characters were interesting and there was some character development.

I dont think that the ending hit with as much of a surprise as was intended. There were so many twists and unreliable characters all the way through that it really wasn't surprising. It did open more questions.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

This was another fast-paced thriller from Sarah Pekkanen.

The story is told by Georgia and Mandy alternating between past and present. Georgia is accused of murdering her sister and Mandy who just met Georgia is trying to find out who’s responsible while also learning secrets from each of their pasts.

I was left with some questions at the end but overall, I enjoyed it.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sarah Pekkanen for the ARC.

Estranged twin sisters create a new connection threaded together by murder. Yep, the premise draws you in.

Georgia is in the psych ward (instead of jail) for allegedly killing a different sister, her adopted one. Her twin, Amanda, is trying to figure out how to (and if she should) help since Georgia is claiming innocence.

As they learn to trust each other and eke out the truth, there’s an unraveling of the past back to when they were kids. The story is part family drama/part suspense and moves fast so you need to pay attention to the details to avoid getting lost.

There is also an intriguing side story involving a college roommate which I found compelling and wish there was more of.

The chapters alternate between each sister’s perspectives. I was thrown off reading Georgia’s chapters only because it’s written from a second person POV. While I’m not against this, in theory, it was a little distracting and slowed down the momentum.

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review,

I liked this fast-paced novel and was drawn in by the mystery as well as the connection between the separated twin protagonists. The psychiatric ward was a creepy setting that added to the overall tension of the story.

Without giving anything away, I thought the final twist was unnecessary and didn't add much to the overall story. It seemed kind of gimmicky and I hope the author make it her signature.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen is an absolute mind-bender of a psychological thriller. From the first page, I was hooked—this book is dark, twisty, and had me questioning everything.

Georgia Cartwright is locked up in a psychiatric hospital, accused of murdering her adoptive family’s biological daughter. The case is huge, the media is obsessed, but Georgia swears she didn’t do it. The only person she turns to? Her estranged twin sister Amanda. The problem? Amanda doesn’t trust her. And honestly, neither did I.

The setting is creepy as hell—the hospital feels like its own character, filled with eerie vibes, unsettling patients, and doors that definitely shouldn’t be opened. As Amanda digs deeper into Georgia’s past and their family’s secrets, the tension skyrockets. Is Georgia the victim of a twisted family, or is she exactly where she belongs?

I loved the sister dynamic, the psychological mind games, and how nothing ever felt safe. If you’re into thrillers with unreliable narrators, dark family drama, and jaw-dropping twists, The Locked Ward NEEDS to be on your TBR. Trust me—you won’t be able to put it down! 🔥📚✨

Sarah Pekkanen delivers a gripping psychological thriller in The Locked Ward, a novel packed with dark family secrets, chilling betrayals, and twisted sisterhood. When Georgia Cartwright, a glamorous socialite, is accused of murdering the biological daughter of her wealthy adoptive family, she finds herself locked in a psychiatric institution for the most violent offenders. Her twin sister Amanda, despite her deep-seated doubts, is drawn into the mystery when Georgia insists she’s innocent and begs for help.

As Amanda begins to unravel the truth, the eerie asylum setting and the powerful, possibly sinister Cartwright family create a tense and unsettling atmosphere. Is Georgia truly a victim, or is Amanda being manipulated into something far more sinister?

Pekkanen expertly crafts a suspenseful narrative full of shocking twists and mind games. Fans of psychological thrillers will be hooked from the first page, questioning reality until the very end. A must-read for those who love dark, fast-paced mysteries with an emotional core.

Although I didn’t find the suspense to be quite as compelling as some from Pekaanen, I liked the “twin” element. And still thought it was well paced and entertaining!

on the edge of my seat, couldn't put it down, absolutely ENJOYED THE HECK (!!!) out of the locked ward. it's been awhile since i've read a thriller that's kept be engaged - it felt good to not know what was coming next! thank you so much for the arc !!!