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!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It was the Crime of the Decade. Pathological sibling rivalry. Bitter, all consuming envy. Whatever the cause and everyone has an opinion, it led Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, to kill the younger, biological daughter of her wealthy, socially prominent family! Wow! Creepy read! Being stuck like that with no way out!! This book had great suspense, murder, mystery, dark family secrets, intriguing, a shocking who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This book was just okay. Not bad, but not great either. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve read too many thrillers, but I found it pretty predictable from the start. It will keep you entertained, but it’s not anything that you haven’t read before.

Secrets, lies, corruption, murder….The Locked Ward has it all.
Georgia and Amanda find out they are twins after a lifetime apart, thanks to adoption. But luckily for Georgia, they come together just in time. Is Georgia a killer? Has she been set up? Can Amanda help her in time, or even trust her? While I wish the ending had been a bit more dramatic, this was a good solid read I finished in one day.

Wow! “The Locked Ward” was a crazy intense story. Once you start reading, you won’t want to stop, eager to find out what twisted surprise will come next. And there are definitely some unexpected twists.

The Locked Ward

Mandy Ravenel receives a call one morning that has the power to change her life. The owner of a bar that had been her parent’s before they died, Mandy leads a comfortable life in a small North Carolina town. When she is contacted by a public defender representing Georgia Cartwright, a wealthy socialite accused of killing her younger sister in a fit of rage the night before, she is immediately confused as the two women have never met. Then the lawyer unleashes two bombshells. Not only is Georgia, who is currently being held in a locked ward due to a 72-hour psychiatric hold, asking to see her, but the two are twin sisters that were separated at birth.

Mandy visits her sister and is shocked when Georgia whispers her innocence and begs her to help her. After being warned to “trust no one” Mandy begins an investigation into her own past and the crime, soon realizing that both twins could be in danger because of secrets that are bigger than anyone could have guessed. And facing down the powerful Cartwright empire might threaten both of their lives.

This book captured my interest from the moment I read the first words and I admit I absolutely devoured it. Sarah Pekkanen weaves together a taut thriller full twists and turns that keep the reader guessing throughout. Five stars for this truly unputdownable read.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

I want to thank Sarah Pekkanen and St Martins Press for an arc copy of this book to read! A fantastic read that hooks you from the very beginning! Keeping you guessing the entire read and providing lots of twists and turns the entire way through! I requested an arc of this book specifically because I read house of glass last year by the same author and absolutely loved it! She did it again with another fabulous read! This book publishes on 8/5/25 definitely put it on your TBR and in the meantime check out house of glass!

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!

Sarah Pekkanen’s books are always interesting for me to read - and her latest “The Locked Ward” was no exception. Two sisters - Amanda and Georgia - were separated at birth. Amanda wants to have a family - and attaches to people - especially females - hard. Georgia has been accused of murdering her younger sister and needs Amanda’s help to get out of a psych ward. Ms. Pekkanen once again had a great build-up for this story - as Amanda’s story was explored and Georgia’s smarts in the ward were put to good use. I felt the “big reveal” was a bit flat, but overall the book was still an enjoyable one.

I enjoyed this clever and gripping story. The dialogue and characters were compelling with satisfying twists.

Georgia, locked inside a psychiatric ward and accused of killing her younger sister Annabelle, reaches out to Mandy for help. Mandy is shocked to learn that Georgia is her twin sister she never knew existed! Now Mandy has to decide does she help Georgia and risk it all for someone she doesn’t know?
A book filled with suspense, familial tension and political intrigue.

I loved the story told between the two sisters - one fighting for her life and the other assisting in the unraveling of the murder and her past. Mandy's story was so enjoyable to read and I really felt for her as she learned about her parents and the history of how her and Georgia were separated. Georgia was an interesting person and had to play it smart in the hospital.

The big reveal fell a bit flat for me. It was fairly obvious throughout. The killer was also a disappointment to me.

I was super excited to get this one, but it fell short for me. The premise wasn’t as intriguing as I thought it would be and perhaps I missed what feels like a giant plot point but wasn’t it established that Georgia was the older “adopted” sister between her and Annabelle? How do they both have the same mother then if they are 4 months apart??? The ending felt rushed and I really couldn’t get past that giant issue so this was not my favorite.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Sarah Pekkanen is a great story teller and this book was no exception. In The Locked Ward, Georgia is institutionalized after being accused of killing her sister Annabelle. Georgia uses this moment to reach out to the twin sister she has only just learned about, in hopes that her sister will help her prove her innocence. This book is filled with a massive web of lies and secrets, and is truly engaging. I did see some aspects of the ending coming, but that comes with the territory of reading many thrillers. There were other aspects that surprised me. I loved the epilogue and felt like it was such a fitting end to this book.

This book is expected to publish on August 5, 2025. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my ARC.

The Lock Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

This was a gripping and suspenseful read! The characters were complex, and the twists kept me hooked. A few parts felt a little slow but it was still a solid thriller. Definitely worth reading!

4/5 Stars

Loved the details of the locked ward…I felt a little jittery reading when the other characters were following her!

Very cool concept for a book, some details were hard to foresee happening in real life, but that’s the fun of reading, right?

I was shocked by the ending!!! I didn’t see it coming and couldn’t read fast enough to get to the end.

Psychological thriller with complex family dynamics that I easily devoured in a weekend! The storyline alternates between two estranged sisters, Georgia and Amanda. They have both lived their whole lives without the knowledge of each other's existence before Georgia reaches out to Amanda. The twist though? Georgia is currently being held in a psychiatric ward for the murder of her sister. She swears she didn't do it, but how can Amanda know for sure? She just learned of her existence, but Amanda feels as though there is more to this story.

An easily bingeable thriller, highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinion are my own

This thriller kept me on edge the entire time. I LOVE those kind of books. A locked ward, an accused killer and secret sibling come to the fore front.

Georgia Worthington was adopted to a wealthy family who had their own biological child and was jealous of her. While locked in the ward she enlists in the help of Mandy. Mandy has no idea who Georgia is and that she is her biological twin. Deception number 1, and the hits keep coming. I never miss a Pekkanen novel.

Based on the synopsis I was really excited to dive into The Locked Ward! Two twins who were separated at birth via adoption are reconnected when one of them murders the biological daughter of her adoptive parents and believes her sister is the only one who can save her. She claims she didn’t do it, but Mandy isn’t sure if she should trust what Georgia is saying, or if she is roping her into her web of lies to try to save herself.

*Spoiler Alert* had I known that a lot of the story would heavily involve potentially twisted and corrupt politicians, I definitely wouldn’t have picked this book up. There is enough to be concerned about in the real world with politics that I don’t enjoy reading about it fictionally, especially with murder involved 😂

The book had a bit of slow start for me, but is captivating and the ending definitely made me glad I picked it up! I definitely enjoy Sarah Pekkanens writing style and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

THE LOCKED WARD was a decent psychological/domestic thriller that was an easy, quick read. I’m all for short chapters 🙌🏻 I found the twist to be just alright. Nothing spectacular, but still a decent thriller if you’re in need of a slump buster.