Sarah Pekkanen has succeeded in leaving my head spinning yet again (in a good way). Glittering and wealthy Georgia Cartwright has been accused of killing her sister Annabelle, the beloved biological daughter of Georgia's adoptive family. Meanwhile, Amanda learns that she is Georgia's twin sister - Amanda wasn't even aware that she was a twin. Georgia begs Amanda to clear her name, while warning Amanda that powerful forces are in play who will do anything to stop that from happening. This novel truly kept me guessing - and turning the pages!

I really enjoyed this one. It was fast paced with a twist I didn't see coming. Can't get enough of Sarah Pekkanen's writing. Highly recommend this gem of a book. Thanks netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

TWISTY 😱 My fav read of hers yet!
The twists are constant, the characters phenomenal, and the chapters short!
Chefs kiss 💋

How would you react to a lawyer calling you out of the blue saying your sister needs you. Well in this case, quite surprised since you don’t have a sister! But Amanda was adopted, and she does have a twin sister, Georgia, who was adopted by another family, an extremely wealthy couple.
Intriguing right, especially since Georgia is in an asylum accused of killing her sister, Annabelle. Well, that adds another layer to a surprising revelation and a very intriguing first meeting.
Immediately, Amanda feels a connection to Georgia, but does she believe her when she says that she didn’t kill Annabelle? Maybe, maybe not. But as the story progresses, Amanda learns a lot about the Cartwright family, and it is not all sunshine, roses, and endless cash.
I really thought there would be one more twist. Alas, that was only in my mind not the authors. This publishers in August and I could definitely see it being a good beach read.

I love this author! This was yet another suspenseful, thrilling story! I was pretty sure how it would turn out and was actually a bit disappointed that it was that obvious. But NO! The rug was pulled out from under me! Loved it! Georgia and Mandy are twins separated at birth. They each had very different upbringings. As adults. Georgia is accused of killing her other sister and put in a locked ward. She enlists the help of recently discovered sister, Mandy. Can Mandy trust Georgia? Lots of twists and turns and family secrets. I was not a huge fan of the way Georgia's story was told, second person, I believe, but definitely not a deal-breaker! Nicely done!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Facebook and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of August 5, 2025.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Sisters - never knowing each other- Georgia is adopted as an infant but all her life she is treated different than her sister. They think she is the mean one. She wonders why she is not loved. And when her sister is murdered she is accused of killing her! But did she? She is locked in the psych ward till trial, she locates her twin sister and begs her to help get her out of there. As her sister digs for the truth things get dangerous . Someone doesn’t want the truth out.

This was such a good read!! I absolutely love Sarah Pekkanen’s writing style, especially Georgia’s chapters. The story was very captivating and it ended perfectly, although now I would LOVE a continuation… sequel??

The Locked Ward was nonstop from start to finish. I loved the political angle, showing how far people will go to protect their power—even at the expense of those they love. The character names were a fun touch, perfectly fitting their personalities. What held this back for me were the unresolved subplots; too many loose ends dropped my rating to three stars. Still, a solid thriller overall. I think it deserves a better cover.

A psychiatric ward, murder, unexpected twists, and complex family dynamics—this book has everything you could want in a psychological thriller. I did wish there was more of Amanda's life and her family, but it doesn't take away from the overall impact. I will definitely recommend this book and will be reading more from this author.

The Locked Ward is a captivating, twist-filled psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. The suspense builds as Amanda is drawn into her sister Georgia’s tangled world of family secrets, manipulation, and the mystery of a crime she may or may not have committed. The dark, eerie setting of the psychiatric institution adds to the tension, creating a sense of unease throughout. The complicated sisterly bond at the heart of this story makes it an unforgettable read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I hate that I love when a good book makes me stay up late to finish it. The Locked Ward was one of these books and I have no regrets about reading it until all hours so I could see how all the pieces connected. This is a book about family but not the kind that gives your the warm and fuzzies. Everyone in the family has motives to hide their secrets. Once Mandy learns she is part of the family, it’s a race for her to uncover the secrets that are going to save her life.

The Locked Ward is a locked-room thriller with plenty of twists to keep readers intrigued. Sarah Pekkanen crafts a suspenseful story that slowly unravels secrets and keeps you questioning the truth.

Mandy has just discovered she has a twin sister, Georgia, who is locked in a psychiatric ward, accused of murdering her younger sister, Annabelle. When Mandy visits Georgia, she’s drawn into a complicated web of doubt and desperation as Georgia pleads for help proving her innocence. But as Mandy digs deeper, she begins to question everything—including her own sister.

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.