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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.
What a twisty read and so unexpected. The book follows twin sisters (maybe or maybe not) Georgia Cartwright who is accused of killing the biological daughter of the wealthy family she was adopted into and Amanda the twin sister she asks to help prove her innocence. Family secrets get unravelled ,trust gets tested and true characters revealed. Great read for a lazy Saturday afternoon
What a twisty read and so unexpected. The book follows twin sisters (maybe or maybe not) Georgia Cartwright who is accused of killing the biological daughter of the wealthy family she was adopted into and Amanda the twin sister she asks to help prove her innocence. Family secrets get unravelled ,trust gets tested and true characters revealed. Great read for a lazy Saturday afternoon
The Locked Ward
by Sarah Pekkanen
4/5⭐️
I could not put The Locked Ward down. From the first chapter, Sarah Pekkanen drew me into a gripping psychological thriller. The short chapters kept a pace brisk and the suspense high.
The dual POV structure centers on two sisters, Georgia and Mandy. Georgia is accused of murder and placed in a psych ward. Mandy is determined to uncover the truth and help her sister. Both women are fascinating, layered characters, and honestly, I did not know whom I should trust. My one complaint is that Mandy’s chapters are written in the first person, while Georgia’s are in the second person. I did not understand the shift in writing style or purpose.
While I saw one of the twists coming early on, the full ending still managed to surprise me, and it was completely satisfying. If you’re looking for a thriller that’s fast-paced and full of secrets, The Locked Ward is absolutely worth your time.
Special thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the audiobook ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: August 5, 2025
by Sarah Pekkanen
4/5⭐️
I could not put The Locked Ward down. From the first chapter, Sarah Pekkanen drew me into a gripping psychological thriller. The short chapters kept a pace brisk and the suspense high.
The dual POV structure centers on two sisters, Georgia and Mandy. Georgia is accused of murder and placed in a psych ward. Mandy is determined to uncover the truth and help her sister. Both women are fascinating, layered characters, and honestly, I did not know whom I should trust. My one complaint is that Mandy’s chapters are written in the first person, while Georgia’s are in the second person. I did not understand the shift in writing style or purpose.
While I saw one of the twists coming early on, the full ending still managed to surprise me, and it was completely satisfying. If you’re looking for a thriller that’s fast-paced and full of secrets, The Locked Ward is absolutely worth your time.
Special thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the audiobook ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: August 5, 2025
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Started it before bed—finished it with my jaw on the floor.
I received an advance reader’s edition of this book from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first Sarah Pekkanen novel—and definitely not my last. I already own House of Glass, and after this it’s officially on my tbr list.
The Locked Ward releases on August 5, 2025, and it’s an intense psychological thriller centered around Georgia, a young woman awaiting trial in an institution for the most violent offenders. When her estranged twin sister visits, Georgia breaks her silence with a chilling plea: “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”
I devoured this book in a single sitting—it kept me up all night. The ending left me absolutely stunned; I never saw it coming. If you’re a fan of thrillers that twist and turn until the final page, this one deserves a spot on your list.
I received an advance reader’s edition of this book from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first Sarah Pekkanen novel—and definitely not my last. I already own House of Glass, and after this it’s officially on my tbr list.
The Locked Ward releases on August 5, 2025, and it’s an intense psychological thriller centered around Georgia, a young woman awaiting trial in an institution for the most violent offenders. When her estranged twin sister visits, Georgia breaks her silence with a chilling plea: “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”
I devoured this book in a single sitting—it kept me up all night. The ending left me absolutely stunned; I never saw it coming. If you’re a fan of thrillers that twist and turn until the final page, this one deserves a spot on your list.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
We meet Georgia Cartwright as she is waking up in an unfamiliar place, but slowly she remembers where she is - the psychiatric ward of a hospital where she was sent after being accused of killing her adopted sister.
Amanda Ravenel gets a cold call from Georgia's public defender with a request from Georgia to meet - because Amanda and Georgia are long-lost twins. Amanda is too intrigued to not have at least one meeting where Georgia hauntingly reveals that she didn't kill her sister, and needs Amanda's help to prove it.
Amanda is skeptical, but can't just leave Georgia in her time of need. As Amanda tries to piece together what happened the night of the murder, she learns more about her own family's past and hidden secrets about her adoption, making her question her past and if Georgia really is the victim she claims to be.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the advanced copy of the ebook of an author I continue to enjoy!
Amanda Ravenel gets a cold call from Georgia's public defender with a request from Georgia to meet - because Amanda and Georgia are long-lost twins. Amanda is too intrigued to not have at least one meeting where Georgia hauntingly reveals that she didn't kill her sister, and needs Amanda's help to prove it.
Amanda is skeptical, but can't just leave Georgia in her time of need. As Amanda tries to piece together what happened the night of the murder, she learns more about her own family's past and hidden secrets about her adoption, making her question her past and if Georgia really is the victim she claims to be.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the advanced copy of the ebook of an author I continue to enjoy!
This book just ok. I was bored and uninterested in the story line. The big plot twist fell flat for me. I liked how we got both Georgias and Mandy's POV but I don't know why Georgias POV was told in second person. It was weird to listen to. I enjoyed 2 other books from this author and sad this book wasn't it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC
medium-paced
This thriller makes you trust no one. You don’t know who is telling the truth and who is lying.
We get 2 POVs from Mandy and Georgia and I loved how the author wrote the 2 POVs in different styles so it was easy to tell them apart.
I would say this is a medium paced thriller but I was hooked through out the entire time. I wanted to know if Georgia was guilty or not.
I do think the ending felt a bit rushed and I was left with questions, that’s the same feeling I had with another one of Sarah Pekkanen’s book.
Genre: Thriller
APK: Ebook
Pages: 312
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone
Thank you St. Martins Press for a free copy of The Locked Ward for an honest review
We get 2 POVs from Mandy and Georgia and I loved how the author wrote the 2 POVs in different styles so it was easy to tell them apart.
I would say this is a medium paced thriller but I was hooked through out the entire time. I wanted to know if Georgia was guilty or not.
I do think the ending felt a bit rushed and I was left with questions, that’s the same feeling I had with another one of Sarah Pekkanen’s book.
Genre: Thriller
APK: Ebook
Pages: 312
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone
Thank you St. Martins Press for a free copy of The Locked Ward for an honest review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fun, slightly creepy easy read/listen on audio. This one started strong & caught my attention right away, but the second half lost me a bit. It seemed to have too much going on at times and had moments that felt too far fetched. I did enjoy the unsettling vibe and multi POV narration, as well as the surprise ending.
I was really excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. I would say this would be a popcorn thriller, I read it very fast. The chapters were short and you had to read the next to see what happened next. If you like: psychological thrillers, sister relationships, murder mystery, books about twins, multiple pov’s, and rich family drama then you will like this!
Georgia Cartwright is accused of murdering her sister and is sent to a psych ward. Georgia insists she didn’t kill her sister and is being framed. She knows the only person who can help her is her twin sister Amanda, the only problem is, Amanda doesn’t know Georgia exists.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Locked Ward
by Sarah Pekkanen
2 out of 5 stars
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
One-sentence summary: After being accused of killing her sister, Georgia is locked in a psychiatric ward.
One thing I liked about this book is the alternating points of view. The author uses "you" for one of the sisters so the reader can differentiate which narrator is telling the story.
Unfortunately, that was about all I really enjoyed. This was almost a DNF for me a couple of times, but I pushed on. I don't know that I would have continued if I had not been reviewing this for NetGalley. In the end, I was glad the story was wrapped up and I found out what happened, but it was a drag to get there.
The audiobook reader used a southern accent for one of the characters, and it got on my nerves after a while. It sounded fake and forced to me. She also sounded over dramatic in her reading. I don't need the narrator to become an additional character in the story.
Overall, this book did not feel suspenseful to me. I wanted to know what happened, but the way the story was built, it just got frustrating. There were many times I said, "Just get on with it already." The sister connection was a HUGE stretch. I did not like or connect to any of the characters.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. However, this is my first by this author, and I have heard fantastic things about her, so her fans may really enjoy this book. I will not be rushing to read others by this author.
by Sarah Pekkanen
2 out of 5 stars
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
One-sentence summary: After being accused of killing her sister, Georgia is locked in a psychiatric ward.
One thing I liked about this book is the alternating points of view. The author uses "you" for one of the sisters so the reader can differentiate which narrator is telling the story.
Unfortunately, that was about all I really enjoyed. This was almost a DNF for me a couple of times, but I pushed on. I don't know that I would have continued if I had not been reviewing this for NetGalley. In the end, I was glad the story was wrapped up and I found out what happened, but it was a drag to get there.
The audiobook reader used a southern accent for one of the characters, and it got on my nerves after a while. It sounded fake and forced to me. She also sounded over dramatic in her reading. I don't need the narrator to become an additional character in the story.
Overall, this book did not feel suspenseful to me. I wanted to know what happened, but the way the story was built, it just got frustrating. There were many times I said, "Just get on with it already." The sister connection was a HUGE stretch. I did not like or connect to any of the characters.
I would not recommend this book to anyone. However, this is my first by this author, and I have heard fantastic things about her, so her fans may really enjoy this book. I will not be rushing to read others by this author.