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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press (eARC) and Macmillan Audio (ALC) for providing me with the advanced copies.
It is a fast paced thriller which is mostly about two long lost twins obsessing over each other. At least that's what I thought in the beginning, but the plot did pick up significantly some time into the book. In some sense the plot was predictable but I really liked the way it was written in terms of PoV switches. I especially liked the second person PoV for Georgia, it made it feel extra creepy. Some of the things that happened in the locked ward were random and never resolved which disappointed me a bit. I was not expecting the epilogue though -- that ending was really smooth. Overall, it's a thriller that can be binged in a day if you're looking for one.
The audiobook narrator did a brilliant job with the voices and the emotions. The eerie atmosphere felt all the more real because of the narration.
It is a fast paced thriller which is mostly about two long lost twins obsessing over each other. At least that's what I thought in the beginning, but the plot did pick up significantly some time into the book. In some sense the plot was predictable but I really liked the way it was written in terms of PoV switches. I especially liked the second person PoV for Georgia, it made it feel extra creepy. Some of the things that happened in the locked ward were random and never resolved which disappointed me a bit. I was not expecting the epilogue though -- that ending was really smooth. Overall, it's a thriller that can be binged in a day if you're looking for one.
The audiobook narrator did a brilliant job with the voices and the emotions. The eerie atmosphere felt all the more real because of the narration.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
everyone is morally grey but the book was interesting
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
🔒 The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen 🔒
MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Accused of murder, adopted heiress Georgia Cartwright is locked in a psychiatric ward. Her twin Amanda doesn't trust her—but when Georgia pleads for help, Amanda must decide: uncover a family’s dark secrets or fall into her sister’s deadly trap.
I was so excited for a new Sarah Pekkanen, and was grateful to receive an ALC of The Locked Ward. really enjoyed the concept of this book and I was curious about what was going to happen in each part, however, this wasn’t my favourite by her. I found it took me a while to get into the story and at times it felt slow, though it did pick up around the last third of the book. I felt some of the red herrings confused a bit of the story (not the suspense), and some of the characters and pieces didn’t seem fully flushed out and didn’t offer much in the story. Overall, this had some suspense and drama and I enjoyed the plot and the writing, but think there were some details and pacing challenges that didn’t suit my taste.
Read this if you like:
- questionable narrator
- complex dynamics (family, political)
- uncovering the truth
Vibes: 🏥💉🩸👯♀️💸❓🤫
Song that matches the vibe: Game of Survival by Ruelle
Full review including content warnings on my StoryGraph.
The Locked Ward is out August 5th, 2025! Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Pekkanen, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. This ALC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Locked Ward
3.5 ⭐️
This book FLEW by over the last 24 hours! Probably not my favorite thriller this year, but it was a quick enjoyable read!
Mandy gets a mysterious summons to a mental health hospital where she finds out she has a sister—twin sister—who is accused of murder.
Told via both of the twins’ perspectives, this story was slow to have a lot of the plot happen, but it all unraveled in the end!
Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!
e-arc provided by Netgalley
This was a solid thriller, very much like Sarah Pekkanen's other works. I am also not the biggest fan of some random reveal happening in the last chapter but that honestly happens a lot in thrillers
This was a solid thriller, very much like Sarah Pekkanen's other works. I am also not the biggest fan of some random reveal happening in the last chapter but that honestly happens a lot in thrillers
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
The Locked Ward
A mystery thriller about twins separated at birth. They find each other when one ends up in a locked mental health ward and reaches out for help.
The twin in the ward (Georgia) is accused of killing her sister. Mandy (her twin) has to decide if she wants to believe her long lost sister and try to find the person responsible.
This book is really well written, with a plot that takes hold and doesn’t let go! I was invested in both sisters.
And the TWIST at the end was crazy! I didn’t see it coming.
The author does an amazing job weaving in themes of family struggle, self worth and pursuing when against all odds.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sarah Pekkanen is an incredible writer. Her books are so immersive and suck me right in every time.
The Locked Ward explores twin bonds, complicated family dynamics as well as jealousy and resentment. There’s also plenty of rich people behaving badly.
The connection between Amanda and Georgia was insane, despite having been separated at birth. They had shared mannerisms and tastes, and seemed to be so in tune with one another.
The beginning and end were really well done, but the middle felt sluggish. There wasn’t enough going on and I found myself losing interest.
As we got closer to the end, I found myself unsure who to trust. Everyone seemed to have a motive and their own agenda. I was so curious to discover who was responsible and why.
While this wasn’t my favorite book that I’ve read by the author, I’m looking forward to what she comes up with next.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC!
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
This was a really good thriller. When a twin sister finds the twin she never knew she had it should be good news. But not when she is in a locked ward and being charged with murder.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
“We’re both the unreliable narrator and the gullible listener in our own life stories.”
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I’ve always enjoyed Sarah Pekkanen’s books, including the ones she co-writes with Greer Hendricks. Her thrillers are well-written and compelling, and this one features estranged twins and a political angle that I didn’t see coming.
The story centers around Georgia and Mandy. They were separated at birth with Georgia growing up in a wealthy, powerful family and Many growing up in a blue collar household. When Georgia is arrested for her sister Annabelle’s murder, she has her lawyers contact Mandy who rightfully has her own suspicions. The pieces come together slowly, casting doubt about Georgia’s innocence and Mandy is the only person that can help her.
I liked how twisty this felt, especially with how the clues were sprinkled in. It didn’t feel obvious, but it’s clear that something is not right with Georgia’s family. There’s also a political angle which was interesting and adds to the stakes of the plot. For Georgia, being in a locked ward for a psych evaluation is terrifying, let alone the possibility of going to jail. Mandy is confused about everything, but in the end she’s determined to help her sister.
There are a few bits that feel just a bit far-fetched and gave me some House of Cards vibes in how cutthroat the political aspect gets. The chapters from Georgia perspective are written in second-person, which feels a bit weird since it is from her point-of-view. But overall, this is a really solid, fast-paced thriller.