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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
mysterious
I haven’t been this glued to a thriller in ages. Once I finally started The Locked Ward, I devoured it in a blur of “just one more chapter” until I realized hours had passed. The short, punchy chapters and alternating POVs make it impossible to stop, each ending with the perfect hook to pull you into the next.
Georgia Cartwright, the glamorous adopted daughter of a wealthy Southern family, is accused of murdering their biological daughter — instantly becoming the center of the crime of the decade. While she awaits trial, Georgia is locked inside a psychiatric hospital for violent offenders. When her twin sister, Mandy, visits, Georgia leans in and whispers: “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”
The twist? Georgia and Mandy only just learned the other existed. Both knew they were adopted, but neither knew they were twins — or that they’d grown up in entirely different worlds. Now Mandy is grappling with the shock of their connection, the strange, almost telepathic pull between them, and the chilling possibility that her newfound sister might be a murderer. As she navigates the ward’s eerie, claustrophobic halls and unearths long-buried family secrets, she’s forced to question everything — and everyone.
The Locked Ward is a perfect storm of dark sisterhood, rich family dysfunction, and “trust no one” tension. Sarah Pekkanen keeps you second-guessing every character, every conversation, and every reveal right up to the final page. I tore through this and loved every minute.
⭐ 5 stars
Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Georgia Cartwright, the glamorous adopted daughter of a wealthy Southern family, is accused of murdering their biological daughter — instantly becoming the center of the crime of the decade. While she awaits trial, Georgia is locked inside a psychiatric hospital for violent offenders. When her twin sister, Mandy, visits, Georgia leans in and whispers: “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”
The twist? Georgia and Mandy only just learned the other existed. Both knew they were adopted, but neither knew they were twins — or that they’d grown up in entirely different worlds. Now Mandy is grappling with the shock of their connection, the strange, almost telepathic pull between them, and the chilling possibility that her newfound sister might be a murderer. As she navigates the ward’s eerie, claustrophobic halls and unearths long-buried family secrets, she’s forced to question everything — and everyone.
The Locked Ward is a perfect storm of dark sisterhood, rich family dysfunction, and “trust no one” tension. Sarah Pekkanen keeps you second-guessing every character, every conversation, and every reveal right up to the final page. I tore through this and loved every minute.
⭐ 5 stars
Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Maybe it’s just the twin thing being a bit unrealistic, but also a lot of the plot points and details were overexplained?
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Being accused of your sister's death is not what Georgia was expecting when attending the birthday party of said sister. Instead of going to jail, she is sent to the locked ward of the hospital, also known as the psych ward. While being there, she decides to stay silent and only reaches out to her long-lost twin.
This book had me questioning if I truly believed Georgia because there were a lot of things she says and does that make you wonder what the truth is. Everyone in this book has a secret, and each of these secrets is tied back to the crime, in some way.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and I devoured it because I wanted to know the twist. I believed I had figured it out, but I was completely wrong. This book shows that sometimes those we call family can be our worst enemies.
This book had me questioning if I truly believed Georgia because there were a lot of things she says and does that make you wonder what the truth is. Everyone in this book has a secret, and each of these secrets is tied back to the crime, in some way.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and I devoured it because I wanted to know the twist. I believed I had figured it out, but I was completely wrong. This book shows that sometimes those we call family can be our worst enemies.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
ℙ𝕠𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 ℙ𝕠𝕡𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕟 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕓𝕒𝕘!
Delicious, twisty, riveting - Georgia, adopted by the Cartwright family, is being kept in the locked ward - but did she kill her sister and their biological daughter Annabelle?
A shocking psychological thriller about the complex bonds of sisterhood―and what happens when they are stretched to the breaking point, The Locked Ward “will leave you guessing until the very end” (Jeneva Rose, bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage).
Some doors should never be opened.
Was it bitter, all-consuming jealousy? Pathological sibling rivalry? Pure insanity?
Whatever the cause―and everyone has a theory―it’s the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family.
Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only words she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”
Amanda doesn’t trust Georgia, but she can’t abandon her in a place so eerie and menacing that it seems to exist in another dimension. Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family that’s so depraved murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down a path of madness into the web of a master manipulator?
🕵🏻♀️My Thoughts
Once I picked this up, I never put it down! The short chapters made it compulsively readable, along with the perfectly simmering suspense. I was hooked, and didn’t know what would happen. This had a perfect twist of an ending that was completely satisfying and plausible. If you enjoy the perfect cinematic drama of an Alex Finlay, Gillian McCalllister or Kate Marshall mystery like I do, pop this in your beach bag. You won’t be able to stop reading until you know what really happened. Thank you for letting me read this perfect novel @sarahpekkanen &@stmartinspress - what a great #gift. I loved it.
❓QOTD: What’s a novel you devoured in one sitting that you’d recommend? #bookstagram #booksta #popcornthriller #mysterybooks #reading #summerreading
Delicious, twisty, riveting - Georgia, adopted by the Cartwright family, is being kept in the locked ward - but did she kill her sister and their biological daughter Annabelle?
A shocking psychological thriller about the complex bonds of sisterhood―and what happens when they are stretched to the breaking point, The Locked Ward “will leave you guessing until the very end” (Jeneva Rose, bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage).
Some doors should never be opened.
Was it bitter, all-consuming jealousy? Pathological sibling rivalry? Pure insanity?
Whatever the cause―and everyone has a theory―it’s the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family.
Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only words she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”
Amanda doesn’t trust Georgia, but she can’t abandon her in a place so eerie and menacing that it seems to exist in another dimension. Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family that’s so depraved murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down a path of madness into the web of a master manipulator?
🕵🏻♀️My Thoughts
Once I picked this up, I never put it down! The short chapters made it compulsively readable, along with the perfectly simmering suspense. I was hooked, and didn’t know what would happen. This had a perfect twist of an ending that was completely satisfying and plausible. If you enjoy the perfect cinematic drama of an Alex Finlay, Gillian McCalllister or Kate Marshall mystery like I do, pop this in your beach bag. You won’t be able to stop reading until you know what really happened. Thank you for letting me read this perfect novel @sarahpekkanen &@stmartinspress - what a great #gift. I loved it.
❓QOTD: What’s a novel you devoured in one sitting that you’d recommend? #bookstagram #booksta #popcornthriller #mysterybooks #reading #summerreading
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Death
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
WHAT did I just read?! 😱 From the first page, The Locked Ward had me in its grip, and it did not let go. Sarah Pekkanen delivers a chilling, twist-filled psychological thriller set in the most unsettling place imaginable: a locked psychiatric ward.
Told through multiple POVs (my fave!) and short, punchy chapters, this was the definition of a binge read. I tore through it, totally immersed in the world of twisted twin bonds, long-buried family secrets, and characters you’re not sure you can trust even for a second.
This story has everything I love in a thriller:
✔️ Unreliable narrators
✔️ Wealthy people with skeletons in their closets
✔️ Creepy, claustrophobic setting
✔️ Emotional tension and layered characters
✔️ So. Many. Twists.
The sibling dynamic is intense and unsettling in the best way, and the psych ward setting adds an eerie, atmospheric edge that keeps you on high alert. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the ending hit me like a freight train. And the epilogue?! 🤯 One word: SHOOK.
This isn’t my first read by Sarah Pekkanen, and once again, she absolutely delivered. Her thrillers always mess with your mind in the best way, and The Locked Ward is no exception. If you love psychological twists that keep you second-guessing everything, add this to your TBR ASAP!
Thank you so much to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the e-ARC of The Locked Ward by @sarahpekkanen !
Told through multiple POVs (my fave!) and short, punchy chapters, this was the definition of a binge read. I tore through it, totally immersed in the world of twisted twin bonds, long-buried family secrets, and characters you’re not sure you can trust even for a second.
This story has everything I love in a thriller:
✔️ Unreliable narrators
✔️ Wealthy people with skeletons in their closets
✔️ Creepy, claustrophobic setting
✔️ Emotional tension and layered characters
✔️ So. Many. Twists.
The sibling dynamic is intense and unsettling in the best way, and the psych ward setting adds an eerie, atmospheric edge that keeps you on high alert. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the ending hit me like a freight train. And the epilogue?! 🤯 One word: SHOOK.
This isn’t my first read by Sarah Pekkanen, and once again, she absolutely delivered. Her thrillers always mess with your mind in the best way, and The Locked Ward is no exception. If you love psychological twists that keep you second-guessing everything, add this to your TBR ASAP!
Thank you so much to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the e-ARC of The Locked Ward by @sarahpekkanen !
5 ⭐ 0 🌶️ 5 🎧
It's been a minute since I read a thriller and what a way to jump back into the genre. This story was exciting, twisty and twisted; exactly what I was hoping for when starting this one. I really loved that we get the twins POVs in first and second person. This was my first second person POV story and I really enjoyed that aspect of this book.
I was constantly guessing what was going on and whodunnit and was still shocked about multiple things from the reveal. I stayed up late finishing this one cause I had to know what happened and I'm so happy I did. I absolutely loved it.
The audio was great. January Levoy was wonderful in bringing these characters to life. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for this advanced listen, I loved it!
It's been a minute since I read a thriller and what a way to jump back into the genre. This story was exciting, twisty and twisted; exactly what I was hoping for when starting this one. I really loved that we get the twins POVs in first and second person. This was my first second person POV story and I really enjoyed that aspect of this book.
I was constantly guessing what was going on and whodunnit and was still shocked about multiple things from the reveal. I stayed up late finishing this one cause I had to know what happened and I'm so happy I did. I absolutely loved it.
The audio was great. January Levoy was wonderful in bringing these characters to life. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for this advanced listen, I loved it!
dark
emotional
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
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
This would make a highly entertaining movie or limited series on Netflix.