ARC Review: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

 

The Locked Ward is the latest twisty thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Tonight and House of Glass, Sarah Pekkanen.

Was it bitter, all-consuming jealousy? Pathological sibling rivalry? Pure insanity? Whatever the cause - and everyone has a theory- it was the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, killed the younger, 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, "You've got to get me out of here. I didn't do it." Amanda doesn't trust Georgia, but she can't abandon her in a place so eerie and menacing it seems to exist in another dimension.

Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family so depraved that murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down a path of madness and into the web of a master manipulator?

Title: The Locked Ward

Author: Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher:

Expected Publication Date: August 5, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I picked up this book because I had seen many great reviews of this author's previous titles. I'm always looking for new mystery/thriller authors to read as I really do enjoy the genre. Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 68%. I wanted to love it. I wanted to enjoy the story and see where the mystery went. But it was boring for me. I didn't care about what was happening at all and at over halfway through the book I should have felt some kind of pull to finish. I didn't.

The narrator, January Lavoy, was enjoyable enough, though nothing special for me. She could have done better with voicing the different characters, making them more distinct as they all just sounded the same to me. Since it was dual POV, I struggled to remember which character's chapter I was on.

The alternating sister POV was also interesting to me. I like when books have more than one POV. It gives some interesting background. And it was intriguing how the author chose to have one in first person and one in second person, as well. I'm guessing this was to try and keep the perspectives straight, which normally works for me. Plus the author chose to write fairly short chapters which I very much appreciate.

But this was where it stopped being a good read for me.

The pacing was super slow. Even though things were happening, I honestly didn't feel like anything was happening. There was nothing gripping enough to pull me through the book and make me want to know what the mystery was. I didn't care if it was solved or not.

I also found the writing lacking. It seemed rather juvenile to me given it is an adult book. There was so much telling through the book when all I wanted was the author to show me what was happening.

I had zero connection with the characters. Their link was totally unbelievable to me. They were twins, though not identical which I found made their story lacking, who didn't know about each other until a huge tragedy strikes and they are somewhat forced together (I won't expand as I don't want to spoil it). I didn't feel their twin connection at all. The author had the characters telling you it was there, but that's all it was. Being told they had the connection rather than watching the chemistry that would indicate they did. I needed much more emotion and depth to them but their development was underwhelming.

While the opening was a strong start, and set the mystery up quite well, the plot line and pacing killed it for me by about 25% into the book. I kept going because I though maybe it was just a lull. Maybe it would pick up and I'd find more depth to the characters and the mystery. Maybe I'd love the action and the thrill of the chase. Alas, none of that happened for me.

Overall, I was disappointed not only with the writing but with the plot and lack of suspense this book provided. I found myself unable to stay engaged; my attention often wandering so I would have to rewind or flip back in the book to remind myself what was happening. I kept waiting for the shoe to drop, for some emotional spark to happen, or even for it to make sense but it just didn't. The premise was intriguing and the blurb seemed like the book would be entertaining but it just did not deliver. I'm not sure if I'll pick up another book by this author but it's possible I might give one of her older titles a try to see if maybe this was just a one off.

Author:

I'm a #1 New York Times bestselling author of 15 solo and coauthored books, including HOUSE OF GLASS, which is a Goodreads Choice award nominee and Amazon best book of the year.

My upcoming thriller, THE LOCKED WARD, is being hailed by Lee Child as "psychological suspense at its very best."

I'm also the coauthor of four bestselling thrillers: THE GOLDEN COUPLE, THE WIFE BETWEEN US, AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, and YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

I've also written eight novels that are contemporary fiction, not thrillers: THE EVER AFTER, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS, THINGS YOU WON'T SAY, CATCHING AIR, THE BEST OF US, THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, and THESE GIRLS. My linked free short estories, published by Simon&Schuster exclusively for ereaders, are titled "All is Bright," and "Love, Accidentally."

When I'm not writing or spending time with my three kids, I'm a passionate advocate for rescue animals. I serve as Ambassador of RRSA India, a shelter and sanctuary for abused and injured street dogs and other animals in Anand, India. And I'm the founder of the nonprofit charity IndiaStreetPaws.com.

I also serve on the board of the International Thriller Writers. Readers and writers - come join us at Thrillerfest in NYC every spring!

Please find me on Insta and Facebook for more!

My website is www.sarahpekkanen.com