The Locked Ward
- Judith D Collins
- Jul 26
- 2 min read
By: Sarah Pekkanen
Narrator: January LaVoy
Macmillan Audio
ISBN:9781250349514
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 08/05/2025
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC) (ALC)
The Locked Ward is the latest twisty thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Tonight and House of Glass, Sarah Pekkanen.
It was the Crime of the Decade. Pathological sibling rivalry. Bitter, all- consuming envy. Whatever the cause - and everyone has an opinion - it led Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, to kill the younger, biological daughter of her wealthy, socially prominent family.
Georgia is being kept at an institution where the most violent offenders are held while she waits to see if she is ruled not guilty by reason of insanity. When her estranged twin sister, Amanda, visits her, Georgia's first words are, "You've got to get me out of here. I didn't do it." Her sister can’t walk away. There has always been a part of her that feels missing - a strange hollowness that she has hidden from everyone.
Does it exist because of the absence of her twin sister? Can Amanda really trust Georgia? Or is she being led down a path of madness and into the web of a master manipulator? Nothing is as it seems in Sarah Pekkanen's new psychological thriller, The Locked Ward.
Praise
"Instantly immersive, involving, insightful and scary - this is psychological suspense at its very best."
―Lee Child
When beautiful and wealthy Georgia Cartwright is kept in a locked ward after being accused of her sister’s brutal murder, there’s only one person who can save her: the other sister she didn’t know she had. Spellbinding and masterful, Sarah Pekkanen’s THE LOCKED WARD is a deep dive into the dark secrets of a powerful family, where reputation and social standing have always mattered more than the truth. Nothing is as it seems in this evocative and twisty thriller, and I loved every breathless minute of it.
―Jennifer Hillier, USA Today bestselling author of THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK and LITTLE SECRETS
"A dueling narrative fraught with tension that will leave you guessing until the very end. And when you think you know...you don't!"
―Jeneva Rose, bestselling author of THE PERFECT MARRIAGE and YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE
"One of my favorite thriller writers, Sarah Pekkanen is an automatic buy for me. I love her twisty, propulsive thrillers and THE LOCKED WARD is no exception"
―Laura Dave, NYT bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
"Deliciously twisty. A fascinating, detailed dive into psych ward indignities and dangers. Riveting from start to shattering finish." ―Booklist (Starred Review)
About the Author
Sarah Pekkanen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several co-authored and solo novels. Her books are sold in 36 countries, with several optioned for TV and film. Sarah also co-wrote the screenplay for The Wife Between Us for Amblin Entertainment. She serves on the board of directors of International Thriller Writers, and is the founder of a nonprofit that rescues injured and abused street dogs in India. She lives just outside of Washington, D.C.
