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Natalie King, Forensic Psychiatrist #4
Locked Ward
Natalie King may be a psychiatrist, but that doesn’t mean she can persuade her baby to go to sleep. Sienna wants to party through the night—and lack of sleep is a major trigger for Natalie’s bipolar disorder.
Sleep school at Southside private psych unit, however, turns out to have its own hazards. It’s bad enough that Natalie doesn’t really want to be there, that she wants to keep her professional status quiet and that she’s seen enough group therapy to be quite sure it’s not her thing. But then someone arrives who Natalie knows very well indeed—and not in a good way.
Luckily she’s out of Southside by the time the murder happens. Unluckily, she knows everyone who’s involved, including the cops. They think they have an open-and-shut case. Natalie’s pretty sure they’ve locked the door on the wrong person.
Sleep school at Southside private psych unit, however, turns out to have its own hazards. It’s bad enough that Natalie doesn’t really want to be there, that she wants to keep her professional status quiet and that she’s seen enough group therapy to be quite sure it’s not her thing. But then someone arrives who Natalie knows very well indeed—and not in a good way.
Luckily she’s out of Southside by the time the murder happens. Unluckily, she knows everyone who’s involved, including the cops. They think they have an open-and-shut case. Natalie’s pretty sure they’ve locked the door on the wrong person.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2023
13 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Anne Buist
11 books166 followersAnne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and has over 25 years clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry. She works with Protective Services and the legal system in cases of abuse, kidnapping, infanticide and murder. Medea’s Curse is her first mainstream psychological thriller.
Professor Buist is married to novelist Graeme Simsion and has two children.
Professor Buist is married to novelist Graeme Simsion and has two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 5, 2023
Natalie, our illustrious forensic psychiatrist always finds trouble whereever she goes. This time around she is attending 'sleep school' in a private clinic where she happens to have worked, and in a unit with mothers not only needing the level of help that she does.. other mothers are there for psychiatric issues. She's hit the wall as baby Sienna likes to party at night, and sleep by day. This throws Natalie out and sleep deprevation is the worst thing for her Bipolar Disorder.
We very early meet a prickly nurse who dolls out orders and lacks bedside manner. She is rude, lacking in empathy and quite unlikeable. Making her opinions on breast/bottle feeding quite clear. It becomes clear that Natalie, the most sane of the lot, needs to enter peace keeping mode, and works hard to keep the unit in some kind of orderly manner.
I stayed in Tresillian, the sleep unit of a public hosptital, and I wasn't there to socialise, have coffee, or join in any activities, so my judgement was a little piqued here. I needed to reign it in. I also wasn't sure about the milestones of Natalie's baby, and the diet including chocolate milk. But I digress. She wasn't quite 12 months and was rather advanced.
Soon the nurse is found dead. Natalie is not a suspect at all, but is quickly drawn into the fray. Her sister was a patient at the time also, and they never really got along. Quickly they needed to put their differences aside, and they both learn a lot about each other.
This entire series is usually very busy with characters, names and happenings, and with this one, I felt it easier to follow. I enjoy Natalie more than the storyline usually, and I got to know more about her. She fits into motherhood better than one would expect, she still talks about her reliance on Quetiapine and Lithium a lot, but reader will be familiar with this from the previous installments.
Natalie's partner is supportive as always, and they seem to ride the ever moving roller coaster that is their life, quite well. He's a good guy.
I enjoyed our dark, temperamental and sassy Natalie King in Locked Ward, the author proved herself in this one best of all for this reader. Car chases and all.
We very early meet a prickly nurse who dolls out orders and lacks bedside manner. She is rude, lacking in empathy and quite unlikeable. Making her opinions on breast/bottle feeding quite clear. It becomes clear that Natalie, the most sane of the lot, needs to enter peace keeping mode, and works hard to keep the unit in some kind of orderly manner.
I stayed in Tresillian, the sleep unit of a public hosptital, and I wasn't there to socialise, have coffee, or join in any activities, so my judgement was a little piqued here. I needed to reign it in. I also wasn't sure about the milestones of Natalie's baby, and the diet including chocolate milk. But I digress. She wasn't quite 12 months and was rather advanced.
Soon the nurse is found dead. Natalie is not a suspect at all, but is quickly drawn into the fray. Her sister was a patient at the time also, and they never really got along. Quickly they needed to put their differences aside, and they both learn a lot about each other.
This entire series is usually very busy with characters, names and happenings, and with this one, I felt it easier to follow. I enjoy Natalie more than the storyline usually, and I got to know more about her. She fits into motherhood better than one would expect, she still talks about her reliance on Quetiapine and Lithium a lot, but reader will be familiar with this from the previous installments.
Natalie's partner is supportive as always, and they seem to ride the ever moving roller coaster that is their life, quite well. He's a good guy.
I enjoyed our dark, temperamental and sassy Natalie King in Locked Ward, the author proved herself in this one best of all for this reader. Car chases and all.
January 21, 2023
Locked Ward is the fourth book in the Natalie King Forensic Psychiatrist series by Australian psychiatrist and author, Professor Anne Buist. Natalie King is in the Mother-Baby Unit of the Southside Private Hospital with baby Sienna, whose nocturnal sleep hygiene is a problem. Natalie’s bipolar is triggered by sleep deprivation, so she hopes five days at Sleep School will be the answer.
Of the eight beds in the unit, six are taken by new mothers needing psychiatric treatment, and with a mix of personalities, mental disorders, racial and socio-economic backgrounds, there’s bound to be some friction between patients. Add in an agency nurse whose expertise does not lie psychiatry, whose ideas are a bit old-school, and who seems to be racist, and clashes are almost guaranteed. Natalie manages to remain (mostly) under the radar.
Sienna’s successful sleeping sends Natalie home early. Mere hours later, there’s a murder at the unit. Apparently, Sudanese refugee mother Jamilla al-Azari, recently ex-Nauru, is responsible, and is being held at Yarra Bend Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, where Natalie works.
Like most refugees, Jamilla has been traumatised and suffers from PTSD but, when she is found with a bloody knife in her hand, it seems to Detective Stavros Vitalis to be a straightforward case. Now living with prosecutor, Liam O’Shea, Natalie notes certain inconsistencies in the defence that Jamilla’s psychiatrist, refugee advocate Professor Joanna McGowan intends to present: she wonders if Jamilla’s actions are an attempt to stay in Australia which, even in custody, would have to be better than in Nauru or Sudan.
But Detective Damian McBride (Sienna’s dad) reveals some facts about the case, and after discussion with Liam, Natalie begins to see alternative scenarios. She also recognises that Joanna McGowan may well be pursuing her own agenda. Meanwhile, on the home front, Natalie is dealing with access demands from Damian, and Liam’s ex-wife is being difficult about their children.
If Jamilla is actually innocent, as opposed to not guilty by reason of mental impairment, that potentially means that one of six other women might have wielded the weapon. Natalie is, frankly, a little gob-smacked to find herself participating in mother-baby coffee mornings with the other mothers from the locked ward, in an effort to learn more. Just as unlikely is joining up with one of them to Nancy Drew the case.
It’s quickly clear that Buist has had quite a bit of fun throwing this disparate cast of characters together in a little pressure-cooker situation: an anxious, fragile woman who knows Tae Kwon Do, a combative drug user, an aggressive Chinese med student, a wealthy business woman, a traumatised refugee, a lesbian couple, an insensitive nurse, and young mother whom Natalie knows quite well. Buist also inserts several twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing.
Even though motherhood has somewhat toned down our edgy, lusty protagonist, she still manages, for one night, to escape motherhood exhaustion, stepmother angst, and fears for her relationship, and just live fully in the moment singing with her band. She also breaks her arm, undergoes hypnosis, and she and Bob (who doesn’t get to say enough this instalment) narrowly escape death in a very dramatic climax. There’s plenty of dark humour in this (probably) Buist’s best Natalie King yet.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing.
Of the eight beds in the unit, six are taken by new mothers needing psychiatric treatment, and with a mix of personalities, mental disorders, racial and socio-economic backgrounds, there’s bound to be some friction between patients. Add in an agency nurse whose expertise does not lie psychiatry, whose ideas are a bit old-school, and who seems to be racist, and clashes are almost guaranteed. Natalie manages to remain (mostly) under the radar.
Sienna’s successful sleeping sends Natalie home early. Mere hours later, there’s a murder at the unit. Apparently, Sudanese refugee mother Jamilla al-Azari, recently ex-Nauru, is responsible, and is being held at Yarra Bend Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, where Natalie works.
Like most refugees, Jamilla has been traumatised and suffers from PTSD but, when she is found with a bloody knife in her hand, it seems to Detective Stavros Vitalis to be a straightforward case. Now living with prosecutor, Liam O’Shea, Natalie notes certain inconsistencies in the defence that Jamilla’s psychiatrist, refugee advocate Professor Joanna McGowan intends to present: she wonders if Jamilla’s actions are an attempt to stay in Australia which, even in custody, would have to be better than in Nauru or Sudan.
But Detective Damian McBride (Sienna’s dad) reveals some facts about the case, and after discussion with Liam, Natalie begins to see alternative scenarios. She also recognises that Joanna McGowan may well be pursuing her own agenda. Meanwhile, on the home front, Natalie is dealing with access demands from Damian, and Liam’s ex-wife is being difficult about their children.
If Jamilla is actually innocent, as opposed to not guilty by reason of mental impairment, that potentially means that one of six other women might have wielded the weapon. Natalie is, frankly, a little gob-smacked to find herself participating in mother-baby coffee mornings with the other mothers from the locked ward, in an effort to learn more. Just as unlikely is joining up with one of them to Nancy Drew the case.
It’s quickly clear that Buist has had quite a bit of fun throwing this disparate cast of characters together in a little pressure-cooker situation: an anxious, fragile woman who knows Tae Kwon Do, a combative drug user, an aggressive Chinese med student, a wealthy business woman, a traumatised refugee, a lesbian couple, an insensitive nurse, and young mother whom Natalie knows quite well. Buist also inserts several twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing.
Even though motherhood has somewhat toned down our edgy, lusty protagonist, she still manages, for one night, to escape motherhood exhaustion, stepmother angst, and fears for her relationship, and just live fully in the moment singing with her band. She also breaks her arm, undergoes hypnosis, and she and Bob (who doesn’t get to say enough this instalment) narrowly escape death in a very dramatic climax. There’s plenty of dark humour in this (probably) Buist’s best Natalie King yet.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing.
January 16, 2023
It's probably not ideal joining at the fourth and, according to the afterword, likely the last of the series but I'm so glad that I've discovered Buist and her edgy protagonist, Natalie King.
There is a mystery of who killed an unpleasant children's nurse - but the pleasures for me are really from Natalie's narrative and her big personality. A forensic psychiatrist with bipolar disorder, she's empathetic but definitely no pushover, with a complicated personal life.
There is a slight drag in the middle where there's a lot of discussion of precisely who was where in the crucial twenty minutes of the killing which made me glaze over but that's a blip.
And it's fascinating to see how the big topic of refugees and asylum seekers is treated in Australian fiction with Natalie taking a reassuringly humanistic and supportive approach towards women, in this case, who have suffered unimaginable trauma.
Delighted to think there are three earlier books featuring Natalie to catch up on!
Thanks to Text Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley.
There is a mystery of who killed an unpleasant children's nurse - but the pleasures for me are really from Natalie's narrative and her big personality. A forensic psychiatrist with bipolar disorder, she's empathetic but definitely no pushover, with a complicated personal life.
There is a slight drag in the middle where there's a lot of discussion of precisely who was where in the crucial twenty minutes of the killing which made me glaze over but that's a blip.
And it's fascinating to see how the big topic of refugees and asylum seekers is treated in Australian fiction with Natalie taking a reassuringly humanistic and supportive approach towards women, in this case, who have suffered unimaginable trauma.
Delighted to think there are three earlier books featuring Natalie to catch up on!
Thanks to Text Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley.
March 6, 2023
A nurse is killed in the garden of a locked mother and baby unit. Forensic psychiatrist Natalie King had been in the unit until the morning of the murder so she knows all the people who were on the ward. Found with the murder victim is Jamillah, a refugee and she’s covered in blood slashing her wrists with a scalpel, so she is the most likely suspect.
There’s a multitude of characters with various personal and psychological issues not least Natalie. The author is a psychiatrist so she’s knows what she’s talking and it informs the plot and characters. For me the plot was a bit too convoluted and I got a bit bored with all the mothers lunches where they’d pretty much go over all the same stuff in their conversations. This was still an interesting murder mystery set with a great lead character, Natalie with special mention of her parrot, Bob who always seemed to have the perfect witty statement.
There’s a multitude of characters with various personal and psychological issues not least Natalie. The author is a psychiatrist so she’s knows what she’s talking and it informs the plot and characters. For me the plot was a bit too convoluted and I got a bit bored with all the mothers lunches where they’d pretty much go over all the same stuff in their conversations. This was still an interesting murder mystery set with a great lead character, Natalie with special mention of her parrot, Bob who always seemed to have the perfect witty statement.
January 22, 2023
‘The day started badly, but a pretty standard type of badly for a Monday.’
Natalie King reluctantly signs into the Mother-Baby Unit at the Southside Private Hospital. Her baby daughter, Sienna, does not sleep well at night and lack of sleep is a major trigger for Natalie’s bipolar disorder. Five days and nights at Sleep School may give Natalie and Sienna the nocturnal routine they need. Natalie is hoping to be just another patient in the unit, but the arrival of another patient who knows her puts paid to that.
There are eight beds in the unit, six of which are occupied by new mothers needing psychiatric help. The women come from a range of different backgrounds, have different issues and family situations. And one of the nurses seems to rub most of the patients the wrong way. Natalie doesn’t stay for the full five days: Sienna has established a good sleeping pattern, so they leave early.
Not long after Natalie leaves, the nurse that hardly anyone liked is murdered. The evidence seems to point to Jamilla al-Azari, a Sudanese woman transferred to Melbourne from Nauru. Jamilla is found at the scene with a bloody knife in her hands. Jamilla is transferred to the Yarra Bend hospital where Natalie works.
‘But I was in an unusual position for a forensic psychiatrist. I had seen her the day of the murder: before the murder. I had seen that she wasn’t psychotic.’
Natalie is not convinced that Jamilla is the murderer: several aspects of the case do not make sense. In her quest for the truth, Natalie manages to clash with the police involved (whom she knows) as well as her boss at Yarra Bend. Add to this Natalie’s complicated domestic life: Sienna’s father, her former partner, is Detective Damian McBride, one of the police officers investigating the murder. Her current partner, Liam, has problems of his own with his ex-wife.
Natalie persists. The set up at the Mother-Baby Unit makes it highly likely that the murderer was one of the patients or a partner. As Parveen (the murdered nurse) clashed with most patients, almost everyone is a suspect.
‘So which of them had murdered Parveen—and why?’
I really enjoyed this novel. Ms Buist provides an intriguing set of characters and several twists in the story which kept me guessing until the end.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Natalie King reluctantly signs into the Mother-Baby Unit at the Southside Private Hospital. Her baby daughter, Sienna, does not sleep well at night and lack of sleep is a major trigger for Natalie’s bipolar disorder. Five days and nights at Sleep School may give Natalie and Sienna the nocturnal routine they need. Natalie is hoping to be just another patient in the unit, but the arrival of another patient who knows her puts paid to that.
There are eight beds in the unit, six of which are occupied by new mothers needing psychiatric help. The women come from a range of different backgrounds, have different issues and family situations. And one of the nurses seems to rub most of the patients the wrong way. Natalie doesn’t stay for the full five days: Sienna has established a good sleeping pattern, so they leave early.
Not long after Natalie leaves, the nurse that hardly anyone liked is murdered. The evidence seems to point to Jamilla al-Azari, a Sudanese woman transferred to Melbourne from Nauru. Jamilla is found at the scene with a bloody knife in her hands. Jamilla is transferred to the Yarra Bend hospital where Natalie works.
‘But I was in an unusual position for a forensic psychiatrist. I had seen her the day of the murder: before the murder. I had seen that she wasn’t psychotic.’
Natalie is not convinced that Jamilla is the murderer: several aspects of the case do not make sense. In her quest for the truth, Natalie manages to clash with the police involved (whom she knows) as well as her boss at Yarra Bend. Add to this Natalie’s complicated domestic life: Sienna’s father, her former partner, is Detective Damian McBride, one of the police officers investigating the murder. Her current partner, Liam, has problems of his own with his ex-wife.
Natalie persists. The set up at the Mother-Baby Unit makes it highly likely that the murderer was one of the patients or a partner. As Parveen (the murdered nurse) clashed with most patients, almost everyone is a suspect.
‘So which of them had murdered Parveen—and why?’
I really enjoyed this novel. Ms Buist provides an intriguing set of characters and several twists in the story which kept me guessing until the end.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
April 5, 2023
With a love of strong women leads by women authors I was hopeful about Natalie King, Forensic Psychiatrist. The psych ward setting was interesting with insights into mental illness and treatment. However, the investigation into who did it was drawn out ... just hurry up and solve it already!
May 14, 2023
Anne Buist has done it again. I was introduced to her work through “The Long Shadow” and went back for more in “Locked Ward”. This is part of the #nataliekingforensicpsychiatrist series and staring at book four, I’m a little late to the party. If you’re looking for a thriller that isn’t in a usual setting and really does play with your mind as much as the characters, I highly recommend Anne’s books.
Natalie was bunkered down in a sleep clinic wither her daughter Sienna to develop some good habits and also make sure own her bipolar disorder and medication was not being set off from her lack of sleep and routine. Natalie is a little uncomfortable to be there – it is one of her workplaces and she is desperate to maintain anonymity. Coupled with an ex-partner in the police force, a new partner with their own children, and her distanced sister and partner appearing on the same ward, there are a lot of familial elements to deal with.
Anne’s psychiatric expertise and knowledge about women’s mental health really provide a richness to the issues that boil over at the Southside facility, and shine a realistic light onto the plight of new mothers. It also illustrates that not all deductions made by Natalie are good ones, nor the right ones, and the reader gets to experience these emotions too. It also illuminates how refugees and newly arrived migrants view the world we may take for granted, and how their pain and suffering is exacerbated when society does not understand their triggers from a life they have fled.
Natalie was bunkered down in a sleep clinic wither her daughter Sienna to develop some good habits and also make sure own her bipolar disorder and medication was not being set off from her lack of sleep and routine. Natalie is a little uncomfortable to be there – it is one of her workplaces and she is desperate to maintain anonymity. Coupled with an ex-partner in the police force, a new partner with their own children, and her distanced sister and partner appearing on the same ward, there are a lot of familial elements to deal with.
Anne’s psychiatric expertise and knowledge about women’s mental health really provide a richness to the issues that boil over at the Southside facility, and shine a realistic light onto the plight of new mothers. It also illustrates that not all deductions made by Natalie are good ones, nor the right ones, and the reader gets to experience these emotions too. It also illuminates how refugees and newly arrived migrants view the world we may take for granted, and how their pain and suffering is exacerbated when society does not understand their triggers from a life they have fled.
February 4, 2023
I was privileged to receive an advanced copy of the book to review, and I was not disappointed.
The novel follows Natalie King, a forensic psychologist, who happens to be intimately involved in a murder of a nurse at a mother-child center. The lead suspects include women, not unlike Natalie herself.
The prime suspect is a refugee who has more than one motive for murder, and questions arise about motherhood, psychosis, and trauma. But the reality is, who doesn't have a reason to kill Paveen?
The book is extremely fast-paced and is an easy read.
The novel follows Natalie King, a forensic psychologist, who happens to be intimately involved in a murder of a nurse at a mother-child center. The lead suspects include women, not unlike Natalie herself.
The prime suspect is a refugee who has more than one motive for murder, and questions arise about motherhood, psychosis, and trauma. But the reality is, who doesn't have a reason to kill Paveen?
The book is extremely fast-paced and is an easy read.
February 13, 2023
This was one of the best books I have read by an unknown author at least to me in a very very long time. The characters were great the story flowed nicely the twists were unexpected I loved Natalie and think this is just an all-around great book. I have recently broke my arm and so I will not make this a long review I would just say if you love great thrillers especially Lockrem mysteries you need to read this book. I received it from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
April 9, 2023
Natalie and Sienna, her daughter, check into Southside for “sleep school”. Natalie is a psychiatrist with Bipolar and if she doesn’t get Sienna to start sleeping soon, she is likely to have a mental health crisis from the lack of sleep. Much to her dismay, her step-sister and nemesis, Madison, is checking in, too. This book contains a complicated cast of characters between all the women who are also patients on the sleep school unit, the nurses and the staff that Natalie works with at Yarra Bend, a forensic psychiatric hospital, along with all the patients partners.
While I really enjoyed this book, and the character of Natalie, and her attempts to solve the murder, I found it truly hard to follow. It took me at least half the book to get a handle on who was who in the book and following who did what and where, was equally challenging for me. Perhaps it was me. I feel like I need to read it through a second time to truly get it all straight.
Regardless, I did enjoy the setting for this book, as well as the characters and intrigue. I will have to read the other books with this main character. With the author being a psychiatrist, I really appreciated how well she depicted the behaviors and symptoms associated with the different mental health diagnoses that were depicted in this book. Also, the way the author tackled some hard issues about individuals who are looking to stay in a country that is 1000% better than the one they escaped from and the PTSD they experience from all they have been through.
This one is worth picking up... just pay very special attention to who is who!
While I really enjoyed this book, and the character of Natalie, and her attempts to solve the murder, I found it truly hard to follow. It took me at least half the book to get a handle on who was who in the book and following who did what and where, was equally challenging for me. Perhaps it was me. I feel like I need to read it through a second time to truly get it all straight.
Regardless, I did enjoy the setting for this book, as well as the characters and intrigue. I will have to read the other books with this main character. With the author being a psychiatrist, I really appreciated how well she depicted the behaviors and symptoms associated with the different mental health diagnoses that were depicted in this book. Also, the way the author tackled some hard issues about individuals who are looking to stay in a country that is 1000% better than the one they escaped from and the PTSD they experience from all they have been through.
This one is worth picking up... just pay very special attention to who is who!
January 29, 2023
It is great to reconnect with Dr Natalie King and in such an issues rich environment. Live in sleep schools for exhausted and challenged mums are perfect for the bundling of complex psychological issues and once there is a murder then just about the entire cast except the babies could have done it. Combine this with the sensitive and compelling story of a Sudanese mother with more horrors in her background than humanly possible to understand then there is a real need for Dr King’s professional skills as well as her sleuthing abilities. Add to this that she is a patient in the facility and the story unfolds..A great read covering important issues and a page turner as well. Thanks to @netgalley and to @textpublishing for making an advance copy available for review in return for an unbiased review.
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February 24, 2023The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Locked Ward
‘The strength of this series has always been Natalie’s insightful and sensitive handling of women with peri-natal mental health issues…In Locked Ward Natalie is once again motivated to solve a crime while watching out for the vulnerable women in the frame.’
Sue Turnbull, Age/SMH
‘Gripping…very readable…[Locked Ward] has a great take on modern Australia and some of the issues for society and mothers.’
RNZ Nine to Noon
‘The strength of this series has always been Natalie’s insightful and sensitive handling of women with peri-natal mental health issues…In Locked Ward Natalie is once again motivated to solve a crime while watching out for the vulnerable women in the frame.’
Sue Turnbull, Age/SMH
‘Gripping…very readable…[Locked Ward] has a great take on modern Australia and some of the issues for society and mothers.’
RNZ Nine to Noon
June 25, 2023
I enjoyed the setting and the intrigue in this story but found the details about the murder mystery as equally confusing and convoluted, even with the reference of the plan of the mother baby unit. And as for those interminable coffee meetups. They got a bit boring too!
March 9, 2023
this is the first series of books i’ve finished since the hunger games in 2014, so id say that it’s a pretty good indicator of a series worth a read since i’m not a stranger to abandoning series halfway through
February 11, 2023
Brilliant premise, great characters, terrific writing, totally authentic (the author is a psychiatrist who knows her subject matter extremely well).
November 3, 2025
Natalie King is a psychiatrist who understands better than most the consequences of sleep deprivation—especially when it threatens to trigger her bipolar disorder. Hoping to help her daughter sleep through the night, Natalie checks into a private psychiatric unit for sleep school. But what begins as a therapeutic retreat quickly spirals into chaos: firstly her sister is also a patient (they don't get on), and then a nurse is murdered. Natalie is convinced the accused is innocent, but persuading the police is another matter entirely.
I picked this up after enjoying one of Anne Buist’s other novels, but unfortunately this one didn’t resonate with me. I hadn’t realised it was the fourth in a series, and missing that backstory made it harder to connect with Natalie. Even so, I suspect I would have struggled regardless—her communication style felt abrasive, and her unwillingness to engage meaningfully on key issues like co-parenting made her a difficult protagonist to empathise with.
The cast is large and at times overwhelming. Keeping track of who’s who—especially once partners of the women at Southside become involved—requires close attention, and I found myself confused more than once.
While the murder mystery is central to the plot, my interest leaned more toward the psychological aspects. Buist excels at portraying mental health conditions with nuance and compassion, and several characters have deeply affecting backstories. Had the novel focused more on these elements, I think I would have found it more engaging. Instead, the emphasis on Natalie’s personal life often overshadowed the more intriguing aspects of the narrative.
If you’re curious about this series, I’d recommend starting with book one to better understand the character dynamics. As for me, I won’t be continuing with the Natalie King books.
I picked this up after enjoying one of Anne Buist’s other novels, but unfortunately this one didn’t resonate with me. I hadn’t realised it was the fourth in a series, and missing that backstory made it harder to connect with Natalie. Even so, I suspect I would have struggled regardless—her communication style felt abrasive, and her unwillingness to engage meaningfully on key issues like co-parenting made her a difficult protagonist to empathise with.
The cast is large and at times overwhelming. Keeping track of who’s who—especially once partners of the women at Southside become involved—requires close attention, and I found myself confused more than once.
While the murder mystery is central to the plot, my interest leaned more toward the psychological aspects. Buist excels at portraying mental health conditions with nuance and compassion, and several characters have deeply affecting backstories. Had the novel focused more on these elements, I think I would have found it more engaging. Instead, the emphasis on Natalie’s personal life often overshadowed the more intriguing aspects of the narrative.
If you’re curious about this series, I’d recommend starting with book one to better understand the character dynamics. As for me, I won’t be continuing with the Natalie King books.
January 20, 2023
I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would do.
I found it quite slow to get going and couldn’t really take to any of the characters.
I found it quite slow to get going and couldn’t really take to any of the characters.
April 26, 2023
For me this was my least enjoyable in the series...the story was dreary.
March 21, 2023
Locked Ward is the fourth book in the Natalie King Forensic Psychiatrist series by Australian psychiatrist and author, Professor Anne Buist. The audio version is narrated by Gail Knight. Natalie King is in the Mother-Baby Unit of the Southside Private Hospital with baby Sienna, whose nocturnal sleep hygiene is a problem. Natalie’s bipolar is triggered by sleep deprivation, so she hopes five days at Sleep School will be the answer.
Of the eight beds in the unit, six are taken by new mothers needing psychiatric treatment, and with a mix of personalities, mental disorders, racial and socio-economic backgrounds, there’s bound to be some friction between patients. Add in an agency nurse whose expertise does not lie psychiatry, whose ideas are a bit old-school, and who seems to be racist, and clashes are almost guaranteed. Natalie manages to remain (mostly) under the radar.
Sienna’s successful sleeping sends Natalie home early. Mere hours later, there’s a murder at the unit. Apparently, Sudanese refugee mother Jamilla al-Azari, recently ex-Nauru, is responsible, and is being held at Yarra Bend Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, where Natalie works.
Like most refugees, Jamilla has been traumatised and suffers from PTSD but, when she is found with a bloody knife in her hand, it seems to Detective Stavros Vitalis to be a straightforward case. Now living with prosecutor, Liam O’Shea, Natalie notes certain inconsistencies in the defence that Jamilla’s psychiatrist, refugee advocate Professor Joanna McGowan intends to present: she wonders if Jamilla’s actions are an attempt to stay in Australia which, even in custody, would have to be better than in Nauru or Sudan.
But Detective Damian McBride (Sienna’s dad) reveals some facts about the case, and after discussion with Liam, Natalie begins to see alternative scenarios. She also recognises that Joanna McGowan may well be pursuing her own agenda. Meanwhile, on the home front, Natalie is dealing with access demands from Damian, and Liam’s ex-wife is being difficult about their children.
If Jamilla is actually innocent, as opposed to not guilty by reason of mental impairment, that potentially means that one of six other women might have wielded the weapon. Natalie is, frankly, a little gob-smacked to find herself participating in mother-baby coffee mornings with the other mothers from the locked ward, in an effort to learn more. Just as unlikely is joining up with one of them to Nancy Drew the case.
It’s quickly clear that Buist has had quite a bit of fun throwing this disparate cast of characters together in a little pressure-cooker situation: an anxious, fragile woman who knows Tae Kwon Do, a combative drug user, an aggressive Chinese med student, a wealthy business woman, a traumatised refugee, a lesbian couple, an insensitive nurse, and young mother whom Natalie knows quite well. Buist also inserts several twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing.
Even though motherhood has somewhat toned down our edgy, lusty protagonist, she still manages, for one night, to escape motherhood exhaustion, stepmother angst, and fears for her relationship, and just live fully in the moment singing with her band. She also breaks her arm, undergoes hypnosis, and she and Bob (who doesn’t get to say enough this instalment) narrowly escape death in a very dramatic climax. There’s plenty of dark humour in this (probably) Buist’s best Natalie King yet.
Of the eight beds in the unit, six are taken by new mothers needing psychiatric treatment, and with a mix of personalities, mental disorders, racial and socio-economic backgrounds, there’s bound to be some friction between patients. Add in an agency nurse whose expertise does not lie psychiatry, whose ideas are a bit old-school, and who seems to be racist, and clashes are almost guaranteed. Natalie manages to remain (mostly) under the radar.
Sienna’s successful sleeping sends Natalie home early. Mere hours later, there’s a murder at the unit. Apparently, Sudanese refugee mother Jamilla al-Azari, recently ex-Nauru, is responsible, and is being held at Yarra Bend Forensic Psychiatric Hospital, where Natalie works.
Like most refugees, Jamilla has been traumatised and suffers from PTSD but, when she is found with a bloody knife in her hand, it seems to Detective Stavros Vitalis to be a straightforward case. Now living with prosecutor, Liam O’Shea, Natalie notes certain inconsistencies in the defence that Jamilla’s psychiatrist, refugee advocate Professor Joanna McGowan intends to present: she wonders if Jamilla’s actions are an attempt to stay in Australia which, even in custody, would have to be better than in Nauru or Sudan.
But Detective Damian McBride (Sienna’s dad) reveals some facts about the case, and after discussion with Liam, Natalie begins to see alternative scenarios. She also recognises that Joanna McGowan may well be pursuing her own agenda. Meanwhile, on the home front, Natalie is dealing with access demands from Damian, and Liam’s ex-wife is being difficult about their children.
If Jamilla is actually innocent, as opposed to not guilty by reason of mental impairment, that potentially means that one of six other women might have wielded the weapon. Natalie is, frankly, a little gob-smacked to find herself participating in mother-baby coffee mornings with the other mothers from the locked ward, in an effort to learn more. Just as unlikely is joining up with one of them to Nancy Drew the case.
It’s quickly clear that Buist has had quite a bit of fun throwing this disparate cast of characters together in a little pressure-cooker situation: an anxious, fragile woman who knows Tae Kwon Do, a combative drug user, an aggressive Chinese med student, a wealthy business woman, a traumatised refugee, a lesbian couple, an insensitive nurse, and young mother whom Natalie knows quite well. Buist also inserts several twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing.
Even though motherhood has somewhat toned down our edgy, lusty protagonist, she still manages, for one night, to escape motherhood exhaustion, stepmother angst, and fears for her relationship, and just live fully in the moment singing with her band. She also breaks her arm, undergoes hypnosis, and she and Bob (who doesn’t get to say enough this instalment) narrowly escape death in a very dramatic climax. There’s plenty of dark humour in this (probably) Buist’s best Natalie King yet.
February 24, 2023
(3.5 stars)
While Locked Ward is the third book I have read in the Natalie King series by Anne Buist, it's actually book four. What keeps me coming back is the bipolar protagonist. Buist clearly has a goal of destigmatising mental illness, and it shows in the character of Natalie King. She's far from perfect, but manages to be a bit bad-ass and mentally ill at the same time. Sometimes this mental health myth-busting gets a bit overblown, but with mentally ill people regularly framed as violent, I can see why Buist takes that path.
"My task, aside from treating their illness, is to help the court decide whether they knew what they were doing at the time." Locked Ward is set in a mental health ward for mothers and babies: "Not many expectant mothers factored in a psychosis." There has been a murder in the ward, and a refugee woman with a traumatic past is being blamed: "We were eight new mothers, at various stages of fragility, in a situation where facing reality meant facing our own failures—and we'd been handed a scapegoat." The woman;s past experiences of trauma and her precarious visa status mean she may or may not be telling the truth about committing the crime. Natalie, who is in the ward as a patient with her newborn Sienna disrupting her sleep and impacting her mental health, is determined to find out the truth.
"The thought gave me an unaccustomed moment of anxiety; always there was the fear I might put Sienna in jeopardy if I became unwell." With book four of this series, Buist has really hit her stride. What I liked best about Locked Ward were the asides that showed how King manages her illness, while raising a child and holding down a relationship and a job. I also enjoyed some of the insights into mental ill-health: "Her life was so awful that the psychosis felt like a respite, so she hadn't been good at compliance." Buist's time working with women with lived expertise of mental illness has clearly provided a fertile ground for her books. I assume greater smoothness and softer integration of mental health themes will come with time. I guess I would rather read a book that handles mental illness well, than a book about mental illness.
With thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for sending me a copy to read.
While Locked Ward is the third book I have read in the Natalie King series by Anne Buist, it's actually book four. What keeps me coming back is the bipolar protagonist. Buist clearly has a goal of destigmatising mental illness, and it shows in the character of Natalie King. She's far from perfect, but manages to be a bit bad-ass and mentally ill at the same time. Sometimes this mental health myth-busting gets a bit overblown, but with mentally ill people regularly framed as violent, I can see why Buist takes that path.
"My task, aside from treating their illness, is to help the court decide whether they knew what they were doing at the time." Locked Ward is set in a mental health ward for mothers and babies: "Not many expectant mothers factored in a psychosis." There has been a murder in the ward, and a refugee woman with a traumatic past is being blamed: "We were eight new mothers, at various stages of fragility, in a situation where facing reality meant facing our own failures—and we'd been handed a scapegoat." The woman;s past experiences of trauma and her precarious visa status mean she may or may not be telling the truth about committing the crime. Natalie, who is in the ward as a patient with her newborn Sienna disrupting her sleep and impacting her mental health, is determined to find out the truth.
"The thought gave me an unaccustomed moment of anxiety; always there was the fear I might put Sienna in jeopardy if I became unwell." With book four of this series, Buist has really hit her stride. What I liked best about Locked Ward were the asides that showed how King manages her illness, while raising a child and holding down a relationship and a job. I also enjoyed some of the insights into mental ill-health: "Her life was so awful that the psychosis felt like a respite, so she hadn't been good at compliance." Buist's time working with women with lived expertise of mental illness has clearly provided a fertile ground for her books. I assume greater smoothness and softer integration of mental health themes will come with time. I guess I would rather read a book that handles mental illness well, than a book about mental illness.
With thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for sending me a copy to read.
February 11, 2023
Natalie King may be a psychiatrist, but having a young baby who doesn't sleep and bipolar disorder don't work well together. Desperate, she finds herself being admitted to sleep school at Southside private psych unit.
But being at Southside has its own hazards, from keeping her professional status a secret, to dealing with the other mothers.
Even though Natalie has left Southside by the time the murder takes place, she knows everyone involved, including the cops investigating what they believe is an open and shut case.
But Natalie is pretty sure that they have locked up the wrong person and she is determined to get to the truth.
This is the 4th book in the Natalie King, Forensic Psychiatrist series but if you, like me, havent read the previous 3 books, don't let that stop you diving into this new release. Enough background is skillfully provided to easily bring you up to date with the relationships and events of the previous books. But, also like me, I think you will be heading back to book 1 anyway once you have devoured this tense thriller.
I really enjoyed having a forensic psychiatrist as the protagonist, and a psychiatrist with her own mental health to deal with.
With a host of believable and interesting characters, this is a locked room murder mystery with a difference.
Tense, with lots of plot twists and a climax that will get the blood pumping - this is a highly recommended read for thriller lovers.
February 15, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Despite this being the 4th book in the Natalie King series, it was the first one I read. However this didn't matter as the author provides plenty of detail on the characters involved. There is brief discussion about the characters backgrounds and inter-relationships, this builds the picture and enhances the readers overall understanding. Although initially it is a lot of information to absorb, and at times overwhelming, it was soon easy to remember who the characters were.
The book is filled with pertinent topics, ones which are often heavily stigmatised and surrounded by stereotypes, including that of refugees and mental health. Great sensitivity is used to help contain societies negative assumptions and humanises the characters. The science behind various psychiatric illnesses and the socioeconomics of countries individuals seek refugee from, develops a realistic and true scenario to help see the characters as individuals opposed to seeing them as "a condition" or "a refugee".
Overall the author has written in a poignant way, utilising her knowledge and experiences gained from her career to enhance the authenticity and believability. With multiple plot twists along the way, it keeps you intrigued and guessing right until the end. 4/5 stars.
Despite this being the 4th book in the Natalie King series, it was the first one I read. However this didn't matter as the author provides plenty of detail on the characters involved. There is brief discussion about the characters backgrounds and inter-relationships, this builds the picture and enhances the readers overall understanding. Although initially it is a lot of information to absorb, and at times overwhelming, it was soon easy to remember who the characters were.
The book is filled with pertinent topics, ones which are often heavily stigmatised and surrounded by stereotypes, including that of refugees and mental health. Great sensitivity is used to help contain societies negative assumptions and humanises the characters. The science behind various psychiatric illnesses and the socioeconomics of countries individuals seek refugee from, develops a realistic and true scenario to help see the characters as individuals opposed to seeing them as "a condition" or "a refugee".
Overall the author has written in a poignant way, utilising her knowledge and experiences gained from her career to enhance the authenticity and believability. With multiple plot twists along the way, it keeps you intrigued and guessing right until the end. 4/5 stars.
April 24, 2024
‘Locked Ward’ presented an interesting setting - a sleep school for mothers and babies - at which an abrasive nurse is murdered by one of the participants. The narrator brings her professional expertise to bear, as a forensic psychiatrist, in attempting to analyse the personalities of the women and their partners, which is an interesting slant for a ‘locked room’ mystery. I found myself confused at times because of the number of characters and what their personal problems were, and found it hard to believe that all those who attend sleep schools are necessarily experiencing psychological trauma/issues. This aspect produced a lot of red herrings and nearly everyone was a suspect, except our hero and her sister. Also, it was unbelievable that this group got together frequently to re-hash what that were doing and where they were at the time of the murder.
I nearly gave up half way through, but persevered to the end. Not sure it was worth it, but reasonably satisfied with the resolution. I wouldn’t recommend this book.
I nearly gave up half way through, but persevered to the end. Not sure it was worth it, but reasonably satisfied with the resolution. I wouldn’t recommend this book.
March 7, 2023
First off, thanks so much to the publishers and to Netgalley for my copy of Locked Ward in exchange for my honest review.
While staying in a psychiatric unit for mothers and babies, forensic psychologist Natalie runs into someone she knows while she would rather keep her identity and job unknown to the other mothers. Shortly after leaving the unit, a murder occurs and Natalie is once again drawn back in determined to solve the night in question.
At first I found this book a tad bit confusing and maybe that's just because I need to read the previous books from this series. It was because of this I almost dropped this read. However, the further I read, the deeper the mystery became and I was thoroughly intrigued.
3.5 stars
While staying in a psychiatric unit for mothers and babies, forensic psychologist Natalie runs into someone she knows while she would rather keep her identity and job unknown to the other mothers. Shortly after leaving the unit, a murder occurs and Natalie is once again drawn back in determined to solve the night in question.
At first I found this book a tad bit confusing and maybe that's just because I need to read the previous books from this series. It was because of this I almost dropped this read. However, the further I read, the deeper the mystery became and I was thoroughly intrigued.
3.5 stars
April 12, 2025
3.5 stars. I'm a little torn with this book. The action picked up from the first page, and drew me in with the playground squabbles, soon it turned deadly serious, and the main character just swanned around, failing to meet any consequences for her actions. The police are usually portrayed as incompetent without the main characters guiding hand -- usually while railing against a male psychiatrist. The climax was gripping, but the resolution just made me roll my eyes -- as did the final reveal, since she also had to explain why.
March 15, 2023
The backdrop of a psychiatric facility coupled with a murder….this was a nail biting, tense read that kept me guessing and wanting to read and read right till the end. The protagonist’s voice and struggles sounded very convincing and my heartstrings were being pulled for her and her situation. A great psychological thriller!
October 6, 2024
Great story line and easy read until the ending. There was a few twists and turns at the end which was great but it did make the last few chapters difficult to follow. It could have done with another chapter to draw this out. I had to go back and re read these to grasp what was happening. Four stars due to this but otherwise a great read I’ll read her again.
March 19, 2023
I got a free copy from NetGalley and that's the only reason why I pushed myself to finish this book. It was tedious. Too many characters, not enough plot. It started out well but the forensic/psychiatric angle was minimal and I just didn't care whodunit.
June 8, 2023
Good little Aussie murder story. Psychiatrist being an inpatient was interesting. Relationships throughout the book added interest and depth to the characters. Easy read interesting plot twists along the way.
December 8, 2023
A matter of the mind is the main focus in this rather than the crime committed. It's not often you find a book that is focused on mental illness and when you do it's always a eye opener. I love the fast pace of this book and the mental institution made it atmospheric.
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