NetGalley Buddy Readers discussion

Several of us will be reading The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen. Everyone is welcome to join. No date has been chosen yet. The book publishes August 5th.

Blurb:

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 Worthington, who was adopted as a newborn, to kill the younger, biological daughter of her wealthy, socially prominent family.

A jury has just found Georgia not guilty by reason of insanity, and she's being kept at an institution where the most violent offenders are held. When her estranged 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 - she covers it up with work and family, but on the inside, there’s a strange hollowness that she has hidden from everyone.

Does it exist because of the absence of her 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.

I'm in!

I actually haven't even read the synopsis yet lol.

Ok now I'm even more excited!

this one came through, so i’ll join you!

Do you all want to pick a date for this one? I think the original plan was maybe sometime in July. Do you want to start early July? I could start the end of June if you prefer or push it to mid-July. It publishes August 5th.

I'm open for whichever we pick, although I'd love to not do June. My June plan is to read every old Netgalley I have from before 2023 so it's a little booked up 😂🤣

Good plan, Trisha!

Mid July is best for me.

Ok, what do you all think of the 10th?

works for me!

Yep! Love it.
That is my birthday so a good day to read!

July 10 works for me.

Excellent! I changed it in the calendar. :)

The audio for this one is available on NG.

I just requested the audio and had the fasted turnaround I've ever had with a book. I clicked request and by the time I clicked back to my shelf it was already there. They must've been sitting right there when the request came in, unless it was automatic. I was laughing imagining a person sitting at their desk and my request pops up and they accidentally approve it just trying to get rid of the popup. lol

Oh nice! I love when that happens, Kristie.
I have the ebook, but I may request the audio too.

It's funny because I received a notification about a book that I had been waiting months on, I think since January, and noticed the audio when I went to the site to send the other book to my Kindle. So, I had the super fast response immediately following a lengthy waiting time for another book.

How they do approvals will never make sense to me. No idea why so many sit for months and months.

Also I spelled your name wrong! I'm so sorry. I had to go back and fix that.

lol, no worries! Somehow it is often misspelled. Thanks for fixing. :)

It doesn't make any sense to me either.

I just got this one so I can join you! it's been a minute since I had a book at the same time as the group

YAY! So glad you'll be joining us!

audiobook got approved 😊

yay, Katrisa!

Wonderful! Should be a good one.

Great! So many of us this time!

Kristie wrote: "Several of us will be reading The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen. Everyone is welcome to join. No date has been chosen yet. Th..."

Glad to see if there will be a group reading this. I just started it and already have a big question about the premise. I’ll be monitoring this to see when you all start.

Kristie wrote: "The audio for this one is available on NG.

I just requested the audio and had the fasted turnaround I've ever had with a book. I clicked request and by the time I clicked back to my shelf it was ..."

Kristie, I got the audiobook as well and find Macmillan is always fast to approve. Maybe fewer of us requesting audiobooks?

Maybe, Liz. This one was exceptionally fast though. It was approved by the time I changed the page.

Hi all - I just realized we were supposed to start this today! I'm in the middle of another book, so I will start it in a few days - maybe the 13th or 14th. Has anyone started or are you planning to start soon?

I have another audio that expires on the 15th, so I just started that one. I can easily wait until the 13th or 14th!

Yesss 13th/14th works better for me too! 😂

Perfect!

I did start, but I have a bunch of other books, so I don't mind putting it on hold for a couple days. I am mostly in the set up anyway.

Good for me too.
I was on vacation and didn't have internet.
I can start today or tomorrow.

I’ll be starting tomorrow.

21 chapters / 26%

(view spoiler)[
huh, interesting start. It's hard to tell if she did it but it's pretty compelling that she did.

both girls wanting this odd connection - this deep friendship - is weird, right? just how off the bat it is? but maybe that's a twin thing?

and the apartment - is it manipulation? did she somehow to access to see what she'd bought or how she decorated her apartment? or are they really connected this way? (hide spoiler)]

I took this audio on my walk this morning and took notes as I went lol

I got behind, hoping to start this one today. I'm at a big wedding this week, so we'll see if I end up getting as much time as I'm hoping I will.

yay! I hope you have fun!

40 chapters / 51%

(view spoiler)[
wow, her knowing her sister was in trouble - again, the whole connection thing is just throwing me. they've never had this connection before but they suddenly have it now?

I really like Amanda so far. I like that she's investigating and not just 100% believing her sister. but I don't have guesses about what's really going on or if Georgia did it or not - although it does really seem like she did!

and wow, now the breaking into her apartment?! yikes! (hide spoiler)]

I'm finishing up The Lake Escape today but I did read the beginning of this.

I started this one today, but only made it up to chapter 9 (10%) (view spoiler)[ I have to admit this one hasn't started out great for me. I'm annoyed that Mandy immediately sounds like she's going to be a weak character. Also, it really bothered me that she said she looked up who was in the locked ward before visiting Georgia. That isn't public information. It's not as if they post their patients on the internet. That actually made me mad and I immediately started rolling my eyes. I hope that doesn't continue. I feel like having worked as a therapist and visited locked hospitals this might not have been the best choice of a book for me. (hide spoiler)]

10%

Umm does HIPAA not (view spoiler)[ apply here? What do you mean she looked up the ward patients??

I hope that's a blip and this isn't going to be a book where the author didn't do any basic research... (hide spoiler)]

That was exactly my issue, Shruti! That bothered me SO much.

Right? It took me right out of the book! Ugh.

30%

Ok that apartment thing was weird. I know (view spoiler)[ studies show similarities between twins but there was that off hand comment Georgia made about how she'd find something or whatever that makes me wonder...

I'm not an expert on locked wards by any means, but it does seem like Georgia is managing a lot of conversations with her lawyer, Amanda, and who knows who else because she doesn't strike me as a very reliable witness.

Amanda rubs me the wrong way. I don't find her sympathetic at all, honestly. Why is she just all in on this? I get feeling like this is your only family but c'mon. She says she doesn't trust Georgia but proceeds to do whatever is asked of her anyway..

Also, mail in DNA tests don't usually come back this fast, do they?

(hide spoiler)]

hahah!! Can you guys tell how nice and relaxing my walk was? I found ripe blackberries and raspberries on my walk and I got to click at 2 different deer to get them off the path so bikes didn't have to dance around them.

I just rolled right on with that nonsense! 🤣😂🤣

My hazy view of Mt. Rainier from my favorite walking path today!

That's such a beautiful view, Trisha!! 😍

51%

Hmm so her whole life, (view spoiler)[ Mandy had no twin intuition moments but now she suddenly does? Odd.

She's also falling into Georgia's life so easily. Which seems strange.

The senator is a creep. Just all around seems like a bad guy, but that feels too easy for the answer here?

Not sure I trust Georgia's new ally either (Penny?). Just feels kinda too easy.

(hide spoiler)]

74%

Hmm the logic isn't logic-ing for me today. Is Mandy (view spoiler)[ an identical or fraternal twin? She was worried about the reporter who got a picture of her next to the senator's son, because she might be recognizable. But also she showed up and talked to Georgia's mom who couldn't recognize the similarities?

And if her dad stole her that still doesn't explain why her mom knew about the tree pruning or whatever thing. She had to have been there too... Maybe something happenened with the Georgia's dad or the senator? SA seems to be a theme. Must be a reason the twins were split up like that - maybe to keep it all quiet? It must be devastating to find out your parents lied so thoroughly.


(hide spoiler)]

57 chapters / 75%

I think when she originally (view spoiler)[ described them, I think Georgia is taller and has honey and red in her hair. I think they look similar in like the chin and the eyes - something like that. They definitely don't look alike.

Yeah, the lies about the parents is pretty surprising. and them only recognizing her dad? where did her mom come from?
hmmm

SA being the theme tracks - since Mandy had such a reaction to her friend being attacked in college. She would have a pretty strong opinion about it.

the PI being killed was a surprise. Do we assume powerful families are just . . .killing people? and framing Georgia? trying to keep Anabelle quiet? (hide spoiler)]

oh and (view spoiler)[ Penny felt super sketchy! so I'm surprised that she seemed okay. (hide spoiler)]

Ahh ok. I thought they were fraternal then got confused by (view spoiler)[ the press picture thing.

I kinda think Mandy will turn out to be the killer. Probably not of Annabelle, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out she killed the frat guy who raped her friend. Her vibe just screams something is off.

Not really sure where the senator's kids fit into this one really. Red herrings?

(hide spoiler)]

Will finish it off tomorrow!