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.