I am grateful to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with a digital advanced reader copy of Sally Hepworth's "Darling Girls." I read "The Soulmate," and "Darling Girls" is the second book I've read by this author. This novel was suspenseful, and the conclusion was one I didn't see coming. OMG. The mystery and suspense in Mrs. Hepworth's stories never let up.

I enthusiastically recommended this book to other people in my book club, confident in its ability to captivate and thrill.

When the police calls requiring the appearance of you and your sisters of your childhood home without knowing why, an uneasy feeling is expected. They aren’t blood sisters and haven’t stepped back into that town since the day they left.
The police have discovered a body on the grounds and one secret after another drops when you least expect it.

Classic Sally Hepworth, fully developed characters that has twists and turns throughout with a big bomb going off at the end of the story.

Sally Hepworth writes completely bingeable thrillers that keep you guessing from the moment you open the book. Darling Girls is no exception and is easily my favorite I've read from her thus far. I was captivated by the story of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia right from the beginning. All three characters came to life on the page. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and constantly wondering what was going to happen next, and I'll be honest, I never predicted anything that happened. As for the ending? I'm still thinking about it.

Read Darling Girls. And while you're at it, buy her other books too.
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 stars

It has been years since foster sisters Jessica, Norah and Alicia have left behind their foster home that emotionally scarred them all, but when a body is found buried under the house they are pulled back to once again. With memories from the past coming back to them as well as the baggage of their current lives trying to catch them, there is little a lot going on in these three womens lives. Who does the body belong to? How did it get there? As the secrets of the past unravel to fill in the missing pieces we may just be horrified by the answer.

I was hooked from the description of this book and excited to find out how this thriller would play out. As soon as I started reading this book it was hard to stop. I got lost on the stories of each character and enjoyed seeing how everything unfolded. I think this story was well done and I liked how it was told in the multiple different points of view and different times, but sometimes it would throw me off a little, especially the parts with the therapist. I think this might have had a lot to do with the fact that I listed to the audiobook instead of reading the physical copy, but that is my only complaint about this read. The characters were complex and layered, the story twisted and turned and the ending was perfect. I really enjoyed this read and recommend it to anyone looking for a good psychological thriller.

Norah, Jessica, and Alicia are three girls, adopted by the generous Miss Fairchild, are thankful to have a fresh start at Wild Meadows. Or that's what everyone is supposed to think. When a body is discovered on the Wild Meadows property, the girls are forced to return and reckon with what they knew and know now.

This was a great and fast-paced thriller! Sally Hepworth introduces characters in a masterful way, giving just enough at a time to keep the reader engrossed in the mystery. Darling Girls is a true psychological thriller that flips between timelines. Overall, this was a great book and I can't wait to read more from the author!

my first sally hepworth book didn’t disappoint! there were some aspects that I really enjoyed.

diverse characters: the foster sisters couldn’t have been more different, it was so interesting learning more about each of them.

alternating timelines: I had a hard time figuring out who was talking to the therapist, this kept me on the edge of my seat!

romance subplot: enjoyed learning how the sisters overcame their awful childhood and seeing them grow into their new lives.

this was spooky in all of the best ways, I was stumped until the very end! thank you to net galley for the arc.

This book went there. I have never read a Sally Hepworth book before, but I will truly be looking forward to. The twist and turns were great. I loved all of her characters and truly felt the story was “complete” for all of the characters involved. The last twist was one I was not expecting and had my jaw dropped. Would recommend to all my thriller readers. Thank you NetGalley and Sally Hepworth for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I love Sally Hepworth, this book wasn't her best nor her worst. It didn't sit well with me as to being a mystery/ thriller. I thought it would have delved a bit more into what happened to the infant (it did, but not as much as I would've liked) it just talked about 70% of the book about the girls backstory. It kind of flopped with the psychiatrist aspect of it in my opinion. Not too bad, but not that great either...I may have had higher expectations, but this book is at best 3 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Sally Hepworth delivers another wonderful thriller.

I'm a huge fan of Sally Hepworth, and this is yet another captivating read from her. The story follows three foster sisters—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—who are reunited as adults when a body is discovered under their former foster home.

The story weaves together past and present, and the characters well-developed and relatable, each one grappling with their traumatic past in different ways. The mystery of the body and their shared history keeps you hooked, with twists and revelations that keep the tension high.

If you enjoy thrillers with deep emotional layers and strong character dynamics, Darling Girls is a must-read. Sally Hepworth delivers a compelling story of sisterhood, secrets, and the enduring impact of childhood trauma.

Meh. Unfortunately this didn't really work for me. I felt bored. I didn't feel the mystery was driving the story at all. Instead we were just learning about their backstories. Aka it felt more like family drama than mystery/thriller, which just isn't what I wanted. Also, I was underwhelmed by the conclusion.

What a wild ride! Thank you, Net Galley, for the early reader copy of Darling Girls.

I have not read a Sally Hepworth book in quite some time, and I was eager to read this newest release! Darling Girls was much edgier than any previous books I’ve read by this author. I was a little shocked at how dark this book was! But, It may be my new favorite by her as it kept me engaged the whole time! I read some and listened to some and the audio was also fantastic!! Darling Girls was a roller coaster ride of twists and turns that had me eagerly wanting more. The book is divided into 3 POVs between each of the girls/sisters who lived in the foster home together. These POV’s go back and forth between past and present making it compulsively addicting to read. And that ending/last chapter….Wow! I recommend reading Darling Girls if you're in the mood for a dark mystery! This story also makes one sympathetic towards foster children and the injustices that happen. Keep in mind CW for child abuse and neglect.

I read Sally Hepworth’s previous book in one day, and “Darling Girls” did not disappoint either! A thriller with some great twists. I think Hepworth has moved into insta-buy territory for me!

TW: child abuse

I simply love the way Sally Hepworth crafts a story and Darling Girls is another runaway hit!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia thought they left the Wild Meadows and their foster mother Miss Fairchild behind years ago, but when police contact them regarding bones that have been discovered beneath the house at Wild Meadows, the not so distant past comes hurtling back at them.

I enjoyed the alternating points of view and also the sessions with Dr. Warren that were woven throughout the narrative. I found the book compelling, mysterious and fast paced.

Sally Hepworth has quickly soared to the top of my list of favorite authors and Darling Girls certainly didn't disappoint.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an ARC of "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth which was released on April 23, 2024.

This story kept me on my toes and I did not know what to expect as I kept reading! The story focuses on Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who all were raised by the same foster mother and goes from past and present perspectives on life living with their foster mother and in the present the mystery of the body found under the home they grew up in.

Great for thriller/mystery fans and/or fans or Sally Hepworth's other books!

She has done it again

3 girls ended up in the foster care system with a foster mother from hell!

Jessica, Norah, Alica all endure Mrs. Fairchilds Horrible abuse while being in the foster care system. Jessica her sweet loving first child, Norah her hell raising anger issues second and Alica her sad lonely three child.

The girls grew up thick as thieves to adults with Jessica an addiction, Norah a rap sheet a mile long but given one last chance to behave and Alica working in the foster care system to never let what happen to them happen again.


When the girls get a phone call that brings back old memories and a body they stick together to make sure the real killer is brought to justice.

I love this book but was hard to read at time so please take the warning note at the beginning serious.

This was fun and page turning. It's not my favorite of Hepworth's but is still worthy of a read when in the mood for a dark thriller!

Sally's books are always good for a suspenseful read. She incorporates twists I never saw coming. I enjoy a book with multiple points of view and Sally is a master at this. We saw the relationships between the sisters but also all the depth of each as an individual.

This book was a little darker than some of Sally's other books but it was so well done. I kept rooting for the mother to get in trouble for something, anything to bring her down a peg. But the ending was truly amazing!

An uneasy mystery of two sisters who have delt with a lot of hardship throughout their lives. They find that they are stuck in a situation where they could change the path of their future forever. It was a great book I would recommend to all of my mystery loving friends.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, the author, and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Darling Girls was another creepy suspense family drama thriller from Sally Hepworth. All the characters are truly unhinged and you find it so confusing on who to and not to root for. I thought I had it all figured out until that last and final TWIST which really bumped my rating back up because things had fallen flat for me before that.

Sometimes these family drama thriller where theres a bunch of loose screws and a little bit of drugs involved end up blending all together for me, so I needed the last minute twist.