Just when I thought a Sally Hepworth couldn't get any darker, they do. I was so engrossed in this that I read this one day and nothing could stop me until I read the last page. This story follows three women that grew up in the foster system, who come together many years later after bones were discovered under their foster home. What came after was shocking and unsettling. I don't know how Sally thinks of things that are so disturbing, but yet so good. My mind is still reeling over the final page reveal!

Bonds can be formed in all different ways but the bond formed by three foster sisters proved to be unbreakable in this thriller! I loved the multiple POVs and the ending was 🤌

Wow - this was one I couldn't put down despite how dark and heartbreaking the main ideas and themes were. Many of us know that family isn't necessarily someone who is related to us, but those who stick around when we need it most and sometimes have gone through the same things, good or bad. With an unbreakable and traumatic bond, the three girls find themselves reconnecting at their roots in a place they never thought they'd travel back to. This is my first read by Hepworth, and as an avid suspense and thriller lover, I plan to keep reading. Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley!

This was a heartbreaking and dark read by one of my favorite authors. It was equally hard to put down and hard to read. I really enjoyed it. There's even a decent surprise ending to boot, even if I did find the ending to be a bit corny overall. I would recommend this one!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Sally Hepworth and Netgalley.
My second Hepworth book and it's official...I suppose that I really like this author. Love? Maybe, eventually. Time will tell!
I just so happened to love these characters.
It's been said countless times, and it's something that I know for truth. Family doesn't always mean by blood. Sometimes a heart family can save you and help you overcome blood.
This is a story of family. Not by blood, but by suffering loss and coming together.
Aw! Sounds so warm and snuggly! It's not.
I loved these "Darling Girls" and was happy to have read this.
I will say that Ms. Hepworth has a knack for writing compelling characters. I only note this because a lot of people can think up wonderfully fantastic storylines, but while the story is great, the people aren't.
Hepworth somehow manages a pretty good story, but she excels at characters. That's a gift that not many author's manage. IMHO.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I flew through this questing myself the whole time, hooked from the beginning. Three girls have a long history and a bond like no other. I did not see the ending coming, those are my favorite books! Will be recommending to others. Sally Hepworth is always a great read!

this was my my first Sally Hepworth and I was impressed. I had a one question left at the end but it didn’t have anything to do with the main plot. I definitely look forward to more of her. I know I have a couple of her books on my TBR shelf.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me an ARC of this book.

Wow!! Sally has once again nailed it with a great book that is impossible to put down. There was not a moment in this book that did not keep me on my toes. Will be recommending this book to friends!

*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth.

I only discovered I love the "thriller" genre last year, and I've been devouring any thrillers I can get my hands on ever since. "Darling Girls" is no exception. I loved following this trio of "sisters," Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who are not related by blood; they are bound by a horrible foster situation they all got placed into. They became the only family the others had, and their unbreakable bond is clear throughout the book.

Now all adults, each sister gets a phone call they weren't expecting that brings them all back together in a place they likely figured they'd never return to. Human remains have been found beneath the foster home they lived in, leading local police to resurface this traumatic part of their past. Hepworth does an excellent job of weaving past and present together to paint a complete picture for the reader; the chapters alternate between different POVs of past and present for each sister in a helpful, easy-to-follow way.

Where the book fell short for me was the ending, unfortunately. As a writer myself, I know how hard it is to conclude a piece; it's what so many writers seem to struggle with most. In the case of "Darling Girls," things get wrapped up too suddenly, with one very weird unnecessary cherry on top at the end, which the book could have lived (thrived, even) without.

Three self-described sisters bonded as foster children in an abusive home. When remains are discovered on the property of the home they shared, the trio must answer questions from the local constabulary. Fans of domestic suspense will enjoy this slow-burning psychological novel.

In this book, we follow Jessica, Alicia and Norah- sisters by choice given their bond that takes them back decades, to when they were young girls and growing up in foster care on a farm with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild could be... unpredictable, and was never to be crossed. The story alternates between their upbringing with Miss Fairchild in their foster home and present day. When human bones are discovered buried under the house of their childhood, they are called in by the police to share what they know and are forced to revisit parts of their childhood they'd rather forget.

I loved the theme of chosen family in this book and loved the quirks that made each sister who they were; Jessica with her OCD, Alicia with her love life and Norah with her anger management- each sister had their own sub-storyline that made the characters easy to love while still alluding to the effects of the trauma from their past. While stories involving abuse can be tricky, Hepworth did this one incredibly with an equal focus on the sisterhood and bond between the girls. She writes seamlessly between the past and present and I LOVED the therapist sections (which was a plot twist for me!).

Highly recommend this one if you enjoy edge of your seat thrillers with plenty of twists and turns. While some parts of this book were difficult to read, it's one I'll think about for a long time.

I will say I am surprised at myself that I read this book and that I finished it. It was very upsetting dealing with child abuse and neglect and while Sally Hepworth did an incredible job weaving it all together it was still a difficult read for me so while I am not giving it a high mark its because the subject matter was too hard for me to deal with. Those not as sensitive may not have an issue. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

File this under absolute must reads!!

Three “sisters” return to the town of where they grew up in foster care when a body is discovered below their old house. I absolutely fell in love with each of the sisters - they are all so different but the bond they have is absolutely incredible. I thought the character development around each one was wonderful.

The chapters switch between past (growing up with their foster mother) and present (mainly spending time with each other trying to decide who the dead body could be). There are really tragic moments (trigger warning for an emotionally absuive foster mother), funny moments, and many heartwarming moments. This was an absolute perfect thriller!

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this advanced copy. You absolutely must read this when it comes out on April 23, 2024!

Brought together by the “foster care” system, Nora, Jessica, and Alicia bond over their traumatic upbringing. Miss Fairchild, their foster mom, uses psychological punishments to wreck havoc on their lives. Flash forward to when the girls are adults and bones are discovered underneath the foster house they grew up in.

This plot was so unique; the character building was on point, and the twists got me. It was an excellent read. I loved the alternating POVs between characters and timelines. It would be easy to get confused with all the POV’s, but Sally Hepworth keeps everyone on task. Great domestic thriller!

WOW. Wow, wow, wow. Bravo Sally Hepworth! Darling Girls has quickly taken the top spot in my favorite Sally Hepworth books. The format of then and now as well as all three sister’s perspectives really made this book an easy, unputdownable read. I was constantly on the edge of my seat awaiting the many twists and turns this story took. I appreciated the way this narrative shed light on mental health awareness. I enjoyed Sally’s note at the end regarding her research for this book. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and of course, Sally Hepworth for this digital ARC and the absolute privilege of devouring this story. Definitely grab this one when it comes out April 2024!

Another great psychological thriller by Sally Hepworth. Actually I have loved every one of her books and this one as usual doesn’t disappoint.
Told in alternating chapters, we experience the lives of Jessica, Norah and Alicia who form a bond, a sisterhood and a tight knit family from their time in foster care under the demanding and often demeaning eye of Mrs. Fairchild the proprietor of Wild Meadows.
25 years after their stays at Wild Meadows, Jessica, Norah and Alicia are contacted by three Port Agatha detectives in regards to human bones that have been discovered buried under the farmhouse.
This was such a captivating book with well thought out characters. You will fall in love with these girls and feel for their awful upbringing in the foster system. You will cheer them on as adults with the unfortunate baggage they carry with them due to their upbringing.
I loved the twists and turns. Just when you have it figured out, Hepworth throws you a curveball.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

I personally enjoy books that pick up pace immediately. This read felt it took a a while to really get interesting but it wasn't a bad read! It reads well, flows great and is entertaining. Kept wanting to pick it back up to finish!

Sally Hepworth's books never disappoint in the suspense/thriller category and this book was no exception. Darling Girls follows three foster "sisters" (Jessica, Norah and Alicia) from both past and present storylines and their complicated relationship with their horrible foster mother, Miss. Fairchild. While the story kept my interest, at times was hard to read about the childhood abuse, sexual assault and neglect. I found these details too descriptive for my liking. Nonetheless, Sally Hepworth did a fantastic job of tying all the storylines together and left us with a another shocking ending!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Sally Hepworth has quickly become my favorite mystery/psychological thriller author. Every time I think I know where she's going with a plot or a character, there's a complete 180 that I never saw coming!

"Darling Girls" was just phenomenal. The cast of characters was so eclectic, yet they somehow made perfect sense together. Their bond, forged by the abuse they suffered from the hands of Miss Fairchild, is so powerful and real.

The switching POVs is one of Hepworth's huge talents, and they make the ultimate twist that much more delicious.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have read and highly rated many of Sally Hepworth’s books. However, I didn’t like this story as much as her others. On the plus side, I enjoyed getting to know the three “sisters.” While each character had emotional issues related to their foster care experiences, their loyalty to each other was heartwarming. However, the story dragged in places, and the wicked villain of the story seemed a bit over the top. It’s not a bad book. Just a bit of a disappointment for me.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for letting me read and review this book. Much appreciated.