Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth.

This book is much darker than her books normally are. I couldn't put it down. I liked how Hepworth slowly let the story unfold and through each character's point of view. It was twisty, but not unbelievable. I appreciated how she wove the bond of the three girls into the story of the thriller and suspense. There are a lot of triggers in this book, particularly abuse and foster care.

Three girls, Norah, Jessica, and Alicia become wards of Miss Fairchild through the foster care system. Each came with their previous traumas that carried them into adulthood. The book alternates between the past and present as each girl tells their story. They are brought together as adults when bones are found under the house they grew up in.

Sally Hepworth has done it again with Darling Girls. Three young women, practically sisters, raised together in a foster home where they were mistreated are called back to the town where they grew up after bones are found under the house they grew up in. But how did they get there? Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I've been a longtime fan of Sally Hepworth's. novels. This one felt a little different/darker to me. Initially, I had a bit of trouble keeping the sisters straight but eventually they became easier to distinguish. It's not a light tale (despite the occasional dog humor) but I admired the way the sisters supported one another. Overall, a quick read.

What did I just read?! I *knew* where this was going and then BAM, Sally Hepworth throws that twist in there at the end. Wonderful read, kept me reading and wanting to make sure the ending was going to be what I thought. Which is wasn't.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance.

Sally Hepworth is an author I will stop whatever i'm reading to start her newest novel. Darling Girls was no exception. This novel was great from start to finish. Hepworth kept me guessing from page #1` and I honestly didn't figure out the ending until the story was over. It was filled with suspense, emotion and hope. I couldn't recommend this book, or any other of Sally Hepworth's novels enough.

Sally Hepworth is an auto buy author for me and Darling Girls did not disappoint! I loved the premise and the different perspectives. Each "sister" was well developed and understandable given their traumas. I loved the last chapter in that I did not see that twist coming!! Once again, Sally Hepworth creates a domestic thriller that keeps you wanting to read more!

Sally never lets me down. This one was intense and emotional, I was blown away. I honestly did not see the twist until it was happening (though I will say, I THOUGHT I knew what the twist was).

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are foster children. They live with Miss Fairchild who is unpredictable and abusive. The three girls bond as sisters. Many years later a body is discovered buried under the house they lived in. The sisters must return to a place they hoped to never see again. This brings up many memories and worries about how Miss Fairchild will manipulate the system in her favor. Who is burried?

This book is told from multiple points of view. Each sister faces challenges as foster children and this could be used against them. Who really is Miss Fairchild? There are many twists in the story and you will be guessing who is the body and who did it? It is a new exciting read from Sally Hepworth.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #SallyHepworth, and #StMartinsPress for a copy of this book
#DarlingGirls

Amazing Amazing book. This book kept me on edge the entire time and had me wondering with every page. I read this one in two sittings and had the absolute best time. This is only my 2nd book from this author, I’m currently running to her backlist.

Sally Hepworth is a go-to author of mine. I always enjoy a fun and suspenseful read, good writing, relationship connections, and twists and turns, and Darling Girls has all that and more!

The story centers around three girls that grew up together in foster care and the abuse they endured. When a dead body is found beneath their old foster home, they are called back to answer questions and confront a past they’d like to forget. The writing goes back and forth between the timelines and different points of view from each character. It's dark and sad in so many ways.

For whatever reasons, I was never quite captivated in the story or invested in the characters as I'd hope to be. I also felt the outcomes were quite predictable... Having said that, I'd recommend anything she writes and know many will love this book.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this highly anticipated book, Darling Girls publishes in 4/24..

Darling Girls was a solid story, but The Soulmate is still—by far—my favorite Sally Hepworth novel. I was expecting more suspense given her last book, but it leaned more heavily toward domestic drama more than anything for me. I found the first half dragging a bit, but the pace definitely picked up toward the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Sally Hepworth never disappoints! As soon as I received this ARC I hurried through the book I was reading so I could get to Darling Girls.

This story bounces back and forth between characters and the past and present to bring us Norah, Alicia, and Jessica. The three girls were foster children who grew up at Wild Meadows and quickly formed a sisterly bond. As adults, the girls are called back to town when bones are discovered on the land where Wild Meadows was. The girls are forced to come face to face with the childhood trauma caused by their foster mother Miss Fairchild. As we revisit their past, we witness how manipulative and abusive Miss Fairchild was to all three girls. Just when we think we know who the bones belong to Hepworth throws in her signature twist and we're back to guessing.

The way Hepworth develops her characters and injects dark humor into her stories is one of the many reasons she is a go to author for me. Her books are must reads. I flew through this book and am already looking forward to her next one!

Sally Hepworth’s writing just gets better and better. Darling Girls was captivating right from the beginning and held my interest the whole way through.

The characters (especially the sisters) were all well developed and interesting to read about. Each sister was unique in their own way. I loved how the sisters stuck together. I really liked the flashback scenes to the time spent with Miss Fairchild. I would have loved more scenes her, despite how awful she was.

I was a bit surprised by the descriptive final chapter, and I was not expecting it to be so dark,
Nevertheless, it was definitely a surprising ending to the book., and one I was not able to predict.
The scenes with Dr. Warren were also interesting. I really enjoyed Darling Girls and read it pretty quickly. Sally has won me over ever since reading The Good Sister.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I liked this book overall a lot. For a bit in the middle I felt like it was darker than I expected and what I signed up for. But in the end, the payoff was worth it and felt not entirely predictable. Overall, a great twisty thriller with endearing characters that are humanly flawed.

The premise of Darling Girls in intriguing, 3 sisters who grew up in foster care in Port Agatha, Australia, are brought back together when each gets a call from a detective letting them know bones had been discovered under their former foster home!
The 1st half is slow and difficult to follow due to the alternating timelines and POVs. Storylines finally congealed in the 2nd half, and wow, it got interesting!
That final twist was 🤌

Darling Girls is the 4th to 5th book I've read by Sally Hepworth. If you enjoyed The Younger Wife, you'll probably like DG. It has a similar flow.

I always enjoy books by Sally Hepworth, but this one was a bit different than the others I have read. I typically expect her books to be tense domestic thrillers, but Darling Girls is about three foster girls are placed together in the same foster home. When a crime from the past is uncovered they travel back to their old hometown to speak with detectives and learn more about the crime. The narrative switches back and forth from present day to the past, but it never becomes confusing. The story is tightly plotted and kept me guessing. My only caveat about this title is that there is a HUGE TRIGGER WARNING for child abuse of all kinds. Sensitive readers beware.

I loved this book! I read it all in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. Though I figured out a few of the plot twists the ending had me shook! Another masterpiece by Sally Hepworth!

Can we ever escape our past?

The plight of foster children plays a significant role in the childhood of Jessica, Norah and Alicia. Each child enters the system in the care of Miss Fairchild and her home of Wildwood Manor. Miss Fairchild develops an unhealthy relationship with each girl as she arrives in her care and her twisted ideas cause the girls to for a sisterhood where each protects the others throughout their lives.

When old bones are found buried under Miss Fairchild's family home everyone is called in for a police interview about their time spent with Miss Fairchild. The nightmare unfolds as ecah relates their experiences.

Definitely a page turner!

Darling Girls was such a creepy mystery about a group of girls attending the same foster home. The story kept giving you more of the back story as you try to solve the mystery of human remains discovered at the foster home. Each of the girls are damaged in their own way from abuse they suffered while at Wild Meadows, which makes the mystery so hard to solve. Was it Miss Fairchild who committed murder, their foster mother or was it possibly one of the girls in her care?
Hepworth always spinning her dark fun into her mysteries! LOVED this one just like The Good Sister, The Soulmate or The Mother-in-Law.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Another winner from Sally Hepworth! The character development was amazing. Three sisters united through their experience at foster care are asked to return after human remains are discovered beneath their former foster home. I loved the way the story was told from each sisters perspectives and went back and forth between now and before. Some things were hard to read surrounding child abuse, the isolation and mistreatment while they were in foster care but there were some heartfelt moments and comic relief to balance things out. The ending was very satisfying and there was a twist that I should have seen coming but I didn't.