I have had the distinct pleasure of reading each of Sally Hepworth’s books and they are truly a work of art. This one in particular blew my mind. It was amazing, impactful, and riveting from page 1. I could not put it down. If you’re a fan of the domestic thriller, this isn’t one to miss.

I'm still a little speechless after reading this one! Such a shocking and twisted psychological thriller! I loved it!! Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite thriller writers and an auto buy for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! Sally Hepworth does it again! What a deliciously dark and gritty read. The characters were amazing and allowed me to get lost between the pages. Action packed and filled with thrills and chills. Tough subject but a totally captivating read.
Thank you NetGalley, Sally Hepworth and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this twisty new book.

Well. Sally did it again. Wrote my new favorite book of hers.

This was DARK. So much darker than I feel like her other books have been and I was here for every single second. I loved the multiple POVs, the pacing, and the overall ominous what the hell is going on vibes. All three of the main characters (and even Miss Fairchild) were written so incredibly well. I loved the bond these found sisters created for themselves out of sheer necessity at first but how it turned into genuine love and affection. I finished this in less than 24 hours (did not cook for my family, did not clean my house, also took an unexpected half day off work to just sit and read this). Even up until the very end she was still surprising me with details in the story I wasn't expecting.

Highly recommend for anyone who loves a dark, twisty, emotional thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This one does come with quite a few trigger warnings so I will list them below. Thank you so much to St. Martins Press & Netgalley for this copy of Darling Girls. It doesn't come out until 04/23/24.

TW(s): Child abuse (sexual, mental, physical, death), gaslighting, neglect, death of parents, death of grandparents, being in the foster care system, drug abuse (prescription pills), bribery involving nude photos. (I am sure I am forgetting some but these are the main ones I remember)

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the ARC of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. I love all Hepworth's novels so I was super excited to read this one!

Darling Girls is somewhat of a different read from this author. Although there is a slow burn mystery; she also touches upon the foster care system, addiction, and sisterhood. I found this a refreshing read.

Three girls are put into foster care in their teens. Although not biologically related, they become sisters for life; each with unique personalities. In adulthood, they are contacted by the police about bones discovered where they were in foster care. Whose could they be? The sisters think they know but the investigation will determine that. Along the way, the reader gets a glimpse into the therapy sessions of Mrs. Fairchild (the foster parent) whom is a suspect and not so nice.

There are dual timelines and multiple points of views in this book but it was cohesive. This one kept me engaged the whole time as I couldn't wait to see how the whole story ended. Another hit for Hepworth!

(4.5/5.0) When the email came through with a chance to read Sally Hepworth’s latest book, Darling Girls, I immediately sent it to my kindle to start reading. I love her books and her writing style, so it was an easy choice to drop my current reading plans and dive into this one.

Overall, very bingeable and enjoyable. I finished it in under 24 hours and was invested. It felt different, a bit slower and more character-driven than prior thrillers from her, but I happen to prefer that. The story centers on three women who grew up in the same foster home during their early teen / tween years and are now returning to that home to assist in investigating a crime.

The story is focused on the emotional and physical abuse of the children in foster care, and it sits in that space for the majority of the pages. It has a dual timeline unveiling of everything that happened to the girls and how it manifests in their adulthood. The crime they are investigating is a thread throughout and honestly, I thought I had it all figured out until the very end, when the twist got me. The last chapter took me from a 4 to a 4.5-star rating – loved loved loved the ending.

Content warnings: child abuse, child death, parent death, prescription drug abuse, kidnapping

Book: Darling Girls
Author: Sally Hepworth
Publisher:
Pub Date: April 23, 2024

Holy smokes Batman!!! Sally Hepworth has done it again! I finished this book in one day. Which granted I was off from work but I couldn’t do anything else but read. I had to know what happened in that house!Jessica owns a successful home organization company and is married to Phil. Occasionally she steals. Norah has anger issues and uses men to get what she needs. Alicia is a social worker with a heart of gold. A detective calls to inform them bones have been found under their foster home and all three are pulled back into their horrible childhood at Wild Meadows Farm. This book has a little bit of everything even humor. Yes as dark as it is I laughed out loud several times. I loved Norah’s anger issues the most. I adored these women and somehow she managed to develop each one of their characters to fully understand how each one felt. This is one of those books where if I say too much I’ll ruin the twists and let me tell you there are some doozy’s. This book has a dual timeline and goes between now and what happened to the girls while they were in the foster home. It has a dark ending and while I don’t usually point out triggers in my reviews this story definitely has some. There is one thing I never understand and if you know please explain but why did Norah always say “it’s Norah with a ‘H’ No ‘T.’” I don’t get it. That said this is easily one of my top 10 books for the year. I have read every single one of Sally Hepworth’s books and always anxiously await her next one. Without looking back I feel like this will be my favorite but I plan on ranking them next week. Next week’s podcast will be devoted to Sally Hepworth and we will take a look at each one of her books. This is a definite must read as all her books are.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is April 23, 2024

I love Sally Hepworth so I was super excited to get the invite to read this book early. If I’m
being honest, this wasn’t my favorite title of hers but I still enjoyed it.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for the advance review copy—all opinions are my own!

I enjoy every Sally Hepworth book I read, and this was no exception. The storyline was engaging and just the right amount of twisty, and as infuriating as Miss Fairchild was, I found the girls’ relationship helped me survive my frustration at the injustice and cruelty of how they were treated. I also really appreciated the compassionate framing of the various not so healthy coping mechanisms the girls adopted to survive their childhood traumas, and how therapy was championed in the narrative. I was happy Miss Fairchild got her comeuppance, though it did frustrate me that she clearly got away with a much worse crime than she ended up being punished for. That made the ending feel both realistic and a bit unsettling, but it in no way detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story.

I enjoyed this book even though it was hard to read at times. It was not your typical Hepworth thriller but a deep, dark dive into the cruelties of child abuse and its resulting trauma. A dramatic story with an added element of mystery would be a better classification. Former foster kids, Jessica, Norah and Alicia, are forced to confront the nightmares of their childhoods when they are contacted by a detective who is investigating the discovery of buried bones found at their former foster home. The residence of Miss Fairchild, their evil, gaslighting foster mother. The three characters were portrayed well for people who have experienced abuse and trauma. It was a fast read and there were a few surprises but no real WOW moments for me. I was hoping for a shock or two so that I could give this a 5-star rating. I love Hepworth and she will always be a go-to author for me. But I am left with one question that was never answered in the book. Why does Norah keep saying "It's Norah with an 'h'. No 't'?" This has me baffled over here! Can someone please explain this to me?

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me the email for advanced digital access in exchange for my honest review!!

Alicia, Jessica and Norah (with an h) are sisters brought together by the foster care system. 25 years after meeting they must relive the trauma from their foster home as bones have been found under the home where they grew up and met. In true Sally Hepworth form, the book consists of short, multiple POVs, making the book impossible to put down. Each character has their own flaws and secrets. You will keep guessing, be on the edge of your seat and never expect the twists that come. Another solid read. Thank you St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was awesome. I read it overnight on a red eye flight. I was given an ARC from NetGalley. I have read her books before and there is always that one little twist you never saw coming. The premise and the characters of Darling Girls were unique- foster kids. I finished or I thought I finished and I was happy and then there it was, the part that makes you remember the complexities and devious nature of bad people. A brilliant book.

favorite Hepworth book yet. Alicia, Jessica and Norah have riveting (but sad) backgrounds, and I love their closeness as adults. They are all flawed and damaged but love each other and their relationship is the cornerstone of the book. This is a book full of shocking reveals , so if you enjoy surprises and twists, this is the book for you. It is also a surprisingly emotional read, that you don’t see often in thrillers. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. #DarlingGirls

HOLY WHIZZ! I flew through this in 24 hours, it would have been even sooner but I forced myself to stop and savour the book so it wouldn't end so quickly! I loved this book so much! It is most definately my new fave Sally Hepworth book and I have read and loved all of hers. This book kept me guessing and i love love loved the twists and the turns. It hooked me from the beginning ! ALL the stars! Bravo!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing group for a digital ARC of Darling Girls.

I am a huge Sally fan and this is just chef's kiss. Probably her best yet!! Each character was so fleshed out. There was a main plot, and each character had their own side plot. I couldn't put this one down. Fast-paced, extremely thought out, easy to read and to follow. I was thoroughly impressed with how much detail was in each character, as far as motivations and psychological responses to childhood trauma. After I read the acknowledgments I see why. She did an incredible job with these characters after her interviews with foster families. I loved this and if you're a Sally fan, you will to.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for this advanced copy!! I couldn’t read it fast enough! If anything, I loved finding out who was in Dr. Warren’s office. And that ending! Ha! Yeah, I just knew it! Anywho, awesome read. Will definitely get a copy when it comes out!

Once again, Sally Hepworth has knocked my socks off. Darling Girls kept me gripped from start to finish. While written in Hepworth's trademark style (clever, engaging, more than a touch of quirk), the story and its setting felt extremely fresh.

A keen look at the many ways in which childhood trauma shapes us. A story of sisterhood and found family.

5 Stars.

WHOA! The twists in this book made it impossible to put down. The heart wrenching story almost broke my heart. Sally Hepworth's writing is top notch and always completely absorbs me. This book is a must read!

I am grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. May be spoilers below.

I want hooked right from the beginning. The story of three foster girls and their sisterhood and experiences was quite entrancing. I thought the author did a great job creating three clear characters with their own motivations. The story moved a little slowly and I found myself always waiting for more to happen. While the story was dark, I was expecting and I confess, wanting it to be even darker.

A few things didn’t make a lot of sense. The police surely would have known the bones found were of a baby straightaway? Bones of an infant under one are tiny and it couldn’t have been a surprise to the police. Also very improbable that the police would interview the sisters and call them immediately to come in before having done basic investigation research like pulling police files associated with the address. And why were the other foster kids hanging around if they were babies when it happened? The motivation there was lost on me and seemed to just be convenient. The surprise with the Zara character could have used a bit more suspense or misdirection as it was pretty predictable. I also think the motivation of Miss Fairchild and some of her actions could be taken up a notch to raise the suspense.

In the end it was a great easy read but not quite enough of a thrill for me.