New twisty thriller from one of the queens of suspense. Norah, Alicia, and Jessica survived the horror that was their foster mother. They developed a lifelong bond, they were sisters. Nothing that they wouldn’t do for each other. Now years later, the police have found infant remains buried at the foster house where they met. Can the secrets stay buried for this long?

Devoured this book on one evening. Now I did guess one twist, but man, that last twist, should have known. If you love thrillers you will love this domestic thriller.

Thanks to St Martins Press, NetGalley, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Darling Girls” is Sally Hepworth’s newest thriller novel. Alicia, Jessica, and Norah all shared a traumatic upbringing at the hands of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild seems amazing at first glance, but there’s more than meets the eye. Her unpredictable moods and constant criticism make a hostile environment for the girls. This only drives Alicia, Jessica and Norah to embrace and protect each other. After trying hard to forget their unsavory past, the girls get pulled back to their childhood home when bones are found underneath the farm they used to live at.

I devoured this novel in one sitting. I’ve read almost all of Sally Hepworth’s books, and this was easily my favorite. It had an addictive quality that I just couldn’t stop reading. I loved that there was a POV from each girl, and all were equally interesting to read. I believe this is going to be one of the top novels of 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this novel. “Darling Girls” by Sally Hepworth publishes 4/23/2024.

Book review of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this early release copy of this twisty thriller. This one will be out April 23, 2024 and you will want to read this one.
Told to us from the past and the present, you follow three girls , sisters from the same foster home as they are dragged back to their old foster home from a phone call. The police want to chat about a body that has been unearthed at their old foster home.
Jessica spent the longest time with Miss Fairchild, and now her OCD tendencies are how she earns a living. Norah still has anger issues and Jessica is always bailing her out of messes. Alicia works placing children in foster care, but has very low self-esteem. As the girls are questioned and the past is dredged up, they all have to deal with the evil Miss Fairchild. The big question is who have they unearthed and can they settle the demons of their past.
Totally dark and twisty thriller. Side note that it does deal with abuse they suffer as children.
Sally Hepworth always leaves you guessing though!
#crazybooknerd
#bookstagram
#netgalley
#stmartinspress
#darlinggirls

It sounds weird to say book about an awful foster parent and the girls who had to live with her was fun but it kind of was. Each woman was different but seemed real and kind of funny. Of course there was a twist at the end but it made sense in the context of the book and gave some insight into the awful foster parent’s mind . Sally Hepworth never fails to deliver on a lively, quick paced mystery. I liked how we learned how the sisters all ended up in the end.




I didn’t get the Norah without t reference. They made it a lot. Is that a typo or some Australian thing? Google did not help.

Thrilling and DARK! Definitely her most dark yet, but loved the found sisterhood aspect. If you're a fan of her previous work, you'll love this one too!

I loved her previous book, and found this even more compelling. The characters were great and nicely developed

The plot had me guessing, invested, and anxious.

The ending was satisfying as well

That last chapter...that just clinched it huh? I definitely didn't see that last chapter coming. The whole book was twisty and I loved that the chapters bounced around the three sisters perspectives as well as the psychiatry sessions for Miss Fairchild too. It kept my attention. The other big suprise was that Zara was actually Amy and that she wasn't dead and the identity of the child under the house. All in all, great surprises, quick ready and kept my attention the whole time.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

I absolutely love sally Hepworth and this book does not disappoint. I honesty couldn’t put it down at all and love the story. This one will make you second guess everything you know and still left wanting to know more. Probably my favorite one of hers so far and cannot wait to read more by her.

It's a phrase that you will never want to hear again! The Darling girls in this story are Alicia, Jessica and Norah - foster children that lived in Miss Fairchild's home Wild Meadows. Miss Fairchild was a punishing and vicious woman and the girls grew up to live very different and dysfunctional lives. When bones are discovered under their foster home, the police call all of them in. The call forces a reunion of sorts and the women have to remember that time..... It can be upsetting, and it surely is dark, but join the Darling Girls as they try to make sense of their childhood and determine who lies buried under the house. #Darlinggirls #Sallyhepworth #Stmartings

Darling Girls By Sally Hepworth is a phenomenal physiologically twisted book.
Staring a demented foster mother and the four foster children she looked after.
It describes how the foster care system is sometimes flawed and the caregiver is not always a good person.
How it can further traumatize the children and leave lasting consequences.
But there is still a mystery to solve in this story.
There is still a who done it!
Ms. Hepworth writes this story with great empathy for these characters. The various characters depths of feelings were described so well, it was like my heat was was breaking for them.
The ending was amazing too.

I had every intention of waiting until closer to pub date - currently slated for April 2024! - to read this but as always is the case with Sally Hepworth's books, I simply couldn't wait and devoured this in a single sitting.

Darling Girls is CREEPY. Start to finish, this book gave me the chills. Every time I thought it couldn't get any worse, another stomach-turning moment started. It was truly dark, and I had no idea where the story would land. The ending was top notch, chef's kiss, no notes.

More notes closer to pub date, but for now - add to your TBR!

I can't believe this, but I'm DNFing and giving this book one star! I've loved several Sally Hepworth books - The Mother in Law and The Soulmate - but others like The Younger Wife and The Good Sister were flops for me. I guess Darling Girls is going on the "flop" list too. For being marketed as a thriller, this did not thrill me one bit. I thought the storyline was boring and wasn't invested at all to keep reading. DNF at 10%. I even tried to put it down and pick it up a few different times/days/moods to see if it would work for me in a different context, but it didn't.

Hopefully others love this more than I did. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

I devour anything by Sally Hepworth at this point – she is an instant request/purchase if you like domestic thrillers. We see our usual, cliques of suburban gals that may glitter on the surface to cover the rot beneath. Always a good time.

Darling Girls
Three foster care sisters who are now in their 30’s receive a phone call telling them human remains have been found on the site where they lived as children. Each of the women has unresolved trauma from the events that took place in their foster home and now its all come crashing back.

This is a twisty story with all of the signature elements Sally Hepworth is famous for. I read it in one day because I just had to know the answer to the mystery! Thank you @stmartinspress @sallyhepworth for an advance digital copy.

That’s Entertainment!

Another winner by Sally Hepworth with this story about three sisters united by foster care.

Snarky humor abounded early and I could barely control my laughter during a second chapter blind date play-by-play.

Being an old girl before swipe right or left, I’ve had my share of pitiful dates and judging from this uproariously funny scenario, nothing has changed across generations but technology. Blind dates are still living up to their notorious reputations.

Except Norah, the character in this book, handled it with more aplomb than I ever did. Worth the price of admission alone, I’ll buy a copy for my shelf to repeat at some point.

Being familiar with several of the author’s novels, I’ve loved her character development which includes the folks here. Ms Hepworth has a penchant for writing interesting if slightly neurotic types adding to my enjoyment.

The comic relief was appreciated for balance as the darker psychology of children placed in foster care was explored. Trigger warning for child abuse and challenging subject matter.

There were also heartfelt moments, a satisfying ending, and a twist making for a fantastic read. All’s well that ends well. For the most part, ha ha.

Thank you to Erica Martirano at St. Martins, Sally Hepworth, and NetGalley for my Advance Reader’s Copy!

Somehow this book was a little different from the writing style I’ve come to expcet and enjoy from the author. Usually her books are quite easy to dive into, pulling you in with rich character development, at least one likeable character, and a plot that leads you to an unexpected, yet usually satisfying twisty ending. I found this book a little more confusing and disjointed right from the beginning. The characters seemed quite angry and it was hard to find a character to connect with and root for. The ending still had a twist, but I didn’t find it very shocking or satisfying. Sad to say this book just wasn’t for me, but I look forward to the author’s next book!

💕You might like this book if:
🔹 you like stories about women who’s friendship is as strong as sisters
🔹 you like stories where characters revisit past secrets / traumas
🔹you are interested in exploring the dark side of the foster care system

I have read all of Sally Hepworth's novels and enjoyed every one, including Darling Girls. Once I picked this book up, I could not put it down. Darling Girls is a twisty, psychological thriller AND it's smart and funny (what a combo!).

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are adults who became sisters as foster children at Wild Meadows in Port Agatha. In present day, we know that something terrible has been discovered at Wild Meadows, but it takes some preamble to find out what. At the same time, we are learning about each woman's past at Wild Meadows and how it has shaped who they are today. The story alternates their perspectives in an easy-to-follow way. I liked each of their characters so much.

There's a fourth perspective: a woman at her psychiatrist's office detailing her childhood abuses. That narrator is left vague, which made me wonder if it was Jessica, Alicia, or Norah. This voice adds to the mystery of the story.

The tragedy at Wild Meadows brings the three sisters back to Port Agatha. Are they suspects in the tragedy? Is their former foster mother? Someone else? The story unwinds in an unpredictable fashion, leaving one last twist for the very end.

Really enjoyed this. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth follows 3 foster sisters much later in life as they are forced to revisit their traumatic past when a body is unearthed at their old foster home. We get the point of view from all 3 sisters, past and present, as well as a semi-mysterious point of view of someone in a therapy session. I did really enjoy reading about each sister and getting insight into their life at their previous foster home. However, the first 2/3 was quite a slow burn with a few too many repetitive scenes, and I wish there was more excitement along the way. I think the ending was wrapped up really well, with an interesting reveal and a solid twist at the end. I did really appreciate the author's writing style and short chapters that made it seem like you were getting through the book quickly despite the slower pacing of the story. Overall I gave this book a 3 star rating.

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors and after reading this book I cannot wait for the next one..
The story of Jessica, Norah (with an h) and Alicia is one will keep the reader interested and wanting to know more. The story is told in chapters that fluctuate from "now and before" There is a lot of feeling in this book and the reader learns about the lives of these three girls and what it is like to be abandoned, and how much each of us needs to be loved and wanted. It focuses on their lives as Foster Children, but also has a real mystery within. I did not figure out the answer to the mystery until it was revealed and found myself drawn back to the book each time I put it down. So the best I can say is Sally Hepworth does it again...preorder this wonderful book . I am sure it will keep you entertained and involved.