Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is about three women, Jessica, Alicia, and Norah, who grew up in foster care together. They consider themselves sisters, and when a body is discovered under their former foster house at Wild Meadows, they travel back to Port Agatha together to unravel the mystery. This book was creepy in the best way! Even when some of the characters acted terribly, I couldn’t help but root for them. This was a one day read as I could not put it down, and I absolutely recommend it! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I don’t like to pick favorites, but this might be it. Sally Hepworth has outdone herself with this one. It is as sinister as it gets. In this psychological thriller set in a farmhouse estate, the antagonist, Miss Fairchild, is evil to the core, as she fosters young girls who are sent to her home, Wild Meadows, from somber circumstances, hoping for a chance at a decent life, when instead she is cruel and abusive. First comes Jessica, then Norah, and Alecia. The girls are skeptical of each other at first but form an alliance, eventually coming to feel like true sisters. They must, in order to survive their horrific surroundings. Later, as adults, still close, they are confronted with something from their past and the authorities want to question them about what they remember and a possible murder.

Jessica turned her OCD into a successful home organization business, Norah has a penchant for violence and uses her beauty to attract men in exchange for doing household chores for her (her dog’s names are priceless), and Alecia, whose kindness has left her vulnerable, but she cares deeply about the foster children in her care. The three women have endured unspeakable pain and it is impossible to think that it hasn’t affected them in the present day.

United in their hatred for Miss Fairchild and the havoc she created in their past and the hold she still has over them, the women were never understood. When evidence is found at the site of Wild Meadows, as much as they have no interest in going back, they’re eager to tell the police what they think happened. Once and for all. Leave it to Hepworth to add just the right dose of wit and charm to the women to make this a most engaging and suspenseful read. I was on the edge of my seat with worry while reading this unsettling book, but trust me, while it’s disturbing, Hepworth’s signature dark humor will keep you engaged, and the ending is so satisfying. If you’re a Hepworth fan, you’re sure to love this book and if you’re not yet, you will be!

The multiple POVs told in dual timelines are done seamlessly and the fully developed characters are both realistic yet outrageous. Wait until you read the scenes with the therapist. Total knock-out!

Kudos to Ms. Hepworth for her afterword about her research into the world of foster care. She is not only a gifted writer but a sensitive one as well.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for a digital ARC of this book. It was an honor to read.

Wow!
Norah, Jessica and Alicia are all foster kids when they wind up in the same ( abusive) foster home. They band together as sisters and defend and look out for each other.
When they finally decide to report the abuse… No one believes them, and they are sent y to a group home.
The story picks up decades later, the girls are still extremely close and the foster home gets demolished in the construction they find the bones of a baby.
This brings them back to port Agatha, back to secrets and lies.

While each of these characters have flaws, I really love these characters. They were complex, likable and human.

We get their past and present as the book weaves till the end.
The end… wow! I have to admit it shocked me!

Thank you Netgalley for this early read. I am obsessed with Sally Hepworth. She never fails to keep me on the edge of my seat.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters by chance- they grew up together in a foster care home. Their bond forged there is so strong and the three women will always look out for each other. They lived with a very abusive foster mother and now they’ve been called back to their childhood home when the police have found something sinister. Can the sisters shed light on the mystery? Will they be believed? Who can be trusted, and who is lying? All of these questions will run through your mind, along with many more.

I am a big fan of Sally Hepworth, so I was honored to receive an early copy of this book. In my opinion, it’s her best yet! I loved how the book was told through many different points of view, but it was still easy to follow. Miss Fairchild is such a dynamic character, and her narration added so much to the story. The ending was shocking, and the mystery is wrapped up completely with the final reveal. There are plenty of twists throughout, and I read this book in a day because I couldn’t put it down! I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers, mysteries, and domestic suspense books.

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I'm still processing what I just read. 🤯😳 Wow. So many twists. What is the truth? Three sisters, bonded by foster care and surviving their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Three points of view. The house Wild Meadows is being torn down and a skeleton has been found. Stories and secrets unravel. This book was SO good. I had to know what happened. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

Very good

This seemed like it would be a formulatic book. Three sisters, actually foster sisters, are called back to their former home twenty five years after leaving it when a body is found near the house. One sister is controlling and has a drug problem because of it. Another has anger issues. The third is a social worker who deals with foster kids and has trouble feeling her worth. I expected it would follow a predictable path and it did to some degree, but it had some really good twists, especially at the end.

The story is told in the present day and the past, It alternates between what is happening to the sisters and that of the foster mother. I wound up really liking this book a lot. I get frustrated when reading about bad foster situations because I know they are out there and it drives me crazy.

One thing that I wish had been a little different is that one sister is bi-sexual and is interested in a woman. Although the book did not make a big deal out of that, one sister lightly joked about it. I am glad it was treated like any other relationship and the teasing was light, but I could have done without that. Maybe leaving out the word "lesbian" and just joked about sex. If it had been a heterosexual couple, i doubt if the sister would have made comments about "straight sex". Minor point, and I am glad it was otherwise treated the same as any other relationship.

Wow, this story was amazing! I did NOT see the twist at the end, let alone the massive twist that came right after! It sucked me right in and I couldn’t put it down. I even snuck extra breaks at work so I could keep reading! Can’t wait for more from her, this was fantastic.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! 5 stars isn't enough for this book!!! I could not put this book down while on vacation. As an avid reader, I enjoy a lot of fiction - particularly suspense - and this book did not disappoint. Delving into the topic of fostering and child neglect/endangerment is a tough area but Hepworth was able
to craft a book recognizing the trauma this has brought to some, while also highlighting the courage and bravery of foster children - all the while developing characters and a suspenseful plot that had me guessing until the last page! Thank you again for the advance copy!!!

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!