It has been twenty-five years since Jessica, Norah, and Alicia left Port Agatha and Wild Meadows. the farming estate that had been their home where they lived under the care of their cruel and manipulative foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Their memories of those years are far from happy ones and though they are no longer the scared teenagers they were when they reported Miss Fairchild to the authorities all those years ago, their experiences have left an indelible imprint on their lives. But they had each other and together, they endured and survived their ordeal. Though not related by blood, they consider themselves sisters, and their love and unwavering support for one another has only grown stronger over the years. When a body is discovered under the farmhouse, the ensuing investigation draws the sisters back to Port Agatha, where they are forced to revisit their past and the memories that have haunted them.

I thoroughly enjoyed Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. The narrative is shared from the perspectives of the three main characters with segments from sessions between a character, whose identity is revealed later on in the story, and a psychiatrist interspersed throughout the narrative. The author does a commendable job of depicting the flaws of the foster care system and the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma. I really liked how the author defines the three main characters and their distinctive personalities – strong women who have survived, complex and flawed yet vulnerable, each battling their own demons. The author deftly weaves between past and present timelines into a consistently paced ( a tad on the slower side), suspenseful narrative with convincing characters (even the unlikable ones) and enough twists and turns that keep you turning the pages till you reach the final revelation, which did surprise me ( I always love that!).

I paired my reading with the audiobook and I have to say that I loved Jessica Clarke’s narration and thought she did a remarkable job of breathing life into this story and the characters.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy via NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sisters Jessica, Norah, and Alicia met as young girls after family tragedies sent them to Miss Fairchild’s large and peaceful bucolic home. Soon, though, they realize they aren’t as fortunate as all the adults say that they are placed with area’s best foster mother: Miss Fairchild requires complete obedience even as they struggle to manage her capricious moods. Finally, Miss Fairchild’s cruelty outweighs the security from living together and the girls make a bold move to escape forever.

Years later, the women are still as close as ever, relieved to be outside of Miss Fairchild’s orbit. However, when workers find a body under Miss Fairchild’s house, they return to Port Agatha, two hours and a lifetime away from Melbourne, their current home. There, they anticipate being key witnesses… but when they arrive, the police treat them more as suspects.

I loved this book, as much as (or more than) THE GOOD SISTER, which until now had been my favorite Sally Hempworth thriller. With very different backstories and personalities, the sisters are great characters. A compulsive liar and math whiz, Norah should be unlikeable but I found her completely endearing. Jessica hides her trauma under a veneer of perfectionism which she has parlayed into a career. And Alicia exudes compassion and insecurity in equal measures but is a talented social worker.

What they experienced at Miss Fairchild’s was disturbing and enraging, and the unveiling of the mystery had my eyes agog.

The book has it all:

✅ Plot
✅Characters
✅Pacing
✅Writing

This book had a slow start but WOW did it hook me. It pulled me in & I sped through it desperate to know how it ended. And the very end made my jaw drop!

I would recommend checking out the trigger warnings because it does deal with some dark topics.

The Darling Girls are three foster sisters who went through some very traumatic times and stayed close as adults. These girls are forced to come back to their place of torment when a body is discovered at their former foster home.

Told from multiple viewpoints across different time zones, this mystery will have you wondering what is really going on until the very end.

I found this story to be a well written thriller with a pretty good twist. Having the story unfold with a mix of present day and past events along with being told from multiple points of view. The characters are all suffering from their time in foster care as small children. I liked how each of the three main characters finally got some closure. The twist was truly surprising. I really didn't see it! The story kept me hooked and wanting to know more. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Such a fast paced, sit on the edge of your seat thriller.

Three girls, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are in foster care at Wild Meadows run by Miss Holly Fairchild. All three girls form a bond and once they escape the clutches of Holly Fairchild's twisted psychological games, there is a possibility they may get pulled back in. Buried secrets always come back to haunt.

This book is highly recommended to anyone that enjoys a fast-paced psychological thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Darling Girls is a thriller that focuses on three women who grew up as foster children. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah met each other while living under the care of Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows. These three women have developed a strong bond. During their time at Wild Meadows, they were subjected to harsh and traumatic situations. Miss Fairchild would often bring in new foster children. It seemed like her main purpose for doing this was to get paid. She would dote on one child until the next child showed up. Then, she would shower that child with love. Many years later, Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are reunited due to a solemn matter. They were contacted by the police department regarding bones discovered underneath Wild Meadows. Through the course of the book, these women open the door to spread light on what was actually taking place behind the closed doors. Throughout the book, the chapters rotate between the past and present. While reading this book, we are given pieces of the reality of what was taking place at Wild Meadows. The book takes the reader on an investigation to find out the truth about what occurred there. There are many twists and turns as we get closer to finding out the truth.
The author writes in a way that pulls the reader in to the story. There are many twists in the plot as new information is brought to life. I enjoyed this book because it had an interesting premise. Sometimes, things look perfect on the outside, but it can be messy inside. I enjoyed the flashbacks because it helped to see things from a different point of view. I was engaged with this book from start to finish. I wasn't sure how things were going to turn out and I enjoyed the suspense of waiting to uncover the truth. The book throws enough information at the reader to keep you guessing, but not too much where it is complicated. I would recommend this book to someone who is looking to read a different type of thriller.

Alicia, Norah, and Jessica were in foster care and placed into the care of Miss Fairchild. The house they grew up in was recently demolished and human remains were found. The three sisters who formed an unbreakable bond from when they were children get a phone call from the police to come in for questioning on the remains.

I was immediately hooked from the very beginning. The three sisters went to meet with the police to discuss their childhood and how badly Miss Fairchild treated them.

They were explaining everything from their chores and punishments to having to take care of babies that Miss Fairchild took in for short periods of time. Especially one baby in particular named Amy. The three sisters grew such a liking to Amy, but Miss Fairchild didn’t like that, so they were told they weren’t even allowed to touch or hold her.

This book had many twists toward the end that made me want to stop everything I was doing to make sure I finished the book. I also really loved the way the book wrapped up. We get to learn where each sister is at in their lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a story that delves into trauma bonding, codependency, past trauma, and though is a domestic thriller, throws a light into childhood trauma manifesting itself into adult life. Sally Hepworth always does an amazing job of hooking a reader, and this book is nothing different!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters. They are not blood sisters but have come close due to their foster home experience. But something has come to light from their past. A body underneath the foster home they lived in. How will the sisters deal with it, and what secrets are going to come to light?

The first thing I would say is that this book is not an easy one to read. Please be aware that there are a whole of trigger warnings for this book. I would have loved to get those warnings before I read this book. But once I was able to get past them, I was invested in completing this book. It was a good one, but after reading this one, I need a light book.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press @stmartinspress and Netgalley, for this book.

CW: Childhood abuse, psychological, physical, and mental abuse, drug addiction, manipulation, mother wound, mental health, childhood trauma

Twisty until the end. I enjoyed all of the POVs and the pacing. The dual timeline was perfect. Personally I didn’t find it too predictable.

In her latest release, Sally Hepworth weaves a story from 3(+) different perspectives in 2(+) timelines. Learning each of the characters isn’t difficult as each has a very distinct personality and story. For me personally what kept this from being a 5 star read was due more to subject matter. As a mom to young kids, this book was heavy on child abuse (verbal, some physical) which made it hard to consume. But as I worked to see past these issues, the storyline is excellent with twists and turns, “who dunnit” and “what’s going to happen next” abound. Would definitely recommend but certainly with TW.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is another excellent thriller!
I could not put this one down, finishing it in one day!
The writing and the plot were so captivating that I probably would have read the whole thing in a single sitting if I could have.
Hepworth has the ability to leave the reader in suspense until the very end of her thrilling tales.
The characters are developed very well, and the storyline was great.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was a decent suspense/mystery, which I expect from this author. While it wasn’t action-packed or super quick-paced, it was still interesting and intriguing enough to keep you turning the pages. This story switched back and forth between past and present, but it was always very easy to distinguish the timeline. The characters were well-written and easy to relate to, though not always the most likable. I didn’t expect the twist, but it wasn’t surprised by it either if that makes sense. Worth a read for mystery/thriller lovers.

I really enjoy Sally Hepworth’s books and this one was no exception. Darling Girls follows 3 women who met as children in foster care and flips between the present and their past growing up in the foster home. Years later, when human bones are found under the home, the women are forced to return to the town of their childhood.

Sally Hepworth has such a talent for building a story. I loved how this one was so layered and each chapter revealed just a little more and yet at the same time, everything wasn’t quite what it seems. For half the story it’s unclear from whose point of view a certain scene was taking place. It led to a compelling and disturbing read as the girls suffered unimaginable abuses at the hand of their foster mother.

This was such a solid and enjoyable read. I love to read a suspense book to get out of a reading slump and this one did just the trick!

I finally read a Sally Hepworth book! I can't believe I waited this long. I truly enjoyed her writing style and captivating narrative. In this book three foster sisters are forced to relive their traumatic childhood at a foster home, when years later the police finds human remains at the home's site.

This book had all the elements of the perfect psychological thriller. Girls with a broken childhood and a rough adulthood, manipulative foster mother, decades-old haunting mystery. I loved multiple POVs with dual timelines. They were seamlessly executed and the shocking ending really came together.

The amazing thing about the three main characters, the sisters, was that despite the terrible situation the girls were in, they grew up to be loving, compassionate and loyal. Yes, they carried some trauma with them as adults, but they were so strong because they had each other. It gave me comfort knowing that the sisters were working on their healthy future. I knew they would be ok.

The story was propulsive and unpredictable. The ending carried a shocking twist. It was such a bingeable read! I am really looking forward to adding more books by this author to my tbr.

I originally read the eARC of Darling Girls in September and was thrilled to do a reread in April when I was sent an ALC! Thank you St Martins Press and Macmillan Audio!

It is difficult to read a book by Darling Girls and gush about it, considering the sensitivity of the subject matter. However, gush I will, as this story blew me away.

Three girls, Jessica, Norah and Alicia, with completely different backgrounds all end up in the same foster home with Miss Fairchild. At first seeming idyllic and lovely, Fairchild’s true despicable nature seems to worsen and reveal sooner with the arrival of each additional child. As adults, Jessica Norah and Alicia are thankfully still family, but are called back to their former home when skeletal remains are found…

The story is told between past and present timelines of the three girls, and a fourth character who is a mystery for the majority of the story. These characters all feel so distinct, layered, and deeply flawed. They are also dealing with unfathomable trauma. Somehow in all of this, there is a strong undercurrent of hope with splashes of much needed humor. I loved it.

The narration of the audiobook was so well done. Jessica Clarke perfectly captured the full range of characters which is no small feat! With short chapters and gripping storytelling, Darling Girls shines in a way only Hepworth is able to deliver! This dark, twisty mystery will both enthrall readers and break their hearts.

Darling Girls
by Sally Hepworth
Pub Date: Apr 23 2024

Darling Girls is a hard read about abuse and crimes at a foster home, and the horrible way the girls were treated by the foster mother. It was a very heartbreaking read but I continued as I wanted to see if justice would be served. I'm glad I hung in as the ending was well worth it!

Synopsis: Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild. But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable, Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?

Many Thanks to #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress and #DarlingGirls for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

HAPPY PUB DAY to 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓖𝓲𝓻𝓵𝓼 by @sallyhepworth! This one is my favorite SH book to date! She is definitely an auto-buy author for me.

Three foster girls all grown up and called back to the town where they grew up to answer questions in a murder investigation. Bones were found buried on the grounds of their old foster home, and everyone involved is a suspect. With dual timelines and three POVs, it gives you a chance to get to know each of the girls and care for them all. They’ve all got secrets that they’ve tried to keep hidden which makes for a good twisty novel. I loved the bond the girls formed as kids. It was tough to read at times, but I also couldn’t stop reading. Loved that I didn’t see the ending coming!

Be sure to add this to your list! If you already love Sally, you’ll love this one. It’s darker than her other books but so binge-worthy! If you haven’t ready any of her books, I’m coming at you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Many thanks to @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my eARC and eALC! The audiobook was well done with great narration & made it easy to differentiate each character.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up together at a seemingly idyllic foster home on a farming estate with Miss Fairchild. But, looks can be deceiving. Through their struggles and difficulties they grew tighter than sisters. Years later when a body is discovered when excavating the property they are brought in to the police station to find out what really happened all those years ago.
@sallyhepworth has an amazing ability to draw you in from the first page, and keep you guessing until the last! If you enjoy mysteries and unpredictable twists, you should definitely get this one! It is set to be published tomorrow 🥳, so check it out!!
I will say there are some tough topics around foster children and their foster parents, to include verbal and psychological abuse. I have some friends who are amazing parts of the foster system, so I wanted to ensure I put that out there.
#NetGalley #DarlingGirls

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this eARC. I was excited to get the newest release from Sally Hepworth. This was her best release yet. I felt for all three of the girls and what they went through. This will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.