A well written domestic suspense novel set in a foster home with three young women and the “mother” as the principal characters. The storyline has enough twists to put each of the characters under the suggestion of some level of suspicion throughout the book. Each chapter puts one character in direct focus and they switchback throughout the book between “before” and “after”. An easy read, engaging, good character development, and it sustained my interest throughout. Highly recommended!

With thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for access to this advance copy e-read.

Thoughts

I always really enjoy Hepworth's books, so I was super excited for this one too. And I think it was a solid thriller. The back forth timeline was done really well and helped build the suspense.

It isn't one that will wow you but is worth the read because it is entertaining. It does deal with heavy topics of child abuse and addiction so please be aware of that.

If you are a fan of this author I think it is a must read to complete her catalog. Or if you are just looking for a found family thriller this could be the one for you.

Thanks to @Netgalley for the eARC.

𝗬𝗢𝗨’𝗟𝗟 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗜𝗙:
• You like multiple POVs with dual timelines 🔁
• You want something with lots of twists 👀
• You’re craving sisterhood, secrets, love, & murder 💔

📚 For as long as they can remember, 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. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. Years later 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?....

💭 I love Sally Hepworths books, she writes the ultimate slow burn suspense! 👏 This book was GRIPPING, although it was definitely hard to digest the abuse towards the three main characters as kids. Miss Fairchild was in a league of her own (in the worst way) and it was scary how good she was at manipulating the people around her. This book was the perfect balance of twists, shock and point of views (I loved the therapy chapters). If you’re looking for a fantastic domestic thriller - this one’s for you! 🤍

"Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth was my fourth read by her, but it didn't grab me as much as her previous works. The constant back-and-forth between timelines made it hard to stay engaged, even though I usually enjoy multiple perspectives. The bond between the foster sisters, despite their dark past, was a highlight. They loved each other like sisters and had each other’s backs. Miss Fairchild's cruelty was depicted vividly, with unfair punishments and abuse. Some were difficult to read. The sisters were told they were lucky to have found this place but they were reallylucky to have each other.
The therapy sessions interspersed with the narrative were a bit confusing at first, but I caught on eventually. The discovery of human remains at the foster home early on was intriguing and I wanted to know how this plays out. The way the ending is revealed wasn’t much of a big surprise because you’re able to piece it through ahead of time. So for me, it wasn’t a shocking twist. I appreciated the three sisters’ journeys though.

As children, Jessica, Norah, Alicia were placed under the care of Miss Fairchild at her farm called Wild Meadows. The girls were considered lucky to be placed in a seemingly loving home but Miss Fairchild was not the loving mother they all desperately wanted. Miss Fairchild was extremely strict and played mental games with them to create loyalty and devotion to her. She was unpredictable and the girls could not trust her. They decided to make a pact as sisters and together they would get through the darkest days at Wild Meadows.

Twenty five years later, Jessica, Norah and Alicia are adults and have moved on with their lives despite their troubling childhood. The police from Port Agatha calls them to report there have been human remains found under the farm they were raised in. They are asked to return to Wild Meadows to answer questions regarding the investigation and provide insight into their former lives there. The girls must relive their days at the farm and old traumatic memories are brought up as they run into Miss Fairchild once again. Who is buried under the farm and who is responsible?

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of The Darling Girls! Grab your copy when it comes out on April 23rd 🩵

TW: child abuse, mental abuse, sexual abuse, foster care

Jessica, Norah and Alicia grew up together in foster care. Their foster mother appears to be a loving kind woman, but appearances are deceiving.

Now many years later a surprising event has happened at the home they were in. This brings the women back together.

Told in a then and now format. The girls lives and experiences are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. Each of the girls gets a voice as well as an additional unknown voice.

The women each have trauma from their childhood. It was interesting to see how that manifested in their adult lives.

I was gripped from the start and kept coming back to the book as soon as possible. I couldn't wait for the mystery to be solved.

I alternated between the print and audio book.

I loved this one! So many different emotions!

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

I am a big fan of Sally Hepworth's books and her newest, Darling Girls, is not a disappointment. This newest novel is set at the former home of three now-grown foster sisters. They were all placed with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, and have the scars to prove it. They bonded through the horrific experiences they shared while living in the foster home and are now back to see justice meted out for the newly discovered body found under the home. Read and enjoy!

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

THAT LAST CHAPTER. I was not expecting that at all, it made this book even better. I devoured this book from the first sentence and did not want to put it down.

I loved everything about this book, especially the two different timelines with all the different points of view. This is the second book I've read by this author and I enjoyed this one much more. I'll definitely be reading more of her books.

If reading about child abuse in anyway triggers you then definitely don't read this book. If it's something that you're okay reading then read this book.

This is my second Sally Hepworth book and so far, she's 2/2 for me. This book follows three sisters, along with a fourth unknown point-of-view. I easily figured out who this fourth person was, as I thought it was pretty obvious, but there were definitely some twists and turns there that I couldn't have predicted, especially that ending!

I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters and especially how Sally Hepworth injected some humorous moments into their interactions, despite some of the heavy topics that this book covered. This was a book with suspense and mystery, but I would say that it was also a family drama with each sister going through her own conflict. Overall, a compelling read that I would recommend.

Thank you Sally. I was anxious to get my hands on this book and it didn't disappoint. I've read other books by this author and loved them all so I knew I'd most likely love this one. Sally knows how to weave a good story with many perspectives and this one was no different. You couldn't help but feel for these 3 girls who were put into foster care and I was staying awake longer at night than I should have to continue reading just 1 more chapter. Pick this one up.

Sally Hepworth is a longtime favorite of mine so it's no surprise that Darling Girls was an amazing read! Literally could not put it down as it kept me glued to every page until the very end. Interesting premise, lots of sad and true-to-life situations but a few laugh-out-loud moments make this a must read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

I love Sally Hepworth, but this book just wasn’t my favorite. It just didn’t pull me in like some of her other novels. I guessed one of the twists early on, and I wasn’t that invested in the characters.

Darling Girls is the story of three sisters who grew up together in a foster home. The timeline goes back-and-forth from when they were girls to the present day. You get the perspective from each of the sisters and it's interesting to see how their childhoods affected their adulthood. There's some abuse and trauma in the book, but I think Sally Hepworth wrote it in a tactful way.

This was a quick read- one that pulled you in and left you wondering how it would end. And I will say the ending had a good payoff!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed the book, like I do Sally's others! Definitely recommend!

Another great, suspenseful read by Hepworth! This time a group of foster kids living with an unbearable foster Mom. Now they are adults and a dead body is found…and only they know who it could be…
Loved the twists all the way to the end! Bravo!

4.5 stars. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were foster children who became close when living together in Wild Meadows, under the care of Miss Fairchild. The trio declared themselves as real sisters, as they looked out for each other amongst the abuse and neglect they faced by their foster parent. Flash forward, each girl is now woman, living as adults and dealing with their pasts. They receive a call from the police, notifying them of a body found under the Wild Meadows home. How much information are they willing to share? And are they ready to return to this traumatic place?

I loved this book and absolutely flew through it! This is my second book by Sally Hepworth and she continues to prove her great storytelling in this new release. I liked the variety of not only personality, but also how each of them dealt with their trauma differently. It made the multiple POVs easy to get through. There were quite a few twists and though I was able to predict most of them, I did not mind that at all because of how interesting the chapters were. Definitely recommend!

A unique story line that finds these three sisters having to defend their "perfect" life that maybe wasn't as perfect as those outside the farm thought. They fought to free themselves from Miss Fairchild's rules and consequences, only to find they were not the only ones to be taken in by Miss Fairchild, but they survived.

Sally Hepworth is well known for leading readers into a story they expect only to suddenly find themselves in a maze with no idea how they will get out. These twists make her stories fan favorites among those of us who love to be tortured when our guesses prove wrong. Thrills are definitely on the Hepworth menu.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia grew up in foster care with Miss Fairchild, on a farming estate, Wild Meadows Farm. They were always told how lucky they were to be there, but Miss Fairchild was not a good person and the girls eventually ran away. It is now 25 years later, the farm has been sold. The girls have remained close, considering themselves to be "sisters."

A body has been found under the house and Jessica, Norah and Alicia are called back to the area by the police. The story unfolds through different POVs, and time lines. We are also witness to someone talking to a therapist, Dr. Warren. Are these women witnesses to what happened, or is one of them a killer?

This is an unflattering look at the foster care system, depicting child abuse. I have read other books by Sally Hepworth and I felt that this one was not as well done as her others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for an ARC. The review is my own.

Sally Hepworth has a talent for writing psychological thrillers that just pull you in, wrap you up, and hold on until the very last page. This book focuses on three girls raised in foster care in Australia, and the very troubled years they were together in a home where Miss Fairchild was their foster parent. The story begins with a secret being uncovered in that home, and the girls as adults being called back to the town to help figure out the true story behind it. Chapters were written in the voices of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia - all helping to bring the broken parts of the story together, and as it unwinds we discover the horrors that were Miss Fairchild. Many twists and turns in the story that can keep the reader guessing...... And just when we think we know the whole story --- guess again!! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #Darling Girls

Darling Girls will delight fans of twisty stories. The set-up: three girls lived at an abusive foster home and became virtual sisters. As adults, they are still struggling with their childhood experiences when police contact them individually to let them know that human bones have been found on the grounds of their foster home and that they want to speak to each of them.

As with all the other books by Sally Hepworth that I’ve read, this one takes place in Australia - this time it’s in Melbourne and a fictional small town a few hours away by car.

I listened to the audiobook on a long flight and it definitely kept my interest. There are lots of twists and turns and we get to hear from each of the girls as well as from the foster mother, Miss Fairchild. The best thing about the story for me was the amazing friendship the three girls/women developed and held to over the years. They were each other’s support system.

Lovers of psychological thrillers will eat this one up. I thought it was well written but I have gradually realized this genre isn’t my “jam.”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. Jessica Clarke did a fine job with the narration of the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sally Hepworth for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One thing I love about Sally Hepworth’s works is they are never finished until the very last sentence. In her latest novel, “Darling Girls” follows the lives of three women at two points in their life = the present and the time in their childhood they stayed at Wild Meadows. Wild Meadows was the farm owned by their foster mother Miss Fairchild. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia formed such a strong bond from their experiences at the farm they never truly separate.

Decades later, Miss Fairchild has sold the farm and during demolition, a body is found under the house. The girls are forced to go back to the town as an investigation is opened, coming face to face with their past while navigating current psychological issues as a result of their childhood. Are they key witnesses or prime suspects?

I couldn’t put this book down! Full of twists, complex relationships, and knowing that “nothing is as it seems.”