Darling Girls is a fast paced, unputdownable suspense by Sally Hepworth, that comes complete with all the feels.
Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been together since they were tweens. All had experienced different types of family tragedies and were brought to live with Miss Fairchild, a local foster parent. But Miss Fairchild's beautiful home hid an unbelievable amount of trauma.
Now they find themselves summoned back to their hometown after a body's been discovered under their foster mother's home. They're just not sure if they're considered witnesses or suspects.

My first Sally Hepworth novel was The Good Sister, and I was instantly hooked. Ever since then, Hepworth has been a go-to author for me. Even if I don’t particularly care for the premise, I will still pick up her books because I know that she delivers on the suspense. Her latest novel Darling Girls follows three women who were raised together in a specious foster home. Having spent their formative years together, the women consider themselves sisters and are as thick as thieves. They never thought that they would find themselves returning to the home that holds so many secrets and horrors for them, but that they do when human remains are found under the home, prompting an investigation into what really went on at that house while Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were living there.

Hepworth has once again written a twisty novel of domestic suspense, which will have you making guesses left and right as to what is really going on here. I had so many theories as to what the twist may be that eventually I just gave up on figuring everything out and instead focused on enjoying the ride wherever it took me. Take me it did down a rabbit hole of foster care abuse, family secrets, and sisterly bonds.

Darling Girls is a step up over Hepworth’s two previous novels, The Younger Wife and The Soulmate, Darling Girls kept me more invested in the story and curious about the outcome without causing my attention to wane. However, I did take major issue with one way that this novel was written - there is a very confusing POV situation that was not sorted out until the very end of the book.

While listening to the audiobook production of this novel, admittedly I got very confused by the psychiatrist bits added onto the end of some of the chapters, particularly Jessica’s These pieces of narration literally come out of left field, and I kept finding myself checking the chapter name on my audiobook to figure out whose POV I was listening to. However, even the psychiatrist storyline does not remain consistent, later jumping around amongst all of the girls. Of course, Hepworth brings it all together at the end of the novel, but while I was in the midst of it, I was thoroughly confused. I don’t like feeling like I am missing something while reading a book, so I wish these segments had been more clearly delineated for the reader.

I was briefly wondering whether this book was for me when more or less right at the beginning it got quite dark and unsettling with topics that are hard to stomach but since I knew I usually love Sally Hepworth's way of writing a story, so I read one. And I was hooked - I just loved the three main characters and wanted them to overcome their trauma, but to get to the part where you can safely root for the characters Sally Hepworth takes you down a dark and twisty path.
This book starts out with the three main characters in their current life situation getting a call from a detective notifying them that there were bones found buried under the foster home they all used to live in. Immediately the questions whose bones? why ? Who was involved? Did the girls have something to do with it? arise.
The story unfolds with the three girls different POV's going between the past and present and it made the book all the more engaging. I loved that all three girls had their issues and trauma had manifested quite differently but also following their individual trajectories. I loved that they stuck together no matter what happened and had each other's backs the whole time. This book should come with trigger warnings as quite heavy topics that may be triggers for some are discussed - proceed with caution !

When they were young, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were foster children together. From the outside, it sure looked like these girls were lucky… the house was beautiful and their foster mother was well kept and perfect. But on the inside, the girls endured a horrific childhood. Twenty years later, bones are found buried under the house and the women must return to their foster home and confront their awful memories of their time there.

Are you ok, Sally?! This one was dark. Loved the beginning, but it fell flat at the end: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.

Sally Hepworth did it again! Another fast pace thriller that ai couldn’t put down. I loved the twists in this one.

Loved this novel! It was well written and easy to follow! I was surprised by the ending and I LOVE when I am not able to predict the ending! I would highly recommend reading this!

3.5 stars

This was my first book by this author, and I was eager to dive in after hearing so many good things about her domestic and psychological thrillers. However, it fell a bit short of my expectations, as I anticipated it to be more thrilling. Despite that, I still enjoyed the story, and it kept me guessing about the bones they found under the house.

The plot of this book primarily centers on the broken foster care system in our country, and I appreciated the author bringing attention to such a significant issue. It's a dark and heavy story that can be difficult to read at times, especially with its descriptions of child abuse, so be sure to check the trigger warnings before diving in. Despite the tough subject matter, the writing was excellent and really drew me into the story. I became deeply invested in the characters and genuinely cared about their outcomes. I felt a strong connection to the three women and hoped they could heal from their traumatic childhoods and build better lives for themselves.

The book features both past and present timelines, along with multiple POVs. I enjoyed exploring the lives of the three women who became foster sisters during their childhood. The narrative reveals their past experiences and how these have shaped their present lives. At times, I found the past timeline more compelling than the present one. Despite the gut-wrenching and sad depiction of their childhood abuse and trauma, there are also hopeful and uplifting moments. My favorite part was watching the sisters develop a strong bond with each other, and I loved the dynamics of their sisterhood and the found family element.

The story includes some language but no explicit spicy scenes. However, it does feature a lesbian relationship with a few makeout scenes.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and appreciated getting to know the three sisters and their childhood experiences. Although it was heartbreaking at times, it kept me guessing throughout and had a surprising twist at the end. If you enjoy slower-paced mysteries that focus more on character development than on the plot and can handle dark subject matter, you might really like this book. I definitely recommend it and plan to explore more of this author's backlist.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

The mystery was a good one and parts of it kept me guessing until the reveal. The characters were pretty well developed, with the exception of a couple that I think could have benefitted from a little more information. It's hard to care about a person when you don't know much about them or their motivations.
Overall it was pretty good and I do like this author so I will read more from her.

Darling Girls had the potential to be a great thriller but had a few flaws. I enjoyed the portrayal of the three sisters—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—and how their unique personalities were revealed through the various chapters from their perspectives. The nonlinear timeline was effective in showing how childhood trauma shaped them into the women they became. However, the story's tension was uneven; key plot points emerged abruptly, while less significant aspects were developed too slowly. The supporting characters were static, serving only one specific roles. Additionally, the ending felt rushed and icky. Overall, it's a fast-paced book that thriller readers will find enjoyable.

Hepworth’s best book yet! The pacing was perfect and the story was intriguing. Thank you to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for a review.

Loved, loved, loved! So well done. This book was hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had so many theories and I learned I would not make a good detective, ha!

Wow! What a ride! The plot was interesting and I loved the development of each characters’ storylines. It kept me guessing until the very end and I felt so investing in getting justice for the sisters. It was nicely paced and the multiple timelines allowed for the reader to slowly learn information leading to the ending, which tied up the threads perfectly.

This is a domestic thriller with serious trigger warnings, going into the dirty underbelly of the foster system and a LOT of child abuse, told in three POVs and two timelines. Although I usually love Sally Hepworth, I did not like this one, I thought it was kind of boring and had to constantly fight against myself to bring my attention back to the book. There was no real distinction between the different characters, which made it hard to know which POV we were in, and they all felt kind of flat. The "shocking" ending was borderline insulting. So, I think it's safe to say this one was not for me, but I have read many amazing reviews for this book so don't let mine deter you from picking this up!
I received an advance copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was so good! I liked the multiple points of view. I did not guess the twist at the end! This is my first book by Sally Hepworth and it won’t be my last!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for my eARC of Darling Girls in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel, though I have seen her books countless times I just had never gotten around to read any. Oh, how I can say I regret that now! I absolutely love the lyricism of her writing and her attention to detail is incredible. Her characters come to life on the pages and the story is gripping and emotional.

This story follows three foster girls: Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. They’re under the care of Miss Fairchild at her home called Wild Meadows. We are bounced around from the past, when each were placed at the home, events while they lived there, and to the present when they’re all contacted about human remains found under the house after it was sold and torn down. The dual timelines kept the story fresh and interesting, and the twists were incredible and well written.

I absolutely loved this book!

Sally Hepworth has done it again! She created a twisty story with unexpected turns. Wonderful writing. I was hooked and loved this book!

This is the first book I’ve really enjoyed in a while! The book focuses on three sisters who met in a bad foster care situation and as adults they are contacted that there’s a body under the foster house they met in. I really enjoy the three lead characters and hearing about each of their personal journeys. The book kept me entertained through out and waiting til the end to see the outcome. Overall it was a great read!

This book was as twisty as it was heartbreaking. Stories about the foster system typically infuriate me, and this one was no different. Hepworth did a fantastic job crafting not only a strong storyline but a great lineup of characters. I loved learning about Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, and I enjoyed unpacking their shared trauma. It was both painful and rewarding. The Mrs. Fairchild character, though, is the real treat, a character that you love hating and just can't wait to see them get theirs!

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth pulled me from the very first page and catapulted me through the lives of three adults who bonded over being in the same toxic care home run by Miss Fairchild. Sisters for life they are brought back to the home after bones of a small child are discovered on the property. Finger pointing and blame starts and each women navigates their traumatic pasts and present while searching for answers. A definite 5 star

Sally Hepworth hits it out of the park again with this one. I was hooked from the very beginning. The slow burn suspense is action packed enough to keep you reeled in from the start. It twist and turns are what you crave this novel is jam packed with them. Although the book was a bit predictable at times the ending blew me out of the water and I did not see it coming!