Thank you for the arc. I am a big fan of sally hepworth and this did not disappoint. It was a quick read on a weekend morning. Very enjoyable.

4.5 stars

A marvelously executed thriller by one of my favorite suspense writers.

I loved that this wasn’t your typical setting or characters. Reading about foster children as main characters (their traumas, backgrounds, and character flaws) added to the unpredictability & unreliability.

The change from third person to first person at the end was brilliant. It felt like you were reading a story about people, then getting their commentary on the story.

Overall pacing was great but the beginning of this one was a little slower than Hepworth’s other reads. She remains on of my favorite thriller authors, & this book really highlights her talent.

Sally Hepworth's latest novel, Darling Girls is an exploration of the long shadow of a traumatic childhood. The story centers on three foster sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who grew up at Wild Meadows, an idyllic estate run by their seemingly benevolent foster mother, Miss Fairchild. However, beneath the surface lurks a darkness. Miss Fairchild's abusive and controlling behavior leaves deep scars on the girls.
Hepworth masterfully weaves the story through the past and present, revealing the manipulative tactics Miss Fairchild employed and the enduring impact they had on the sisters. As adults, each woman struggles with the emotional fallout of their childhoods. A shocking discovery - a body unearthed beneath the floorboards of Wild Meadows - throws their lives into further turmoil and forces them to confront the secrets they've long buried.
Darling Girls is a page-turner. The characters are complex, each carrying the burden of their shared trauma, and relatable. However, the true brilliance of Darling Girls lies in its ability to sow seeds of doubt in the reader's mind. Miss Fairchild's brand of control is insidious, twisting the girls' perceptions and making the reader question the reliability of their memories. Are they recounting events accurately, or have years of trauma clouded their judgment? This uncertainty adds an extra layer of intrigue, making it difficult to discern fact from fiction and keeping you guessing until the very end.
This novel is a perfect choice for fans of domestic thrillers with strong female characters. If you enjoyed Hepworth's previous works like The Good Sister or are looking for a twisty-turny read that delves into the complexities of family and the enduring power of sisterhood, it won't disappoint.

I never tire of Sally Hepworth! She has a way of just sucking me right in and keeping me guessing until the very end. Darling Girls is just the latest in a series of amazing books. Jump in. You will not be disappointed.

I love Sally Hepworth novels; she’s an auto-buy author for me, but Darling Girls was not my favorite. Honestly, for the first 50% it felt like foster care ab*se trauma p*rn with super dysfunctional adults narrating their flashbacks. Once the mystery really set in, this was engaging, but I felt uncomfortable with most of this story, both past and present timelines. Like any Hepworth, there’s an excellent twist, and this novel covers some very important topics like child ab*se and addiction, but I felt kind of haphazard and voyeuristic for me. I guess if you’re in the childcare space, be it social work or foster care, or if the mistreatment of children doesn’t bother you. I’d still recommend this one, but other Hepworth novels are better. I’d recommend the audio over the physical as trying to actual read this was kind of a slog versus listening to a good audio narration.

DARLING GIRLS is a domestic suspense mystery by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth. Having really enjoyed her previous novels, I was anxious to start this novel.

In this novel the focus is on the system of foster care and its effects on the lives of three women: Jessica, Norah, and Alicia: linked as sisters by their childhood where they lived on a farm with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild who raised them at Wild Meadows.

The three sisters are all different yet bonded together. Jessica has a little OCD and Norah has some anger issues and Alicia has low self-esteem. It's a bond that takes them back to when they were girls, and they lived on a farm with a tough foster mother named Miss Fairchild who had rules not to be broken.

The book begins in the present, twenty-five years later, where each sister receives a call from a detective to inform them that Wild Meadows had been demolished and human bones had been discovered beneath the farmhouse from their childhood. They are asked to return to tell what they know. Against their will they return to Wild Meadows and Miss Fairchild.

The chapters alternate between past and present timelines of three women and how their past trauma shaped their present day lives.

The strength of this novel lies in the exceptional skill of this author’s character development. Each woman is different and easily pictured with their own set of baggage.

Can the past ever truly be buried?

Many thanks to the author, St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my digital copy.

Let me start by saying you will feel some sort of way while you read this book and once you finish! It's going to push your boundaries, but I feel that's what also makes this a five-star read for me. There were moments when I was riddled with anxiety. I struggle with severe anxiety and panic attacks in my personal life, but to have a book have a hold on me so tight was unexpected!

I can always count on Sally Hepworth to have me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Darling Girls is no different. There's no sugar coating it. This book is tough to read. It deals with several tough topics such as the injustice of the foster care system, child abuse and neglect, addiction, narcissism, trauma, child abduction, etc. It's a lot, yet I do recommend reading it. If nothing else, it will help people to realize how broken our system is and make everyone realize that while this is a fictional story, situations described in this book happen to children every single day. If you have a tough time getting through it, and I did, just think of all the children in foster care right now who aren't in good homes.

The story and characters are well written. Once it wrapped up, I wasn't left feeling like I needed more or that something was missing.

Well done, Sally Hepworth! I can't imagine how you must have felt writing Jessica, Norah, & Alicia's story. Thank you for shedding light on a really difficult topic.

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I’m a huge fan of Sally Hepworth’s writing because she is so funny. She tells a mystery/thriller in a way that made me laugh out loud at some of the dialogue. The witty comments along with the multiple POV kept me engaged from start to finish. This is a must read book!

4.5/5 rounded up

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the advanced reading copy!

Content warning: child abuse

SYNOPSIS -- Jessica, Norah and Alicia grew up with foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on a beautiful country estate. Each was rescued from sad situations and brought together... how lucky are they?! From the outside, very. From the inside, though, things are very, very different. Miss Fairchild seems kind, but, in truth, she's very unpredictable. With ever-changing rules and expectations, as well as a heavy hand at punishment, Miss Fairchild is anything but the sweet foster mother they wanted. Years later, a body is discovered underneath the house they grew up in. When Jessica, Norah and Alicia are pulled away from their complicated adult lives, they're not sure if they're there as witnesses, or suspects.

I LOVED this book!! From the very start, I was absolutely hooked. I've heard great things about Sally Hepworth for years, but was disappointed by the first book I read of hers -- THE SOULMATE. This one, however, blew me away. With multiple points of views and timelines, plus quick chapters, I could not put this book down. There was tons of new information on every page and so much mystery, making this into a wild whodunnit guessing game. Each character was unique in her own way and they all developed with such depth by the end that I was super invested. Miss Fairchild was such a complex character and, even though I hated her, I also somehow wanted more of her. The twist was TWISTY and I found myself shocked at the way things turned out. The therapeutic perspective is always really interesting to me and I loved the way these sessions were shrouded in mystery, too. Overall, this was a really great thriller and I can't wait to go back to Sally Hepworth's back list!

📚: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (@sallyhepworth)
⭐️: 4.5/5 (rounding down on #goodreads)

Somehow, this is my first full length Sally Hepworth read. (How have I held out for this long?) And it definitely won’t be my last.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. Sisters bonded by childhood trauma, with their former foster moher, Miss Fairchild, at the center of it all. With rapidly changing moods, zero patience, and a particularly cruel way to punish, when these sisters left, they hoped to never return.

Fast forward 25 years, and each one gets a call they dreaded. A body’s been found underneath the home they grew up in. Whose body is it? And how did it get there?

This read is dark and a page-turner that’s filled with familial bonds and processing trauma. (Naturally, I couldn’t get enough.)

An added half star to my rating for the final 4 pages. I nearly screamed out loud at the end twist.

Big thanks to @stmartinspress via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Darling Girls is out later this month on 4/23. Thriller readers - don’t miss this one!

TW: child abuse in foster care

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia all grew up in foster care at a place called Wild Meadows. Run by Miss Fairchild, it seems idyllic to outsiders. But inside, things are much different and the way the girls were treated was horrific. In present day, the girls get a call from authorities in that town - while demolishing Wild Meadows, they found bones underneath the house and they need to answer some questions. Whose bones could they be, and what else happened in that house?

Hooooo boy, definitely mind the content warnings on this one. It was hard to read at times, but I liked the mystery aspect of this as well as the psychological reasoning behind it. I also thought it all wrapped up well in the end, considering.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Darling Girls brings you three foster sisters who went through a horrific childhood coming back together after police discover a body under the foster home they grew up in.

If you've like Sally's other books you'll like this one. Unfortunately this one and most of her others aren't for me but people seem to love them so i'm in the minority! It's really hard for me to read about child abuse so the trigger warnings are important in this one and made me realize this just isn't a story for me. If you can stomach it, you'll enjoy the ride.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This one will be going down as a new favorite thriller. Initially, I thought the premise sounded like other books I’ve read before, but I quickly found that I was completely wrong. This book was both heartbreaking and twisty, and I absolutely devoured it. I adored the relationship between the foster sisters, and how each of them had their own distinct personality without succumbing to stereotypes. I was completely hooked from the beginning, and found the story to be full of twists that I never would have guessed, but weren’t too off the wall to be believable. This one is easily a new favorite and a five star read!

The story of three foster sisters, and learning what happened in the past when a body is found at the foster home they grew up in. Def dark topics being brought up, but this was a page turner for me and I couldn't wait to find out what happened. Sally Hepworth is a repeat author for me, and she has yet to really disappoint me!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are foster sisters. One day, they each receive a phone call from a detective investigating bones found at Wild Meadows, the foster home they lived in. The story is told from the points of view, both past and present, of Jessica, Norah and Alicia. The “past” points of view detail their experiences growing up with their foster mother, Ms. Fairchild.

Interspersed with these multiples POVs is an unknown person talking to a psychiatrist.

Sometimes it is hard to follow with multiple narrators but that’s not the case with this book. The author has deftly merged the storylines so there’s little to no confusion. There were a few twists along the way but the best one was at the end.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5)
TW: yes, DM me!

Read if You Like:
👀 Revenge stories
🗣️ Multiple POV
⏰ Alternating timelines
🔥 Slow burn thrillers
😨 Shocking endings

✨ Jessica, Norah, & Alicia grew up as foster sisters in a home called Wild Meadows, which they all gladly put behind them 25 years ago. Now, in present day, the women are contacted by a detective, stating that human remains were found under the house when it was demolished.

☁️ My Thoughts
This was another ONE DAY-er for me; so bingeworthy! I have read most of Sally’s novels & am a big fan (my favorite of hers isn’t a thriller, oddly enough, but this is now my second fave)- I will read anything she writes! I was overjoyed to receive this ARC in the mail, courtesy of @stmartinspress. 🫶🏼
This plot hooked me from the beginning & kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. I do have to say, though I enjoyed it entirely, I thought I was about to be disappointed by the ending/twist, thinking it was plainly obvious… until those LAST. THREE. PAGES. 🤌🏼 my rating was quickly bumped back up. I love a good jaw-dropping ending & this one definitely delivered.

The subject matter of this one is a bit darker than Hepworth’s previous thrillers, but I didn’t feel she went into too much detail on it- very well done. With the content being a bit heavier, I thought it was uniquely impactful & insightful on some of the traumas & hardships that, sadly, children in the system may face. Definitely a layered story, that was a great mix of action, and both character + plot development! This thriller is different in that it will definitely pull on your heartstrings as you’re trying to untangle this mystery.

This is for sure a book you will want to add to your spring TBR if you want a read that will keep you guessing until the very last page! 🙌🏼 highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5⭐ rounded up.

I went into this one blind and I was very pleasantly surprised. This is a psychological thriller centered around a few foster kids and their foster mom and the abuse and neglect that they experienced. This was told through multiple POVs and multiple timelines.

I liked the point that the author was trying to make throughout the book. Foster children seem to consider themselves lucky when they experience the bare minimum of abuse or neglect because it could be so much worse, and the author made it a point that no, they are not lucky. They experienced horrors that no children deserves. Just because it was less than some does not make them lucky.

This book touches on some dark and hard subjects so it may be important to check the trigger warnings.

⚠ Child abuse
⚠ Child neglect
⚠ Mentions of SA
⚠ Drug addiction
⚠ Mental illnesses
⚠ Murder

This book kept me emotionally invested in the characters the entire time as well as hooked on the story. I couldn't put it down because I didn't want to leave the characters and I was hooked and needed to know what was going on.

Even with all the different POVs and the different timelines, I think this story flowed really well. The author crafted a beautiful and emotional story, with an important message, and managed to keep the suspense high the whole time.

Sally Hepworth is a masterful storyteller, and her latest novel Darling Girls is no exception. I was hooked from the very start until its WOW ending, which actually caught me off guard. The mystery revolves around three foster ‘sisters’ who are bonded from their traumatic time at Wild Meadows in the care of tyrannical Miss Fairchild, who inflicted countless abuse. Fast forward 25 years and the sisters, Norah, Jessica and Alicia are summoned back there due to the discovery of human remains. Not only are remains unearth but so are many secrets and lies.

Read this if you enjoy:
-well plotted story interspersed with fascinating and flawed characters
-slow burn stories that tug at your heartstrings and also invoke great anger at the injustice
-twists and turns that keep you guessing until the highly satisfying ending
-multiple POVs with dual timelines
-deep dive in the psychology of the characters

My rating 5 out of 5

Trigger warnings: Child abuse, drug addiction, sexual abuse

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC that will be published April 23 2024.

I honestly don’t have too much to say about this book. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. We follow three women, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who were raised by a foster mother, Miss Fairchild, when they were young. Now adults, they are called back to Wild Meadows when the body of an infant is found on the property. In my opinion, it seemed to take far too long to find out anything at all in the present timeline. I would say 70% of the book was a reflective look at the past and how horrifically Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were treated as children. I thought it would be a murderous thriller / whodunit with respect to the body that was found, but this didn’t seem to become the focus of the plot until the very end. I would definitely read another of Sally Hepworth’s releases; maybe my expectations just weren’t well suited to this read.

Did anyone else picture Miss Fairchild as Miss Trunchbull?

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a rare gem that seamlessly weaves together compelling characters and a gripping plot. The sisters are portrayed as unique and endearing, while the storyline is filled with unexpected twists. This novel is an absolute page-turner, keeping me engaged from the very first word to the final page. A superb and haunting mystery that will leave a lasting impression.