Sally Hepworth's upcoming novel, DARLING GIRLS, is definitely one of her stronger novels as of late. I usually struggle with some of her newer releases because they're such slow-burn suspense stories that take awhile to get into, but they always pay off in the end.

The story is centered around three women, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. As young girls, they were rescued by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, and are living in pretty questionable standards of living. Miss Fairchild has effectively changed the course of their lives forever with how they were raised and it definitely can be hard to hear about as we dive into each of their stories. Trigger warning for child abuse, just saying! It's hard to really go down the rabbit hole with this one, but use your imagination on how this could go, but the ending really sold it for me. With such a slow burn, sometimes the payoff isn't worth it, but it definitely is in DARLING GIRLS. If you've liked the author's previous works, you'll love DARLING GIRLS. Heck, it may be my favorite one by Sally Hepworth yet!

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @sallyhepworth for the ALC to listen and review!

“𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵.”

I ate this domestic suspense/mystery up! There are several different POVS including a mystery person. The narrator nailed all those aspects. The past and present timeline that slowly fills you in with all the information was so well done. I do feel like it was a slower pace but the family dynamics keep me engaged and I didn't mind the pacing. A not so typical family with lots of underlining elements.

Foster sisters who have really had a crazy go at it.
I really love how the girls were portrayed. They are strong and resilient after everything they have been through. To get to see their journey was insane but they kicked life's ass and made a comeback. I love it.

Darling Girls is an adrenaline-fueled psychological thriller that will grip you from the first page to the last. Don't miss the explosive beginning of an unforgettable adventure of the journey of three strong women that will leave you on the edge of your seat. It is the first book I've read from the author. I had a hard time putting it down. The ending was a real jaw-dropper that I didn't see coming. My head spun; it was hard to swallow. This book isn't for everyone dealing with the foster care system and the abuse. It may be triggering. So please read all the TW before reading.

I enjoyed that the author included an extended denouement that traces Jessica, Nora, and Alicia's lives after the shocking outcome that is bittersweet and realistic. I fell in love with the main characters. They were well-developed, deeply flawed, and so relatable. It's well-paced, full of suspense and reveals that unravel into a compelling page-turner. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are foster care children placed at Wild Meadows, a farmhouse owned and run by Miss Fairchild. The trio form an unbreakable bond, and their story shows the strength of sisterhood and resilience of children. The sisters have done everything possible as adults to forget the atrocities they witnessed firsthand at "Wild Meadows." Still, when a contractor discovers human remains under their old foster home, the girls are pulled back to Wild Meadows; they are not happy about returning to the small country town of Port Agatha at first and have to dredge up their painful past but become eager to uncover the truth about who the bones belong to and who hid them underneath the house. Is one of them hiding a secret?

Darling Girls alternates between multiple points of view from Jessica, Nora and Alicia's and parallel timelines. We learn about the girls' time in foster care while a similar plot line follows the investigation into the mysterious bones. There is also an enigmatic character who talks to DR. Warren. I found these chapters fascinating. The character development in this book is unmatched. From the neurotic, selfish and manipulative Miss Fairchild to the neurotic Jessica, an angry and volatile Nora who gets herself in some legal situations and Alicia, an insecure with a vast heart, Hepworth expertly built equally relatable and heart-wrenching profiles. I admire her shining a light on the harsh realities of the failures of the foster care system and how much research the author put into this novel and did it with sensitivity.
I highly recommend you read it; you won’t be disappointed!! I highly recommend both the hard copy and the audiobook. Jessica Clarke did a fantastic job narrating. I found her voice to be compelling and brought the characters to life.

Expected Publication Date in Canada and the USA: April 23, 2024

I want to thank St. Martin's Press, Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jessica, Alicia, and Norah were raised together by Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows, a seemingly idyllic farm. They were told they were lucky to have escaped their pasts and found a new family. However, Miss Fairchild's rules were strict, and her kindness could be unpredictable.

Years later, when human remains are discovered on the property, the women are questioned by the police, forcing them to confront the unsettling secrets they buried deep within.

The story unfolds through alternating timelines, slowly revealing the complex relationship between the women and their foster mother. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are all well-developed, each with their own distinct personalities and struggles.

Throughout the book, I was deeply invested in the characters and their struggles to overcome their childhood trauma, while the suspenseful atmosphere kept me guessing until the very end.

I really liked this one! Jessica Clarke did a fantastic job narrating the audiobook, bringing the story to life with her engaging voice. Thank you @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the gifted copies of Darling Girls.

4.25 stars
My first Sally Hepworth book but definitely not my last!
If you are sensitive to them, please check content warnings because this heavily deals with topics like child abuse, but wow this was really well done. It was incredibly sad but felt so real. I adored the girls and the shifting perspectives and timelines kept the story engaging, making it was hard to put down. And it’s been a while since I’ve hated a character *this* much- it has a superbly done villain that had me incredibly upset. I want to beat them up so bad.
The bits of romance were really cute and only added to the story. I’m glad that they took a backseat because the rest is so serious, but those moments of kindness/ sweetness added emotional range and depth to the characters. And the found family trope was so good. My heart absolutely melted when Aaron asked about adopting Theo 🥺🥺
About halfway through things did start to get a bit predictable, but the ride was still enjoyable and it wasn't too early that things were boring. It was just early enough that I felt smart lol. That being said there was one twist that I didn't guess at all and I loved it ( SPOILER: I loved that her abuse can’t then be justified that "oh well she was abused as a child". She has been manipulating her whole life and did unspeakable things to kids- no mercy for her. Although it does suck that she won’t get the proper punishment at least she won’t think she can mess with Jessica again.)
I'm really happy with how things got resolved both in the large scale with the mystery and our girls and the Kevin side storyline (f him). The last chapter was SO cute and I had a giant goofy smile on my face while listening.
P.s. the Aussie accents made the audiobook experience even more enjoyable haha
Huge thank you to Macmillan for an early audiobook arc!

Jessica is a professional organizer. Since she was a girl, she loved to sort and categorize, putting things in an order so elegant that she is now paid for the honor. She’s married, although she feels a certain amount of distance from her husband. Her last client is upset because despite her beautiful organizing, something has gone missing from her home. A bottle of Valium has gone missing, and she is not happy. Jessica pretends not to know anything about it. But this client is not the first one with this complaint.

Norah isn’t interested in traditional dating. Sometimes she uses the dating apps, but that’s more to find someone to do some odd jobs around the house. But she does love her dogs, Converse, Couch, and Thong. They’re big and dumb and underfoot at all the wrong times, but she loves them. She has an online business taking psychometric tests for people applying to jobs, and she does not suffer fools. Like her last date, who just wouldn’t take a hint until she punches him in the nose.

Alicia is a social worker with a heart of gold and a burning crush on a hot attorney. She’s the person the police call when it’s an emergency and they have a child who needs a short-term placement. She is kind and patient and good at her job. Because she understands what it’s like.

When these women get the call, they are living their lives, doing the best they can. Then the detectives from Port Agatha call them, and they are little girls again. They are foster kids living at Wild Meadows with Miss Fairchild. And after what they went through those years with Miss Fairchild, they are now sisters with an unbreakable bond.

The detectives ask the women to come back to Port Agatha because an excavation at the house has revealed human bones buried under the house. And the detectives have questions.

As kids, the girls learned to follow Miss Fairchild’s rules, as there were consequences otherwise. Food was scarce, and the chores were constant, but the three girls learned to lean on each other for help and support. All they had to do was stay under Miss Fairchild’s radar. The problem was that Miss Fairchild’s radar reached everywhere. And her punishments were designed to break them down.

But now, they are adults. And they’re going back to Port Agatha to face their old fears. To face their old enemy. And to help the police figure out exactly what happened in the basement at Wild Meadows.

Sally Hepworth is back with a nail-biter of a thriller about the ways we get through challenging times. Told in two timelines, from the perspectives of all three women, this story is filled with twists and flips that keep you guessing until the end. Are these women killers? Are they victims? And just who is buried under the house?

I listened to Darling Girls on audio, narrated to perfection by Jessica Clarke. Her lovely Australian accent sets the scene for this layered story, and she tells this story with compassion and understanding but never giving anything away.

I so enjoyed this story of found family and healing. Just when I thought I was getting my footing on what really happened, the rug would get pulled out from under me, and I had to scramble to find a place to stand again. I got completely absorbed by the story and wanted nothing more than to get all my questions answered. Listening to the audio was especially fun for this. I was transported to Australia, to that house of horrors, and I couldn’t wait to find out how everything turned out.

Clearly, this is not a book everyone will enjoy. There are several incidents of child abuse, so anyone sensitive to that will want to skip Darling Girls and try a different Hepworth book instead.

An early copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio and egalleys were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

4⭐️s

This was a solid and addictive read. I opted for the audio version and was instantly hooked. Not only was the book well written, the narration brought the characters to life. We got a glimpse of the characters through various POVs and there was just enough drama. The plot twists were twisty for sure and I never felt underwhelmed with the plot. This book was quickly devoured this book in a day. Would definitely recommend. At this point, when I see a Sally Hepworth book...it is an instant read. I'm looking forward to what's next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted ARC (audiobook)…as all opinions are my own.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio's publisher for looking inside my brain and picking out an audiobook made for me.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia do not have fond memories of their childhood. All foster kids under Miss Fairchild's roof, their time there was rife with abuse and fear. None of them looked back when they left. But years later when a body is found in their childhood home, they have no choice but to return to the place they were forced to call home and answer questions, exposing their secrets.

I love to tell people I love slow-burn thrillers, only to hand out two-star ratings like candy on Halloween. What Hepworth has done here is a true slow-burn that slowly amps up the intrigue and suspense til I couldn't listen fast enough. I sat there in a trance, finishing the audiobook in ONE DAY.

Generally, I'm not too fond of surprise epilogues. They feel cheap and like one last desperate attempt to wow your audiences. But here it worked. While it still shocked me, it aligned with the character's arc. It cast a new light on the story and made it even more sinister.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It was the perfect binge-able thriller!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audio copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A past/present narrative that follows three young girls and their time at a foster home with a foster mother named Miss Fairchild. But now, even though they escaped, their past haunts them when a body is discovered on the estate. Can we really outrun our childhood?

I thought this was a fantastic thriller! Sally Hepworth is an absolute PRO when it comes to planting clues and paying off the story at the end with an unexpected reveal. I recommend this to thriller fans who enjoy a multi-pov and dual-timeline narrative. It focuses on the children's experience in foster care, so keep that in mind going into it. But overall I would absolutely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly, I'm so thankful for receiving an early copy of this book. I read it as an audiobook and the narrator, Jessica Clarke, was amazing. She made it even easier to embrace the setting.

This book was a solid 4 stars. Sally's writing is really good and her character development is amazing. Her extra twist in the end was what validated my rating, it suited that specific character even more.

I can't pinpoint the exact reason why it wasn't a 5 star read, but I believe is a me problem. It felt too much as a psychological mystery, without the thrilling aspect - specially in the first half, and I guess I'm in the need for that a bit more.

Sally Hepworth has delivered another 5 star - must-devour-immediately-then-talk-about-it-with-all-of-my-friends read!

Darling Girls is a dark and twisty tale of three girls who bonded over the trauma they shared during their time with Miss Fairchild while in foster care.

Jessica has always been the organizer and the one who craved the attention of a mother figure. Norah is combative and rebellious finding little reason to like, let alone love, anyone. And Alicia is able to find the good in everyone but herself.

The three girls, now women, forged a sisterhood that is stronger than blood and that strength is needed when bones are found under the porch of their former foster home. Each are contacted by police and questioned about their time with Miss Fairchild. While all three would love to leave the events of 25 years ago behind them, they know they owe it to someone from their past to find answers.

The story teeters from the past to the present and is told from the perspective of each woman. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are each wholly different yet share a love for one another that neither time nor tragedy can break.

I am so appreciative of the opportunity to both read and listen to the novel. The audio version provides that human emotion and life to stories that I absolutely love!

This was such an interesting book with a big twist at the end! This book is about 3 "sisters" who were all placed in the same foster home as children. The mother, Holly Fairchild, was a lady who treated the kids really well for a little bit, then was very abusive and mean. Each of the girls ha da different relationship with her, but none of them were good. Now they're all grown ups and they get a call that remains of a body were found under Mrs. Fairchild's home and they are asked to help with the case. Long story short, the girls have a suspicion of who it is and they're convinced Mrs. Fairchild is the killer. We get flashbacks to Mrs. Fairchild's childhood and get to know why she is the way she is and it makes the reader question what could be true. The end culminates in a nice pretty bow for some and a huge revelation for others. Definitely had my jaw on the floor. Major trigger warnings for this one so check them out.































SPOILERS AHEAD: The girls had a 4th "sister" named Amy that they swore was around and obtained illegally but when the police were tipped off, there was no trace of her so they never believed her. They think that is the body they are going to find. However, Mrs Fairchild new the cops were coming so she got rid of her and the dead baby is actually her own sibling that she was so jealous of she murdered as a young woman. She claimed that the baby was a child conceived by rape from her step father and the whole book is spent recalling her childhood of the abuse, but in the final chapter she confesses it was all a lie. CRAZY.

An interview in a psychiatrist's office is our introduction to Darling Girls. The (unnamed) interviewee is not yet ready to talk about Wild Meadows. We glean that it was a foster home, and a place of much suffering.

Human remains have been discovered on the site of Wild Meadows, and somebody is guilty.

Three women, bonded by the trauma they experienced at the hands of their demented foster mother at Wild Meadows, come back to aid in the police investigation. They're scarred by the terror they lived through, but also incredibly close, and would do anything for each other. Going back and forth in time we learn the story of how each arrived at Wild Meadows, the horrors they endured and the strength they found in each other, in their sisterhood.

An engaging mystery with some wild surprises and twists, the abuse described is intense and could be triggering. It was tolerable for the resilience shown by the foster sisters as they finally address their childhood nightmare. Darling Girls was an emotional and gripping read.

The audiobook version of this book was well done and easy to follow, with the narrator providing different voicings to the characters, coloring in their personalities. The story takes place in Australia and the accent grounded me in that setting.

My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were not born sisters, but as foster children who came to live with foster parent, Miss Fairchild, they quickly became close. The girls thought that living with Miss Fairchild would be a dream come true and they would finally get the loving family they deserved but as time went on, other children came and went from the home and Jessica, Norah, and Alicia started to realize that Miss Fairchild wasn't as loving and caring as she appeared to be.

All grown up with lives of their own, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are trying to move on from their pasts with Miss Fairchild. Although the girls stay in touch, they are not as close as they once were, especially Jessica who is dealing with her own secret. Out of no where, a body is discovered under Miss Fairchild's house and the girls are forced to revisit their past and deal with their traumas head on. Soon enough, secrets are uncovered and the girls discover that they might not be the only one with a dark past.

Sally Hepworth's books are always great. Each girl's personalities are developed well and the plot flows. I always praise a book when it has a twist that I did not see coming and this book had two! Well written and definitely recommend.

Rating: 4.5⭐️
Audio rating: 5⭐️ Australian narrator with lots of enthusiasm and changing voices!
Pub date: 4/23/24 (today!)
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (thank you for this advanced listener copy!!)

1 sentence review: A wild domestic thriller full of emotional and psychological manipulation!

I am not usually the biggest fan of domestic thrillers, and I wasn’t a huge fan of this author’s book “The Soulmate”, but this read was fun, thrilling, and engaging from start to finish!! It was set up in a way that left the chapters on mini cliffhangers that made me want to keep reading and reading!

I really loved the characters with their flaws. Their personalities were all a direct reflection of the traumas they had to endure as kids, and I loved that each of the sisters had their own character growth! The ending was full circle with some juicy twists- but definitely check trigger warnings on this one if you’re sensitive to certain material!!

Also, I’m sorry but I could only picture Miss Fairchild as Miss Trenchbull from Matilda😂

Read This if You Like:
🐴 Books about emotional abuse and manipulation
🧸 Bingeable domestic thrillers with twists you don’t see coming
👯‍♀️ Thrillers with main character growth

Sally Hepworth has done it again! From the beginning I was pulled into this story filled with secrets and lies. Three sisters, now grown up and trying to live their lives are drawn back to their life with Miss Fairchild, their foster mother, after bones are discovered when the house is demolished. The story moves between the past and present and the point of view of each sister. As more is revealed, more questions are raised? What really happened and can the sisters move on from it?

The author was engaging and did a good job bringing the characters to life and drawing listeners into the story.

This may be one of my favorite Sally Hepworth books! The suspense was amazing but I also loved reading about the friendship and love between the 3 sisters who were main characters. I somehow didn’t guess the ending (though by the end I felt a bit stupid and like maybe I wasn’t listening carefully enough?) but regardless I really think my favorite part was the heart warming bits and the exploration of trauma and found family. Sally Hepworth always has a way of combining suspense and drama and character development and humor and depth in a really masterful way. Loved this one!!

This was tough to listen to as the abuse detailed is difficult to hear but it brings the story together and makes for a somewhat satisfying conclusion. The story itself is well-plotted, and though I figured out one of the twists, it did not take away from my enjoyment overall. The characters were likeable where they were meant to be, but just flawed enough to make you wonder who is telling the truth. The narration by Jessica Clarke was excellent. A good, quick read that will keep you guessing.

Thank you NetGalley for an audio copy of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

I read an ARC of Darling girls then was sent the audio to review as well. Really liked and enjoyed the book and happy to say the audiobook makes it even better. The Narration is really done well by Jessica Clarke she brought the story to life. She did a great job Building the suspense.

Ooooweee! This was a fantastic novel. I loved watching the mystery unfold and was immediately drawn to the characters. Hepworth had a lot to say about childhood trauama and overcoming your past and did so with care. There are some very disturbing scenes in this one but the jumps between the past and present helped to break the harder parts up. The narration was fantastic and I would highly recommend listening to this one!