This was such a great ALC! I loved the story, but the narrator did an excellent job of differenitating between the characters! She brought these characters to life! Sally Hepworth writes propelling psychological thirllers that are both character and plot driven. In this novel, the characters are raw, flawed, but brave and inspiring. I loved this novel!

I loved the Australian accent of the narrator and thought it was fantastically done. I had a print copy of the book as well but found myself only wanting to listen because the narration was so great.

This story was totally captivating and had many twists that I did not see coming. It was well written and easy to imagine, but at the same time so unimaginable that people could be so cruel. Every time I was convinced I knew who was really evil, I would be proven wrong. This was my first Sally Hepworth novel and definitely will not be my last!

Darling Girls, by Sally Hepworth, is a dark, disturbing novel that combines domestic drama with a mystery component and psychological thriller aspects. It’s fraught with tension that only increases as the story unfolds.

We follow three women, foster sisters, in both present and past timeframes and hear from each of their perspectives. They are drawn back to the town where they were raised when bones are found underneath the house they grew up in. The detectives have requested they return for interviews and the longer they are there, uncomfortable truths begin to come to light as they relive that traumatizing time in their lives.

Darling Girls is a very character-driven story that showcases significant personal growth and perseverance. We get to peer into the women’s growing up years, the atrocities they endured, and also the bond of friendship that carried them through. We also witness the related issues they currently struggle with in adulthood as a result of their earlier years. This is, admittedly, a hard read. The abuses within the foster system and the things done to these young children is revolting. But the strength and determination gained from simply having someone on your side is impactful and an important reminder.

The conclusion, of course, is twisty, startling, unsettling and yet also satisfying. This wasn’t my favorite book by this author given it’s distressing content and somewhat repetitive middle portion, but Sally Hepworth is a fantastic author who always pens engaging stories, and I will always read what she writes.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook version of this story which really enhanced the experience and brought the plot to life! The narration made it feel so much more realistic, creepy and atmospheric. This story is narrated by Jessica Clarke and her different character’s voices are unique, varied and fitting.

4.75 stars!!!

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an audiobook ARC of Darling Girls!

This is probably my favourite thriller i've read on audio before! It was so easy to follow and I didn't find the time jumps confusing or overwhelming, which is usually hard to achieve during an audiobook. It was gripping and thrilling the entire time and was so easy to binge-read! And I didn't even guess the twist!

Will definitely be picking up more from Sally Hepworth!

I am so conflicted on how to rate this because on one hand, I found the story very compelling and I was hooked very early on. There were so many twists and turns, ESPECIALLY at the end, which I REALLY didn't see coming. But on the other hand, I had a hard time listening to some of this as it was really disturbing. I don't shy away from TWs but for some reason, this is hit differently? I can't really explain it?

I did enjoy how the plot unfolded and the sisterhood amongst our three primary FMCs!

Rating: 3.5 stars

TW: parental abuse, loss of loved ones, and drug addiction.

No one writes a f*cked up story that you don't want to put down like Sally Hepworth. Some might even say she's our very own Miss. Fairchild -- she lures us in and then finds ways to slowly break us down.

Jessica, Norah (with an H), and Alicia are sisters, not by birth, but by their shared placement as foster children at Wild Meadows, a lovely farmhouse complete with stables, land, and a pristine pool, owned by Miss Fairchild, their foster mother. While Wild Meadows is beautiful from the outside, Miss Fairchild submits the girls to daily tortuous physical and verbal abuse and erratic behavior -- and she keeps taking in babies for temporary placement and leaves all the caretaking to the girls. The girls finally concoct a plan to escape and leave Wild Meadows, and Miss Fairchild, behind for good.

Fast forward twenty-five years later, and the police contact each woman after remains are discovered at Wild Meadows during demolition. The girls reluctantly agree to go back to Wild Meadows and aid the investigation, but going home isn't always as easy as they say. Especially when everyone has secrets they would like to stay buried in the past.

I love Hepworth's sharp, quick writing, and I always appreciate the relationships -- especially between sisters -- that she examines in her books. I found the ending of this book to wrap up so quickly, which was odd because the girls lives at Wild Meadows were told with such detail.

I would recommend listening on audio because the narrator is fantastic. There are a lot of characters but she does a good job slightly differentiating the tone and inflection of each woman.

Four stars. Thank you, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Woooaah, this is easily Sally Hepworth's best book. Talk about wild twists and turns, on the edge of your seat dramatic. I was fully engaged the whole book and couldn't get enough. This book was really dark, different than a lot of Hepworth's books. I loved the back and forth with the different POV's from the sisters, and all the easter eggs throughout the book.

Please be aware of all the triggers in this one, because I wasn't aware of any of them and it threw me a little bit and I wasn't super comfortable for some of it. Also keep in mind this isn't necessarily a thriller, so don't have that mindset going in.

Audio was fantastic!

Darling Girls was a hit for me. I loved the dual timelines and multiple character pov’s. The foster system was intriguing to listen to, but so so sad.
I did guess one of the twists but she put in a few.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader audio copy of this book. Loved the narrator. She has a bit of an accent, which I sometimes find hard to understand at a faster speed (2x), but she did a great job on this book. Hepworth never fails to impress me. This coming of age story includes mystery and love and abuse all throughout the book. The reader loves to hate Mrs. Fairchild and really feels for the girls under her card, while also feeling bad for the girl in therapy that seemed to also suffer abuse. What a great spin of an ending. 5 stars!

Darling girls made me feel so many emotions. Growing up my aunt and uncle were foster parents so I always had "new cousins" to play with. I loved that I got to meet so many different kids, but always got so sad when I'd get attached and they'd go back to their parents or placed with a permanent family. At the time, I didn't quite understand the process or why they were coming and going so much. Eventually my aunt and uncle adopted 3 biological brothers and they've now been a part of our family for over 20 years. Adoption is a beautiful thing and fostering helps so many children, but unforuntaely that isn't always the case and some don't get the safe, loving family like my cousins did.

Ms. Fairchild, the foster mother in the book, starts out as such a sweet mother. She makes Jessica feel so loved, but the second she tells Jessica she can't have friends at school or see people outside of school, you know things are going to go down hill. Just how negative, I would not have guessed, but I feel the heartache for Jessica. She just wants to please her foster mother, but Ms. Fairchild does whatever she can to punish and hurt her. Ms. Fairchild is the antagoinst in the book, but you really grow to despise her! The ideas she has are humiliating, and down right cruel, some of which really made me go "no!" and "wow". The girls don't get to experience an ounce of joy, even as their family grows.

What really surprised me was that they took on so many babies and no red flags were ever made. No one thought it a bit odd, or genuinely cared about the girls to ensure they were actually okay. You later learn their social worker Scott was in on it, but even still. No one else would think it a little odd or think to check in on the girls?

As the girls get older and are finally rid of Ms. Fairchild they've eached developed their own issues as a product of their youth. Drug addiction, low self confidence and inappropriate relationships have all fallen on the girls, but as they go through the latest development they fight back on their problems. Each one conquering their problem with the help of those arund them and a few from their past.

By the end of the novel, you could guess it was Amy's body (the originaly Amy) under the home. What I did not guess was that Ms. Fairchild spun yet another lie to make herself look better in court. While I understand her own youth wasn't all that great, I still don't understand what made her just so mean. If her stepfather really didn't abuse her and her own real issue was jealousy of her mother, then was she just a bad person? To want to deliberately hurt someone because they show love for someone other than just Ms. Fairchild is crazy.

Overall I enjoyed the audiobook and think it was narrated well. The book flowed well and you felt you knew the characters and could feel what they were feeling.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC. These opinions are entirely my own.

This book is JUICY. The whole time I kept asking myself "what the hell is going on??" And the tension is so high. I feel like this will be a popular book club Read- it the perfect story to pick apart and examine with your friends. So much to think about, so many suspects and theories, and so much drama!

That being said, I did find this book to get a bit jumbled, mostly because of the multiple POVs and switching timelines. I occasionally had trouble keeping the details for each of the three sisters separate. I also felt that a few of the twists were a bit predictable- which isn't necessarily a deal breaker for me when it comes to thrillers but it is a bit disappointing.

Still, this books is a wild ride, start to finish. And if you enjoy a good audiobook, the narration in this one is great. Jessica Clarke has so much emotion in her voice when she reads, it really got me invested in the story!

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a free ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Darling Girls AUDIO by Sally Hepworth is a study in how mental illness can spread if not stopped and dealt with. Three girls: Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, are now adults, not necessarily functioning well. They had been foster daughters, together, at the home of Miss Fairchild. Jessica had been there the longest with the other two arriving later. As young teens they were best friends and relied upon one another in trying times, which is what living with Miss Fairchild was, nearly always. She was a consummate liar, which constantly put them at risk and pitted them against each other. Things got worse as Miss Fairchild decided to start fostering infants but was wholly unable to care for them. That fell upon the girls. Even to the point of missing school. Things got even worse when she brought home a toddler and announced she was adopting her. They couldn’t stand to watch. Then 20-something years later, each of them got a call from the police. They had torn down the house and were building a McDonalds, and had found bones. Could the, now, women come back so they police could talk to them.

This was an amazing book. Each reacted to their dysfunctional years differently: Norah, still prone to violence, used sex in a transactional way, most often to get chores at her home done; Jessica, who in her profession as a home organizer, stole pills from her clients and was an addict; and Alicia, who had an inability to commit, although did a good job as a social worker, oddly enough, placing foster children. Miss Fairchild could charm anyone and did. It was a complicated story, told by a master. A carefully woven plot, complete with flashbacks and real-time stories from the past and the present. The characters were exquisitely written, presenting the worry that there are real people out there who have been affected this way and are only partially functioning. Thanks, Sally Hepworth, for an excellent thriller.

Jessica Clarke was the narrator and she, if anything, made this a better book. Audio is definitely the way to go because of her. She took the characters and imbued them with their own personalities and inner lives. She was excellent.

I was invited to listen to the audio version of Darling Girls by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #SallyHepworth #DarlingGirls

⟡Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth⟡
★★★★★ 5/5 stars
Pub date: 4/23 - mark your calendars!

⟡ quick synopsis
3 women are forced to relive their childhood trauma when human remains are discovered at their old foster home, a farming estate called Wild Meadows.

⟡ Read if you like:
•slow burn suspense
•shocking endings
•found family & sisterhood
•second chances
•dogs with funny names
•past + present timelines
•well developed characters
•heavy themes

⟡ my thoughts
An unputdownable read.
Sally Hepworth quickly became a favorite of mine when I read the Younger Wife last year & Darling Girls delivered! Stellar suspense, well written characters, perfect execution of the multiple POVS & dual timeline, plus that signature mind-blowing last minute twist!

I was fully invested in all 3 sisters & their emotional backstories. I was rooting for them, both in their childhood & adult years. They were heavily influenced by their childhood trauma & despite their issues, I found them to humanly flawed, realistic & easy to emphasize with.

The audiobook was fantastic! I loved the narrator's accent & voice work. If you are an audiobook fan I would definitely recommend listening to this one!

This book is dark & the content is heavy, but this is balanced out by the love of found family. Sensitive topics were handled with care. I think this should DEFINITELY be on your list as a must-read thriller this spring.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, St. Martins Press & Sally Hepworth for the opportunity to review this ARC ◡̈

Slow to burn but Torched the ending.

This was a great story and all through the book I was trying to figure out what was going on. It kept me intrigued and guessing right to the very last chapter.

The narrators on the audio did a great job as well.

Thanks for the ARC Audio on this.

I enjoyed the dual timelines and multiple POV’s. The premise had promise but the execution was just okay; there’s drama but no real thrills. Like most of Sally Hepworth’s books, I never really LOVE them. They’re quick to read through but never really grip me.

The audiobook was well done but maybe because I started to zone out, the “twist” at the end didn’t hit me like it should’ve I guess. I was a bit confused at first but then it clicked. This is a well-loved one so read for yourself but I wasn’t overly impressed.

OKAY SALLY WHAT WAS THIS WHO ARE YOU. This one was giving Sally with a dash of Karin Slaughter. Or someone equally as dark (maybe a splash of Winstead). I really liked this one! It was definitely leaning suspense moreso than mystery/thrillers as Sally's usually do, but despite that it was still an absolute page turner and I was hanging off every word and wanted to know what happened.

The book followed foster sisters years after they left the foster home, after the police found human remains beneath their foster home. Each of the characters were well developed and I feel like I really understood all of the decisions they made even when they were the "wrong" ones I felt like I had empathy for them and wanted to support them in any way I could.

Overall, was very intrigued by this book! Knocked the last star off just because I would've liked a bit more mystery thriller!

I read listened to this audiobook via an ARC from NetGalley. I was excited to receive a copy because this book has some social media buzz and was an anticipated release for me. I would describe this as a drama with a hint of mystery but I would definitely not describe it as a suspenseful thriller. The book bounces around timeline and points of view but largely focuses on three adult women who shared a dark childhood foster home experience under the care of Miss Fairchild. Pill-stealing home organizer Jessica, loose cannon Norah who uses sex to get what she wants, and caring bisexual social worker Alicia share a sisterly bond in this character-driven novel in which bones are found beneath their childhood home. Overall this was an interesting read with an intriguing twist and the very end.

I’m a huge thriller fan, and I just kept waiting for the twist(s). By the 80% part of the book, I was still waiting for the twist and was pretty sure I’d figured it out. It wasn’t until the last chapter that I finally got a taste of excitement, and it was too little, too late, unfortunately. I might even classify this as a mystery over a thriller because it’s never very tense. It’s very dark, and there is a lot of child abuse involved, so brace yourself if you decide to dive in.

Sally Hepworth has another incredible mystery thriller!!

Darling Girls follows three foster sisters who, as adults, return to their former foster home of abuse when a body is discovered under the house. The split timeline bounces masterfully between the three young girls and the three adult women. Each woman has a unique and important story, and the foster mother is a brilliantly-written villain. The ending was somehow both sweet and tender and had my jaw on the floor in shock.

I’m excited for this release and to make all my friends read it!

Thank you Netgally and Macmillan audio for the audiobook ARC!

Poignant at times, deeply disturbing at others, this novel will pull at your heart strings. As a former social worker (although not in Australia), I found the description of the foster care system extremely painful. I liked the dual timeline, but there were a couple times listening to the audio version that I got lost and a bit confused. Overall, the three "sisters" were very relatable and engaging, and the pace was good. The major plot twist was not particularly surprising to me but may be for some. The narrator of the audio version was excellent!