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!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for sending me an audiobook ARC!

This book follows three women who grew up in a foster home together with an abusive and manipulative foster mother named Miss Fairchild. All of the social workers told them they were so lucky to have a loving foster mother and grow up on a beautiful farm/estate, but it turns out their experience is anything but lucky. This story flips between the present time and the past when the girls are growing up. In the current time, there is a homicide investigation that begins when a body is discovered under the house in which the girls grew up. The past timeline shows both the abuse they suffered at the hands of Miss Fairchild and the bond that the girls form with each other. This story is also told from multiple perspectives of the sisters (and eventually Miss Fairchild), which makes this story layered and complex. This book really tackles a lot of the complex issues and abuses that face children in the foster care system. Be sure to check the trigger warnings for this book because it does describe abuse in detail. It also shows how the women are still actively working through and coping with the trauma they suffered as children, and it details how it effects their lives as adults. This book has so many twists in it, and every character has something to hide! iIt will leave you theorizing and guessing the whole time, down to the last page!

Wow! Sally Hepworth did it again with a book that left me feeling mind-blown. This story is about three foster girls named Norah, Alicia and Jessica. The trauma that these girls went through thanks to foster mom Miss Fairchild is unmistakably cruel. I wanted more and I wanted revenge for these girls. When some bones are found under the foster house I wanted to know what happened and whose bones could it be.

I was hoping for a different ending but the twist was perfect and more than I could have imagined. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC audiobook. The narrator did a nice job telling the story but I did wish there would have been multiple narrators, one for each character.

I started off reading it but remember I had the audiobook on NetGalley, so I switched to the Audiobook and loved it. The narrator was amazing. The way she told the story and was versatile with her voices with each character was great and made the story even more enjoyable. Throughout the story, I found myself thinking hard about the twists. At one point I just couldn’t figure it out. Although, I figured out one of the twists, I did not see the ending come. It literally left my jaw on the floor and my mind blown 🤯.

𝔾𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕂𝕟𝕠𝕨
➭ Found Family
➭ Multiple POVs
➭ Nonlinear Timeline
➭ Unreliable Narrator
➭ Twisted Ending

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for the gifted copy.

Wow Sally Hepworth! Author extraordinaire, you have outdone yourself with Darling Girls! I am a longtime reader of her thrilling novels, and her latest book was a page turner with a shock ending that kept me guessing until the very last page!! This was one of the best books I have had the pleasure of reading this year- thank you NetGalley so much!! I finished reading Darling Girls in 2 days because it was so intriguing! I felt all of the emotions for the girls and their individual traumas, and the antagonist reaping what she sowed! I have a deeper appreciation for family values and empathy for broken systems. If you are looking for a thriller set in Australia, this one has it all: well developed characters, a fast paced plot, and if you enjoy audiobooks, a lovely narrator. I cannot wait for Ms. Hepworth’s next novel!! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book! 📖

What I love about all of Hepworth's book as well as this one:
** I love how she combines so much family drama into the mystery/thriller.....and not just surface level drama, but deep trauma inducing drama.
** I love how she develops each character. She often is able to write that gray zone of good vs evil so well, and how you often end up rooting for someone who may be the "bad" guy
** I also love how she chooses her settings and makes them a character of their own

I absolutely loved the relationship between Jessica, Norah, and Alicia in this one. I loved how they developed throughout the book, and I loved how their relationships with each other and others developed as well. I think this is one of Hepworth's best yet!

🎧🔲DARLING GIRLS by Sally Hepworth was everything I hoped it would be!

I was able to pair the digital copy along with the audio which was perfectly narrated by Jessica Clarke, allowing me to fly through this dramatic story full of questions. I did think the narration was done very well with easily distinguished characters, capturing the personality quirks, or sinister qualities, of each.

I did find this story to be a bit darker and with the circumstances surrounding foster care and child abuse, it could be a tougher one for some. I thought it was a fantastic way to highlight pitfalls of this system while telling a very suspenseful tale. I also appreciated the way motives were examined and yet, that ending...!

Just knowing that is enough to go into it.

I am a fan of Hepworth and will continue to be as she dives into complicated relational situations with her suspense novels. This one was a win for me!

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio & @stmartinspress for the ARC and ALC of this title coming out April 23rd!

This book was fast paced and I read it in about 2 sittings! The ending wasn’t my favorite, but the journey was exciting and made it a five star read for me. Really enjoyed the multiple timelines, I usually think that really adds to a story like this one

This was my first book from this author so I have nothing to compare to. I neither liked nor disliked this story.
Unfortunately my midway rating is mostly because I didn’t l/couldn’t connect with any of the characters, good or bad. There just did not seem to be anything about any of them I could latch on to.
This story had many threads going off on different tangents and I had a hard time keeping them straight. Even the twist for the ending had me a bit perplexed.
I am going to read another of this author’s books since so many like her thrillers!

Thanks for the opportunity to listen to this book. I also have a digital copy but chose to listen instead.

In "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth, readers and listeners are drawn into a suspenseful and unique narrative that delves into the lives of three foster sisters—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. As they navigate the complexities of their shared past and the unexpected discovery of a body under their childhood home, the story unfolds with gripping intensity. Jessica Clarke's narration in the audiobook version adds an extra layer of depth to this compelling tale.

The novel introduces readers to Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who were raised by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate. Despite the facade of a happy family life, the sisters' upbringing was shrouded in secrets and unpredictability. The specific roles each sister plays within the group add a fascinating dynamic to the narrative, creating a rich tapestry of relationships and individual struggles. Hepworth weaves a masterful plot that keeps readers and listeners on the edge of their seats, culminating in a surprising and impactful ending.

In the audiobook version, Jessica Clarke skillfully brings the story to life, immersing listeners in the emotional depth of the characters and the suspenseful atmosphere of the plot. Her narration enhances the overall experience, adding an extra dimension to the already captivating storytelling.

"Darling Girls" is a thrilling page-turner that seamlessly blends themes of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder. Sally Hepworth's masterful storytelling, combined with Jessica Clarke's engaging narration, delivers a riveting experience for both readers and audiobook enthusiasts. Prepare to be captivated by this suspenseful journey into the shadows of the foster sisters' past and the unexpected twists that await them.

Whether experienced through the physical book or the audiobook, "Darling Girls" is a must-read/listen for fans of suspenseful fiction and intricate character-driven narratives.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This book is definitely this author’s best. It’s darker than all of her others and her writing really shines in this one.
It’s about 3 foster sisters that are as close as any blood sisters. One day, they receive a call that bones were found buried at the foster home they grew up in. They return there, afraid of what they will discover.

From perspectives of foster sisters (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia) who grew up together at Wild Meadows with Mrs Fairchild. They go on to live very different lives. When their old foster home is demolished, human remains are discovered and the story dips into a past to present perspective to uncover the mystery.

With more time spent in the past, the experience of the foster children is presented with great detail and clues the reader in to the horrors and poor treatment of the each girl.

There’s also a perspective from a therapist that leaves you wondering who the character sharing their trauma is.

I enjoyed this read and the strong family bond from non-blood family. Nice character development and a quick mystery read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review

Sally Hepworth always writes good thrillers. This book had a good storyline and kept me engaged. The ending was a shock that I didn't see coming!

One of the best Sally Hepworth yet! Three young girls who find each other exactly when each desperately needs the support of one another. Their childhood is dark and somber, with rules and punishments. And then the dead body shows up. They are thrown into an investigation as they are all in the midst of their own lives trajectory. Fast-paced and darkness at every turn. Well done!

𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒢𝒾𝓇𝓁𝓈 𝒷𝓎 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝐻𝑒𝓅𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓉𝒽
𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 • 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 • 𝘍𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 • 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢
𝘈𝘓𝘊 • 𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦 23 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 2024

I’d classify Darling Girls as crime fiction, family drama, and contemporary fiction. It pulled me in from the jump when the bones of an unidentified child are unearthed at an estate that formerly housed foster kids. Three foster sisters (“darling girls”) find themselves at the center of the murder investigation when they are called as key witnesses along with their not-quite-right foster mother Mrs. Fairchild. The girls, now adults, all have secrets, some shared and some of their own. They are thick as thieves, bonded through shared past trauma, while each having very distinct and differing personalities, interests, and looks. All, however, share the incapacity to form meaningful, trusted relationships with others. But are they responsible for the death of a child and what lengths will they do to keep their secrets buried forever?

I especially enjoyed the Australian setting which alternates between Melbourne and Port Agatha. I love accents and truly enjoyed listening to Jessica Clarke’s narration of the book. This book also highlights how the foster care system is very broken worldwide, not just in the US. Dual timelines and multiple POVs, including interviews with a psychologist, kept the book interesting and allow for a deliberative unveiling of answers to the mystery shrouding the Wild Meadows Estate. The final chapter left my jaw on the floor.

The scenes involving child abuse were hard to listen to, so check the trigger warnings: Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Rape, Sexual Assault, Drug Abuse

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 @𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘓𝘊!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by an absolute favorite, Sally Hepworth, with the audio perfectly narrated by Jessica Clarke. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Twenty-five years ago, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, became as close as sisters when they shared a foster home called Wild Meadows, run by Miss Fairchild. Now, they are both shocked to receive a call from detectives that human bones were discovered buried under Wild Meadows. Who do the bones belong to? And did the girls have anything to do with whatever happened?

Told in the POV from each of the women, in both past and present timeframes, as well as from an unknown person talking with a psychologist, Dr. Warren. I was immediately drawn into each woman's story, and both timelines were intriguing. Hepworth is a master at creating characters that are realistic, strong, intelligent, and funny. While the subject matter of childhood abuse is never an easy one, you will still find yourself laughing out loud at many points along the way. This book showcases how childhood trauma spreads so deeply into a person's character, yet also presents us with strong characters who are always there for each other. Another must read by Hepworth!

Jessica, Norah, and Alice grew up as sisters with their unpredictable and abuse foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Although they escaped this home as teenagers, when a dead body is found under the house, they are all thrown right back into the past.
Told from multiple perspectives through the past and present. Great read with many twists and turns! Highly recommended!!

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for my honest review.