Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to listen to this book.

It was a fun thriller to read. I really enjoyed all of it. It was suspenseful. The ending surprised me and had no idea it was coming. I love a good thriller book that I can’t guess what will happen. Lots of twists to this book and I love what the author did with it.

Highly recommended.

What a fun, twisty story! Loved the multiple perspectives and the dual timelines! I love Hepworth's thrillers and this one is no different! I'll definitely be sharing more about this one!

In Darling Girls, Sally Hepworth masterfully weaves a psychological mystery within the realm of women’s fiction. I was hooked from the start and as we got to know each character, I was using my creative imagination to picture each in my mind. The narrative revolves around three kindred spirits—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—who share an unbreakable bond forged under the roof of the same foster care home. Their lives were shaped by the enigmatic and controlling foster mother, Holly Fairchild.

As young girls, they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by Miss Fairchild on an idyllic farming estate. But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone believes. Miss Fairchild had rules, and her unpredictable behavior left scars that lingered long after they escaped her clutches.

The heart of the story lies with Jessica, who entered Miss Fairchild’s care at the tender age of five. Desperate for her foster mother’s affection, Jessica unknowingly endured isolation due to Holly’s manipulative ways. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses—or perhaps prime suspects.

Hepworth toggles viewpoints and timelines, revealing how each girl was placed at Wild Meadows and showcasing Holly’s erratic—possibly even murderous—behavior. Hepworth's vivid prose supports the plot’s momentum, although the unrelenting descriptions of child abuse can be grim and worthy of trigger warnings.

Darling Girls is a gripping exploration of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder. Sally Hepworth’s storytelling talent shines through, making this a compelling read for fans of suspense thrillers and mysteries. The twists and turns this takes you on will be memorable and you will find yourself unable to look away. I was sprinting to the finish line which is always such a sure sign of a great read for me.

If you enjoyed The Younger Wife and The Soulmate, you won’t be disappointed with this latest Hepworth thriller.

I listened to this book in short segments mainly to and from my way to work. I was quickly engrossed in the story, and on some days I sat in the parking lot for a few more minutes to see what would happen next.

Three foster sisters, now grown women, have to revisit the past when human remains are found at their former foster home where they suffered abuse. Each of the three sisters has a distinct personality, and I thought that the depth of the characters was well done. I enjoyed getting to know the sisters and encountering the twists and turns of the plot. The narrator did a solid job of reading the story.

I received a free audiobook from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth writes creepy, spooky stories involving families, and I have friends that swear by her, but this is the first of her books that I’ve read. My thanks go to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the invitation to read and review. This book will be available to the public April 23, 2024.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are closer than most sisters, even though they are not biologically related. All three spent most of their formative years at an Australian foster home called Wild Meadows, under the gimlet eye of Miss Fairchild, an abusive foster parent. Miss Fairchild was adept at keeping up appearances, but once a visitor—an infrequent occurrence—was gone, the place got dark. The woman was cruel and unpredictable, dreaming up horrifying punishments for even slight perceived infractions. Open rebellion was unthinkable. But it was when she began accepting babies that they resolved to turn her in. Now all are grown, but they remain tightly bonded, and the call comes in: bones have been found under the foundation of the razed house. They must all report to the local police, which in turn means returning to the vicinity of Wild Meadows.

I can see why this author has such a loyal following. The way the narrative flows is flawless, and although we transition often from the past to the present as well as between the three girls’ stories, there’s never even momentary confusion. The list of characters is kept manageable, and all of them are believable. I begin reading via audiobook because that’s the version that was offered me, but once I began, I asked for and received the digital galley also. Usually this is a necessity in order to keep up with what I am hearing, but I scarcely needed it. Narrator Jessica Clarke provides the perfect listening experience.

For me, the joy of this well written novel is somewhat dampened by the horrors of the girls’ experiences. The child abuse is so cruel, and so specific that I sometimes stopped listening early and went away with a ball of lead in my gut. I suspect that this is something most likely to be experienced either by those that were themselves abused as children, or—like me—those that have worked with such children. Although part of me still wanted to know what came next, another part of my thought that if I wanted this kind of nightmare, I should just go back to work!

Reader, you probably know what you can read and what you should stay away from. If this sort of novel is unlikely to haunt you, go for it. I doubt there are many that can do this thing better. With that caveat, this book is recommended to those that enjoy the genre.

This book had me feeling all the feels, and I think it’s so fitting that it’s being released during Child Abuse Awareness month!

The three sisters, Jessica, Alicia, and Norah were brought together through the fostering system, after all three girls were placed at Wild Meadows under the care of Miss Fairchild! The experiences and hardships they endured together, created an unbreakable bond between these three sisters!

Years later, these three women may have their own relationships and careers but still remain closely connected! Now they have called back to their old childhood home, where human remains have been discovered, and the events and secrets of the past are also starting to be unearthed!

This book jumps back and forth from the time the girls spent at Wild Meadows and the present. Both timelines revealing information and emotional details of what the three sisters experienced, and the influence on who they are today. With hard conversations, and a deep look into the past, will the truth of whose bones were buried on the property be uncovered?

This book has the perfect amount of mystery, suspense, and emotional depth! It was written extremely well and I would highly recommend it!

Thank you to #netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the advanced reader copy of this audiobook!

In this story, we get a mixture of modern crime with past trauma (please check TW if you are sensitive). Our three main characters are adult women forced to deal with the terrible foster home they lived in as children when bones are found on the property. Along the way, we are also given the perspective of someone's therapy sessions. As the story unfolds, the reader is led to wonder who the bones belong to, who the liar is, and if the wrong person might get blamed. The three sisters (by choice) each show the damage from her childhood in her own way, but we get to see some healing, too. I also appreciated the author's note at the end explaining why this story matters to her. Her writing is propulsive, and I felt the narrator did an excellent job bringing all the characters to life. An enjoyable read dealing with tough subject matter, but impossible to put down.

Darling Girls
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, Sally did it again! Great book that made you want more till you figured things out. It was so good. She NEVER disappoints her readers!! Great characters and dynamics.
Thank you NetGallery!!

This is my third Sally Hepworth book ever and it easily became my favorite. This story is so intense that I once I put my Kindle down, I had to listen with my headphones on.

Three girls form an unbreakable bond when being put together in the same foster home.
Jessica entered Miss Fairchild’s home at only five, thus creating a strong attachment to the woman. Norah entered the home at eleven, and was known to be a feisty and problematic.. Lastly came Alicia, twelve, after her grandmother and caretaker became ill.

This is a story of the horrors and mental + physical abuse the three endured. Although the good times in that home were rare, they knew they had each other always. Sisters by choice.

I loved how this story jumps back and forth in time, slowly helping us uncover things. I enjoyed getting to know them as children and adults. The twists just kept coming and I ate them up. Everything about this book was calculated and chilling, as every great thriller/mystery book should be.

Each character was carefully written and complex in their own ways, yet, the three of them were ultimately charming and you couldn’t help but to like them. I must admit I questioned one of the characters’ motives until the very end, which made reading it even more fun.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading this book. You guys seriously need to add this one to your TBR; one of the best books that I have read this year so far.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for this ALC.
Pub date: 04/23/24

It was so good I couldn’t stop myself from what thing to know the ending and then the ending comes with another twist. Was it necessary? Yes and no but either way it was good.

It all starts with a phone call stating that human bones have been found under the former site of a large, rural foster home. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, now all adults living in Melbourne, are asked by the police to come back and answer some questions about their time at Wild Meadows with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. They dread going back but decide that together, they can face the town where their foster mother manipulated and abused them. They meet more of Miss Fairchild's grown foster children and old memories resurface. The story unfolds through multiple timelines and POVs.

This book is so so good! It kept me on my toes and guessing right up until the very end. I loved the multi-POV. The three women are all so different from each other and it was fascinating seeing the ways they responded to their foster mother. I was riveted from the start. The narrator did a great job. I think Darling Girls leans more suspense/mystery than thriller. Loved this book and will highly recommend to all thriller/suspense book lovers.

I’ve learned to expect the unexpected from a Sally Hepworth novel. Darling Girls is the epitome of her slow burn style with bonus surprise moments when you least expect it. Three Foster Care sisters are thrown together to become a family under the hand of Holly Fairchild who is a single young woman with zero child rearing experience. Yet she continually is approved for little girls to be placed in her care. The unpredictable nature of the Holly character makes her quite a villain. Once the girls grow up they have their own set of social norms that lead to drug addiction, unstable relationships, and insecurities. They are still very close and come together for support when they hear human remains were found at the house where they were raised dredging up horrible memories of abuse. The detectives turn their attention to the sisters for some reason instead of Holly who should've been the first and main suspect since it was her home for her entire life. After hearing their stories, the sisters become slightly more suspicious. Each one has their own skeletons. Who the remains belong to are a shock at the very end. If you like many POVs and plot twists, I’d say this is the perfect mystery pick. The timeless storytelling of sisterhood was welcomed and refreshing and definitely outweighs the details of their scary childhood.

I thought this was a very well done psychological thriller. The story alternates between an unknown voice speaking to a therapist and 3 other women. These three women were foster children together and referred to themselves as sisters. After a dead baby was found buried where they were foster children, we are taken on the rollercoaster life that these, now women, experienced. They share parts of their lives today and parts from the past. The 4th perspective is unknown until the end. Although the ending was not a surprise, it was an enjoyable read (and listen!) I felt for all of the characters - and at times questioned who the 4th "person" was. I felt that the ended wrapped up too nicely, but it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed this book ! I love all of her books and this one was the same ! The character development of the 3 sisters and the foster mother were great! Highly
Recommend !

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is told in the past and present. The story follows the lives of 3 foster children, Jessica, Norah and Alicia. When the girls meet at Miss Fairchild’s farm they quickly became sisters. Their upbringing wasn’t idyllic but they stuck together. Now the bones of a body has been discovered at the farm and the girls must return to confront their painful past.

Darling Girls was an interesting read. I enjoyed reading each of the characters POVs, especially the therapy sessions. The main characters are morally gray but you can’t help but like them. Jessica is an over the top home organizer who steals medication from her clients. Norah is an aggressive, sometimes violent, dog mom. And Alicia is a social worker with a crush on a female coworker. It was interesting to read about their traumatic upbringing and see how that was reflected in their adult lives.

The story unfolded nicely and at a good pace. It kept me intrigued from start to finish but it was certainly a difficult topic to read about. The last chapter left me speechless!

The audiobook was easy to listen to. I finished the book in 2 days.

I recommend this book to fans of Sally Hepworth and dual timeline mysteries.

Trigger warnings- child abuse, sexual abuse, childhood trauma

Jessica, Norah and Alicia have all landed in foster care through one tragedy or another. They've also each landed themselves the same foster mom, Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild owns a large farm and promises these girls a happy home and life.

Things take a drastic turn quickly. Miss Fairchild is unpredictable. Everything seems to set her off and nothing can possibly be done right. When the estate is torn down several years later and dug up, a body is found... the girls must return to their "home town" and assist law enforcement in finding out who the bones belong to.

Honestly, Darling Girls is one one of the best thrillers I have read in awhile! The twists were unpredictable and I did not see the end coming!

The narrator did a great job. I would only caution that there are some parts within chapters that were confusing unless you had the book because you switch to a different person's POV without really knowing it. It took me a couple chapters to figure that out.

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Wonderful! Although there are several main characters and several different timelines, it was never confusing, even though I was listening to the (beautifully narrated) audiobook, which sometimes makes it harder to follow a complex plot. The characters are all richly drawn, the writing is lovely, and the plot is intriguing and original. Nice twist at the end too! Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an advance audio recording of this compelling book. Highly recommended!

Sally Hepworth's latest novel, "Darling Girls," dives into the complex world of foster care and the enduring bonds of sisterhood. Weaving a narrative that's equal parts heartwarming and chilling, Hepworth keeps you guessing until the very end.

The Premise:

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are foster sisters who grew up on a seemingly idyllic farm under the care of Miss Fairchild. However, their past holds a dark secret – a secret that resurfaces when a body is discovered buried beneath their childhood home. As the investigation unfolds, the sisters are forced to confront the hidden truths about their past and the manipulative woman who raised them.

Sisterhood on Trial:

The heart of the novel lies in the bond between the three sisters. Hepworth beautifully portrays their unwavering support for each other, even as they grapple with their individual doubts and vulnerabilities. As they face the spotlight of suspicion, their loyalty and love are put to the ultimate test.

A Slow Burn with Suspense:

While the plot has the potential for a fast-paced thriller, the story unfolds at a more measured pace. This allows Hepworth to delve deeper into the characters' psyches and explore the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma. However, the suspense steadily builds, keeping you invested in uncovering the truth alongside the sisters.

A Recommendation with Reservations:

"Darling Girls" is a captivating read with well-developed characters and a thought-provoking plot. However, it's important to note that the pacing might feel slow for some readers who crave a more action-packed narrative. Additionally, the resolution might leave some wanting a more definitive conclusion.

The Final Verdict:

If you're looking for a character-driven mystery with a strong emphasis on the power of sisterhood, "Darling Girls" is a compelling choice. Just be prepared for a slow burn with a resolution that might leave you wanting more.

So grab a cup of tea, curl up with this book, and prepare to be swept away by a story of love, loss, and the enduring strength of family bonds.

Holy Smokes!!

I have loved many Sally Hepworth books before this, and this one surely did NOT disappoint!

Jessica, Norah (with an H) and Alicia are sisters. At least that is what they tell everyone who will listen...NOW... But this is not a fairytale life that they have lived... Not even close. And when they were little, they did not even want to tolerate each other.... But when push comes to shove...

You see, they each entered the foster home of Ms Fairchild when they were very young, and for very different reasons. But one thing was for sure...They had to learn very quickly how to survive in the ever changing landscape of their childhood home...(Wild Meadows)

This is told in multiple POV's from each of the girls, and others...both then and now. (In the beginning it is a little overwhelming with the amount of characters, but it is so worth it in the long run!!) BUT, the part I found especially terrifying, was the Psychology Interviews..

As I do not want to give anything away, I will stop here...but know that the girls WERE able to get away...but, now that they are all grown up, they each get phone calls from the local police when a body (just the bones of it) is found YEARS later underneath the house!

And as the investigation gears up, so do tempers, alibi's and old feelings!!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me! For once again, bringing out ALL the feels, even though unbidden...and having them PARK in my chest until I got to the end....and oh, what an ending it is!!!!

#DarlingGirls by #SallyHepworth and narrated beautifully by #JessicaClarke.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which will be released in about 2 weeks on 4/23/24!!

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Definitely my favorite from Hepworth so far, I was invested and intrigued all the way until the very end. I loved the POV from each character, and the back and forth between past and present that revealed the motives and truth to the whole shebang.

I would highly suggest skipping this one if parental abuse, neglect and talks of the foster system bother you- it's very heavy on a lot of these themes.

Narration was wonderful and I LOVED LOVED the accents!!