Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth might be her best book yet.

"Jessica, Norah and Alicia grew up on a farm estate. Their foster mother, Mrs. Fairchild, had rules and punishment if her rules were broken. The girls managed to get away and never saw her again. Now a body has been found buried under the house. And the police have questions..."

This story is told through multiple POVs and dual timelines. Hepworth gets you invested in every sister and yelling at Mrs. Fairchild. As adults, each sister has something they struggle with - almost as if they're anti-heroes. There's also a separate POV that Hepworth doesn't reveal 'til near the end. I like to see characters grow and change.
Jessica Clarke does a nice job with the audio, especially with the number of different voices.

There's are several surprises and twists at the end. And one big one at the very end (you won't guess it)

Great story from Hepworth.

Three "sisters", raised in a foster home together, get called back "home" when a mystery unfolds in their former home. This twisty novel changes points of view and timeframes every chapter, yet every character is so well-developed that it is not at all confusing or hard to follow. I loved this Hepworth audiobook! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

When human remains are found at the site of a former foster home, three sisters are forced to return to the town and revisit their childhoods living with Miss Fairchild.

This was a fun ride as we learn about Jessica, Norah, and Alicia’s experiences with chapters that alternate between their perspectives and past and present. We see how awful Miss Fairchild treated them and how each processed their own traumas. The story keeps you guessing about what really went down at Wild Meadows all those years earlier, and questioning if the sisters are hiding something.

If you like complicated family dynamics, good character development, and some shocking twists, I’d recommend picking this up. I really enjoyed the audiobook narration by Jessica Clarke - she did a great job delineating between the characters so it was easy to keep track of whose perspective we were getting.

4.5/5 (rounded down)!!!!

Anytime Sally Hepworth announces a new book, it’s going straight to the top of my TBR list.

“Darling Girls” is a story of three foster sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, who form an unbreakable bond in the face of Miss Fairchild, their cold and calculated foster mother. Miss Fairchild ran Wild Meadows with an iron fist and lacked compassion and care.

On the outside, Wild Meadows appears to be the best place for the three girls; they should be so thankful to be rescued from the tragic circumstances they came from, but what lies beneath the surface of the façade of the home is far more sinister. Hepworth slowly peels back the layers to reveal that their childhood was far from a fairytale. Miss Fairchild’s rigid rules and unpredictable behavior marked their lives in ways they still don’t even fully comprehend.

Twenty-five years later, the sisters are called back to Port Agatha, a highly stressful and unwelcome occurrence, where a body has been discovered under the home they grew up in… but how did it get there? Who is responsible? Are the girls being regarded as key witnesses to a crime, or are they themselves the prime suspects? Could it be their two-year-old foster sister Amy, who the girls doted on that suddenly disappeared one day as if she had never been there at all?

It seems that the girls (and Miss Fairchild) are the only ones to know of Amy’s existence; although Miss Fairchild claims Amy was never there when the girls went to the police with abuse allegations (twenty-five years prior).

Interwoven are transcripts of sessions with psychiatrist Dr Warren… but who is the patient? Is it a victim of Miss Fairchild’s neglect and abuse or another being entirely?

Alternating between past and present, and through the POVs of the three sisters, we’re taken on a journey of secrets, lies, and murder. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia all have scars to bare, still deeply embedded in their minds and spirits. Oh not to mention a HUGE TWIST at the end you will not have seen coming.

“Darling Girls” will leave you frantically turning pages, or in my case frantically putting in my headphones any chance I could get. Hepworth seamlessly creates a chilling, tense atmosphere through flawed and complex characters and their own unique journeys.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s audio for my ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook.

Set in Australia, mostly Melbourne, this is a smart, suspenseful, and very well-written story about 3 intensely-bonded sisters with only 18 months separating their ages. They do not share parentage, but a harrowing two years in the care of a foster mother, Holly Fairchild, who took them in as young children. Jessica was the first, welcomed with great, instantaneous love and affection after her mother’s suicide left her completely alone at the age of 4. But Miss Fairchild, as she insisted on being addressed, wanted Jessica’s unfaltering devotion. When she began to make friends, the child fell from grace, and suddenly the picture-perfect (though scarily obsessive) mommy found subtle ways to manipulate and torment a little girl who was desperately afraid of abandonment. Jessica had to be the perfect child.

Next came Norah, who was taken in to Wild Meadows, the rural property Miss Fairchild has inherited, when Jessica was about 10. Norah, whose drug-addicted mother had overdosed before her eyes, was known for her violent outbursts in the many homes she had passed through. The fact that her violence was in response to the abuse she received was of no consequence to social workers. Norah was at first a challenging project for Miss Fairchild. But as the latter quickly became aware of her obvious shrewdness and teaming up with Jessica to foil her, she, too, became a victim of emotional abuse. Terrified of the dark, she was locked in the basement for hours.

The last to arrive, and from a very different background, Alicia was, if anything, the least damaged of the girls when she arrived as a « respite » case because her grandmother, who had raised her, was in hospital. Resenting the girl’s sunny personality and—at first—lack of fear, Miss Fairchild instantly hated her and set to work to undermine her hopeful confidence. The girls were always hungry and virtual household slaves. Used to being indulged, Alicia was damaged by deliberate withholding and deprivation.

In the present, where the story begins, Jessica is a highly-driven owner of a successful home organizing business, with a lovely home and a patient and kind husband. Phil does not seem real to me. He unquestionably accepts that her sisters must take first place in her life. She pays little attention to him. He notes that ‘something is off’ with her, observes some serious signs, but says nothing. This ´non interference’, he later explains, was his way of showing support. Phil is a shadow-husband, and his utter sweetness is both unconvincing given Jessica’s obvious neglect and unforgivable, given his awareness of where she was headed. I don’t know why he’s in the novel, unless it’s to show a variety of dysfunctional relationships. Beautiful Norah uses and abuses men, while Alicia, a social worker dealing with children, can’t commit to the relationship she wants with a female lawyer. Their problems at least are explained. He has no back story.

The story introduces a mystery at the start, whose nature and context are explained by the three sisters in flashbacks told in their three POVs. Without revealing the plot, after many years away from Wild Meadows and their psychotic foster mother, they are called by local police. Bones have been found under the house, which is being razed for something as mundane as a McDonalds. They have to return, entirely unwillingly. Secrets are revealed, memory gaps are filled in, missing pieces are found.

One of the major secrets involves ´the babies’, yet they seem to be dredged up haphazardly toward the end. Miss Fairchild is chillingly drawn. Anyone who has dealt with a narcissist can see that she is a textbook case. But her level of narcissism actually takes her into the borderline personality category—the hardest mental illness to treat. There are a few remarkable twists and turns in this novel, and the ending is at once believable and not believable. Finally, Jessica Clarke is an excellent narrator, giving each of the many characters their own « voice. » her rendition of Holly Fairchild makes her both charming and chilling, exactly as the author intended.

Sally Hepworth is an auto-buy author for me. I received this book via Netgalley both as an e-arc & an arc of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion, so here it goes.

Three girls, Jessica, Norah and Alicia have all had difficult pasts. Brought together into a foster home, and all close in age, they grew up as sisters. Their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, seems like a dream. She is a loving, dotting mother... until she isn't. Miss Fairchild may have gone off the rails a time or two and the girls suffered because of it. She manipulates them, abuses them physically and mentally, and is just all around awful behind closed doors. I feel like Jessica, being her first foster child, really got the short end of the stick. At first she is loving and caring and calls her "darling girl" but overtime, and with more foster children joining their home, she is treated less and less like her daughter and more and more like a personal servant. In fact, poor Jessica is left to care for her sisters a lot of the time and Miss Fairchild is nowhere to be seen. There is so much wrong with the treatment these girls endure, and nobody can do a thing about it. Eventually, as the girls get older, they get to a breaking point and find a way out. They never see Miss Fairchild again.

25 years later, they are each contacted by police with a chilling call. A body is discovered in the yard of the home they grew up in and they are being asked to weigh in on the matter. It is going to be hard to retrace their steps and go back to their hometown, back to where they suffered and endured such a painful childhood. Banning together for support, they head back, assuming they are considered witnesses; but is there something more to the story? Are any of them suspects?

The story gets better and better as time goes on. You really get to know all the characters- their pasts and their presents. It is packed with edge-of-your-seat moments and surprising things just keep unfolding as we read on. There is a huge unseen twist which just blows your mind.

I love books that make you feel- whether that be angry or sad, etc. The way the story is written, we can absolutely feel all the emotions. I loved the characters and their sisterly bond. I enjoyed the story and the dual timeline which expertly pieces the book together and gives just the right amount of information at a time.

I really enjoyed the narrator! Her tone fit the story nicely and really kept me engaged. I will be on the lookout for other books read by her.

Huge thank you to the publishers, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with copies to read, listen to, and review.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, author Sally Hepworth and narrator Jessica Clarke for the opportunity to review this book. This is the story of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who as young girls were often told how fortunate they were to be placed in foster care with Miss Fairchild. However, people didn’t know what really happened behind closed doors and things were not as wonderful as everyone thought they were. It finally took the disappearance of a baby for the girls to finally be able to leave. Even though authorities felt the girls made the story up since no sign of the baby was found, they still were removed from Miss Fairchild’s care.
Fast forward to present day, new owners have bought the property the used to live on and in doing reinovations the bones of unidentified person is found. Police have everyone return to the area in order to interview them and try to discover if they might know who the victim might be. The answer is quite surprising to say the least. And I loved that at the end the author was fantastic about letting us, the reader, know how everyone is doing after the fact. I personally appreciate that because I had really enjoyed reading this book and gotten to care about these women. They are very well written and I think this is a great read.

I love Sally Hepworth’s books! The Darling Girls is filled with lots of twists and turns I want to add a trigger alert for child abuse. Is the foster home a safe refuge for the sisters? Then, the body shows up. Another good one from Ms. Hepworth.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacMillanAudio, #SallyHepworth, #JessicaClarke and #DarlingGirls for the advance audiobook for my honest review.

Wow wow wow!!!! My head is spinning. I read this book in less than twenty-four hours. It had me hooked and I was unable to put it down until I finished the last shocking page!!! What a twist! Love love loved everything about this thrilling book, and I will be highly recommending it. I liked Nora the most and then Alisha. Jessica was not a fan favorite of mine. And Mrs. Fairchild, well, you’ll have to read the book and make your own decision.
This is my first book by Sally Hepworth but I already ordered three of her other books. I listened to the audio of this book and the narrator had a pleasant voice. Many thanks to the author, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I was sucked into this book from the moment I started. I loved the different characters and how their stories were all woven together through the flashback chapters.

The way this book had me hooked!!

I loved the flashbacks & the different points of views. Very interesting plot but that last paragraph!! The last paragraph got me to 4.5 ⭐️ just brilliant!

I loved seeing how they got to bond and get close.

A body has been found under the house of where Jessica, Alicia & Norah lived as children in a Foster home ran by Ms. Fairchild. Who was it? Who did it?

Darling Girls is a story about three foster sisters who spend a significant amount of their childhood living in the home of an unstable foster mom and the fallout of their adult lives due to abuse and neglect. Some of the story was difficult to read due to the sensitive topics but overall, I enjoyed it. There were lots of twists and surprises along the way and I want to especially thank Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my opinions.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is out April 23rd & definitely recommend checking this one out if you like dual timelines & multiple POVs.

This story revolves around 3 foster children, Jessica, Norah & Alicia, who become each other’s chosen sisters. They’ve always been told how lucky they are to have Miss Fairchild & live on a countryside estate. What people outside the house don’t know is all of the rules Miss Fairchild has for the girls and how quickly her mood can change.

They leave their hometown and only return together years later when bones are discovered under the house - they want to know who it is but in the meantime start to become suspects.

In true Hepworth style, there’s even more going on than is revealed to the reader and that leads to lots of twists towards the end.

This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the eARCs in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely a heavier book as far as thrillers go as child abuse is at the center of it, so keep this in mind as you go in. I'm having a bit of trouble putting my finger on why I didn't love it, but I have always been fairly critical of thrillers and I don't usually love books about child abuse. So, that could be partly why.

It did suck me in as I loved the concept of three sisters, now grown up and being called back to the foster home where they grew up where an investigation is being launched. From here, we get back and forths for each of the sisters... how they came to Miss Fairchild's and where they currently are as adults. We learn what happened in their foster home and much of it is definitely a bit hard to read an quite sad. We also learn how their childhoods are still likely affecting them today.

There is a twist that I didn't see coming near the end and I always appreciate that in a thriller. I would say Darling Girls will definitely be well received by most, though I certainly don't think many people will declare it their favorite Sally Hepworth thriller of all time.

This was my first Sally Hepworth read and after “Darling Girls”, I will definitely be seeking to read more of her books.

Brief Summary:
Set in Australia, three women, Jessica, Norah (with an “H”) and Alicia, experience family tragedy as young girls which lands them all in the foster system. The three of them end up at the picture-perfect “Wild Meadows”. The estate belongs to Holly Fairchild, a beautiful young woman that appears to be the safe haven the girls need after their traumatic childhood. Quickly it’s determined that things are not quite as they seem with Mrs. Fairchild. The girls deal with psychological manipulation and abuse which forms their unbreakable bonded sisterhood for years to come. They would do ANYTHING for each other…

25 years later, a body is discovered under the idyllic Wild Meadows estate during excavation for a new fast food chain restaurant. Jessica, Norah and Alicia are called back to the small town by a Detective, trying to solve the case of the unknown remains.

The women all face their past head-on as they recount their time at Wild Meadows and navigate adulthood baring the burden of what they know.

Perspectives:
The book is told in a third person, with each chapter being either Jessica, Norah or Alicia’s story. There’s also a fourth which is an unknown person, sharing their life experience in a therapy session to psychiatrist Dr. Warren. Is it one of the girls? Someone new? You’ll have to find out! Additionally, there is a dual timeline which shares prior childhood experiences and current happenings of all the girls.

The Narration:
I appreciate that a narrator with an Australian accent was used, considering the book is set in Australia. Otherwise I found the narration somewhat mediocre. I feel I would have rated the book higher by .5 if I had read the ebook instead of listened to the Audiobook.

Final Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I think it would’ve been interesting to have the story told in first-person, with each chapter a different person. I understand though, that this could have given away too much, too soon. I could’ve done with a different narrator (or perhaps just read the ebook instead), but overall I really liked the book and look forward to more Sally Hepworth!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Sally Hepworth, and NetGalley for sending this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a brilliant thriller about three girls who bonded over their difficult experience in foster care. The story was told from their POV in the past as children and in the present as adults. I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up and I was blown away. Every part of this book was well thought out and well written. I was highly invested in all three sisters and reading about their journey from foster care to adulthood. I can't believe I've never read a Sally Hepworth book before but this certainly won't be my last.

Trigger warnings: rape (off-page), child sexual assault, child abuse, domestic abuse, death of a child

Many thanks to Sally Hepworth, NetGalley, and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Expected publication date April 23, 2024.

I had anxiously been awaiting for this new book by Sally Hepworth and it did not disappoint. Another great read that made it hard to put down and has twists up to the end that I didn't see coming! The story moves from past to present as it tells the story of three girls who were placed in a bad foster care home and the impacts it had on their life.

The audio narration was another great listen by Jessica Clarke. Her voice is soothing even as she is talking about some heavy content.

I finished listening to Darling Girls a few weeks ago and have been struggling with my review. I have read 5 of Hepworth's other books and loved them. Which is why I struggled with this review. I was disappointed with the book. I felt it was predictable.
I did enjoy learning about the 3 girls through their backstories much more than present day.
The narrator was great. I will definitely read more of Sally Hepworth's books but this one just didn't do it for me.
Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for advanced copy.

I will admit that it’s been almost half a year since I read this book. I was so excited to read Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls that I read it months before its publication date. Even though it’s been a while since I read the book, I still remember it clearly.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia were fostered under the care of Miss Fairchild, who was emotionally and physically abusive. The book takes place 25 years later when someone’s remains were found at the foster home. We get to know each of the three women through a series of flashbacks and how their past has shaped their present.

I enjoyed the relationship between the three “Darling Girls.” It was nice to read a story where female friendships are portrayed in a positive manner. Miss Fairchild’s character was also well-written, especially as we learn more about her past. The ending was definitely a shocker, and the book came together in a very satisfying way.

The audiobook narrator was great and did a great job of creating unique characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were lucky to be raised in a good home by a loving foster mother - Miss Fairchild - or so they’ve always been told. In reality, their home life was not perfect. Miss Fairchild had high expectations of them and was very unpredictable. One day, they found a way to escape Miss Fairchild, and they never saw her again.

Until now. A body has been found buried under their old foster home, and the three foster sisters are called in as witnesses. Or maybe, suspects.

This was my second read from Sally Hepworth, and I enjoyed it! The audiobook was great - the narrator did a fantastic job! I thought there were some interesting comments made about grief and coping with trauma. Some heavy topics are included, and were a bit tough to read, so make sure to check trigger warnings.

This definitely felt like a bit of a slow burn as far as thrillers go. There was a lot of focus on the relationships between characters, especially in the past. The resolution in the present timeline was a bit of a letdown, but there were some fun twists along the way.