Not my favorite Hepworth book, but it was okay. I am getting a bit bored with authors doing a juxtaposition between past and present and having to follow two story lines in one book. I understand the "past" does provide a lot of context for the "present." Very solid ending, still unsure how I personally feel... but I think it would be received well by a mass audience.

Sally Hepworth is an auto-read author. She continues to keep me entertained. Thrilled to see what she cooks up next. Great plot with a lot of questions around the ending but enjoyed it. Thank you for the chance to listen to it early! Great narration!

ARC review

So good. I really enjoyed this book. This is my first Sally Hepworth book and I will be looking for another one. Written in multiple points of view, we flash between past and present. I thought the characters were well written. Lots of twists to make you second guess yourself all the way to the last page.

4 stars. Would have been 5 if it had been a little darker.

What a terrible, awful, good book. I hate that things like this happen, and we’d be naïve to think they don’t but that doesn’t make hearing about them any easier. Some of the things this foster mom did made me almost vomit. A very interesting tale though, just parts were really hard to get past.

🌀Synopsis
When a body is found buried under a house it dredges up memories and brings 3 sisters back together. The three of them met while they were in foster care at the same house and became sisters through the torment that Ms. Fairchild put them through.
Now the police are trying to get to the bottom of identifying the bones and the girls are forced to face the past they never wanted to revisit. They aren’t the only ones though. Ms. Fairchild is revisiting the past two and she’s determined to drag one of the girls back with her.

A new Sally Hepworth book coming out in April! Definitely mark your calendar for this one. I read and reviewed a digital copy a few months ago and I was thrilled to get a chance to listen and review the audiobook.

Three foster care sisters who are now in their 30’s receive a phone call telling them human remains have been found on the site where they lived as children. Each of the women has unresolved trauma from the events that took place in their foster home and now its all come crashing back.

This is a twisty story with all of the signature elements Sally Hepworth is famous for. She writes flawed characters beautifully and I’ve always enjoyed her sense of humor throughout a novel and just when you think you’ve read the last twist, there’s something more that changes everything. Some of this was difficult as it dealt with children being hurt and abused through a broken system, and I thought it was very well written with particular sensitivity. Jessica Clarke did a lovely job narrating the audiobook. Most of my books I listen to on audio, so a narrator can make or break a book by knowing just how to read a story with feeling without being a distraction. The narrator here contributed to the authenticity with her lovely Australian accent. Thank you @macmillan.audio @sallyhepworth @netgalley for an advance listening copy.

Debbie Montgomery Squires - just the name even… 😂

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

SPOILERS BETWEEN BRACKETS [ ] BEWARE

First a disclaimer: I have no experience or personal knowledge of the foster care system, much less that of Australia, so I won't be commenting on it. I have no idea if this novel perpetuates false and/or negative stereotypes or perceptions regarding foster care. I just know it's a captivating story.

This book was great! I had no idea who the body was, all the way to the end. As a thriller it was tame, and the focus was more on the women than the mystery, so I'd agree with NetGalley and describe it as more women's fiction or mainstream fiction than mystery or thriller, as Goodreads would have you believe.

I found all three women likeable, which is a feat since Jessica and Norah (with an H!) aren't necessarily upstanding; being a victim of abuse and product of trauma doesn't excuse bad behavior, only provides a possible explanation. But the unfavorable aspects of their personalities were part of their development and arcs, and by the end you're happy for them.

Norah was somehow my favorite; I'm baffled, really, because she was the least relatable to me and debatably the least likeable. But she was also the quirkiest and a dog lover, and her service dogs chicanery was hilarious. Perhaps also it's that we tend to love the characters who are tough on the outside, soft on the inside. That's Norah.

I can't actually think of a reason to not like Alicia. I admire that she pursued a career in social work after what she experienced and threw all the compassion she possessed into it. She didn't become cynical or hard. Her ending was very satisfying.

I feel more could have been done with Jessica. One, I wish we'd had a bit more of a denouement for her. [She went to rehab and repaired her relationship with Phil, who's almost unbelievably patient and selfless, which is all great, but I don't recall hearing what happened with the pill thieving and thus her career. If it's there and I missed it, apologies and ignore me.] It feels like a missed opportunity that she didn't film her organizing work and make a secondary YouTube career out of it. People love watching that stuff. Then there could have been a social media aspect to haunt her. But I suppose that would have all been beside the point.

Miss Fairchild is an excellent reason why foster parents should undergo extensive background checks and psych evals if they don't already. [I'm surprised and a little confused that more wasn't made of the deaths of her mom and John? It said she was a foster parent only ten years after the deal with her baby, so she would have been only about 25, and her mom and John died in that time, because she wouldn't have come back to live at the house otherwise. They would have still been relatively young, like middle-aged. How did they die? I half expected she'd killed them, but nothing was said about it.]

Scott was human filth and the cops were dumb. Or lazy. Or both. [ I was also surprised they didn't compare the DNA of the bones to Miss Fairchild to confirm her story and the body's identity. They just took her word for it? A known liar and abuser? But I guess that fits with their habitual incompetence in the story.]

Overall, this was a very engaging tale. I sympathized with the women---even Miss Fairchild, to a point---and was impressed by how Hepworth cleverly coordinated her plot reveals to become known simultaneously in both the "before" and "now" timelines. The pace was steady, and the ending happy, which I needed.

For some reason, I always suspect that Hepworth books are going to be relatively lame, and then they always end up impressing me with clever plots.


Review copy provided by publisher.

What happens when a sensationalized story of the trauma endured in a foster home is your personal story? Recent discoveries of human remains bring up trauma from the past at Wild Meadows. For three girls connected through tragedy at a young age, Norah, Alicia, and Jessica, Pandora’s box has opened up and they are left with no choice but to dig deep into the past in hopes of finding healing and closure. Darling Girls is both beautifully written and narrated, making it near impossible to press pause and rejoin the real world. The multiple point of views shared across decades poignantly illustrates the resilience and strength of children in the face of abuse, neglect, and unspoken horrors.

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram 3/25!

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
(Narrated by Jessica Clarke)

Book Overview
SISTERS, SECRETS, LOVE, AND MURDER... Sally Hepworth’s new novel has it all.

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. 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 are they prime suspects?
(Book Overview from Publisher website Macmillan)

I really enjoy Sally Hepworth books. I have read several of them. I love the suspense, mystery who did it? Why? The twist and turns keep you engaged. This book was not my favorite of them all. But it was still a good read.

It was a quick listen. I finished in about 24 hours. But I think the part I didn’t like a whole lot was the bouncing around of each characters story past to present day. It was still a good story. I still wanted to keep listening to hear what happened. I had moments of thinking “oh no?”. Miss Fairchild gave me meaner Miss Hannigan vibes. I would still recommend this book especially if you’re a fan of Sally Hepworth.

The Narrator was really good.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
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Darling Girls is not your typical thriller. This was much deeper than that. This story really explored the trauma associated with child abuse and it really packed a punch.
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This is told in a dual timeline of the past, when our main characters were younger in the foster home and in the now, after a body has been found at the site of the old foster house. It’s also told in multi POV – through the eyes of the three main characters – Jessica, Norah and Alicia. I really felt like the dual timeline and the multiple POVs really gave me a great insight into each of the girls and what they lied through and how they became who they are in the present.
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Darling Girls is a bit of a slow burn, but you cant help but keep reading because you are completely captivated by this story and all of the abuse and trauma that is happening. Also, you are constantly asking – whose body was found?! In true Hepworth fashion the ending is quite shocking and it was not something that I ever saw coming. I’m not going to say that I loved the ending, just for the mere fact of what happens (once you read you will find out), but I will say that it makes absolute sense.
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I listened to this one via audiobook while reading the eARC and I will definitely say I loved having the eARC to help keep every timeline and character straight. Jessica Clark was the sole narrator for this one and I think that she did a phenomenal job at distinguishing each character, I feel like this would have been easier to follow if there were multiple narrators. Still a great listen.
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Darling Girls is filled with trigger warnings, and I think that the ending will cause a bit of an uproar. But it as overall a good read, just not as thrilling as past reads and not my favorite of hers. Now I know that I am going o be an outlier on this but that’s okay! Darling Girls releases on 4/23 – be sure to check the trigger warnings and check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, Macmillan Audio and St. Martins Press for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4,5 rounded up!

This was a compelling read and listen. I was fortunate enough to receive a gifted ebook and audio copy of Darling Girls courtesy of NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio.

Wow! Honestly, I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. The last page left me a bit shook. I could predict a lot happening in this book but the last page literally left my jaw on the floor. Okay Sally Hepworth, you've got me hook, line and sinker. Hepworth has crossed over into my autobuy lane. I've read a few of her novels now and every time I do it's been a fantastic experience.

Darling girls was no exception. It was definitely a slower burn thriller with multiple POVs set in different timelines. I enjoyed it a lot. The overall story wrapped up perfectly. The audio book narrator was LOVELY. I adored listening to the audiobook. I felt like the pacing was fantastic and the accent made it even better. 10/10 would recommend picking this one up in April!

This is a solid slow burn thriller about three girls in the foster care system who form a sisterhood. They survived an abusive placement and are tracked down as adults following the discovery of human skeletal remains at the site of their former childhood foster placement.

The characters were well developed and the mystery was intriguing enough to keep me reading until the end. I predicted some aspects but there were a couple twists that caught me by surprise, and that was fun.

The content is heavier as it deals with child abuse and I can't say the story was truly enjoyable, overall. If you're a mystery lover and okey with this type of storyline then I would say give it a go!

The audio was well done and compelling and I would recommend this route.

4.5⭐️

I found the most compelling part of the story to be the characters in the sisterly bond. The three sisters through the story were so interesting to follow, and the love between them was very evident.

The story told in multiple timelines and point of views. Primarily this story, follows three sisters and their experience in a foster home. with a foster care mother, that is not necessarily physically abusive, but obviously has emotional impacts on all of them. It's obvious upfront that the caretaker is a narcissist and each of the sisters fall into that role of children of narcissism.

The mystery element of the story is that everyone comes together, after skeletal remains are found in the basement of the previous home. And then the story goes from there.

I found the mystery, thriller element of the story to probably be the weakest part of the book but the characters really made up for it. It could be more classified as literary fiction.

I really enjoyed the narration of this book. The narrator did a great job distinguishing between characters and giving different inflection for each one.

I would recommend this to most readers, especially people, or fans of other works by Sally Hepworth. There may be some parts in the store that could be triggering for others, so just do your due diligence.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillon audio for this advance audio copy. My review is voluntarily my own..

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Powerful with a great message. Disturbing elements but delivered well. This was a good read that kept me wanting more. I love Salley Hepworth and she did not disappoint in this tragic yet inspiring story about resilent young girls.

Audiobook review... great narration by Jessica Clark. Pacing and voices were on point. The story had many twists and turns and the final minutes are a surprise. Flawed but lovable characters. A dark yet quick listen as the story takes you away.

Sally Hepworth is always popular with our library patrons. This one kept me turning the pages pretty quickly. I thought the topic of child abuse would be too difficult, but I got through it. It will be an issue for some readers though.

Woah!!! I loved this book. I enjoyed the suspenseful journey through the intertwined lives of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—three foster sisters with a shared past filled with secrets, love, and tragedy.
Hepworth expertly weaves a tale of sisterhood and mystery, drawing readers in with the promise of uncovering long-buried truths. From the outset, the complex dynamics between the sisters and their enigmatic foster mother, Miss Fairchild, captivate the imagination, setting the stage for a gripping narrative that kept me guessing until the very end.
The author skillfully navigates the delicate balance between past and present, gradually unraveling the mysteries of the sisters' upbringing while simultaneously exploring the ramifications of their choices as adults. As the plot thickens and a body is discovered beneath the home where they grew up, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia find themselves entangled in a web of suspicion and intrigue, forced to confront the demons of their past in order to secure their future.
Hepworth's character development is impeccable, breathing life into each sister with distinct personalities and motivations that drive the narrative forward. From Jessica's steely determination to uncover the truth, to Norah's quiet strength in the face of adversity, and Alicia's desperate search for redemption, the sisters leap off the page with depth and authenticity.
At its core, "The Darling Girls" is a story about the enduring power of familial bonds and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It explores themes of love, loss, and betrayal, crafting a narrative that is as emotionally resonant as it is suspenseful.
Sally Hepworth delivers a captivating read that will linger in the minds of readers long after they've turned the final page. I was definitely not expecting all of the twists and turns. Now I want to read more books by Sally!

Sally Hepworth always delivers! Although I found this one to be more a family drama with some mystery thrown in than a suspenseful thriller, this slow-burn multi-layered story will grip you from the very beginning and never let go. It is a rather dark read and deals with some heartbreaking and troubling subject matter. I was lucky enough to receive both and ARC and an ALC for this book, and let me just say that the narration was excellent! Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copies of Darling Girls in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this thriller. The main characters had very compelling stories and you can easily relate to them, even with the crimes that occur.

Unfortunately, I was extremely let down by this book. It read more like a slow drama than anything and didn’t come across as a thriller at all.
I will say, her writing did come across as Karin slaughter, so if you enjoy Karin’s writing, you might enjoy Sally’s.