An addicting and clever suspenseful story written by Sally Hepworth. She always seems to deliver some of the best of my suspense reads.
I was captivated right away by the bond of the sisters and the trauma they endured to get there.
Insight on the abuse physically, mentally and emotionally was relatable and created a good understanding of why the grown children were the way they were. Miss Fairchild was unpredictable throughout the story line. The twist at the end was the "icing on the cake" and Hepworth's signature. I'm not always drawn to character driven stories, and although slow at times, this one kept me intrigued and desperate to find out who did it in the end.

As always, looking forward to the future titles by Sally Hepworth.
I listened to the audiobook this time around and was happy with the narrations on this book. Sometimes you can get a "boring" narrator making it hard to enjoy the story but that was not the case for this one.

I am a HUGE Sally Hepworth fan - so I was beyond ecstatic when I receive an eARC of her newest book (expected release 4/23/24).

Let me just say this - I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN (check trigger warnings) and it’s my new favorite Hepworth hands down.

Darling Girls follows three adult sisters who had been in foster care as children. What they never suspected was that buried underneath the foster home was a dark secret- Human Remains. Jessica, Norah and Alicia are then contacted by the police about the remains, prompting memories to flood back, including the memories of the woman who “raised” them, Ms. Fairchild.

This is a twisty story with true Hepworth elements. If you’re looking for a great psychological thriller add this to your list ASAP!

This story kept me on my toes the entire time. I could tell that Ms. Fairchild had something wrong with her, but did not expect her to be as fully insane as she was. As an adopted child, it breaks my heart that foster kids really do live in situations like this and much worse so in some ways, this was hard to read. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia formed a bond that no one can replicate with the situations they went through together. This twist at the end was not something I expected and the way Ms. Fairchild played the entire legal system blew my mind. This is one story that you will not want to miss.

I loved this book from start to finish! I had no idea who did what and was completely off with my guess of the ending. Highly recommend!

Sally Hepworth forever reminding me while I love her. I devoured every page of this book from start to finish as usual with her books. Jessica Clarke did a wonderful job narrating and didn’t take away from the story.

I’ll admit, her last book had a bit of a slow start and finished strong, but this one.. wow. Right from the start I was invested. The multiple POVs told a different side to the story and even though it switched timelines, the story was effortless. Each of the three sisters kept you invested and guessing what their role was to the main plot. The characters were so well developed you almost felt you knew them by the end of the book. It made the story that much easier to follow excitedly.

The twist you’re expecting.. is probably right, but also you’re wrong. I know that doesn’t make sense, but the ending will leave your jaw dropped. A must read for all thriller fans.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Aidio for the ALC!

The twist at the end of this book was definitely disturbing (child harm), and there is child abuse of all types throughout, but I loved the chosen family dynamic of the sisters and the realness of how they all handled their trauma into adulthood. I was hooked on this one, but again, definitely upsetting themes throughout.

5 stars
Dang, That was quite a book.
The character development was *chef’s kiss* and I felt like I was right there, inside the story.
The book starts by following the lives of 3 sisters (not by blood). Each have their own quirks, but they all have one thing in common, growing up in a foster home with a mentally disturbed mom.

Now the house is being demolished and a grave was uncovered.

This story was incredible and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a character driven thriller.
I normally don’t post triggers on my reviews, but this one had several that I’ll warn you about. Triggers: child abuse (emotional, physical, psychological, sexual (not detailed much), neglect, foster homes).

Audiobook narrator- fantastic

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Hepworth does it again with Darling Girls. This is an engaging story of foster care and how appearances can be deceiving. The narrator was great.

4.5/5 stars - Great mystery, really tough read.

This was easily one of Sally Hepworth's best books in terms of thrillers, twists and turns. It was well paced, contained multiple POV's and jumped between past and present. It was executed flawlessly. However, it was also one of the hardest to read as it contains child abuse and a good bit of it. The ending was quite satisfying, but it was a hard pill to swallow reading how these children were abused by their foster mother who was supposed to protect them. It also touches on how the trauma affects them in adulthood and how their current relationships struggle because of the childhood trauma. Knowing that this does and has happened in the past in real life is also a hard pill to swallow so while I was super engaged and interested in the mystery, I was also repulsed by the number of people who could have intervened and didn't and how this is still a real issue in today's society. Personally, I would appreciate if Sally Hepworth put a resource guide at the end of this book for those who may be experiencing abuse.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the e-ARC of Darling Girls, I can’t recommend this one enough!

4.5 rounded up. I love Sally's books and this one was no exception! I did feel the ending was a bid abrupt but that didn't take away from the story. Definitely pick this one up when it comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillin audio for the ARC

Read this if you like:
•Domestic thrillers
•Complicated family relationships
•A dark & twisty book

This book was so good! A lot to unpack when 3 foster sisters head back to their foster home to help solve the mystery of whose bones were buried under the house. I was truly intrigued the entire time!

Thank you Macmillan audio for the ALC!

Sally Hepworth novels are usually at least a 4 star experience for me, but this one sadly was not. The plot dragged a bit until the end, which was admittedly solid. The disturbing subject matter (including child abuse, sexual abuse, child neglect, death of a child) made this an extremely difficult listen. I also think that, as a multiple POV story, this audiobook would have been better served with different narrators for each perspective.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an audio ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Sally Hepworth for an advance copy of Darling Girls in exchange for an honest review. I feel like Sally Hepworth is truly the queen of domestic suspense and Darling Girls was another great example of this. Darling Girls is told through three different perspectives (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia) who were all in foster care and taken care of by Mrs. Fairchild. As the book progresses, we see that their lives under Mrs. Fairchilds care may not have been as picture perfect as it seems. We then discover that there was a body found under their childhood home and the questions start flying. Per usual, Hepworth delivers an absolute killer twist at the ending that had me audibly gasping! The narrator did a fantastic job pulling me in and not letting me go because I had to know what the heck was going to happen. I think this may be in my top two books by Hepworth!! Grab this fast paced, exciting read on April 23rd, 2024!

I was given advanced access to Darling Girls in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Sally Hepworth and NetGalley!
The book is about three young girls in the Australian foster care system, under the supervision of their foster mom, Miss. Farichild. This psychological/domestic thriller flips between past and present and has multiple point of views.
This book had me hooked from the beginning. This was the first book I've read by Sally Hepworth and definitely won't be the last. I've already added some of her books to my TBR list.
A few trigger warnings to mention, child abuse, child sexual abuse, child neglect.

The newest Sally Hepworth thriller is a must read that comes out April, 23 2024. I was honored to receive an arc. Sally never disappoints with her books. I flew through this book in one day.

This story follows Jessica, Alicia, and Norah. 3 women who grew up in foster care under the care of Miss Fairchild. Life with Miss Fairchild wasn’t the happy second chance these girls hoped for. They bonded over the secrets and lies that came with foster care.

Now, years later the police are asking to speak to the women about a body that was found under the house they once called home. Who is the body that was found, and did they have anything to do with it? The story goes back and forth easily from past to present while you try to figure out the twists.

Sally has a way of building the plot from the start and making you not want to put the book down, because you have to know what's happening. Just when I thought I figured it out Sally drops the biggest twist I did NOT see coming. A must read in 2024. 5 stars

I received this arc in audio form. I love Sally Hepworth books as audiobooks. The narrator really brings the characters to life, and helps you connect with them. Having this book jump from past and now can sometimes slow the flow of a book down. Having this in audio actually made the book come to life and I flew through this in a day.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

Song: everything I wanted by Billie Eilish

TW: Death of a child, child abuse, sexual abuse, murder, child neglect, rape

Thanks so much to the author and publishers for my copy of Darling Girls, I was invested from start to finish and that ending 😱.

This book was way better than I ever expected, but 𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙶𝙴𝚁 𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂.

It had complex characters and found family. There were lots of family dynamics bubbling up throughout the book so buckle up, you’re in for a wild ride. There were a lot of characters but they were so well defined that it was easy to feel like you know all of them.

There was a twist that I didn’t see coming, like I knew something was coming, but I wasn’t expecting the exact twist.

More of a slow burn domestic drama than a thriller but I loved these characters and hearing their story. The wrap up at the end was near perfection.

I also applaud SH for how well and accurately she writes parental abuse.

⭐️4.5 stars⭐️

I know that foster care can be rough for kids but WOW, this was haunting. It is hard to believe that people can have such twisted minds and treat kids so terribly.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia formed an inseparable bond through it all. They knew their sisters would be there for them when no one else would. I was really touched by their love for one another.

This story was hard to get through at times (check your trigger warnings) but it was entertaining and had me hooked. And I didn’t see the ending coming, which is always a win!

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to and review this audiobook.

Sally Hepworth always writes the most gripping psychological mysteries and I love all of them! Darling Girls is no exception…I was instantly hooked, and that ending?! So good! Every character was so well developed and fascinating and I loved the flow of the plot. It’s always heartbreaking reading about the bad homes in the foster system or child abuse that occurs, and I feel like Hepworth brought attention to that important issue, while also handling it really respectfully. And I loved this audiobook!

Sally Hepworth never disappoints! I love her writing and this book didn't disappoint!!!

Everytime Sally writes another book I want to read it right away. When I first started rhe book I thought it was similar to herothet books but the foster care aspect was very different which makes this unlike her other books!

The books is fast paced and makes it easy to read and keeps you engaged to keep reading.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review