I can easily give this book a 4.25 star rating. At first I had a lot of trouble getting into this book but once I got going I was HOOKED. As a huge fan of Sally Hepworth I was not shocked to love this book as much as I did. Usually I don’t enjoy books with multiple perspectives but I actually enjoyed all the characters and felt drawn to them. I’d say this is a great read if you like a fast paced mystery with a good twist!

A huge thanks to NetGalley for gifting me the ARC of this book!

Sally Hepworth does not disappoint! Rich, flawed, strong female characters tell the story of three girls in a hellish foster care situation who find sisterhood. Themes of child abuse, addiction and sexual exploitation are handled with care and consideration. Alternating POV drive the story and make this a quick read. Hepworth is one of the best family thriller writers out there! A must read!

Darling Girls is my sixth Sally Hepworth book. I keep coming back for a reason. This author consistently delivers great stories. This time we are following women who grew up together in foster care with a less than ideal caregiver. They are contacted by a detective from the town where they suffered their childhood, to discover that the house in which they lived was torn down and beneath it a body was found. Who was the deceased, when and how did they die? All things this book sets out to discover. While told in each person's voice in current and past timelines, it could have been confusing, but it wasn't. Hepworth is masterful at blending all the hard edges together, making the reading seamless and pleasurable. This book has multiple twists to keep the pages turning, right down to a spectacular ending. First, I was scratching my head, I couldn't figure out what I had just read. Then I realized despite reading mostly thrillers that this author had once again beat my skills at figuring things out. Brilliant and diabolical at the same time. Loved it.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me this advanced copy for review. My views are given freely. Again, thank you to all, including Sally Hepworth for the wonderful entertainment!

I read this book in a day and a half because I just couldn’t put it down. When foster sisters Jessica, Norah and Alicia are summoned back to the town they grew up in after bones were found under the foster home they grew up in, old memories resurface. All three women have dealt with their traumatic pasts in different, unhealthy ways and it’s caught up with them. As they work with detectives to determine whose bones were found, the book switches between the past in Miss Fairchild’s house of horrors and present day. Add in mysterious sessions with a therapist with a patient with a devastating past and you have an excellent thriller! So many secrets come to light and a cast of shady characters make this one unpredictable at every turn.

So dang good! Jessica, Alicia, and Norah grew up in Forster care with Miss Fairchild as their foster Mom. Miss Fairchild did was a horrible abuse mother. Miss Fairchild kept bringing in more short term children and treating them horribly until they left. There is a office visit with a Dr which tells a griping story. Guessing who that is is part of the juiciness of the story. Years later there are bones found under the home they were foster children in that brings them and others back. Whose bones? Who is responsible? This books keeps you guessing and is juicy to the last page. Going through the foster system currently to adopt the story is spot on with the feelings and bonds formed through the foster care system.

Yes! Sally Hepworth is fantastic at writing family thrillers. This new one centers around the story of three foster sisters. We get the story from each of the sisters' perspectives, jumping back and forth between present day and when they were foster children. They spent a few years living together under the guardianship of their foster mother, Ms. Fairchild. The story begins with a phone call to each of the women that sends them back to Ms. Fairchild's farm together for answers. Another well told story from Hepworth!

Many, many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this novel!

"Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth is a captivating psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story is brilliantly crafted, with well-developed characters and a plot that constantly surprises. What I loved most was how the ending completely blindsided me, leaving me in awe of Hepworth's storytelling prowess. If you're a fan of gripping psychological thrillers, "Darling Girls" is a must-read that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Thank you #Netgalley for this ARC

Sally Hepworth has a way of writing that keeps you reading. Even if there's a slow bit, the very next paragraph could change everything and you simply must keep reading. I enjoyed the alternate points of view from the sisters in present day as well as during their childhood. A couple points were a bit predictable (though that may be due to the amount of domestic thrillers I read) but it was still a compelling book. It really helps demonstrate how our formative years and personal relationships are so vital.

Told in two different POVs and timelines My Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a dark psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns and an explosive ending making it an engrossing read .

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

“Darling Girls" is psychological mystery, showcasing Sally Hepworth's unwavering talent for storytelling. The narrative revolves around three kindred spirits who form an unbreakable bond under the roof of the same foster care home, united in their efforts to shield themselves from the clutches of their malevolent foster mother, Holly Fairchild. Holly employs cunning manipulations to subject the girls to a series of psychological games, leaving scars that linger long after they escape her clutches.

Jessica, who entered Miss Fairchild's care at the tender age of five. Desperate for her foster mother's affection, Jessica unknowingly endures isolation due to Holly's controlling ways. Norah, an eleven-year-old with a walking-violence, and Alicia, a gentle twelve-year-old who joins them following her grandmother's accident, complete the trio. These girls endure Holly's physical and mental torment for nearly two years until the abuse escalates to a breaking point, forcing them to confront the horrors they have endured.

After 25 years, Jessica's successful life crumbles as she's caught stealing drugs from a client's home, succumbing to her own struggles with addiction and estrangement from her husband. Norah battles her inner demons, struggling with anger issues and facing the threat of imprisonment. Alicia, now a social worker, strives to find children safe homes while grappling with her own insecurities, hindering her chances at a healthy relationship and a family of her own. A haunting call from law enforcement informs them that they found human bones beneath the farmhouse they long to forget. As they return to the place that shattered their innocence and futures, they confront the painful past of them.

This heart-wrenching narrative deftly moves between past and present, granting readers insight into these three women's characters as they forge their defense mechanisms for survival. The breathtaking revelations that unfold within the gripping mystery will leave you stunned and deeply moved. Each of the three protagonists resonates powerfully, the culminating moments had me on the edge of my seat, eagerly awaiting the stunning twist that was delivered with precision. So, I wholeheartedly grant "Darling Girls" a five-star rating because this book sheds light on women's empowerment and mental health awareness, adding depth to its dark and sorrowful past.

Trigger warning: infant/child abuse. Infant/child neglect. Infant/child death. Addiction. OD. Sex abuse. Child exploitation.
I had to post those because I didn't realize how triggering it was going to be until I was in the midst of it. Normally I'm really pretty good with all content and maybe I'm just extra sensitive right now but oof, this one was hard.

This takes place from dual timelines. Before and After. POVs are from the three sisters, Jessica, Alicia and Norah who came to live with Miss Fairchild over the years at Wild Meadows. Now while they're not sisters by blood, they have such a deep connection and bond. That was something beautiful to read in a book with hard topics such as this. They were failed by the foster system, the police, by every adult they reached out to. They thought they were free until they're called back when bones are discovered.

You're also getting a POV from a fourth perspective going through therapy. Which is also hard to read.

I won't say much else other than the author really knows how to suck you and involve you into her writing. While the subject matter is extremely descriptive and hard to read, I still love the author. I can't say I love the book because of the content but I do love the way the three girls are written and how they've each overcome their own issues...or work towards it.

Also that end. Ugh. Hate it. But only because..well, you'll see. Unfortunately I feel like there are people who know how to work the system to their advantage like that.

Loved loved loved this!! Second Sally Hepworth book I have read and they just keep getting better.

The plot was great and kept me intrigued the whole time with the ending tying up the loose ties seamlessly!

Thanks NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my review

I thought I had things figured out with the typical thriller “twist” but I was wrong and thoroughly enjoyed reading.

I like Sally Hepworth's books, but I didn't like the direction the story was taking. The was a DNF for me, but I will ready other books by this author.

Oh boy, this was FANTASTIC!

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel so I was very thankful to both Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's a story I'm certain I've read before, foster children confronting terrors of their upbringing. But, this has got to be one of the snappiest, well paced and downright enjoyable representations I've seen.

Three sisters act as the main characters thrust into the middle of a police investigation in their childhood home. Each character has her own subplot which may not serve the main storyline but helps flesh them out as characters. We really get to understand who they are and why they act the way they do.

One of the more impressive feats is how well their childhood is crafted. None of the abuse is embellished or exaggerated, it's extremely plausible and there is a direct correlation between what happens to them in the past and how they act in the present.

Similar to novels by Ashley Audrain, it was trending well overall but the ending absolutely clinched it.

With three individually flawed, yet likeable and relatable characters, Darling Girls pulled me in from the very beginning with a multi-POV format that details the trauma and abuse inflicted on young foster children under the care of Miss Fairchild. I was astonished at the seemingly unprovoked strokes of evil, but loved how it came together in the end with a - not necessarily redemptive - explanation but an explanation nonetheless. Having spoken out about the abuse before and not been believed, Norah, Jessica and Alicia continue to stand by each other through the countless new revelations surrounding what really happened during their fractured childhood. Failed by the people who were supposed to protect them, they vow to protect each other.

Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are not biological sisters, but they are sisters in every way that counts. The three girls were foster children at Wild Meadows, a home owned by Miss Fairchild. On the outside, the home and Miss Fairchild seemed like the ideal place for any children, but only the girls knew the truth. Now, many years later, the three girls are all grown when they are called back to Wild Meadows. A child's body has been discovered underneath the remnants of the house. They reluctantly return to face their fears and the truth.
This one started out really slow for me, but I am a big fan of Sally Hepworth and I knew she would not disappoint. I am glad I stuck with it because the ending was totally worth it! The characters were well written, Miss Fairchild was definitely interesting! Of all the girls, I think I liked Alicia best, but I appreciated how each girl dealt with their trauma differently. The ending is always unexpected with Hepworth books and this one was perfectly done.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! When I was thinking about how to start writing this review, the one word I could come up with was WOW! Darling girls by Sally Hepworth is a disturbing psychological thriller with a slow burn. Jessica, Norah and Alicia have been sisters since their teens in every way but blood. All foster children, they lived with Miss Fairchild who manipulated them in the worst way possible. When Amy comes into their lives, a cute toddler with blond hair and blue eyes, they finally start to understand their situation and decide to do something about it. Flash forward twenty years, the three girls are still thick as thieves but a discovery in their childhood home takes them back to the small town to which they never thought they’d return. Confronting their past brings them both closer together and nearly tears them apart. This novel is my third by Sally Hepworth and she didn’t disappoint. The twist at the end was a definite surprise that gave me chills. I definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC copy!

Title: Darling Girls
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Format: E-book
Pub date: April 23rd 2024

My review ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

I was very hyped and excited to read this ARC. I saw fantastic reviews for this book on Instagram. This is my 2nd book by the author, Sally Hepworth (I read The Soulmate this year).

I really liked the book for the majority. I found it was a bit slow and dragged at places. I'm a fan of fast paced, on the edge of your seat thrillers.

By the end of the book, I thought I had it figured out but the twists surprised me! I couldn't stop reading and I stayed way past my bedtime to finish it.

I rate this book a 4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I stuck with this twisting plot, but didn’t enjoy the unreliable narrators’ (plural) stories. I usually like Sally Hepworth’s fiction books, but this one gave me a headache. There were too many main characters in addition to side characters all with narratives from different times. When I finally got to chapter 60 which gave an answer to one main plot point, I wondered why this talented author couldn’t have organized her book in a less complicated way.