Another fine book of mystery and intrigue by Sally Hepworth. This was a quick and suspenseful psychological thriller focusing on three main females characters and their traumatic childhoods and subsequent bonding as forever sisters. I liked all three characters (Norah with an h, Alicia, and Jessica). I thought the depiction of the characters made them real and Hepworth did a great job of giving us a glimpse to how their childhoods affected their adulthoods negatively. The villian, or foster mother, Holly Fairchild's hot and cold moods was expertly depicted. She really made you feel for the girls' turmoil. The three women are drawn back to the home, Miss Fairchild and a web of mystery at something uncovered in the house. Overall, a good solid read that was interesting without being too graphic and disturbing and was a quick read.

From the very first book that I read from Sally Hepworth, I have not stopped reading any and everything she has written. Her stories pull you in and keep you engaged the entire book. This is no different.

Four little girls, four grown women. Will they ever find justice? Or are they the killers?

Alicia, Jessica and Norah call them sisters. With everything they went through as children, they truly are sisters. Sisters who survived so much.

They did not come out of that unscathed wither. Jess is OCD. Norah is angry, all the time. Alicia has such low self-esteem that it leads her to make some poor decisions.

As children they were all sent to foster care on a farm with a lovely lady named Miss Fairchild.

But Miss Fairchild is only pretty on the outside. She has rules. She is obviously unstable and hiding some deep, dark secrets.

Decades later and the house is gone and bones have been found on the property. Bones of a child.

Called back by Detectives, they all return. Including their tormentor. But will the police believe them now? Because they sure didn’t when they were children.

So many questions here. Can you outrun the past? Will a reckoning always come? All the good scares here!!

NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press, April 24, 2024

Sally Hepworth’s latest thriller 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 moves away from the topic of marriage and tells the story of three women who reluctantly revisit their past when a police investigation brings them back to the site of their former foster home. Be warned—if depictions of child abuse is a trigger for you, do not pick up this book.

On the surface, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are as different as can be. Petite, dark-haired Jessica runs a successful home organization business and privately struggles with anxiety and substance abuse. Tall, gorgeous Norah is intelligent to the point of arrogance, dubiously employed, and has an anger management problem that often lands her in trouble with the law. Redhead social worker Alicia is kind and even-tempered yet possesses some deep-rooted self-esteem issues. But the three grew up as foster sisters at Wild Meadows farmhouse under the cruel care of Miss Fairchild. Now in their mid-thirties and living their own dysfunctional lives in the city, they go back to Wild Meadows when bones are found underneath the house—the police have some questions for them.

𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 is a multi-POV mystery/thriller that I tore through in a day. Hepworth is masterful at building up suspense and throwing out plot twists. It is a very readable and engrossing story, though it does get dark and disturbing; I do think it sometimes got too heavy-handed with the abuse depictions for the sake of shock value. The characters also have great promise to be interesting and complex ones but unfortunately don’t quite live up to that potential because the horrors of their childhoods dominate the narrative. Nonetheless, I would recommend the book to those who want to read a gripping suspense novel and can handle the afore-mentioned trigger. 4.25 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted on September 6, 2023 to https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5621430085.

A true masterclass that keeps you guessing the entire way through. Incredibly well written. Kept you guessing the entire time as everything began to unravel and the truth inevitably comes out.

Nothing is as it seems as a body is discovered at Wild Meadows buried in the ground. The discovery shocks everybody — including the foster kids who had stayed there. Mrs. Fairchild, the foster parent, is also caught off guard at the beginning. But, absolutely nothing is as it seems. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah all decide to open healed wounds and come back to the place they never wanted to revisit. Let alone see the woman who treated them so poorly.

The case is a ticking time bomb ready to blow.

The twists and turns were a constant shocker where I didn’t expect it to go that way in particular. The poor resilient girls — the trauma they experienced was incredible and it wasn’t long before I was invested in the story and the characters within the pages of this book. Even Mrs. Fairchild as her own past is unveiled.

The ending was truly mind blowing.

This novel is a must read — a masterpiece.

4 ⭐️. This is going to be a short and to the point review. First off as far as characters go, I think you can figure out early on that you are going to like (and root for) the 3 sisters (Jessica, Norah and Alicia) and NOT like Miss Fairchild. I really don’t need to go into detail because they will each be thoroughly described in the book. Next, the writing…I really enjoyed the storyline and thought it was well written and kept my interest from beginning to end. I always enjoy a book that alternates chapters from past to present. If I’m being completely honest though, it dropped to a 3 star for me about halfway through because I started to feel like it was going to be super predictable. BUT….then came the very last chapter and boom back up to 4 stars! Well done Sally Hepworth, WELL DONE!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I’ve left, check out my Instagram and Goodreads:
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Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I was super excited to receive an ARC by Sally Hempworth. Naturally I had to read it right away.

This book is about three girls that grew up in in foster care. The book goes back and forth between past and present as a dead body is found beneath the old foster care home.

At first I did not like the back and forth but then I thought about it and put myself in their shoes.

I really enjoyed this book and liked how the author explains the details betwen the foster care life and the bonds between the girls.



The twists were nice, not over the top or unbelievable. I really really enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity!
I really enjoyed this title: Sally Hepworth is a thriller/twisty writer I typically gravitate towards, and this was no exception.
Told in multiple POVS and Dual Timeline, this tells the story of three sisters forced to re-live childhood abuse at the hands of their foster mother when bones are unearthed from their childhood home. I thought each of these characters was SO well fleshed out: the damaged perfectionist Jessica, violent and troubled Norah, and loyal Alicia. I really loved how the story focused on each of them, on the abuse they endured, and what their upbringing, plus their birth stories, contributed to their trauma in the past and in the present. Hepworth did such a great job making the foster mother unbelievably creepy, almost hauntingly so, and the dropped-in POV's of her therapy sessions were so intriguing.
I thought the twists in this, particularly dealing with both 'versions' of the character Amy, were really well done. I kept trying to guess what was going to happen next but really couldn't figure things out. The epilogues really brought just a little bit of questioning into the end of the story: nothing was QUITE wrapped up, and I loved that.
Overall, a really good twisty story!

I thought this book was a fine read, but I wasn't in love with it (maybe a 3.5?) The premise is interesting and I really enjoyed the sisters and their relationship, but I thought in some ways that the book seemed to pull its punches.

I think the problem is I read a lot of thrillers, so I have pretty high expectations of a good one. I guess, ultimately the problem for me was this book wasn't really a thriller, but more of a domestic drama.

Miss Fairchild is awful and clearly messed up, but (to me) not really scary. I never felt like any of these children were truly in danger. So that took some of the steam out of the question of "who's the dead body?" This was somewhat compounded by the fact that she's still bouncing around town chatting with the girls in the present.

This also meant that when things took a twisty turn, I wasn't necessarily buying it. The present tense conversations with the therapist seemed a little contrived. I thought the final reveal was interesting, but given what I'd felt thus far about that character, didn't really land like I wanted it to.

I guess, while this was a good book, I think the marketing confused me. I would have happily read about a book about these sisters, their challenging past, and how they're learning to recover. As a thriller though, it fell a little flat for me personally.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tons of twist and turns that I've always loved about her books while still making me think about our foster system that sometimes doesn't work for our youth. I found myself counting down the hours until I could get home to finish and see what really happened while the girls were with Miss Fairchild, who was telling the truth about the bones found under the house, and how they could work through their past horrible childhood experiences. The format where she moved between the girls childhood, the present and also the conversation with the therapist kept it interesting and was easy to follow.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book, which is very delicious mix of character drama with an underscoring mystery, and a dash of twists to keep you glued to the page from start to finish.

Everything about this story is exceedingly well crafted, from the personalities of the three foster sisters who are each tremendously unique and suffering from their own individual traumas as the outcome of their upbringing, to the moving viewpoints of each sister which help reveal layers of the story with perfect timing, and the jumps from present day to their past stay at the foster home which was the catalyst of their meeting and drive the plot to the conclusion of whose bones were found on the property and how they got there. It's the kind of story that is built to genuinely keep you flipping chapters rapidly in a bid to see what happened, to who and how the whole thing will blow up in the end.

This one really will be served best going in blind, and settling in for a wild ride - and an enjoyable ride at that. Compulsively readable, darkly atmospheric and gripping realities will make this a not-to-be-missed release!

I enjoy reading Sally Hepworth's books so I was excited to read her latest book "Darling Girls". It is a thriller about three "sisters" not related by blood but as close as sisters can be. They all spent time at Miss Fairchild's home as foster children enduring her physical and mental abuse for years until their successful departure.
Twenty five years later they are all called back to their former home when bones are discovered buried underneath the house.
This narrative moves back and forth between the past and present and will keep you reading until the last satisfying page.
Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press. And the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sally Hepworth's 'Darling Girls' proved to be a captivating read that exceeded my expectations. Right from the outset, it delves into the lives of three remarkable women as they navigate their intricate pasts. What truly shines in this narrative is the profound bond these women share, vividly portrayed through the distinct perspectives of each character. Hepworth's adept character development makes them feel genuine and relatable.

What sets 'Darling Girls' apart is its ability to tackle a complex issue without resorting to disturbing content, all while maintaining a high degree of realism. The narrative seamlessly shifts between the past and present, enhancing our understanding of each character's journey. Unlike some books that can leave you bewildered with their timeline shifts, this one is effortlessly comprehensible.

The story is so engrossing that I found myself racing through the pages, eager to uncover the secrets it held. To my pleasant surprise, my initial assumptions were proven wrong, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the narrative. 'Darling Girls' left me hungry for more of Sally Hepworth's work, and I'm excited to explore her other books in the future.

If you're in search of a mystery that keeps you guessing, 'Darling Girls' comes highly recommended. It's a masterfully crafted tale that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Darling girls was such a whirlwind!!! Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, something came from left field that made me reconsider everything up until that point!!!! And the ending!!! OH MY GOSH. I didn't see ANY of those final twists coming!!!!!! This one definitely pulled at the heart strings with the history of the sisters in foster care, but that made it draw me in so much more- I wanted to know what had happened!!!!

This book may be my favorite Hepworth book! From the first chapter it sucked me in. I became so engrossed in the story I kept staying up late to finish it. The real depiction of the challenges of foster families was excellent. The twist at the end was chilling. I highly recommend this one!

I found the beginning to this book really well written. I highly enjoy books that are written in multiple perspectives. I feel like it helps me connect with all the characters a bit better and in this case it definetly did.

Alicia, Norah and Jessica all recieve the same call, bones have been discovered where their old foster home was.
This is a typical everyones dark history is uncovered thriller but I do like the foster care angle because the conditions the girls went through feel accurate to the struggles foster kids do face daily. I didnt have any trouble getting invested in the story.

In fact I could hardly put it down. The details of their past with Miss fairchild explains the deep bond the 3 women now share.
Highly intense thriller, the horrors of what these three women went through with physical and psychological abuse tied in perfectly on how they turned out as adults. I enjoyed how it showed what happens in childhood shapes you later in life.
When the detective calls the three women return together to be interviewed. But just what all will be uncovered on this trip back to a place they never wanted to return to?

I loved the twists the story throws at you. Just when youre convinced youre putting it together you get thrown for a loop.
And I never once saw that ending coming. It stunned me in the best way.

I will add in a trigger warning for child abuse and neglect.
But if you enjoy suspense youll defintely enjoy this book.
Thank you to net galley and

This is easily one of the best thrillers I've read in the past few months and it doesn't even come out until April! Sally Hepworth does it AGAIN! She's incredibly talented!

Anytime I see a book from Sally Hepworth, it goes to the top of my list, and Darling Girls is no exception. Three sister retell their childhood growing up with Miss Fairchild. The chapters are short and in each sister’s perspective, which is truly my favorite. Twists I thought I knew were coming was changed and left me wondering until the end.

This was another success from Sally Hepworth, who is highly skilled at writing psychological thrillers and mysteries, adeptly putting in twists here and there that do not easily reveal the "truth" until the end. Holly is an abusive foster mother to three girls (Jessica, Norah, and Alicia), playing emotional and mind games with them that leave invisible scars years later. The abuse they suffered naturally impacts their future lives, as well. Jessica is an addict, Norah is angry and facing imprisonment, and Alicia is deeply insecure. Then they get a phone call that brings them back to their childhood - and bones that were buried underneath a farmhouse on the property. I liked how the characters' voices were shared through past and present, piecing together a story, their lived experiences, and how they became the people in the present day.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Darling Darling Girls should know to never keep secrets from Miss Fairchild and Miss Fairchild should know never to replace her Darling Girl.

This look was FULL of twists and turns! I thought the book was over, but then it kept going and going...I was not expecting the ending. This truly is a psychological thriller, making you question to motives of every. single. character. Sally Hepworth kept my attention throughout the entire book offering three young women perspectives to keep the book engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth did not disappoint. From the begining it is a compelling story about three women navigating their past. The relationship they have with one another is vital and this is brought through clearly from each character. The characters are well-developed and believable. Sally Hepworth took a complex issue and created a story that was not disturbing yet very realistic. The "then" and "now" developed each character and were easy to follow as at times with certain books I have been confused when they go back then forward. This was an easy read that kept me hooked, it was a quick finisher as I wanted to know what happened and my guess was incorrect. Which made it even more intriguing to read. I plan on reading more of her books in the future. I highly recommend this book if you want a mystery that keeps you guessing.