Heartbreaking tales of foster children in Australia.
Jessica, Norah and Alicia share their past with this story that brought them together in the same foster home dealing with abuse.
25 years later a detective calls each of them requesting that they return to town because their foster care home was demolished and human bones were found buried on the property.
Tragedy and triumph, heartache and healing, gut wrenching and worth it all for the HEA!

I look forward to all of Sally Hepworth’s books. This one was somewhat darker than many of her others. Alicia, Norah, and Jessica all spent time in a foster home twenty-five years ago. Their caretaker, Miss Fairchild, was a monster. Now they all receive calls that an investigation is taking place after bones have been found under the demolished foster home. Whose bones are they and who buried them? These characters were all well developed and the story, as always, had several unexpected twists. It is told from multiple points of view and two timelines. My only quibble s that I was 25 percent or more into the book before I released who was having sessions with a therapist. That may, however, have just been an oversight on my part.. A enjoyable 4.25 star read for me. I thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to thrillers. gave final girls vibes by sager quite a bit but obviously executed much better. much preferred compared to the soulmate. quick, multiple POV, keeps you guessing. 4 stars

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read another great book by Sally Hepworth. Love all her books, and this was no exception. The setting is a foster home in which three girls from different families are placed. This one centers around three who become like sisters and remain as such into adulthood. Tragedy ensues and the story flips back and forth from the past to present day. Thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait for another Sally Hepworth read!

Sally Hepworth is masterful, there’s no doubt about that. Darling Girls is a rather dark, complex story of a foster home gone very, very bad. I was so drawn into this twisty masterpiece that I lost a night of sleep. Totally worth it!

This book explores the past and present timelines of Jessica, Norah and Alicia, three young girls who grew up under the care of Holly Fairchild, the evil, mentally unstable foster mother. Through short, succinct chapters, we see how each girl evolved during and after their shared trauma. What they endured is heartbreaking and probably fairly true of some real-life foster homes, which makes this book even more gripping.

As revelations unfold one after another, it renders the readers helpless to put this book down for even a minute. The ending is simply brilliant. Five big stars from me. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy on April 23, 2024.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this amazing book.

Darling Girls follows the story of three foster sisters who lived together at the Wild Meadows foster home in Port Agatha for a couple of years. After 25 years, each of them receives a phone call from a detective regarding the discovery of human bones on the site of Meadows Hill. Although the sisters have led less-than-ideal lives, they unite to unravel the mystery behind the discovery. While reading about child abuse can be frustrating due to the injustice, the characters in this book are well-developed. The story is fast-paced, with many twists and turns, making it a page-turner. The ending of the story is excellent... a bit twisty.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

A detective has called Alicia, Jessica, and Norah back to the place that none of them wants to ever visit again – Wild Meadows – where they all lived as foster children with Miss Fairchild.
Jessica is the organized, slightly OCD girl; Norah is the tough, ready-to-fight one; and Alicia takes in foster children in her home.
They have found long-ago buried bones at Wild Meadows, and the detective wants to know exactly what Alicia, Jessica, and Norah know.
The book is told from present time on their way to Wild Meadows interspersed with looks back on their miserable lives as foster children.
Many secrets are revealed throughout the book – secrets from the three “sisters”, other foster babies – now grown – who were at Wild Meadows, and especially, secrets from Miss Fairchild.
I would highly recommend this book – it kept me guessing all the way to the end!

Sally Hepworth does it again! I was hooked from the 1st page! The character development was fantastic, the entire time I was reading I imagined this a movie!

I love Sally Hepworth’s books. I have never been disappointed and this was no exception. Great character development, lots of funny moments, and a great twist. Highly recommend! Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth, and am so excited when she has a new book for me to read! I am having a hard time reviewing this one because it was a good, compelling story, with interesting characters and relationships, and some unexpected twists, but I cannot say I enjoyed it due to the vivid descriptions of child abuse. I considered putting it down several times, but did want to find out what happened to Ms. Fairchild. I’d recommend the book to those not sensitive to this topic.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth A suspenseful journey following Norah, Alicia and Jessica through the foster care system with an abusive foster mother. The story is frightening and heartbreaking at the same time, terrifying in its depravity and cruelty. The transcripts of an unnamed individual talking to a therapist provides a good portion of background information. The reveal as to their identity was quite a surprise. There are numerous secrets and red herrings throughout the book and an insanely twisted ending. Engrossing read.

Thank you to the author, Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

The first book I read by Sally Hepworth was The Soulmate, which was really good. Some authors just have a good flow and tell a good story, she definitely had that. I preceded to read several more of her books, all of which unique and very interesting. Do when I saw the new release on Netgalley I dropped the book I was reading and it went right to the top of my TBR pile. (So worth it)

I love the dual timelines and the different POV from each sister. This book was great, truly. Sally is a great author and I look forward to all her future releases

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another Sally Hepworth book that I couldn't put down!! Alicia, Jessica, and Norah met through foster care and consider themselves sisters. They each have their personality issues but they have a decades old bond. Miss Fairchild was their foster mother who mistreated them for years until they finally came of age and were on their own. Now, years later, a body has been found buried under the foster home they lived in. The police investigation brings them back to a past they hoped to forget. Can the past ever be truly buried? This book will keep you guessing. This awesome story is full of twists and it kept my attention from the start. Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

*Thank you, NetGalley/St Martin’s Press, for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion.

4⭐ Another winner from Sally Hepworth! Can the past ever remain buried?
This book is fast; it's dark, and there are twists within the twists. The short chapters alternate between the past and present timelines of three women and how their trauma in foster care shaped their current lives. One stand-out aspect of this book is the excellent character development; each woman is uniquely different, and their emotional baggage is laid open.
While I did notice a few flaws in the story, such as issues with DNA testing and umbilical cord attachment, overall, I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. And speaking of the ending, I was blown away! Don't miss out on this fantastic read when it comes out April 2024!

Couldn’t put this book down. Loved the main characters. Fast paced with great twists and great ending. Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't see the ending coming at all. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a thriller with twists.

WOW, I seem to use this word after every book that Sally Hepworth writes and I am saying it again! This book kept me reading for nonstop and is a bit darker than the other books from this author. “Darling Girls” is about three girls who meet in the Foster Care system.as teens. These women become forever sisters and find out as adults that bones of a child are buried beneath their foster home. The twists and turns in the story kept me on the edge of my seat while dealing with the very difficult issues of child abuse, addiction and the broken foster care system. This is a must read for fans of thrillers where you can’t possibly guess the ending and for all of us who love the books of Sally Hepworth!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press and the author for the ARC and the opportunity to read this book.

Another great read by Sally Hepworth! As usual, she has written great characters and a story that kept me glued to the page.

I could not put this book down! I read it in two afternoons.
Jessica, Norah (with and H), and Alicia were all put into the foster care system when they were young. They all came together at Wild Meadows under the care of Miss Fairchild. Miss Fairchild is strict and the girls set off her many triggers without even realizing it. Their foster mother punishes them by preying on their fears. They are finally removed from the home after reporting the abuse to their school principal.
As adults, they girls are sisters. They are as close as they have always been and would do anything to protect each other. They are forced to return to Wild Meadows when a child's body is found on the property. But how far would they actually go to protect each other?

WOW! Sally Hepworth is the Queen of domestic thrillers, and she's knocked it out of the park with her latest release. The multiple POVs, dual timelines and short chapters keep you on your toes. I loved the slow-building mystery, and the last twist was brilliant, chef's kiss ! Highly recommend this one, it's one of her best ! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️