I've read many book by Sally hepworth and they never disappoint. This one had me guessing and questioning everything all the way to the end.

Wow! This one sucks you in from the start. Bodies found? Kids in fkster care that seem to be living the dream but apparently lived a nightmare. The story unfolds thru the foster kid's POV as adults and flashbacks to when they were kids.

Really enjoyed this one! Absolutely addictive and compelling with characters you love and one you especially love to hate.

Darling Girls is a book about what happens to 3 girls in the foster care system who end up in the same house. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are sisters, not by blood, but by choice. All three girls had tragedies occur when they were young, no one to take care of them, and were now in foster care. The house they were placed in was run by Miss Fairchild. Jessica was the first to arrive and she wanted a mother more than anything. She followed Miss Fairchild around everywhere and worked very hard on chores to make her happy. The farmhouse seemed like a perfect setting, but was it? The other 2 girls arrived at different times a bit later. They were not fooled by Miss Fairchild and saw her for the evil woman she was.

One day Miss Fairchild had a 2 year old girl in her arms when they arrived home from school. Miss Fairchild told the girls she had adopted the 2 year old and her name was Amy. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia loved Amy but Miss Fairchild told them not to pick her up or play with her unless she asked them to do so. She wanted Amy to bond with her and only her. When that doesn't happen things take a turn. The girls love playing and holding Amy, but Miss Fairchild punishes them for doing things with her. As they're walking home one day, they see Miss Fairchild in the pool. There are 2 towels laying out, but they can only see Miss Fairchild in the pool. Where is Amy? The girls think they know what's happening and take off sprinting towards the pool. What happened? Did Miss Fairchild do something to Amy? Why weren't the girls ever allowed in the pool?

The 3 girls make a decision and are able to get away from Miss Fairchild once and for all. They go into a group home to stay together as they're close to graduating out of foster care. The girls are still dealing with what happened at that farm house, even as adults. When they get a phone call from the police in the town where they had lived with Miss Fairchild, they're surprised. Bones were found underneath the house when it was leveled for a new building and they want to speak to Norah, Jessica, and Alicia. Are the sisters being called in to assist with the investigation or are they being called in because they're suspects?

Darling Girls is a tough read at times seeing what the girls endure, but it's a great mystery. Sally Hepworth is masterful at building suspense and making the reader squirm. I rate Darling Girls 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of Darling Girls in exchange for a fair review. #DarlingGirls

So, I wasn't a big fan of this book, and it honestly is a shame since I loved Hepworth's other novels. I found there were too many spelling and grammatical mistakes in the book and the development of the characters was too choppy for me. I will say the part that disappointed me the most was the twist ending. While I found the story easy to read, and was extremely fast to read too, I was lost on the amount of characters and what was happening in the before and now parts. I look forward to Hepworth's upcoming books, but this one just wasn't for me.

Darling Girls is the latest release by thriller author Sally Hepworth, and it shocks in more way than one. What starts out as a story of three sisters trying to get closure from the most difficult time of their lives becomes a story of uncovering serious childhood traumas and trying to find the truth.

Alicia, Jessica, and Norah are sisters who grew up together in less than ideal circumstances. Although these women are not biological sisters, the experience of being foster sisters under the care of Miss Fairchild has bonded them for life. So when each of them gets a call from the policy saying that human bones were found underneath their childhood home, the first thing they do is group together and figure out what to do next.

This story surprised me because I really, really liked all three of the main characters. It was really difficult to read the heart breaking scenes of their childhoods and I wasn't expecting for them to be so put together as adults. I mean, that's not to say the don't have problems. Because they definitely do. But they all seem to hold down jobs and maintain their friendships and those are important things to do.

The scenes with Miss Fairchild were so good. I felt so emotional during some of the story and I think that's because of Sally Hepworth's writing. She really focuses in on what's important in the scene and then goes from there.

There's also some humor in this story. I thought Norah was really funny and I loved when Alicia was trying to crack the girls up with jokes in the beginning. It was very sweet and it made it even hard to read what was coming next.

There's no doubt about the fact that this story is filled with topics that are triggering, so please read the trigger warnings before diving into this book. It's a fantastic story that kept me on the edge of the seat. There were times where I didn't know who trust which made for a really exciting ending. If you enjoy dramatic thrillers that are told through both modern day and flashbacks, this story is for you.

Although some of the childhood scenes in the foster home are difficult to read about, they really help add to the story and make this an unforgettable read.

I honestly had no idea where this story was going to go, but I’m pleasantly surprised with this story, the twist and the ending. I really enjoyed that each chapter flipped between before & now for each of the main characters. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but man this was a crazy story. I honestly couldn’t put this one down! This is my first book by this author, and I look forward to reading more of her books now!

I highly recommend everyone to read this, it has drama, trauma, addiction, foster kids, unreliable characters. Most of all be prepared for a wild ride because the twists are twisted!!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia thought they had been rescued into a wonderful new life on a beautiful estate with their foster mother Miss Fairchild. Although they came separately, they soon found themselves like sisters. While everyone thought they had a lucky opportunity, things were very different behind closed doors. Miss Fairchild had rules; quite a lot of them. They didn’t dare disobey. They finally escaped and went their separate ways. Many years later they are each contacted by a detective. The house was being torn down and a body was found underneath. Originally thinking of themselves as witnesses to the horror, they soon wonder if they are really suspects. I couldn’t put this down until I read the shocking ending.

Also reviewed on B&N (1IrishEyes430) and Kobo (IrishEyes430)

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth was not my favorite psychological thriller. With three main female characters who had been foster children to keep track of, in addition to Mrs. Fairchild, their foster mother, plus alternately timelines and conversations between a therapist and an unknown narrator, the story was somewhat hard to follow even though the plot was also slow and plodding at times. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Sally Hepworth books so when I receive Darling Girls, I was thrilled. The concept for this book is fascinating and hearing the author’s thoughts about how she came up with the idea was interesting.

It’s a captivating psychological thriller that explores the meaning of family, friendship, and the lasting impact of childhood trauma. The story alternates between the present day and each characters troubled past. Going back and forth kept me guessing on what the sister’s dark secrets might be and gave clues about the bones under the house.

I enjoyed the development of the sister’s stories and hearing about what tied them all together. Also, the twists are both surprising and satisfying.

This story does not shy away from its exploration of the foster care system and the harsh realities of what children in the system deal with. Fans of psychological thrillers and stories about the bonds of found family will enjoy this one!

Finally a thriller that truly has a suspenseful and shocking ending!

This was definitely Hepworth’s darkest thriller I have read.

This book focuses on 3 girls and their CRAZY foster mom.

I found myself wanting to immediately discuss parts of the story with anyone who would listen.

This book was highly addictive and twisted AF.

Three women return to the foster home and mother that tried to break them as adolescents when bones are discovered under the house. Forcing them to relive the past, the women are confronted with their monster and the scars she placed upon them that have followed them into adulthood.


Holy shit. Sally, sweet twisted Sally. That ending? 🤌🏻 I didn’t see it coming and I sat here with my mouth open wide enough to catch flies - consider me shooketh. 👏🏼

I am grateful to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with a digital advanced reader copy of Sally Hepworth's "Darling Girls." I read "The Soulmate," and "Darling Girls" is the second book I've read by this author. This novel was suspenseful, and the conclusion was one I didn't see coming. OMG. The mystery and suspense in Mrs. Hepworth's stories never let up.

I enthusiastically recommended this book to other people in my book club, confident in its ability to captivate and thrill.

When the police calls requiring the appearance of you and your sisters of your childhood home without knowing why, an uneasy feeling is expected. They aren’t blood sisters and haven’t stepped back into that town since the day they left.
The police have discovered a body on the grounds and one secret after another drops when you least expect it.

Classic Sally Hepworth, fully developed characters that has twists and turns throughout with a big bomb going off at the end of the story.

Sally Hepworth writes completely bingeable thrillers that keep you guessing from the moment you open the book. Darling Girls is no exception and is easily my favorite I've read from her thus far. I was captivated by the story of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia right from the beginning. All three characters came to life on the page. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and constantly wondering what was going to happen next, and I'll be honest, I never predicted anything that happened. As for the ending? I'm still thinking about it.

Read Darling Girls. And while you're at it, buy her other books too.
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 stars

It has been years since foster sisters Jessica, Norah and Alicia have left behind their foster home that emotionally scarred them all, but when a body is found buried under the house they are pulled back to once again. With memories from the past coming back to them as well as the baggage of their current lives trying to catch them, there is little a lot going on in these three womens lives. Who does the body belong to? How did it get there? As the secrets of the past unravel to fill in the missing pieces we may just be horrified by the answer.

I was hooked from the description of this book and excited to find out how this thriller would play out. As soon as I started reading this book it was hard to stop. I got lost on the stories of each character and enjoyed seeing how everything unfolded. I think this story was well done and I liked how it was told in the multiple different points of view and different times, but sometimes it would throw me off a little, especially the parts with the therapist. I think this might have had a lot to do with the fact that I listed to the audiobook instead of reading the physical copy, but that is my only complaint about this read. The characters were complex and layered, the story twisted and turned and the ending was perfect. I really enjoyed this read and recommend it to anyone looking for a good psychological thriller.

Norah, Jessica, and Alicia are three girls, adopted by the generous Miss Fairchild, are thankful to have a fresh start at Wild Meadows. Or that's what everyone is supposed to think. When a body is discovered on the Wild Meadows property, the girls are forced to return and reckon with what they knew and know now.

This was a great and fast-paced thriller! Sally Hepworth introduces characters in a masterful way, giving just enough at a time to keep the reader engrossed in the mystery. Darling Girls is a true psychological thriller that flips between timelines. Overall, this was a great book and I can't wait to read more from the author!

my first sally hepworth book didn’t disappoint! there were some aspects that I really enjoyed.

diverse characters: the foster sisters couldn’t have been more different, it was so interesting learning more about each of them.

alternating timelines: I had a hard time figuring out who was talking to the therapist, this kept me on the edge of my seat!

romance subplot: enjoyed learning how the sisters overcame their awful childhood and seeing them grow into their new lives.

this was spooky in all of the best ways, I was stumped until the very end! thank you to net galley for the arc.

This book went there. I have never read a Sally Hepworth book before, but I will truly be looking forward to. The twist and turns were great. I loved all of her characters and truly felt the story was “complete” for all of the characters involved. The last twist was one I was not expecting and had my jaw dropped. Would recommend to all my thriller readers. Thank you NetGalley and Sally Hepworth for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I love Sally Hepworth, this book wasn't her best nor her worst. It didn't sit well with me as to being a mystery/ thriller. I thought it would have delved a bit more into what happened to the infant (it did, but not as much as I would've liked) it just talked about 70% of the book about the girls backstory. It kind of flopped with the psychiatrist aspect of it in my opinion. Not too bad, but not that great either...I may have had higher expectations, but this book is at best 3 stars.