Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Sally Hepworth delivers another wonderful thriller.

I'm a huge fan of Sally Hepworth, and this is yet another captivating read from her. The story follows three foster sisters—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—who are reunited as adults when a body is discovered under their former foster home.

The story weaves together past and present, and the characters well-developed and relatable, each one grappling with their traumatic past in different ways. The mystery of the body and their shared history keeps you hooked, with twists and revelations that keep the tension high.

If you enjoy thrillers with deep emotional layers and strong character dynamics, Darling Girls is a must-read. Sally Hepworth delivers a compelling story of sisterhood, secrets, and the enduring impact of childhood trauma.

Meh. Unfortunately this didn't really work for me. I felt bored. I didn't feel the mystery was driving the story at all. Instead we were just learning about their backstories. Aka it felt more like family drama than mystery/thriller, which just isn't what I wanted. Also, I was underwhelmed by the conclusion.

What a wild ride! Thank you, Net Galley, for the early reader copy of Darling Girls.

I have not read a Sally Hepworth book in quite some time, and I was eager to read this newest release! Darling Girls was much edgier than any previous books I’ve read by this author. I was a little shocked at how dark this book was! But, It may be my new favorite by her as it kept me engaged the whole time! I read some and listened to some and the audio was also fantastic!! Darling Girls was a roller coaster ride of twists and turns that had me eagerly wanting more. The book is divided into 3 POVs between each of the girls/sisters who lived in the foster home together. These POV’s go back and forth between past and present making it compulsively addicting to read. And that ending/last chapter….Wow! I recommend reading Darling Girls if you're in the mood for a dark mystery! This story also makes one sympathetic towards foster children and the injustices that happen. Keep in mind CW for child abuse and neglect.

I read Sally Hepworth’s previous book in one day, and “Darling Girls” did not disappoint either! A thriller with some great twists. I think Hepworth has moved into insta-buy territory for me!

TW: child abuse

I simply love the way Sally Hepworth crafts a story and Darling Girls is another runaway hit!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia thought they left the Wild Meadows and their foster mother Miss Fairchild behind years ago, but when police contact them regarding bones that have been discovered beneath the house at Wild Meadows, the not so distant past comes hurtling back at them.

I enjoyed the alternating points of view and also the sessions with Dr. Warren that were woven throughout the narrative. I found the book compelling, mysterious and fast paced.

Sally Hepworth has quickly soared to the top of my list of favorite authors and Darling Girls certainly didn't disappoint.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an ARC of "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth which was released on April 23, 2024.

This story kept me on my toes and I did not know what to expect as I kept reading! The story focuses on Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who all were raised by the same foster mother and goes from past and present perspectives on life living with their foster mother and in the present the mystery of the body found under the home they grew up in.

Great for thriller/mystery fans and/or fans or Sally Hepworth's other books!

She has done it again

3 girls ended up in the foster care system with a foster mother from hell!

Jessica, Norah, Alica all endure Mrs. Fairchilds Horrible abuse while being in the foster care system. Jessica her sweet loving first child, Norah her hell raising anger issues second and Alica her sad lonely three child.

The girls grew up thick as thieves to adults with Jessica an addiction, Norah a rap sheet a mile long but given one last chance to behave and Alica working in the foster care system to never let what happen to them happen again.


When the girls get a phone call that brings back old memories and a body they stick together to make sure the real killer is brought to justice.

I love this book but was hard to read at time so please take the warning note at the beginning serious.

This was fun and page turning. It's not my favorite of Hepworth's but is still worthy of a read when in the mood for a dark thriller!

Sally's books are always good for a suspenseful read. She incorporates twists I never saw coming. I enjoy a book with multiple points of view and Sally is a master at this. We saw the relationships between the sisters but also all the depth of each as an individual.

This book was a little darker than some of Sally's other books but it was so well done. I kept rooting for the mother to get in trouble for something, anything to bring her down a peg. But the ending was truly amazing!

An uneasy mystery of two sisters who have delt with a lot of hardship throughout their lives. They find that they are stuck in a situation where they could change the path of their future forever. It was a great book I would recommend to all of my mystery loving friends.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, the author, and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Darling Girls was another creepy suspense family drama thriller from Sally Hepworth. All the characters are truly unhinged and you find it so confusing on who to and not to root for. I thought I had it all figured out until that last and final TWIST which really bumped my rating back up because things had fallen flat for me before that.

Sometimes these family drama thriller where theres a bunch of loose screws and a little bit of drugs involved end up blending all together for me, so I needed the last minute twist.

Darling Girls is a good mystery thriller. It was a fast read for me. I liked the characters and the storyline. It was a little predictable at points. It does have multiple points of view and timelines. Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the ARC.

Thanks for netgalley and the publishers for the early copies of darling girls by sally hepworth! Sally is an auto buy other for me, I love the way she develops her characters and I love how she always leaves it to the very last second to reveal something wild about the plot.

Darling Girls might just be my new Sally Hepworth favorite. Let’s call it a close second to The Good Sister (I’m not sure anyone will ever dethrone Fern). Darling Girls is a fast-paced read with multiple points of view and dual timelines. I found the story and characters easy to follow and differentiate between. Hepworth does a great job of making each sister's voice distinct. The twists and turns were great. Some I predicted, others I did not. I highly recommend this novel for lovers of suspense, thriller and mystery.

I started with the ebook and finished with the audiobook. Both were done well. The narrator, Jessica Clarke, does a fantastic job.

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the audiobook and ARC via NetGalley.

This one kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! I loved the setting and the background, as well as the multiple POV from current timeline and before timeline. Very good story, lots going on and the end was unpredictable.

This story made me cry tears of sadness and tears of joy. This is a heart-wrenching tale of loss, lies, secrets, and manipulation. Everyone has a story but only one person knows the truth. What really happened at Wild Meadows that has contributed to what the young girls of long ago have become? I was gripped by each girl’s story of their time with the malevolent Miss Fairchild. Once they are again brought together by tragedy, secrets are revealed, and lives are changed forever. The incidents of abuse were difficult to read and extremely disturbing. There were times throughout the story when I was unsettled and other times when I was rejoicing. This is a story of triumph, survival, and sisterly bonds that withstand unspeakable trauma. It’s compelling, heartbreaking with an ending that shook me to my core. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy.

Book Summary:

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia may not be bound by blood – but they are sisters nonetheless. The woman that brought them together is no longer in their life, and with good reason. They escaped from Miss Fairchild, and never looked back.
Until now. A body has been found on the farm they once called home. The sisters think they know who it is, but given how young they were when it happened, it's going to be a challenge to get anyone to take them seriously.

My Review:

Hrm. What to make of Darling Girls? Well, it's a complex web of stories, that's for sure! Things never seemed to go the way I expected, for better or worse. Overall, I'd say that this was a compelling read – but perhaps not the strongest I've read this month.
Darling Girls has four different perspectives, the three sisters and one surprise (left intentionally vague until the end). Their tales help to intentionally obfuscate the truth. I don't mind this writing trick, and I certainly enjoyed how different each sister was.
That said, there is something that bothered me throughout this book. It took me until the end to put my finger on it – the blasé relationship with reality. I get it, it's a thriller! But sometimes what was described is not how things would go down in real life (again, for better or worse). But that's just me nitpicking, so I won't let that affect my overall review that much.
I do think the three primary perspectives were stronger than the fourth. There's a reason I feel this way, and it has a lot to do with the big reveal at the end. Naturally, that means I can't go into too much detail.
Long story short, Darling Girls is another fascinating read from the mind of Sally Hepworth. Be sure to check it out! (But also, check the trigger warnings first).

Highlights:
Suspense/Thriller
Multiple Perspectives
Unreliable Narrators

Trigger Warnings
Child/Domestic/Sexual Abuse
OCD
Childhood Trauma

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to love this book. But I just didn’t. How can so much be going on and also, absolutely nothing, at the same time?? I feel the very last chapter was just added for shock value. I loved Norah’s character. Alicia and Jessica were just insufferable. I will read more from this author and hopefully will get a better gauge of her writing style.

First listening to the audio version of Darling Girls and then reading the print copy, I was again pulled into the story early on. There are three girls, Jessica , Norah and Alicia who one at a time, come to be foster children at Miss Fairchild’s home, How very lucky for them to have a wonderful home, Wild Meadows! Initially showered with love, the girls are eventually subjected to harsh discipline, stringent rules, and a foster mother whose behavior is so erratic that it’s hard to predict when the next outburst will occur. Luckily, they are able to get out, remain loving sisters to each other, and never ever look back. All true until they are notified that the unidentified bones of a young child have been found beneath the house.

Going back and forth in time, from childhood to adulthood, the story is told in three POVs, and also during an institutional therapy session for an unrevealed character. The reader, Jessica Clarke, does an excellent job with pacing, tone of voice and just enough dramatization. The plot is a bit slow at times yet the storyline held my interest as the possibility of murder looms large and many secrets are revealed. Who could commit such a heinous act? What haven’t the three sisters told each other? How villainous is Miss Fairchild? Is it possible to recover from childhood trauma?

There are many twists and turns right up until the end. Sally Hepworth can be relied upon to keep the suspense going throughout. Four stars for a creative story line well told. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this Advance Reader’s copy in exchange for my review. It became available on April 23. 2024. I highly recommended it for fans of Sally Hepworth, as well as those who enjoy thrillers . It was thoroughly engrossing.
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