Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a chilling blend of psychological suspense and emotional depth, exploring the lasting impact of childhood trauma and the fierce bonds of found family. Hepworth masterfully weaves past and present, unraveling dark secrets with well-timed twists that keep you hooked.

The sisterly dynamic at the heart of the story adds warmth and complexity, balancing the darker themes. While some plot points feel a bit over-the-top, the gripping narrative and emotional core make it a standout thriller.

A dark, twisty read with heart—perfect for fans of character-driven suspense.

I can always rely on Darling Girls to give me a mystery and suspense that will keep you guessing. At times just like any mystery you want to throw your Kindle at the frustration but you also want to throw it when you did not guess the ending and it was that good. I have always enjoyed Sally Hepworth and Darling girls was added to the list of great reads.

Three non-bio sisters, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, have a bond after they shared a childhood together in the foster care of Miss Fairchild, a narcissistic and abusive woman who presents as the "perfect" foster parent. Even into adulthood, the bond has gotten stronger as they learn to deal with their memories and their ongoing traumas from that time.

They were all contacted by the police when bones are found buried under Miss Fairchild's former home. They are asked for help from the authorities to identify the human bones and they have no idea what to expect. Told in both past and present timelines with the three sisters POVs and the therapist sessions, the book moves quickly. Some parts are harder to read than others when the mental and physical abuses are depicted but everything ties together and flows well. The twists are good to the very last one.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC.

It was okay. Not my favorite sally book but not the worst. The characters fell flat for me on this one. I couldn’t seem to connect.

The idea of a loving foster home on an idyllic farm for three young girls escaping tragic home lives seems perfect. But life with Miss Fairchild, their foster mother, is not easy for Jessica, Norah and Alicia. There are rules…rules that are immutable and always enforced by Miss Fairchild, who can be very unpredictable.

The girls break free from Miss Fairchild, but their past catches up when a body is discovered under the home where they were fostered. As they revisit their younger lives, secrets will be revealed and loyalties tested. Are they witnesses or suspects? What do they remember and what does it mean?

Is this book a mystery or a thriller? It’s both. The author unfurls the clues and motivations carefully building the suspense until the final reveal.

Sally Hepworth continues to be an auto-buy for me - as I love her dysfunctional families. I really enjoyed this one told in the alternating voices of the three foster sisters and figuring out the stunning conclusion.

This is a story of found family and sisterhood. It follows three foster children who created a family for themselves based on what they had to endure as children and what happens when secrets from their past come to light.

I really enjoyed this book from one of my favorite authors. It was fast paced, entertaining and had great twists.

This was my first novel by Sally Hepworth. Darling Girls follows three main characters; Alicia, Norah and Jessica. All these girls were in the foster care system and lived in a
foster home, which only strengthened the girls bond, and they’re like sisters. I loved getting to know the sisters, their backstory and their bond.

Darling Girls is told in past and present timeline and the girls are forced to return to their past when an investigation happens.

If you like books about found family, and secrets, check this out, as Darling Girls is full of witty banter and suspense.

I love Sally Hepworth but this one didn't quite hit for me. There are some triggers such as child abuse and child sex abuse. Three young girls are in foster care with the same abusive care giver, Miss Fairchild. They end up bonding and become sisters for life. They had such closeness and tight bonds with the three girls. They were severely damaged deeply. And Miss Fairchild's cruelty was depicted vividly, with unfair punishments and abuse. Some hard to follow. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

Darling Girls follows three foster sisters in their adult lives and their past lives, living together in what many considered an idyliic farmhouse with a doting foster mother, Mrs. Fairchild. Each girl has been told they are just so lucky to be there, to be with her, to be together. Behind closed doors, things are not what they seem, as money is supposedly so tight and cleaning chores take nearly the entire day. The girls find camraderie, both in the house and at home, despite their differences, and band together as new babies enter the home as well. As adults, while all are fairly well adjusted, there are obvious signs of their former time in the foster system at play. Jessica is very controlled, Alicia helps foster kids but sees herself unable to have a relationship or to be maternal, and Norah is violently protecting herself from, well, everything. As human remains are found at the former foster home, the three sisters are taken back to the place where their sisterhood began.

Told through four perspectives, the three sisters and an unknown fourth, Darling Girls is a twisted tale of the past and the future it has greatly shaped. The three main characters are deeply flawed from their time as foster children with Mrs. Fairchild, but their sisterly connection is truly beautiful to read. While they each hold secrets, it's interesting to watch as they revisit their past together, lean on one another, and slowly reveal, or have revealed, their secrets to one another. They join together as one, holding one another up always, and revisit the painful memories. I could not have guessed this one initially, though I figured it out by the end, as it is just so twisty. Sally Hepworth really brought this one to life and takes readers are a tangled journey.

I didn’t see the end coming with this one. I couldn’t put it down. A dark and twisted story, I enjoyed the multiple POVs and alternating timelines. This is probably one of my fave Sally Hepworth novels to date!

didn't love the last book I read by Hepworth, so I was slightly hesitant about starting Darling Girls. Luckily, this novel turned out to be my favorite of her books. Everything worked in the book: the characters, the pacing, the tension, and the resolution. Character development was well done, I enjoyed reading the two different timelines that delved into the lives of the three main characters as girls in foster care and as adults. Some of the abuse parts were hard to read, so take the trigger warnings to heart. The last third was unputdownable and I loved how the story wrapped up.

I loved The Mother in Law from this author so I was very excited for this one and I loved this one too! It feels more like life with a mystery than thriller, but based on her other book, that wasn't too surprising. I don't know if refreshing is the right word for it since it's about a horrible foster mom, but it was refreshing as far as thriller/mystery story lines go.

Thank you @stmartinspress press and @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This was my first Sally Hepworth book and it didn’t disappoint. A farmhouse in the country and a nice woman who wants to foster children, what could go wrong? This story was creepy and disturbing. I liked the 3 different storylines of the 3 sisters and how the story switched back and forth between the past and present day. I had suspicions about all of the characters throughout the book and was constantly guessing new theories. The ending! Oh dang! Didn’t see that coming! I was sold on another narrative.

This book was so interesting and suspenseful. I enjoy psychological thrillers and I can't wait to read more from Sally; this book hooked me!

This one was ok for me, I typically enjoy books from this author and will continue to look forward to more books from her in the future.

Darling Girls is a unique story that unfolds in both flash backs and present time weaving together the lives of three foster children sent to live with Miss Fairchild on her farm estate.

The three girls couldn’t be more different but build an inseparable bond through the unfortunate circumstances and terrible treatment they endure at Miss Fairchilds hand.

When human bones are found buried under the old farmhouse the girls travel back to Port Agatha to the land where Wild Meadows once stood to be interviewed and participate in the investigation.

This book took me a while to get into, which is not normal for Sally Hepworth books but I’m glad I stuck to it. The twists revealed were thrilling and I definitely didn’t see them coming.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sally Hepworth has been a favorite writer (and Instagram follow) of mine for several years now — she does a really great job of exploring deep issues (in this case, child abuse and mental health) through a psychological thriller plot. This book was quite dark and definitely has some trigger warnings, but I didn’t see the twists coming which is always a good sign!! It isn’t my favorite SH book (I think that would be The Mother in Law), but it was a good, quick listen!

The lies and twists in this one will have me thinking for a while! This would be a great beach read!