Darling Girls is one of the best books I've read this year so far. I absolutely love the characters, specifically our three protagonists Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. Sally Hepworth's writing is spectacular, and she seamlessly weaves past and present so we have a strong understanding of and empathy for these three "sisters." While I had predicted one of the major twists, I think that made my reading of the book all the more enjoyable, and the ending was perfect. I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it to mystery lovers!

Wonderful thriller! This book was told from several different points of views and time periods thought it was easy to follow along with the story. I imagine that this book would be wonderful on audio! This book kept my attention from beginning to end. The ending was able to surprise me in certain ways which I always enjoy reading thrillers.

I do recommend you do your own research before reading as this book does contain material that may be triggering to some.

When I see a new Sally Hepworth novel, I drop everything. As always it was a page turner with an interesting subject of foster care. The very worst foster care scenario. Holly Fairchild seems to have the best intention to take in girls that are in need of immediate care. It's an idyllic setting in a beautiful house on a large property.

Told from alternating characters and past/present format. The past perspective gives depth and background to the narrative. Ms. Fairchild takes in 3 girls, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. They form a close sisterly bond when the house becomes more of a prison and Ms. Fairchilds's moods become erratic and abusive.

Years later they receive a call from the police that there was a body found under the house. They are summoned back to relive the abuse and find the identity of the body. Are they witnesses to a crime or suspects? The plot has a few surprises, suspenseful, and goes very dark.

This is a solid 4-star page turning read. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy.

I picked this one up because I needed something different than the heavy lit fic or not so heavy rom com’s that are my usual fare. To be fair, I do not read horror and am not big on thrillers because my imagination is so active, and I have trouble sleeping with all the horrible possibilities. But Darling Girls was highly recommended, so I dove in.
First, if you are triggered by child abuse, this is not the book for you. The characters are former foster kids who are placed with a woman who is not what she appears to be, a sweet, lovely woman. The story is told from three viewpoints (through most of the bool.) Three young girls are fostered by Miss Fairchild. The girls forge a sisterhood of protection when they must revisit all they suffered as children to help solve a crime.
As all good thrillers, this is a page turner. The characters are complex and damaged, and it will take until the last page to figure this one out.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to have early access to this novel. This book may be activating for some who struggled with trauma and/or foster care or negligent parents. I really enjoyed getting to know the three sisters and learning about their dynamics and how their bond was developed over time. This author continues to do amazing work with thrillers, with the twists in the plot. Loved this book!

I enjoyed this book! It was gripping and the characters were likeable. It was a slow build but yet a page turner. I've never read a book like that before!

This is the second book I've read by this author, and I really like her writing style. This one was a quick read! I liked the characters and how the chapters alternated between each of their POVs as well as past and present timelines. I was dying to know who was talking to the psychiatrist at different times throughout the book, so that kept me guessing. I also enjoyed the twists at the end!

Thank you, @netgalley, and @stmartinspress for the #gifted e-arc!

This was a twisty and suspense-filled psychological thriller that had me rooting for the sisters. I had a great time trying to follow along with this highly entertaining read that masterfully switched between the past and present.

Darling Girls is a story about three women and their tragic upbringing when they were children that brought them together as sisters. Each girl couldn’t be more different. Jessica, the organized one. Norah, the troublemaker. Alicia, the funny one. All three girls have one major thing in common, they’re all brought to Miss Fairchild.
Miss Fairchild may seem friendly at first but the girls quickly found out that Miss Fairchild is a monster. As adults, these women each receive a call that their old foster home has been torn down and they found human remains underneath, but question is, who is it and why were they buried there?
There were many twists and turns through this book. The pacing was a little off for me but I still found this to be a very enjoyable read. 3.5/5⭐️
I’d also like to thank Netgalley and St Martins Press for a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a suspenseful thriller about three girls who grew up in the care of a possibly crazy foster mother. Years later they are called back to the house when human remains are found to have been buried underneath. I enjoyed the character development of the sisters. The chapters go back and forth between each sister in the present and the past, along with some chapters of the foster mother talking with a psychiatrist. I didn’t see the twists coming. An exciting read for sure! Sally Hepworth doesn’t disappoint.

I really enjoy Sally Hepworth's book and this one was no exception. It was perfectly dark and twisty and I could not put it down.

I could not put this book down! I devoured every word in a short time frame, not wanting to ever stop reading. I thought I had it figured out.. I was so very wrong!!

Oh those girls, being in the foster care system is never easy much less when they have a foster mom like Mrs. Fairchild. They were in hell. At least they had each other. As I read, I was brought right into their hell. I had a fear of Mrs. Fairchild and was learning as they did what would set her off, although it was not always something they could predict.

The real question… who’s body is found under the house they had lived in and who had put it there? I was sure I knew the answer, I mean all the clues led right to it. Not so fast, this story was so full of twists and turns, ups and down, rights and wrongs that I found myself changing my guesses often.

Darling Girls is a twisted, mystery, thriller with 3 foster children who became sisters and stayed sisters for the rest of their lives. This book is PHENOMENAL!! Go get your own copy ASAP!

Thank you St.Martin’s Press for a copy of the book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Omg I literally could not put this down! This book had such a delightful twisty plot and the characters were *chef’s kiss* 😌 it’s no wonder I finished it in one sitting.

AND can we talk about the ending?! Holy shit. I sat there with my jaw just gaping open. Then I proceeded to Charlie from Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia with my diagrams and red string to my husband who pretended to keep up with my rambling nonsense. I highly doubt he understood a damn thing I said, but guess what?! I don’t care 🤣 I had to get it off my chest!

If you want a thriller that’s going to have your pulse jumping, look no further. If you figure out this plot, kudos to you.

Holy smokes! This was creepy! (In a good way) Sally Hepworth is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. Her novels are always original and contain edgy characters who aren't easily forgotten. I think this is one of her more disturbing novels. There's just something about questionable foster care and sinister case workers. I also like the dual timeline structure and how pieces of the mystery are slowly revealed throughout the book. I just love Hepworth's ability to develop her characters so quickly and so well. It gets you right to the meat of the novel without unnecessary wordiness. I consider this a perfect example of a well-plotted psychological thriller.

I love her books and really wanted to love this one, but it just wasn't for me. I liked that it jumped back and forth between the present and the past, but I didn't connect with any of the characters and found the storyline to be a bit cringey.

This author's thrillers have been hit or miss for me in the past but this one was a definite hit! I devoured this book wanting so badly to know what was happening. 4 stars!

If you love a psychological thriller story, then Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is for you. Totally mind bending, twisted, and unputdownable. I was itching to read the next page and find out what happened next. The manipulation and gaslighting was extremely intriguing and I needed to know what Miss Fairchild would do next. The twist at the end, I did not see coming!
A foster care thriller story is usually unheard of so I really enjoyed the different type of mysterious story. There is also a sense of found family within this book. Foster siblings unite and treat each other like blood and family, which was beautiful to read about throughout the eerie story.

I enjoyed this book! It wasn't so much thrilling, as a solid mystery with a dark undertones (TW of child abuse). This was definitely a character-driven, bit of a slow-burn story which I personally love. It reminded me a bit of THE SOULMATE in that sense. My favorite part of the book was the relationship between the sisters. while the mystery of the bones took a backseat in terms of engagement. There is also a bit of a mystery of who is speaking with the psychologist, but I believe it became obvious pretty early on. Even still, I enjoyed those chapters until the end. The epilogue has one of my least favorite book tropes/types of reveals, which I won't name due to spoilers, but it did drop my enjoyment of the book a bit. Overall though, this was an enjoyable read and I recommend it for those who enjoy character-driven mysteries.

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

4.25 stars- I read this on a plane ride and could not put it down! It jumps time which always makes books a quick read for me. I've only read one other Sally book but after reading Darling Girls, I need to go read more of her backlist!! I loved getting to know the 3 main girls, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. My heart ached for them having to go through terrible childhoods only to end up at the house of Miss Fairchild. The house they lived in is leveled and bones are found in a grave underneath the house which prompts the grown up girls to come back to the town. I absolutely loved the plot and the twists in this book were perfect, even leading me to gasp at the ending!! I am recommending this to my fellow thriller lovers!
Thank you St. Martin's Press and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was riveted by the intricate story that Sally Hepworth created in "Darling Girls". This story of three foster sisters who delve back into their past is both riveting and disturbing at the same time. Without giving away any secrets, all I can say is that when you start a novel by Sally Hepworth you had better be ready for a wild ride!!!!