The way I couldn’t put this book down, and ended up binge reading through the night (which I rarely do), switching between the book and audiobook. Sally Hepworth is one of the best when it comes to domestic suspense, and I just love her storytelling writing so much.

I buddy read this with my husband and had a hard time not giving anything away because I ended up finishing before him.

The story features 4 POVs, about three foster siblings with a past/present storyline. When bones are discovered at the home they were raised, everyone comes into question what happened.

With fast chapters and an intriguing storyline, it was the perfect thrill ride that kept me guessing, and would make the best beach or poolside read this Summer.

🎧I loved the audiobook narration by Jessica Clarke, and it was easy to switch between the print and audio formats, keeping me completely immersed into the story.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧
🏠domestic suspense
❤️found family
🔍a story that will keep you guessing
📖multiple POVs

*many thanks to St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

Wow! I loved this book and it takes you on quite the ride! I never saw how it was going to end. And then, I got to the end, and thought maybe it was kind of a let down, but Sally Hepworth pulled out a twist at the very end!

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I was so engrossed with it that I finished it in one day.

Short chapters meant that I constantly wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. This book does touch on some dark subject matter so it’s not for everyone. But I didn’t find it too disturbing where it stopped me from wanting to read on.

Lots of twists and turns, some of which were predictable but others I didn’t see coming. This is the perfect book to get out of a reading slump.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth was DYNAMITE! What an amazing story with superb plot points and dynamic characterizations. I mean.... it blew me away. Not just the story, which was amazing but the writing.... the writing! Very, very clever! This is why Sally Hepworth is an auto-buy author for me!

Sally Hempworth is always an author who always holds my attention with her gripping story writing. Told from past and present timelines set in Australia it's a story about a bond between Jessica, Alicia, and Norah where they were raised in the foster care system all 3 girls find themselves together under the care of Miss. Fairchild.
A gripping suspenseful read that is sure to keep you guessing. I'd rate this one a solid 3.5 stars so I rounded up to a 4 star rating.

3.5 Solid thriller that kept me guessing. Great character development and written so well that I could easily differentiate between the girls. I have a tendency to get Sally Hepworth, Liane Moriarty and Rachel Hawkins books mixed up, so it’s great for fans of those books.
The story laid out very well, going between past and present as three precious foster girls who grew up in the same foster home find out a body was found under the house they grew up in. Compelling thriller.

This was a wonderful psychological thriller. I really did not know how the story would end, there were so many twists. The characters were written very well, their stories heart wrenching, and I was rooting for justice for all of them. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Darling Girls focuses on three foster “sisters”, who grew up together for a couple of years at Wild Meadows foster home in Port Agatha. They are all grown and living their not so best lives, when they each receive a phone call 25 years later from a detective about the discovery of human bones on the site of Meadows Hill. Ms. Fairchild's scenes seemed monotonous and drug things out.

The book starts with the demolition of a foster home and we meet the 3 sisters who once lived there. Going back and forth present and past we learn about the traumas endured by Jessica, Alicia and Norah from their own points of view. Each character is strong in her own way. The mental abuse they were subjected to make it difficult to understand how they were able to cope and rise above. The mysteries of what happened, what has been discovered and who is telling their stories to the psychologists keeps you on the edge. I enjoyed the book and loved each chapter following up with the girls at the end. But that last chapter, I didn’t see coming at all. Talk about jaw dropping.
4/5 stars easily!

Another hit for Sally Hepworth! I thouroughly enjoyed Darling Girls and kept turning the pages one right after the other to find out what really happened at Wild Meadows. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah grew up together under the care of Miss Fairchild. As adults, they have struggles but they have each other too. One day, they are contacted because human bones were found under the home they grew up in and us readers are left wondering whose bones they really are. I never felt like I truly had it all figured out and even up to the end, I was thrown off. Great thriller! Perfect for summer reading.

I’ve only read two other books by Sally Hepworth but Darling Girl is my favorite of hers so far.

The previous books I read were domestic thrillers so I thought this would be similar but Darling Girl dealt me with some very heavy and dark issues in foster homes.

I like the friendship/sisterhood of the girls in foster care, and really enjoyed the pace of the book and how the story progressed and unfolded.

Probably one of my fav thrillers I read this year!

4.3 ⭐️

I love a Sally Hepworth book. She's a masterful writer! Though I'll say this one wasn't my favorite of hers, I did find it to be her typical style: propulsive, intriguing, and surprisingly insightful. Sally knows how to weave humanity and depth into domestic suspense.

3.5 stars rounded up! This was an interesting story, but definitely check the trigger warnings before you read it. It keeps you reading, but I got so confused between all of the main characters!

Sally Hepworth has done it again! It is hard to write a review on this without giving away the book but it was twist after twist, and the ending.. whew.

There were times it did get a bit predictable and outrageous, but overall it was an amazing thriller. I enjoyed this one more than The Soulmate, and that was a good book.

This book does speak on child abuse and sexual assault, so if you're a sensitive reader this may not be the book for you.

Phew, child, what a book! Very dark but yet not dark? Definitely an issue that needs more attention on in reality. Let's jump in on the book:

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are end up in the same foster home under the care of Miss Fairchild. What could go wrong living on a beautiful farm estate? Once they’ve grown up and have been living their own lives, they are informed that a body has been found underneath their foster home. This is when the story is told from past and present timelines; their not so happy childhood and the present investigation.

Hepworth did an amazing job with the character development from a youth and adult perspectives. I can't begin to understand the traumatic experiences children face in foster care. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia all had different issues and different paths. Hepworth even did this with Miss Fairchild.

Although the subject matter is dark, I don't think it took away from me enjoying it. This is a highly driven character thriller. It will definitely hold your interest and leave a mark.

Well done, Sally!

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!