Darling Girls follows three foster sisters who are summoned back to the house they grew up in after some bones are found buried underneath the house.

While this book focused a lot on the abuse and trauma the sisters went through with their foster mother, I never felt that it was too dark or heavy. The three sisters were unique in the ways they came into the foster system, the things they had been through in the past, and how being in the foster system, specifically with Miss Fairchild as their foster mother, really shaped them into the people they are in the present time. I enjoyed the bond between the three of them, and I found the relationships between each of them and Miss Fairchild to be very interesting as well.

I flew through this. I was very intrigued from the start, and it was truly such a page turner. I did not love the very end, however, and would have been satisfied without the last chapter.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a review!

Oh. My. God! This book was something!

I devoured this book. The characters and storylines kept me interested from the very first chapter.

I will say, I hope there might be trigger warnings listed in the final version. I knew what the story was about before I read it, but even I felt a little uncomfortable at times. Unfortunately, without the tough elements in this books, the story would not work at all. It was a page turner with a lot of twists.

This book is not for anyone who has suffered any form of abuse, whether it be physical, emotional, or psychological. I also would not recommend it to anyone who might have been in the foster system at any time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Darling Girls is out April 23rd.

I have enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s previous books, but that did not prepare for me this one. I listened to about a third of the audiobook before I had to binge read the second two thirds. I’m never great at waiting but it was impossible with this one. I think this one punched me a little harder because I am a social worker and this is about the layers of trauma foster kids have to survive. I mean it’s also a domestic thriller and mystery about who the dead body under the house was, but it was eerily accurate about foster care and the pitfalls. The book alternates perspectives as well as timelines. When Norah, Jessica, and Alicia were young they were in foster care together at a home that looked perfect from the outside. It was on a farm and even had a swimming pool, but it also came with a foster mother who was difficult to please and creative with discipline. The three sisters (found family not biological) all get calls from the police with a request to return to that town after a body is found under the demolished house. With trepidation they return to try to find what happened but are they witnesses or are they suspects?

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the ebook and the audiobook for review. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and follow along with their current and past lives, ultimately leading to information about what was found at the house they grew up at. All characters were flawed yet not totally unlikable.

Jessica, Alicia, and Norah were foster children with Mrs. Fairchild for many years, growing close and bonding over their upbringing. They remain close in adulthood despite not staying together once they left Fairchild’s care. All 3 lead imperfect lives today and are brought back together when they receive calls from a detective related to a crime that has been uncovered at their former foster home.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a dark yet compelling book about 3 women that grew up in the foster system and now as adults are called back by the police to return to the home they escaped from. Told in multiple POVs and with alternating timelines, this is a story that could've been easily confusing. But Hepworth weaved each characters' story with the next one with an ease that left me in awe. I was gripped from beginning to end and loved each flawed character and their journey.

Jessica, Norah, Alicia are the 3 women that grew up together in the foster system as sisters in Miss Fairchild's home. From the outside, their home and Miss Fairchild could be perceived as them being lucky. But their lives were anything but ideal. They learned to live with what they were given, even if it was troubling and quite sinister. The one thing they did have? Each other. Now as adults, they are asked to return to a time and place they thought they left behind to find answers that the authorities are looking for. But are they the innocent bystanders that may have answers? Or are they the guilty party?

Hepworth always amazes me at the way she writes women and captures the essence of a captivating domestic suspense with twists that are creative, but really fit her characters. Initially, I thought when I began the book and was getting the multiple POVs, I was going to be confused. But the way the story was laid out and how we got to know the women in the past and present, it made each character flawed, yet real and relatable.

I did have a hard time reading about what each girl experienced in their past, but it also showed their strength and their resilience along with their connection they had with one another. Believe me, it wasn't easy to read, but it was those moments that forged those girls together for life. Knowing the bond that connected them in the past kept them close together into adulthood was the one positive thing that came from their time in the foster system.

Despite the difficult subject matter, I did enjoy the characters and how they evolved over the course of the story. There was growth for each one and all in different ways. But I did initially show some confusion at the end of some chapters that included scenes from a patient and psychiatrist. What started as confusion led to a twist that was pure genius. It was so darn troubling, but it put the whole story together with an epic ending that smashed any inkling of what I thought of each character and how it was going to connect each and every piece.

This book is definitely slow to build, but it will keep you on your toes. Each piece of the suspenseful puzzle will lead you to an epic ending that is masterfully done.

Oofff! What a read! Sally Hepworth definitely wrote a thrilling story!!

I have such mixed feelings on this book. All hanging in the ending of the story.

I love a story with an unreliable narrative and feel like I caught on early that the story would unfold differently than how it was portrayed to be, however there was lots to the ending that caught me by surprise.

I appreciated the deep sisterly bond, the unraveling of the foster babies and their identities.

I did find the ending very difficult to read. And would definitely advise TW:child abuse and drug/substance for those who may have some sensitivity to such subjects.

I wanted to rate higher than a 3⭐️, however the somewhat graphic ending bumped it down a star in my opinion!

I did a mix of reading and listen (I really appreciate the advanced copies) as it kept me flying through the book that much faster. I feel like the narration was great. Loved the Australian accent!

Thank you for the early access. Would definitely recommend!

Well written mystery that focuses on three sisters in foster care in a difficult living situation. I will say, the only reason this book isn’t 5 stars is because I wish there was a content warning for abuse and child death.

Sally Hepworth has done it again.

Darling Girls was just a perfect Hepworth book. I loved the differing POVs, the past and present storylines. It made the book interesting and had me turning pages quick to figure out what all was happening.

I enjoyed that Jessica, Nora and Alicia were flawed but not unlikeable. And they weren’t unreliable narrators which is a nice change in thrillers. They knew what had happened to them and were gaslit into thinking otherwise. I trusted those girls with my life.

There are so many twists and turns in this book. And while I thought I had figured out the major twist early on, she adds one POV at the end to turn my world upside down.

As a big fan of Sally, I was thrilled to get my hands on this. In her typical fashion, Sally creates a unique cast of characters who you are never sure who to root for. While this wasn’t my favorite novel by her, I read it as quickly as my life commitments would allow due to the suspense. Sally is always an auto buy for me!

After recently reading The Soulmate, I was super excited to read Sally Hepworth"s new book Darling Girls and it did not disappoint!

This is the story of Jessica, Norah (without a T 😊) and Alicia who grew up together as foster children in a farmhouse called Wild Meadows with Miss Fairchild, their evil, narcissistic foster mother. The experience for each of them is slightly different but equally horrible and they develop a bond and become sisters not by blood but by love. Years later, they must return to the town where Wild Meadows is located when human remains have been found under the house. The story is told from the point of view of each of the three sisters and a mystery narrator.

My heart went out to all three sisters. Jessica becomes the organizer, the caregiver who looks out and supports her sisters but can't take care of herself. Norah is so smart and so beautiful but her anger issues get the best of her as a child and later as an adult and she is in constant trouble with the law. Alicia becomes a social worker with a huge heart but doesn't know how to let herself be loved.

There are definitely mysteries and twists but the beauty of the writing and the excellent character development makes this story so much more compelling than a typical psychological thriller. This was absolutely a 5 star read for me!

Thank you so much to netGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book which will be published on April 23, 2024.

Thank you net galley for the advance copy of Sally Hepworth DARLING GIRLS. It was awesome. The story centers around three girls that spent a couple of years together in the same foster home and their experiences while living there. The story goes back and forth between present day and what happened while they lived there. They kept in contact into their adulthood and when a body is found at Wild Meadows they make the trip back together. There were quite a few twists in this novel as is typical of Sally Hepworth novels. Personally, I think her books keep getting better and I am already looking forward to the next one.

Sally Hemsworth is an excellent storyteller. She combines elements of mystery and drama and addresses important topics without melodramatically hitting readers over the head. Darling Girls intertwines a mysterious death with an examination of the lives of children in the foster system. The characters are well-developed and believable. The plot is engaging and riveting. Another enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.

Sally Hepworth is the queen of the draw-dropping twist. She is an amazing author, who weaves masterful plots together. This newest installment is a wonderful example of what a psychological thriller should be. Twists that came out of no where, wonderful characterization, and just great character stories. Loved it!

This story was totally captivating and had many twists that I did not see coming. It was well written and easy to imagine, but at the same time so unimaginable that people could be so cruel. Every time I was convinced I knew who was really evil, I would be proven wrong. This was my first Sally Hepworth novel and definitely will not be my last!

I really liked how this was written. Interspersed with the story of the 3 foster girls was someone talking to a psychologist. Could not figure out who. On top of that is the mystery of the bones. Great twists at the end.

Very special thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth And St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this incredible psychological thriller.

I think the short amount of time that it took me to read this book just says it all. It was so good, you just can’t put it down! There are countless twists throughout, but so many towards the end. I would love to read it all over again for the first time. Highly recommend.

Not a positive view of foster care at all. Miss Fairchild is pure on crazy. I felt sorry for the children put in her care. But that twist at the end was a fabulous twist. That ending is why I read this author's book. She rocks!

Darling Girls, by Sally Hepworth, is a dark, disturbing novel that combines domestic drama with a mystery component and psychological thriller aspects. It’s fraught with tension that only increases as the story unfolds.

We follow three women, foster sisters, in both present and past timeframes and hear from each of their perspectives. They are drawn back to the town where they were raised when bones are found underneath the house they grew up in. The detectives have requested they return for interviews and the longer they are there, uncomfortable truths begin to come to light as they relive that traumatizing time in their lives.

Darling Girls is a very character-driven story that showcases significant personal growth and perseverance. We get to peer into the women’s growing up years, the atrocities they endured, and also the bond of friendship that carried them through. We also witness the related issues they currently struggle with in adulthood as a result of their earlier years. This is, admittedly, a hard read. The abuses within the foster system and the things done to these young children is revolting. But the strength and determination gained from simply having someone on your side is impactful and an important reminder.

The conclusion, of course, is twisty, startling, unsettling and yet also satisfying. This wasn’t my favorite book by this author given it’s distressing content and somewhat repetitive middle portion, but Sally Hepworth is a fantastic author who always pens engaging stories, and I will always read what she writes.

Hands down Sally Hepworth is one of my go-to authors. At this point, I would read anything she puts out. It could be the ingredients listed on a box, and if she wrote it I would devour it.

Darling Girls is enthralling, and I am going to so ahead and say it: it's PERFECT. 5 beautiful stars.

I was hooked on the story from Page 1 and was completely emersed in each characters story. Darling Girls is a slow burn, that is so satisfying you will stay up all night to finish it. Masterfully crafted, 3 sisters are brought together when they're informed a skeleton has been found in the remains of the home they all grew up in. Miss Fairchild is holding on to secrets, a w0man with something to prove, with a sinister plot line. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were so well written, I enjoyed them equally. Typically, with dual characters I attach to one more than the others, but I was invested in all sides of this novel.

Heart wrenching, with clever and humorous moments, Darling Girls isn't to be missed. The importance of seeking help for mental health is at the center of this story, and she writes about it beautifully and very respectfully.

THAT ENDING. This book will stay with me for a long time. Thank you to St Martins Press for the copy to review!

Solid 4.5. 3 sisters (found-family) that grew up in the same abusive foster home are called back to their childhood trauma when bones are unearthed at Wild Meadows, the name of the farm where they spent 5 years in their teens.
25 years later, Jessica, Norah and Alicia have been called by police for help with their investigation into the bones that were buried at Wild Meadows. Told in 4 POV, from childhood and what's happening to the girls as adults. Miss Fairchild also makes an appearance from her POV in therapy. The twist is, as always, excellent. I didn't see it coming.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*