Sally Hepworth writes creepy, spooky stories involving families, and I have friends that swear by her, but this is the first of her books that I’ve read. My thanks go to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the invitation to read and review. This book will be available to the public April 23, 2024.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are closer than most sisters, even though they are not biologically related. All three spent most of their formative years at an Australian foster home called Wild Meadows, under the gimlet eye of Miss Fairchild, an abusive foster parent. Miss Fairchild was adept at keeping up appearances, but once a visitor—an infrequent occurrence—was gone, the place got dark. The woman was cruel and unpredictable, dreaming up horrifying punishments for even slight perceived infractions. Open rebellion was unthinkable. But it was when she began accepting babies that they resolved to turn her in. Now all are grown, but they remain tightly bonded, and the call comes in: bones have been found under the foundation of the razed house. They must all report to the local police, which in turn means returning to the vicinity of Wild Meadows.

I can see why this author has such a loyal following. The way the narrative flows is flawless, and although we transition often from the past to the present as well as between the three girls’ stories, there’s never even momentary confusion. The list of characters is kept manageable, and all of them are believable. I begin reading via audiobook because that’s the version that was offered me, but once I began, I asked for and received the digital galley also. Usually this is a necessity in order to keep up with what I am hearing, but I scarcely needed it. Narrator Jessica Clarke provides the perfect listening experience.

For me, the joy of this well written novel is somewhat dampened by the horrors of the girls’ experiences. The child abuse is so cruel, and so specific that I sometimes stopped listening early and went away with a ball of lead in my gut. I suspect that this is something most likely to be experienced either by those that were themselves abused as children, or—like me—those that have worked with such children. Although part of me still wanted to know what came next, another part of my thought that if I wanted this kind of nightmare, I should just go back to work!

Reader, you probably know what you can read and what you should stay away from. If this sort of novel is unlikely to haunt you, go for it. I doubt there are many that can do this thing better. With that caveat, this book is recommended to those that enjoy the genre.

In this story, we get a mixture of modern crime with past trauma (please check TW if you are sensitive). Our three main characters are adult women forced to deal with the terrible foster home they lived in as children when bones are found on the property. Along the way, we are also given the perspective of someone's therapy sessions. As the story unfolds, the reader is led to wonder who the bones belong to, who the liar is, and if the wrong person might get blamed. The three sisters (by choice) each show the damage from her childhood in her own way, but we get to see some healing, too. I also appreciated the author's note at the end explaining why this story matters to her. Her writing is propulsive. An enjoyable read dealing with tough subject matter, but impossible to put down.

This is my third Sally Hepworth book ever and it easily became my favorite. This story is so intense that I couldn’t put my Kindle down!

Three girls form an unbreakable bond when being put together in the same foster home.
Jessica entered Miss Fairchild’s home at only five, thus creating a strong attachment to the woman. Norah entered the home at eleven, and was known to be a feisty and problematic.. Lastly came Alicia, twelve, after her grandmother and caretaker became ill.

This is a story of the horrors and mental + physical abuse the three endured. Although the good times in that home were rare, they knew they had each other always. Sisters by choice.

I loved how this story jumps back and forth in time, slowly helping us uncover things. I enjoyed getting to know them as children and adults. The twists just kept coming and I ate them up. Everything about this book was calculated and chilling, as every great thriller/mystery book should be.

Each character was carefully written and complex in their own ways, yet, the three of them were ultimately charming and you couldn’t help but to like them. I must admit I questioned one of the characters’ motives until the very end, which made reading it even more fun.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading this book. You guys seriously need to add this one to your TBR; one of the best books that I have read this year so far.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for this ARC.
Pub date: 04/23/24

Darling Girls is about three foster children Jessica, Norah and Alicia who lived with their foster mom, Holly Fairchild. The children were treated unimaginably while living there (potential trigger warning—abuse) and are still suffering from the trauma during the present day. Told from a ‘then and now’ timeline, presently human bones are found under the farmhouse where they all lived. Who was it and who did it? Were the girls involved? Was it Fairchild?


I enjoyed the then and now timeline but felt that the character development could have been more during the present day. With that said I did want to read until the end to see what happened. The twists and turns at the end was well worth it although it was a bit slow at times getting to the end. Some of that may have been the character development struggle for me. Although, I did enjoy reading the unique relationship the three girls had and thought it was very sweet but understandably how they bonded over the atrocious ways they were treated by the not so nice Miss FAIR CHILD.

I did really enjoy the book overall and would recommend it to anyone interested in a suspenseful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This book has everything you would want in a psychological/ domestic thriller!

The story follows Jessica, Alicia and Norah foster sisters bonded by the trauma they experienced at the hands of their horrible foster mother Miss Fairchild.

Now adults, the sisters return to their childhood home when a body is found buried underneath and an investigation is underway.

Thats all I’ll say but it’s SO much more than that.

This is my second book by Sally (Soulmate being the first) and I’ve found that both times I was unable to put them down. Once you start, you’re addicted.

I loved this one! The characters are well developed. The snarky humor and banter between the sisters was appreciated to balance out how dark this one truly was. Very difficult subject matter was presented and written with care here. Be mindful of content warnings.

The twists were excellent and the ending was so satisfying, that last chapter was epic.

I can’t recommend this enough.
This one will pull you out of a reading slump for sure!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC.

📖DARLING GIRLS🧸
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you @sallyhepworth @stmartinspress for this @netgalley copy of Darling Girls for an honest review! Out on April 19th!
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This was not my first, but it was by far my favorite Sally Hepworth book I’ve read! I loved that the characters were more diverse and interesting than I think she has written before.

We meet the three main characters: Jessica, Norah and Alicia, who are sisters. Each have their own separate and stressful lives, but are brought together by the finding of bones underneath the foster home they all drew up in. They need to go back to their roots and unfortunately relive the memories and trauma that lead them out of this place.

The book is written with 3 POVs and we jump back and forth, past and present. Hepworth ways does an amazing job keep the chapters short, fast paced and enticing! You won’t want to shut the book until you’re finished!

Hepworth’s latest book is my favourite of hers, yet. A story about sisters and sisterly bonds at heart, this twisty tale follows Jessica, Norah, and Alicia through their harrowing childhood as foster children under the care of Ms. Holly Fairchild.

As the layers peel back on this dual timeline story, we see the trauma these sisters lived through as children and how it has impacted them as adults. Hepworth did her due diligence, speaking with many folks who were in foster care, and her attention to detail was done with sensitivity and care.

I got swept up in this story and couldn’t put it down once it got going. I loved the pacing the most - I always felt like I needed to read just a bit more to know what came next. The ending has a great twist, too!

I think fans of Hepworth’s other novels, or fans of Rachel Hawkins or Mary Kubica would enjoy Darling Girls.

Told through the eyes of three women: Alicia, Jessica and Norah, who were placed in the same foster home run by Mrs. Fairchild at Wild Meadows In alternating POVs and timelines, we learn what happened in the past and how each woman endured. A difficult read at times given the subject matter, but well paced and a twist at the end you may not see coming.

Wow, this is probably my favorite Sally Hepworth ever. The story will totally engross you and you will be unable to stop reading!
I will say, there are A LOT of really dark and hard themes throughout this book, so I think it needs a clear trigger warning. The story doesn't work without these aspects, but it could absolutely be upsetting to some readers (especially those who grew up in abusive homes or in foster care).
I will say that Nora made me a little bonkers and I found myself wanting to shake her but also shake her sisters for not stepping in. She does kind of need to be the "hot mess" character in order to propel the book forward, but it was frustrating.
Jessica was my favorite character and.I had a really hard time with the part of the twist that surrounded her (no spoilers, I promise). I enjoyed the way Hepworth represented addiction, and the struggle for both the addict and those around them. Suffering alone is a huge theme in this book and Jessica is no exception.
I think the author did a good job of respectfully writing about a very hard, and very real, topic in a compelling way. She worked to represent the pain many kids in foster care experience, but was also considerate with her words.
This novel is also a demonstration of good coming from pain and championship coming from hardship. The ending was GREAT, but it wasn't perfect in the "happily ever after" aspect. I like that we see the characters still struggling, but working to be better and caring for those around them.
"Sisters in every way that counts"

Please note: this review is now posted on my GoodReads account
Thank you for letting me read!!

This book kept me intrigued until the very end and I enjoyed the plot. The characters were very likeable. I typically don’t like group friend ones but this was very enjoyable.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

This was one of my most anticipated thrillers of the year and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed following the sisters throughout this story. I thought Hepworth did a good job explaining each unique backstory and I was really invested in the characters. The ending was good, at around the 50% mark I couldn’t put it down. The end had twists that I didn’t see coming which was an exciting surprise. I was really intrigued by the foster storyline, as a teacher, I have taught children in the foster system and some stories break my heart. Some parts of this book were tough to read, so trigger warnings for child abuse.

Overall a 5 star read for Darling Girls, I would highly recommend this captivating and fast past thriller. It had me hooked!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three sisters receive a call from the police asking them to answer questions related to a body found on the property they grew up on. The sisters haven't been back in years, running away from the trauma only foster children understand. When the sisters return, old secrets will bring back painful memories with the hope a mystery will be solved.

Sally Hepworth does it again with Darling Girls. Another 5-star read on the books!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the chance to read an advanced copy!

Somehow this was my very first Sally Hepworth book, and it will certainly not be my last! This was such an engrossing and fun murder mystery/thriller. You'll instantly be captivated by our three foster girls/women and their terrifying foster mom, Miss Fairchild. This book 100% gave me Flowers in the Attic vibes!

I was just about to give this book four stars until...that very last chapter😱! I love a last page twist!

If you are sensitive to certain topics, please check the trigger warnings in advance.

Sally Hepworth consistently captivates me with her writing, and her latest release, "Darling Girls," is no exception. The novel delves into the lives of three foster kids—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—and their tumultuous experiences. Hepworth masterfully weaves their stories throughout the narrative, shedding light on how they ended up in foster care, their time at Wild Meadow, and their struggles as young adults. While "Darling Girls" may not be a pulse-pounding thriller, Hepworth keeps readers engaged with unexpected twists scattered throughout the book, ensuring that the journey is anything but predictable.

This book was different than your usual thriller in that it was about foster children who became tightly bonded through trauma in their youth. I liked that the characters had different “careers” than what is typical these days (like an office worker or assistant) and had fun reading about their different personalities. I looked forward to picking up this book even though it wasn’t action driven. it was more of deep dive from the past and current events- it definitely made the story more interesting that way!
The very last pages of this book gave me chills and I’m glad Ms Hepworth included it because it helped wrap up some things that I still had questions about. I look forward to more books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I thought this was a very well done psychological thriller. The story alternates between an unknown voice speaking to a therapist and 3 other women. These three women were foster children together and referred to themselves as sisters. After a dead baby was found buried where they were foster children, we are taken on the rollercoaster life that these, now women, experienced. They share parts of their lives today and parts from the past. The 4th perspective is unknown until the end. Although the ending was not a surprise, it was an enjoyable read (and listen!) I felt for all of the characters - and at times questioned who the 4th "person" was. I felt that the ended wrapped up too nicely, but it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from<erica.martirano@stmartins.com>, Netgalley, and the author Sally Hepworth. I am always pleased to receive a Sally Hepworth novel. Darling Girls was a bit darker than I was prepared for, but still a well-told tale. Her protagonists are not as rounded as I am looking for but it wouldn't be a terror tale without exactly the handling that it had. Just I advise that you read it in the light of day...

This is my first Sally Hepworth book but it won’t be my last, I really enjoyed this one. It was a slower paced domestic mystery packed with a punch of a twist at the end. I loved that we got many POVs and timelines of past and present to really help you connect with the characters through time. It touched on some difficult topics that could be triggering for some such as foster care and child abuse. Overall liked the book and would recommend it! 4/5⭐️

Fast-paced plot that's full of suspense, but I had a hard time reading the parts about abuse. While I appreciated the authors note (be sure to read it!) and the research Hepworth did while writing the book, it was still a little much for me. Love Sally Hepworth, but this wasn't my favorite.

I am a fan of Sally Hepworth and was very excited to receive this ARC. Darling Girls may be my favorite book of hers yet! It was captivating and kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to continue at every stopping point. I am a fan of multiple perspectives and alternating timelines and Hepworth did a really great job of making so many of them work. The character development was great and the turns kept happening until the very end.