The Darling Girls
3.75 stars

I am a die hard Sally Hepworth fan, she is an auto buy author for me.
This was a solid read. Throughout the novel, I had a sense of dread and tension. I found the relationship between the sisters believable and intense. I would classify this book as a character driven story as I felt the plot wasn't as interesting as the relationships.
I look forward to the next book!

I think Darling Girls is my new favorite by Sally Hepworth! There are definitely trigger warnings to be aware of and parts that were a little disturbing, but I couldn’t put it down from start to finish. I was immediately invested in the characters and loved that we got chapters from 3 different perspectives, plus some flashbacks into their childhood foster care experiences. I thought I knew where the book was going, but then the last couple of chapters through me for a loop and left me stunned.

Synopsis: Jessica, Norah and Alicia, were always told how lucky they were to be fostered by a loving woman named Mrs. Fairchild, however, their life in the beautiful farmhouse was far from the fairy tale everyone thought it was. The girls escaped and thought they were free from Mrs. Fairchild’s grasp until one day a body is discovered under the home they grew up in. The “darling girls”, who are now adults, head back to Port Agatha for the investigation, unsure if they’re being questioned as witnesses or suspects.

This was one of the most exciting thrillers I’ve read in a long time and I can’t wait for others to read it! Thank you for sharing an early copy with me to read and review!

You know those books that you stay up until the middle of the night reading? This is the one. I felt gaslit, on the edge of my seat, and outraged for 95% of this book. I couldn’t believe what was going on and couldn’t wait to find out what was happening. I don’t stay up until 3am reading books … ever. But with this one I did. I’m still thinking about it days later and am already planning a re-read. What an amazing book!

I read this book and listened to the audiobook at the same time as I was approved for both.

Wow this was a good one. Lately thrillers just aren’t as fun to read but THIS ONE PROVED THAT WRONG! WOW this was so good. I did not expect that ending what so ever!

I initially thought 4.5 ⭐️, but as I started writing this review, I realized I have nothing but positive things and will likely read this again, so 5 ⭐️ from me!!
I loved that I was able to read and listen to this at the same time, so I have a dual review of both audio narration and book.

I had all the feels! I was literally cracking up laughing, borderline crying and angry all at different points. Alicia’s jokes were on point! 😂

Sally Hepworth is truly an amazing storyteller! I was hooked from the beginning. The setting, the plot, the character development, all so great! The sisters were all so different and so well developed, I had a hard time not falling in love with all 3 of them. I even felt for miss Fairchild!

I have a pedi psych background, making the foster children story line more relatable to me, so that part of the story really tore at my heart strings and made me tear up at some parts.

The narration was great! I’ve never actually listened to an audiobook with an Australian accent and I loved it! The performance was perfect for the story line and Jessica Clarke nailed it for me. She was animated at all the right times, didn’t miss a beat.


The pacing of this book was just perfect, it wasn’t slow and it wasn’t fast, and I didn’t want to put it down or to end!! But it did end, and I love how nicely it was tied up.

Looking forward to my next Hepworth novel!!

Special thank you to NetGalley, St.Martins Press and Macmillan audio.

OOH this was such a good one! I loved the found family relationship between the three girls, the way that the past and the future were connected for them, and the unsettling vibes of the house and foster mom. We get the story of the 3 women themselves, their past in the house and current day, as well as the story of the foster mom. I thought I saw some of the twists coming, but I was mostly all wrong and I loved it. I usually find slow-burn thrillers frustrating, but I really liked this one. There were sufficient twists and the story itself was compelling enough for me to keep reading to find out more. There's some heavier content here around child abuse, so please proceed with caution if this is a difficult topic for you.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This book was intense, but amazing. I’ve only read a few of Sally Hepworth’s books, and this is by far my favorite by her! It was so close to 5 stars, but ended up being 4.5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I got into the book thinking the dead body will be one person, then you think another, and ultimately it’s someone I didn’t even think about. The last chapter twist had me mind blown. 🤯

Reading books like this that talk about the foster care system, and shows what happens to these kids always makes me so angry. It’s not fair to these kids! I hate what happened to Jessica, Alicia, and Norah, but I’m so glad they had each other through it all. They stayed sisters into adulthood which is great and much needed for them. Miss Fairchild got what she deserved.

”Aren’t you a darling girl?” Mum would say as she stood over the bassinet, gazing at her. “How I love you, darling girl.” It made me sick.

Darling Girls was my 5th read from Hepworth and my favorite thus far. Hepworth can write thrillers like no other! This novel is told from multiple points of view- Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, all foster children in the 90’s as well as an account from a Dr. Warren, psychologist. You aren’t sure whom is communicating with Dr. Warren until the end of the story which adds to the suspense. The book is also told in the present day but flashes back to the girls time at Wild Meadows- both time frames essential to the plot.

Darling Girls is a domestic thriller done right. I highly recommend picking it up for your next 5 star read!

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

Chilling family thriller revolving around three sisters in foster care and the mother who was supposed to take care of them. This is a dual-timeline story flashing back to when the girls were adolescents in the care of Miss Fairchild and to the present, when they return to their hometown after bones are discovered under the farmhouse of their old foster home. All of the girls have faced troubles since leaving care, but they always stuck together, even as adults. The opportunity to finally tell their story about what happened to them in foster care, as well as the solving of the mystery, allows them to put the past behind them and grow.

If I have the opportunity to read a Sally Hepworth book early, I move it to the top of my list! They’re usually some of my favorites but this one fell flat. I’m usually hooked from the first sentence but this one took until half-way to really get into it. I did love the 2nd half of the book but the first half just didn’t do it for me.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are foster children placed at Wild Meadows farm with an abusive foster mother, Miss Fairchild, in the 1990s. In the present day, the three sisters have learned to cope with their past in different ways. Those coping mechanisms are put to the test when they receive a call from a detective that bones have been found at Wild Meadows and they need to return to the place where their childhood trauma took place.

Darling Girls is told in multiple POVs and the characterization is excellent. I loved each sister. We learn about their lives before foster care and how they came together under Miss Fairchild's "care". Jessica, Norah, and Alice's stories are heartbreaking and you can't help but empathize with each of them. This is a DARK psychological thriller with twists and a jaw dropping satisfying ending. I have read a few Sally Hepworth novels and I love that Darling Girls is much darker than her previous books. I will always pick up Hepworth's new releases!

4.5 stars!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This has been my favorite Sally Hepworth book yet! Three girls become "sisters" when placed in the same home while in the foster system. Their foster mother is creepy and off balance and the girls bond grows as they take on her daily exploits. These girls were so relatable and I looked forward to starting the book again every time I had to stop reading. This story came alive for me and I felt like I was part of their story. This is one of Hepworth's best books yet!!

I have read pretty much all of Sally Hepworth's book and this one has to be my favourite. I didn't see the ending coming (I really should have). There were so many surprising twists in this book. Loved it!

The author weaves an interesting story with a strong focus on sisterhood, long buried secrets and always so many lies! I really loved the relationship between the girls and learning about their individual stories, how they came to be in foster care, and how their childhoods affected them into adulthood. I’d say this is more of a slow burn mystery than a thriller with a few good twists along the way.

A great twisty story full of strong females and a mystery that’ll keep you guessing. I was pleasantly surprised with the ending and enjoyed the journey.

Trigger Warning: Child Neglect & Mental, Emotional & Physical Abuse.

Darling Girls focuses on 3 foster children, Alicia, Norah & Jessica (and their evil foster mom Ms. Fairchild whose name is just as evil) after they receive a phone call 25 years later that human bones were found under the house they grew up in. The story weaves through past and present time, allowing the readers to grasp what awful things the girls went through under Ms. Fairchild’s care.

I quite literally listened to this book in under 24 hours. This book had me hooked from the very beginning and I needed to know what happened next. The ending…. I definitely did not see coming. I was 😱😱😱

Thanks so much Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read / listen to this ARC!

Darling Girls is the newest mystery/thriller by Sally Hepworth. This story follows three girls who became sisters by being placed/raised in the same foster home as children. Now that the sisters are adults, there have been bones found under the home they lived in together as foster sisters. This discovery leads to questions about their lives before/during the foster home as they and the police try to uncover whose bones are buried at the house.

Hepworth's books tend to be slow burn mysteries and while this one was as well, there seemed to be more action than in some of her other books. There are definitely some dark aspects to this book with regard to the foster home and abuse which may be triggering to some readers. But as in most of Hepworth's books, she gave several twists throughout the story that made for a great read. Sally Hepworth has been an auto-read author for me, and this new book reinforces that!

I love a Sally Hepworth thriller! This audiobook did not disappoint. There were so many things going on stemming from the trauma these girls experienced in childhood and it was fascinating to see it all unfold!

Jessica, Norah and Alicia were not born sisters,; they became sisters. Raised on a country estate as Forster children they learned to have each other’s backs. The woman responsible for their care, Miss Fairchild, was far from stable. She expected a lot from the girls and,if she didn’t get what she wanted her punishments were cruel. Now, years later, a body has been found on the estate and the sisters find themselves having to relive their pasts and revisit old wounds. They need to know, who was buried on the estate and why?

Did I just become a full-on Hepworth fan? I think I did! I loved this book! And, having just read The Soulmate, and also loving that book, I now need to read everything she ever writes!

Seriously though, the journey these woman take us on, all told from such unique perspectives, was inspired. The characters are authentic and likable. The mystery at the heart of the story is engrossing and keeps you on your toes throughout. And the ending….. fantastic!

Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Much thanks to NetGalley and St.Martins Publishing for the ARC of "Darling Girls" in exchange for an honest review.
Psychological domestic thrillers don't get much better than this. And the 'domestic' part of this one involves three women, the 'Darling Girls', who together suffered terrible childhood abuse at the hands of their monstrous foster mother.
Now grown women and bonded together as much as blood related sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia still struggle to cope in various ways with the trauma of their upbringing. Jessica's career as a 'home organizer' is jeopardized by her drug addiction. Norah can hardly control her impulses for anger and violence. And family social worker Alicia can't find any measure of happiness for herself as she tries to find fostered children homes where they'll never encounter the horrors she endured.
All of them, in different ways, were forever damaged by their time spent in the care of the odious Miss Fairchild, a deceptively benevolent woman. Her home's a spacious farm, complete with swimming pool and barn for horses. But Miss Fairchild herself once she drops her false mask of normality, is a real life Wicked Stepmother straight out of the darkest fairy tales. And the amount of emotional and physical abuse she inflicts on the three girls finally brings them to the breaking point of going to the authorities.
Years later, the three women have been summoned back to the town of their former foster home. Police would like to question them about skeletal remains found buried on the farm grounds, and every miserable memory of that place comes flooding back to them.......especially with the return of their hated and feared nemesis Miss Fairchild, who exists in her own self-contained bubble of thinking she's never done anything wrong.
This is easily one of the most compelling thrillers I've read so far this year. There's no shortage of shocking, disturbing twists right up the very last pages and author Sally Hepworth, constantly breaks your heart and fuels your anger on behalf of her three lead characters. I stood in complete awe of how the final wrap-up is handled, with a skilled mixture of surprise, heartfelt empathy......and dread. For every reader who can't enough of this genre, this one's a must read.