Darling Girls

Was so readable. I loved the past and present chapters, and the multiple POVs. This wasn't as thrilling as I thought going in, it was more of a character study on abuse and trauma. Miss Fairchild was cunning in her abuse. Her methods of learning her girls, and then weakening them through punishments was kind of hard to read at times. Really enjoyed the final chapter of how the baby bones got under the house. It adds to the depth of Miss Fairchild and gave some insight on how she came to be.

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!

Stunningly Well Written


I'm overjoyed to have dedicated uninterrupted time to dive into “Darling Girls” by Sally Hepworth, a literary treat that reaffirms her status as a must-read author in my book. It effortlessly earns a spot on my list of favorite reads for 2024, leaving me eagerly anticipating Hepworth's next offering. Now, let's delve into what makes this novel so captivating.

From start to finish, “Darling Girls” held me in its grip, but it was the final chapter that truly blew me away, elevating what would have been a four-star read to a resounding five stars. Hepworth masterfully concludes the narrative, delivering a conclusion that leaves an indelible mark. Bravo, Ms. Hepworth, for a stellar closing act.

The heart of “Darling Girls” lies in the lives of three foster “sisters” who reunite after 25 years following the discovery of human bones at the site of their former foster home, Wild Meadows. Jessica, Alicia, and Norah, bound by their shared past and haunted by memories of their abusive foster mother, Miss Fairchild, confront long-buried truths as they assist the detectives in unraveling the mystery.

Hepworth skillfully navigates the complexities of trauma and its enduring impact, offering a poignant portrayal of the lifelong scars inflicted by narcissistic abuse. Miss Fairchild emerges as a chillingly manipulative figure, her influence casting a shadow over the lives of those she once controlled.

With its abundance of twists and turns, “Darling Girls” kept me on the edge of my seat, compelling me to read late into the night. The payoff at the end was more than worth it, delivering a conclusion that resonates long after the final page is turned.

In conclusion, “Darling Girls” is a riveting read that delves deep into the human psyche, exploring the bonds of sisterhood and the lasting repercussions of childhood trauma. I wholeheartedly recommend immersing yourself in this gripping tale.

While the subject matter is nowhere near enjoyable, Miss Fairchild is one of the best villains I’ve read in a thriller in some time. 3 foster children are forced to return to their foster home when their called by the police to help them investigate a mysterious death. What happens next is a story told in flashbacks from the perspective of each sister and it’s done so well, and without glorifying the real abuse that foster children endure and the harmful effects that follow them into adulthood. While the ending is not quite as satisfying as I would have liked it to be, it was realistic and wrapped up things nicely. However, If Ms. Hepburn ever chose to return to these characters, I wouldn’t mind hearing more about what happens next.

I just finished Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth and here are my musings.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia couldn't be more different but their sisterhood bond is unbreakable...Unshakable. The tragedies they suffered in their childhood has them bonded for life. They aren't biological sisters but foster sisters. Miss Fairchild seemed like the perfect foster mother on the outside but she has rules and you don't ever cross her or you will pay.

Even after they have grown and moved on they have stayed close and they have all put their time in foster care behind them. That is until a body is discovered under the house they grew up in... The only question now is are the witnesses or suspects?


This book was so good I could barely contain myself reading it. I don't often speak while I read but I found myself saying things outloud and the gasps were heard by my whole house. My husband was so intrigued he asked me about the book. He never does that.

All three sisters are so different. Not only in who they become as adults but how they coped with the things that happened to them as children. Norah is the one that seemed like she didn't have herself all together but at the same time she really was better off because she never hid how she was feeling, no matter how angry she was. The fact they stayed so close made you wonder what happened to them to make them almost trauma bond together. It was mesmirizing to watch their characters unfold the way they did.

They are all called back to the house by police all these years later to answer questions about their time in foster care and the going ons of the house. We got the POV of all three girls in the past and the present which made for a really well rounded story but we also got the POV from an unknown person talking to a psychologist which really added depth to this thriller.

Total page turner and the ending was a real shocker. You kinda thought you knew then you find out the truth and it's a HOLY NUGGETS, jump out your seat, mind blown ending. You won't regret grabbing a copy today!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy

#darlinggirls #smp #smpinfluencer #stmartinspress #sallyhepworth #thrillerread #thrillerbook #5starread #5starbook #bookishreviewer #igbookreviews #netgalley #ebookreader

Truthfully, the cover of this book had me thinking this was going to be some kind of beach-read thriller (is there such a thing?). I wasn't sure what to expect but I'm almost always willing to give a thriller a try. I'm glad my first impression of the book was wrong!    First Jessica, then Norah, then Alicia. These three girls were taken in at different times by someone whom they were told was a loving and caring foster mother. This is especially true for Jessica who, for a time, was the apple of Miss Fairchild's eye. Things begin to change when Miss Fairchild takes in two other girls, and later, some younger children. The three older girls forge a strong bond, knowing that getting through the day under Miss Fairchild's roof relies on teamwork.    In the present-day timeline, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are grown and have lives of their own. It's been years since they've seen Miss Fairchild. When a body is found under the house they grew up in, they must confront their pasts. Whether it's as witnesses or suspects, none of them are certain.    I loved the foster sister relationships in this book. I love how much these girls/women looked out for one another. Though I was more invested in the past storyline, I was quite interested in the mystery in the modern setting as well. I found Miss Fairchild to be an intriguing antagonist right up to the end. Without getting into spoilers, I will admit that I was left a little perplexed by her motives aside from the obvious character traits she displays.    Were the characters particularly memorable and unique? No. Did I enjoy the vibes? Absolutely. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Jessica Clarke, does a fantastic job delivering the story.    A huge thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for inviting me to read a free audio ARC of the book! 

I haven't read many books by this author. I seriously need to go back and read through the others.

Darling Girls is a fast-paced, quick read. One I finished in a day. I just had to see where this was going, and where it ended. Definitely not disappointed.

I don't typically enjoy any sort of domestic suspense, but I was riveted by Darling Girls. One of those stories that just happens along at the right time.

This is a good one for fans of this genre. It releases April 23, 2024 so make sure to keep an eye out and snatch it once it's out in the wild.

I sincerely appreciate St. Martin's Press for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

WOW!!! Sally Hepworth has officially become the author whose title I look forward to most every year, and again I was not disappointed. I could not put down Darling Girls. The characters were all immediately likeable / relatable to me. Even with the story's villain Miss Fairchild, I found myself feeling sympathy for her during her perspective chapters.

Darling Girls follows the story of three foster sisters who grew up in a nightmare home on a farmstead outside of Melbourne. They were considered “lucky” to have been placed with young, single Miss Fairchild who had inherited the farmstead and needed the money from fostering children to keep everything afloat. The story starts with the sisters all grown up and seemingly doing okay, despite their traumatic and abusive upbringing, but unraveling in their own way when they're told chilling news that mysterious dead body has been discovered in the terrible home they grew up in.

Jessica is the most OCD, organized and successful of the sisters and works as a home organizer. But it's revealed she has a bit of an addiction problem and is caught stealing pills from wealthy clients' medicine cabinets. Norah is an intelligent and gorgeous bomb shell, but clearly has unresolved anger issues. Alicia is a caring social worker who helps ensure foster kids are actually placed and cared for in good homes, but she struggles with relationships and intimacy of her own. The sisters come together to discover the dark truth behind the bones .

Highly recommend as I could not put this book down. Hepworth explores important psychological themes around attachment, as well as the dark moments of physical and emotional abuse. It was heart warming to see how the sisters' relationship formed and they grew to support one another out of this horrible situation. The book's ending was satisfying, even the last twist about Miss Fairchild.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy. Definitely one of my favorites from Hepworth, and already looking forward to more.

The hype for this book was high. And it didn't quite live up to it. 
I was expecting a 5 Star. 
I'd heard about twists and turns and a wild ride from start to finish, but I wasn't as thrilled as I expected to be. 
I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong and it read very easily and quickly it just wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. 
That last chapter though really did me in. That I did not in fact see coming and wow I can't stop thinking about it. That upped my rating in and of itself.  

Excellent Twisty Thriller With Uniquely Broken Characters Will Be Far Too Difficult For Some. Straight up, I loved this one. It was so *oppressively* dark, yet done in such a way that even though there is truly little light to be had and also with no supernatural element to the darkness at all... you still want to see exactly what happened to make this tale this way.

The reason it will be difficult for some, perhaps many, is because of the *rampant* child abuse, including some sexual abuse and even a rape - though while "on screen" it is more "dark room" based. Still described, but not as... vividly... as it could have been. Showing that Hepworth *does* show restraint when going even more explicit doesn't add anything further to the actual story. There is also a rather horrifying birth scene, though this is far from the "splatterpunk" / "horror" that one reviewer described it as. Though going further would perhaps spoil what happens there *too* much, so I'll show the same restraint in the review that Hepworth did in the text. If such scenes are difficult for you... this may not be the book for you.

The reason I actually enjoyed the book though was because of how the central characters - three chosen sisters bound not by blood, but by shared trauma and survival- were both broken... and how they used that brokenness as adults, showing that even some of the most difficult times, the darkest times of someone's life, *can* be overcome to varying degrees. Not that any of our adults are truly "normal" healthy - again showing a great deal of reality here - but that they're still, to use a term used to describe Autistics that I truly despise but fits here, "functional". Ish.

Ultimately this is one of those books that will likely prove divisive in at least some groups, but I thought was done well, with the author using so many real world horrors (and yes, in my own work through my church as a teen and just generally being an observant adult, I've seen this and so much worse on occassion) to craft the story she is trying to tell... while showing restraint where further graphic details don't add any more needed information to extract the desired emotions from the reader. Showing that Hepworth truly is a master of her craft, even when she is somewhat intentionally pushing some buttons of some people.

Very much recommended.