Three women are contacted by the police to assist in a case. When Wild Meadows, the home they were raised in as foster children, was razed, a body was found under the house. Now the women must come to terms with the time they spent there with their foster mother, Holly Fairchild. As each woman recounts their memories, the story of their childhood with a woman who was both controlling and manipulative comes to light.
Chilling story - especially the final chapter! ( )

This book follows three former foster sisters who grew up in an abusive foster home. They've all done their best to try and forget about their childhoods and move on. But they're forced to remember when they're contacted by police about human bones found at their former foster home.

This was an emotional, psychological thriller. Sally Hepworth consistently writes 4 star reads/listens in my opinion. If you've liked her previous books you will love this one too.

Thank you netgalley and Macmillan audio for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. ( ( )

Darling Girls
By Sally Hepworth
Published by St. Martins Press
4/23
3.5*

Sally Hepworth always has a good story to tell and her newest is no different. The story focuses on Mrs. Fairchild and her relationships with her foster daughters. Over the years she fostered many, but the story centers around the eldest three and another younger child that cannot be accounted for.

I feel I must disclose my state of mind in reading this book. I was post surgery and on pain pills, so each chapter featuring a foster child had me guessing at who and what happened. I also had a bit of trouble keeping track of the girls.

By the time I got near the end of the book, I had my theories, which were close but not on target. I loved the surprise, twisty ending.

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this to readers and give my honest review. ( )

What a phone call to receive.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia all received a call from a detective asking that they meet at their childhood home to discuss a discovery of bones under it.

Their childhood home was a foster home they lived in under the "loving" care of Miss Fairchild. In actuality, she wasn't loving. She was a task master and abusive.

We found out from each character in alternating chapters what went on at that house, and we then move to present day.

Miss Hepworth keeps you intrigued with the intense happenings from their childhood under the care of Miss Fairchild.

Present day was intense too as you will try as I did to figure out whose bones they were and what Miss Fairchild was planning to do them now when she showed up for questioning by the police about the finding.

Will you figure out whose bones they are?

Surprise after surprise - twist after twist - with the ending one being the best.

You won’t want to put the book down even though the chapters about their time in foster care are unsettling and upsetting.

This is Ms. Hepworth's best yet. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ( )

It has been twenty-five years since Jessica, Norah, and Alicia left Port Agatha and Wild Meadows. the farming estate that had been their home where they lived under the care of their cruel and manipulative foster mother, Miss Fairchild. Their memories of those years are far from happy ones and though they are no longer the scared teenagers they were when they reported Miss Fairchild to the authorities all those years ago, their experiences have left an indelible imprint on their lives. But they had each other and together, they endured and survived their ordeal. Though not related by blood, they consider themselves sisters, and their love and unwavering support for one another has only grown stronger over the years. When a body is discovered under the farmhouse, the ensuing investigation draws the sisters back to Port Agatha, where they are forced to revisit their past and the memories that have haunted them.

I thoroughly enjoyed Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. The narrative is shared from the perspectives of the three main characters with segments from sessions between a character, whose identity is revealed later on in the story, and a psychiatrist interspersed throughout the narrative. The author does a commendable job of depicting the flaws of the foster care system and the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma. I really liked how the author defines the three main characters and their distinctive personalities – strong women who have survived, complex and flawed yet vulnerable, each battling their own demons. The author deftly weaves between past and present timelines into a consistently paced ( a tad on the slower side), suspenseful narrative with convincing characters (even the unlikable ones) and enough twists and turns that keep you turning the pages till you reach the final revelation, which did surprise me ( I always love that!).

I paired my reading with the audiobook and I have to say that I loved Jessica Clarke’s narration and thought she did a remarkable job of breathing life into this story and the characters.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy via NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )