By: Sally Hepworth
Narrator: Jessica Clarke
Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 978-1250284525
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 04/23/2024
Format: Audio and e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
Sisters, secrets, love, and murder...
Sally Hepworth’s new novel has it all.
For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.
But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?
A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.
My Review
The "Queen of Domestic Suspense" and master storyteller Sally Hepworth and comedian (a favorite author) returns following The Soulmate with her latest highly anticipated addictive domestic unputdownable thriller, DARLING GIRLS.
No one does dysfunctional families better! I have read every book by Sally since her debut. She is a star! Each book is unique and has the signature Hepworth trademark style, which I love. She knows how to create some devilish characters and puts them through the wringer, but somehow (the good ones) come out stronger on the other side!
Meet Jessica, Norah, and Alicia. They call themselves sisters (not blood-related) but bond through their tragedies and misfortunes. They are foster sisters.
As young girls, they are rescued by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild. They thought this would be a second chance to live a normal life at the lovely Wild Meadows. However, she is anything but—a total nightmare horror show.
When they entered this beautiful farming estate in an idyllic setting, Miss Fairchild put on a different face and personality, making them feel loved and part of the family.
However, soon, her true colors and personality rear its ugly face as a master manipulator, from cruelty, abuse, and gaslighting. She looks for the vulnerabilities and the weaknesses and uses them to her twisted advantage. The pool scene was scary!
Their fairy tales turn into horror. They learned Miss Fairchild was impulsive and highly unpredictable. She was never to be crossed, or you would PAY.
Desperately, the three girls escape, but she is always in the shadows of their minds. The girls have remained close friends, each with their own issues and problems.
Later, the media would call Wild Meadows a House of Horrors, The Secrets Buried Beneath the Wild Meadows, and What's Lurking in the Wild Meadows.
Before the media, a body is discovered under the home of Miss Fairchild in Wild Meadows some twenty-five years later. Now, the girls (women) are in the middle of a crime investigation as key witnesses, OR are they suspects?
The detectives come calling, and now they must relive the horrific past. Whose bones are under the house?
Oh my goodness! What a story. Initially, Miss Fairchild was charming and turned into Dr. Jekell and Hyde. That ending!?! Oh, my, so twisted!
I loved the girls' relationship, bonds, and sisterhood—each with its own struggles, insecurities, and traumas from the past that carry over to the present. The girls depend on one another for ongoing support.
DARLING GIRLS is told through the POVs of the girls, both past and present, infused with chapters from a chilling, unknown voice speaking with a creepy psychologist, Dr. Warren.
As always, Sally blends the dark evil side with the good, and the three strong, lovable girls/young women are resilient, resourceful, witty, and intelligent. I loved the gals!
If you enjoy darky charming, twisted villains, dark secrets, deception, gaslighting, revenge plots, mystery, suspense, and sisterhood mixed with MURDER —give DARLING GIRLS a whirl. Be prepared to be hooked from page one to the explosive, satisfying ending. And you will also be burning the midnight oil. I highly recommend all her books.
AUDIOBOOK: I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the talented Jessica Clarke, for a highly entertaining listening experience. I also read the e-book.
Thank you for the honor and privilege of reading an early ARC and ALC from St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley. #SMPInfluencers
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: April 23, 2024
Praise
"This is the rare story that’s equally character and plot driven, with the “sisters” portrayed as distinct and lovable and the plot just packed with twists. Hating Miss Fairchild is the icing on the cake."
--First Clue
"Sally Hepworth's Darling Girls is the kind of story that grabs you hard and doesn't let go. Easily one of the best books I've read all year. An absolute page-turner from first word to last... A superb and haunting mystery."
--New York Times bestselling author Jane Harper
“Sally Hepworth writes characters you love.”
―LIANE MORIARTY, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF APPLES NEVER FALL
"As in The Soulmate, compelling themes of trust, betrayal, and brittle façades circle the sisters’ relationships, raising the stakes of the investigation painfully high. Hepworth's fans will be primed for her newest unnerving thriller."
-Booklist
About the Author
Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, most recently Darling Girls. She is also the author of Uncharted Waters, published by Amazon Original stories in 2022. Several of Sally’s novels have been optioned for TV and film.
Sally's novels are available around the globe in English and have been translated into over 20 languages.
She has sold over one million books worldwide.
Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her family. WEBSITE
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