Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
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.
For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #TBD: TBD)
The Reason
I borrowed a bunch of Hepworth’s books after loving the last one I read; The Good Sister.
The Quotes
“Even after all these years, yearning for the love and attention of someone who couldn’t give it to her was much more comfortable than actually receiving it.”
“Some people are so busy chasing perfection they don’t appreciate the wonders right in front of them”
“When cruelty becomes familiar in your tender, adolescent years, of course you start to become comfortable with it. You believe you deserve it. But you don’t.”
“When it came to vengeance, Miss Fairchild preferred to play the long game.”
The Narrator(s)
Jessica Clarke. I enjoyed her narration more than Barrie Kreinik’s for The Good Sister.
My Thoughts
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as The Good Sister but I thought it was pretty good too. I’m discovering that I often find the author’s stories predictable but I still really like their storytelling style and I’m happy to read more. It’s the psychological horror that gets me; the author writes those emotional scenes so well and I find myself feeling all the feelings. This book features motherhood, foster children, and the complicated issues that come with that. I loved the story overall, but I have to say that I found the last chapter unnecessary and unrealistic. It was a twist for shock factor but it doesn’t make sense to the story, in my opinion, and it not only weakens the shock factor but the whole psychological horror aspect. It was a great story up to that point.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?
I haven’t read any of the authors psychological thrillers yet, only her debut contemporary, though Mad Mabel is is on my TBR. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Yeah Hepworth is pretty good. I have listened to one of her novels titled The Mother-In-Law from 2019 that I liked. But I havent read more …. perhaps I should try The Good Sister. thx for the tip!