Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fom / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the advanced copy of Darling Girls in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio

Published: April 23, 2024

 

Summary:

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 thoughts:

It’s no secret I’m a HUGE fan of this author, having read almost all her books & enjoyed them immensely. I think this latest one not only is her darkest one yet, but is also my new favorite. It’s a complicated, complex story about sisters, a broken foster care system & a mystery that gets under your skin. There are characters you meet in this novel that you will either love or hate & those are some of best kinds, all so richly developed that you won’t be forgetting them any time soon. ⁣

This story will have you questioning everything and everyone and I could not have loved it more. There is a lot going on here than just the main plot – who the bones belong to. Each of the girls have their own thing going on and I loved getting that deep dive into their lives, yet at the same time, the focus is still on the central story. It’s nothing short of brilliance how the author is able to weave this multilayered, engaging story that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

This would be the perfect book to add to your summer reading list – it’s one heck of an addicting read that you are not going to want to put down once you start reading it!

 

Audio thoughts:

This book was brilliantly narrated. Jessica Clarke certainly brought her A-game, giving each character their own unique voice. ⁣

 

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