Darling Girls
by Sally Hepworth
Published by St. Martin’s Press on April 23, 2024
Page count: 359
Genre(s): Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
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Rating: 5 stars
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Summary
People have always told Jessica, Norah, and Alicia how lucky they were to be raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, after such tumultuous family lives. But the three women–now grown–know the truth: Miss Fairchild was unpredictable and the consequences for breaking her rules were extreme.
After breaking free from Miss Fairchild, the three went on to live in freedom–until a body is discovered under their foster home. Who is buried beneath their house of horrors? And are they witnesses… or suspects?
Likes
Plot: This is a really interesting plot, though it was definitely hard to read at times, emotionally, especially if you have had any experience with foster care.
Perspective and dual timeline: I enjoyed the various perspectives and dual timeline of the book–I felt it was done well (which isn’t always the case with similar books, in my experience).
Character Development: I thought Hepworth did a great job with tying the adult characters’ personal struggles to what you saw happen to them as children. It makes you so much more invested in the characters and their stories.
Also, you’ll want to end Miss Fairchild. Just saying.
Eh
I didn’t feel like the mystery played the biggest part of the story–it was mostly just developing the characters and getting them in one place. Solving the mystery took a bit of a backseat. That’s just me, though, and not something that necessarily takes away from the book. Just keep in mind that this book didn’t have a whole lot of “thrills” for one that’s categorized as a “thriller”
Do I Recommend?
Darling Girls is a slow-burn mystery that I feel definitely deserves some attention. It was a pretty quick read for me, too! Just be sure to check out trigger warnings before you grab it!
Book source: I requested and received the eARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
