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Darling Girls  By  cover art

Darling Girls

By: Sally Hepworth
Narrated by: Jessica Clarke
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Publisher's 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 work of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2024 Sally Hepworth (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"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

"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

What listeners say about Darling Girls

Average customer ratings
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Such a good story

This was such a great story, I was very enthralled by the characters and I always love all of Sally Hepworth's books. I do agree that they could have chosen multiple narrators to make it easier to know who was narrating.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The intersection of Narcissism and Adoption

Incredible. Plenty to bring to my therapist next week. Thank you for sharing a story that so eloquently captures the insidious and unproveable power of those profiting from the businesses of foster care and adoption. Narcissistic abuse is rampant and the children are the innocent victims, further harmed by those meant to protect them.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Plot twist!

Life can be hard. Life can be grand. Life can be unpredictable. So is this story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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THE ENDING!!

Such a good plot! The ending was one of the best twists I’ve ever heard. I thought I had it all figured out until the very last chapter…perfect ending!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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I couldn’t stop listening

I finished the book in no time, I loved it. I have liked everything. I have read of Sally Hepworth and this was no exception. The reader is excellent and it was a fascinating story and the characters were perfect. Really fun and enjoyable. Obviously, there’s some abuse so you have to be able to get past that.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

W.O.W

I did NOT see that ending coming! Excellent story! Kept me interested the entire book!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great plot twists, that’s twists with a “s”.

Multiple twists that made this book a very fun book to listen to. Narrator was very good as well.

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Amazing read!

Listening to this was amazing, narrated very well! Story was amazing, I connected and couldn’t stop listening! Great twist !!

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Amazing!

Evoked every emotion, from anger, to tears, to laughter and pleasure! Great twist at the end. Narrated perfectly!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Character driven

3.5 STARS

Three foster sisters visit their former home when bones are found buried beneath the now demolished house.

Told from the points of view of each now adult woman and therapy sessions with a creepy doctor and their former foster mother Miss Fairchild (who wasn’t fair to any child) the story unfolds alternating timelines from past to present.

Each sister still carries childhood trauma from both their reasons for ending up in foster care and the abuses at the hands of Miss Fairchild.

The ending didn’t wow me, though the last few pages did. DARLING GIRLS is an above average, character driven psychological thriller.

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