Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
**4.5-stars rounded up**
Oh my gosh, I read this so quickly. I always find Sally Hepworth’s stories incredibly readable. They’re addicting. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down.
All the twists and turns gave me whiplash. Also, I loved the three main characters. Bonus, this left me with the devilish grin that I always enjoy at the end.
But what’s it all about?! Let’s discuss.
In this story, we follow three sisters: Jessica, Norah and Alicia. While not biologically-related, the girls spent many of their formative years together in a foster home run by Miss Fairchild. Their experiences there bonded them for life.
From the outside, it looked like the idyllic place to be a child. Certainly better than the circumstances the girls came from, however, there were secret things happening behind closed doors, as there often are, and Miss Fairchild wasn’t necessarily as sweet as she appeared from the outside.
Eventually, the three were able to break free from Miss Fairchild’s home, and although they never saw her again, the hurtful memories remained.
As adults, they have kept in very close contact, and are all living mostly satisfying lives well away from their traumatic childhood home. Then one day out of the blue, they receive word that a body has been discovered under the home where they used to live with Miss Fairchild.
Shocked by the discovery, the three women join up and travel back to that place they left long ago, but are they returning as possible witnesses, or suspects?
I had a blast reading this. It was a super intriguing set-up and I loved learning about all three women. They were each unique and well-developed, and even though they were quite different, their shared history made for very close and believable relationships.
This story is expertly-constructed using past and present timelines, both of which I found equally interesting. I think Hepworth did a great job of creating suspense, as well as characters that you could care about.
Finding out the truth about the girls’ time with Miss Fairchild was fascinating. I never knew what was going to come next. It made me tense, in a good way.
IMO, Hepworth is an incredible, dramatic storyteller. She never fails to draw me in quickly and hold my attention. Although I guessed some things, it made it no less enjoyable, or impactful. In fact, I think I was probably realizing things at the pace in which Hepworth was intending.
The pace picks up closer to the end and I found the conclusion to be fun and satisfying. There were some surprises left in the tank and I walked away a happy girl.
I would recommend the audio format, as the narration was very well done and seemed to fit the overall story nicely. It kept me focused and relaxed.
Thank you to the publishers, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to the latest from Sally Hepworth, and this definitely did not disappoint.
10-out-of-10 recommend!!