A review by pomoevareads
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Another Hepworth novel in the books! I am always up for anything Sally Hepworth writes and really loved this one.

A disturbing case of bones being found under an old foster home, a wicked foster mother, and three pre-teen foster girls who are now women when the bones are found. As close as sisters can be, but genetically unrelated, Norah, Alicia and Jessica return to Port Agatha to speak to police about the discovery. Having endured psychological abuse at the hands of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, each has trauma and operates differently than a well adjusted person might. One has OCD tendencies, another a dysfunctional idea of sexual relationships and the third has become a well respected social worker. Who the bones belong to is a part of the mystery, but also who may have harmed the person that came to be deceased. 

Darling Girls casts suspicions on a host of characters who are not always likeable and always unreliable. Hepworth chose to structure the novel into a now/then format which is my favourite style. I felt like each of the sisters were distinguishable in their chapters and had reasonable motivations. Moving with a consistent pacing kept me interested throughout. The addition of chapters between a psychiatrist and a patient slowly revealed the plot and who the patient was. I did guess the who early on here but it didn’t take away from the story whatsoever.

For fans of domestic suspense and psychological thrillers, Darling Girls will satisfy most readers thoroughly. I cannot wait for whatever Hepworth writes next but in the meantime, North American readers can look forward to this book publishing April 23, 2024. Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. 
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