Book Review: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth #DarlingGirls @SallyHepworth @panmacmillan

Synopsis

It’s not just secrets buried at Wild Meadows.

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. Rescued from their own family tragedies, they were raised by a loving foster mother on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance for a happy family life.

But the girls’ childhood wasn’t quite the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. And when a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the three foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses.

It’s time for them to return home as adults. The only question is are they innocent victims or the prime suspects for murder?

My Review

Jessica, Norah and Alicia have one thing in common and that is that they were raised by a foster mother at Wild Meadows. But when a body is discovered at their former foster home Jessica, Norah and Alicia must return to the place that they had left behind many years ago, relive the past and face the truth.

I do love it when a book surprises me and this is one of those books. When I saw the cover I thought the book was about female friendship until I read the synopsis and realised that it was about so much more. I wasn’t sure how to start this review other than to say wow, just wow. The story was intriguing, kept my attention, kept me guessing and was quite dark.

Jessica, Norah and Alicia are three individuals that aren’t connected by blood but what does connect them in their sisterly bond are their circumstances. The story is told from the perspective of all three main characters and moves between the past and the present. It is through this timeline that the reader is given the bigger picture as to how the past directly relates to the present and the discovery of the body. As we learn our main characters ended up in the foster system at a young age and in particular they were placed at Wild Meadows under the foster care of Miss Fairchild. In the past we learn more about the background of each character and their time at Wild Meadows. In the present the characters find themselves being interviewed by police about Wild Meadows and the body.

I have to say that initially when we’re introduced to Jessica, the first character to be fostered my Miss Fairchild and live at Wild Meadows it sounded like Jessica had landed on her feet. She’d found someone who was loving and caring but as Jessica is joined by Norah and then Alicia we quickly learn that Miss Fairchild isn’t what she seems. Rather behind that caring and perfect exterior is something much darker. What was interesting to see was how differently Miss Fairchild treated each of the girls and it was clear that she was more interested in looking after children that came from unsettled backgrounds rather than those that came from a stable home. It was sad to see how the girls were treated and the punishments they had to endure. Their shared experience at Wild Meadows made the characters not only closer but also strengthened their bond.

One aspect of the story that I really enjoyed is that there is a fourth narrator who gives an account of their life but the reader is never told the name of that person. I had some ideas and tried to guess who the character was but I was completely wrong. When all was revealed I was actually stunned. This book has definitely become one of my thrillers of the year because it kept me on my toes. The ending was truly brilliant and completely blew my mind.

A mind blowing thriller.

Author Bio

Sally Hepworth is the New York Timesbestselling author of nine novels, including The Good Sister and The Soulmate. Drawing on the good, the bad and the downright odd of human behaviour, Sally writes incisively about family, relationships and identity. Her domestic thriller novels are laced with quirky humour, sass and a darkly charming tone. They are available worldwide in English and have been translated into twenty languages.

Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her family and one adorable dog.