This book was a huge page turner, a psychological mystery and suspense following three foster sisters Jessica, Norah and Alicia. The women are contacted by detectives investigating remains found at Wild Meadows Farm where they lived in the 90s with Miss Fairchild, their foster mother. We hear recollections of abuse from each woman with alternating timeline chapters, showing their life at home and the mysterious event that finally saw them out of the home.

I was wholly invested in these characters, this played very well into my empathy and I literally couldn’t put it down. Showcasing very dark themes of child abuse, neglect, and subsequent trauma the girls were subjected to, now dealing with the aftermath in adulthood. I loved the contrast of the sisters, despite the odds they had each other, I liked each of their personalities and the journey they took to heal in the end.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions and I enjoyed it quite a bit despite the disturbing undertones. Darling Girls highlights the exploitation of the foster care system with strong female characters and twisty reveals.

The narration by Jessica Clarke was very good. I really like her accent and thought her delivery was engaging, emotional, and entertaining. She was able to bring life and feeling into the characters, which I really appreciated! The audiobook upped my original 4⭐️ rating to 5⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the early copy to review.

Title: Darling Girls
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Mystery Thriller, Suspense
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️