Darling Girls - A Novel

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 page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murd er by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.

"Sally Hepworth writes characters you love." -LIANE MORIARTY, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF APPLES NEVER FALL

Rezension:

"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

"Australia's finest thriller writer since Liane Moriarty, Sally Hepworth has found the perfect combination of character-based drama and completely unpredictable plots. Her latest rollercoaster of a novel follows three women who e scaped a strict and mercurial foster mother when they were children, only to be reunited with her when bones are found on her property and the women are called in for questioning by the police." --Bookpage

"A compelling read. All the women are sympathetic and interesting, each showing the scars of her upbringing." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Emotionally gripping. Hepworth's tightly coiled plot exposes problems in Australia's foster care system, exacerbated by overworked social workers and a lack of oversight. Darling Girls flawlessly illustrates each girl's backstory, how they entered foster care, and how vulnerable they were to the system's failings, showing how their pasts shaped the adults they became. A stunningly clever twist elevates the intense plot." --Shelf Awareness