NYT bestselling author Sally Hepworth's new novel is a page-turner!
Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors because she writes immersive thrillers with well-developed characters and family drama elements. Darling Girls is no exception.
The characters in Darling Girls are complex, flawed, and memorable. The story is told in a dual timeline with flashbacks and multi-POV. The narrative revolves around the relationships between a foster mother and the three girls in her "care." Despite the nightmare of their foster home, these foster sisters forge a strong bond that sustains them. Years later, when the childhood foster home is sold, a body is found on the property, and the three are forced to confront their traumatic past. I was drawn to the three MCs, felt for them, rooted for them, and was touched by their bond and bravery. Hepworth examines several issues in the book and does so with sensitivity.
The dual timeline structure works well to deliver the mystery and give insight into the characters' lives. There is a fair amount of suspense as secrets come out and the MCs go from witnesses to potential suspects. Hepworth is a fantastic storyteller who deftly weaves the timelines and POVs together and delivers some unexpected twists.
I was fortunate to have both an eARC and an ALC and transitioned between the two formats, which was great because I was hooked and did not want to put this down. The audiobook performance is excellent. Jessica Clarke narrated and slipped into the different characters with changes in intonation, speech patterns, and more, making distinguishing among the characters effortless for the listener. Clarke nails the emotion as much as the suspense and really brings this story and its characters to life. A very entertaining and well-done audiobook. Anyone looking for a compelling read should add this, in either format, to their tbr!
Publication day is April 24, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's press for the free book and audiobook!
My steep was iced Lemon Ginger Green tea from Simpson Vail a vibrant and refreshing tea hot or iced, but I prefer it iced!
PUBLISHER'S SYNOPSIS:
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 murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.
#BookReview #AudiobookReview #audiobooks #SallyHepworth #DarlingGirls #MacmillanAudio #StMartinsPress #BooksAndTea #ReadThisAndSteep
コメント