Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth Summary

Darling Girls is a psychological thriller following three foster sisters—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—traumatized by years of abuse under Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows farmhouse. When human remains surface on the property, police investigations force them to revisit their past. The novel weaves dual timelines, revealing their childhood escape attempts and present-day struggles through immersive, suspenseful storytelling with signature Hepworth twists.

Sally Hepworth is a New York Times bestselling Australian author with nine critically acclaimed novels, including The Good Sister and The Soulmate, selling over two million copies worldwide. Heralded as "Australia’s finest thriller writer since Liane Moriarty," she crafts character-driven domestic suspense with unpredictable plots. Her expertise in exploring trauma, family dynamics, and psychological resilience makes Darling Girls a standout in modern thrillers.

Readers of psychological suspense, domestic thrillers, and emotional family dramas should prioritize Darling Girls. It’s ideal for fans of Liane Moriarty or Lisa Jewell seeking complex female characters, twisty narratives, and deep dives into foster care trauma. Those interested in unreliable narrators, dual timelines, and themes of sisterhood versus survival will find it compelling—especially if exploring how childhood trauma shapes adulthood.

Yes—Darling Girls remains highly relevant in 2025 for its nuanced take on trauma recovery and systemic failures in foster care. Hepworth’s suspense mastery delivers page-turning twists while addressing timeless issues like gaslighting and resilience. With strong reader reviews praising its "unpredictable plots" and emotional depth, it’s a top-tier choice for thriller enthusiasts seeking both entertainment and social insight.

The remains discovered at Wild Meadows belong to Amy, the infant daughter of Holly Fairchild (the foster mother’s abused daughter). Holly was sexually assaulted by her stepfather, John, who kept her imprisoned. When Holly fled with baby Amy, John and her mother intercepted them, reclaiming the child. Amy’s fate—and whether she survived—drives the novel’s central mystery and the sisters’ police interrogation.

The sisters’ trust issues stem from Miss Fairchild’s psychological abuse—gaslighting them into silence when they reported cruelty, as police found "no physical evidence." This betrayal by authority figures made them question their own memories. As adults, Jessica steals pills from clients, Norah faces blackmail, and Alicia struggles with relationships, all manifesting how childhood trauma fractures their ability to trust others or themselves.

Holly Fairchild, Miss Fairchild’s daughter, narrates therapy sessions revealing her own horrific abuse by her stepfather, John. Her story—initially anonymous—explains the "baby Amy" the foster sisters tried reporting. Holly’s trauma parallels the girls’, exposing generational cycles of abuse. Her perspective reframes Miss Fairchild’s cruelty as complicity, making her a crucial link between past events and the remains discovered at Wild Meadows.

Hepworth ties addiction and mental health directly to childhood trauma: Jessica battles OCD and pill addiction (stealing benzos from clients), Norah suffers from explosive anger leading to assault charges, and Alicia’s unresolved pain impedes her relationship with Meera. The novel shows how unprocessed trauma manifests in destructive coping mechanisms, emphasizing that healing requires confronting the past—mirroring the police investigation forcing them to face Wild Meadows.

Miss Fairchild’s villainy lies in her calculated cruelty: she weaponized emotional abuse (isolation, gaslighting) with no physical evidence, knowing authorities would dismiss the girls. Her facade of "rescuing" traumatized children masked control and neglect. Unlike violent antagonists, her psychological manipulation—like denying baby Amy’s existence—makes her terrifyingly plausible, reflecting real-world foster care system failures that silence victims.

Key twists include:

• The "baby Amy" the sisters reported was Holly Fairchild’s infant, conceived through stepfather rape
• Miss Fairchild knew about John’s abuse but prioritized her marriage
• The girls’ escape attempt involved falsely accusing a stablehand who denied Amy’s existence
• Holly’s therapy sessions reveal her later reunion with Amy as an adult

Hepworth hides these reveals through clever timeline shifts, maximizing suspense.

While The Good Sister focused on familial secrets and The Soulmate on obsession, Darling Girls deepens Hepworth’s exploration of foster care trauma with grittier realism. It shares her signature dual timelines and complex women but stands out for its darker themes (systemic abuse, addiction) and four perspectives—including the abuser’s daughter. Fans note it’s her most emotionally raw work yet, blending thriller pacing with psychological depth.

Darling Girls confronts foster care system failures, where victims are disbelieved due to lack of "verifiable" evidence, and the long-term impact of emotional abuse over physical violence. It critiques how institutions prioritize appearances over truth, leaving scars like Jessica’s addiction or Norah’s rage. Hepworth also tackles incestuous abuse through Holly’s storyline—a bold choice highlighting how trauma transcends biological families, resonating with current conversations about institutional accountability.