Welcome to Litsy!

Seren and I greeted the Winter Solstice lazily this morning. I also finished up Darling Girls, which did not disappoint. The use of both the before/after timeline and the POV of each sister worked very well and added to the story. Compelling and enjoyable read.

Three foster sisters, Jessica, Norah and Alicia get together to solve the mystery behind a body, which is discovered at their childhood foster home.

A decent plot and well written. The before-after timeline worked really well for the plot. The characters were well written too and were quite relatable. The ending was also interesting and did not disappoint.
4/5🌟

Last Saturday‘s Little Free Library scores on my way to ballet. One of the beginner ballerina‘s Nans was giving away her handmade blankets. Yes please!

1. No but I do have my Be Kind to Everyone Halloween shirt I'll wear to work
2. Not spooky but Darling Girls was good this month
@Kshakal @TheSpineView #two4tuesday

So good! My #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks
#hauntedshelf @PuddleJumper #flerken
#spookoween @TheSpineView

My picks for October @TheAromaofBooks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5
That ending though! 💙

I‘m a big fan of Sally Hepworth and this book did not disappoint. I love listening to audiobooks set in Australia and I flew through this in one day. A great thriller with lots of twists and turns. I loved the sibling bond between the 3 foster sisters, Jessica, Alicia & Norah. I predicted most of the twists but the last 3 minutes had me like 😧. 5⭐️

#audiobook
#SallyHepworth
#Australia
#thriller
#suspense
#mystery

A fast-paced thriller that I breezed through. The ending was not unpredictable, but the way it was revealed made this book interesting. Also, I do tend to like books about sibling relationships.

My first by Sally Hepworth and I flew thru it in just about 24 hours. I loved the bond Jessica, Alicia, and Norah had as three foster siblings, and their foster mother was absolutely horrible. I‘m not sure that any of the twists shocked me, but I still felt delighted every time I came to one. Just a tight, fast-paced thriller story with a very satisfying ending. Except for the last chapter which, frankly, didn‘t add anything to me.

This was my least favorite of her books so far, but it was a very fast read. I felt like the twists were predictable and I didn't have any feeling of suspense as I watched it play out. The foster care story is full of abuse TWs. I'd recommend The Good Sister as a better place to start if you'd like to check out her work.

The Housemaid is Watching was a quick read for me! Next up on the TBR is Darling Girls. I‘ve been waiting for this one. 🤞🏻❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5/5)

“Darling Girls” was a creepy but intriguing read that made me suspicious of all the characters until the very end. I kind of suspected ‘who did it‘ early on into the book, however the plot twists made it less obvious. Overall this is a solid read, however the very last chapter wasn‘t entirely necessary and it was a weird way to end the book.

This book surprise me. You won‘t see the ending coming. 😮

This was a doozy of a mystery about found family, child abuse and secrets. I could not stop listening, though I would not really recommend the audiobook as it was difficult to differentiate the POV at times, the book was a gripping fast paced thriller. 5⭐️

This is not my usual 5 star read. I always try to mix up my reading with some mystery/psychological thrillers so I don't get burned out with the rom coms and fantasy/magic reads. This was so hard to put down. It hooked me from the beginning with the stories behind 3 young girls under the care of their deranged foster mother. The ending, more specifically, the last chapter - was absolutely great. Recommend! Bonus is that it's in Kindle Unlimited.

#17 of 2024! #BOTM April 2024
Started: 6/2/24
Finished: 6/9/24
8 Days

Too much work means I‘m too tired to read much. I am reading some great books but they‘re all rather concentrate-y and lack of brain-space means I‘m flicking through magazines or vacantly watching TV.

This, however, grabbed me from the start and I flew through it. It‘s certainly not a ‘fluffy‘ read though, covering 3 sisters who endured an abusive foster home and now, many years later, hear that a body had been found at the house.

Dark, tragic, & suspenseful, this is my favorite Hepworth yet. I wouldn‘t say I was particularly shocked by any of the twists, but I loved the intricacies of each plot line & how well-thought out it was. I felt the back & forth between past & present & the multiple point of views played perfectly in telling the story of Jessica, Norah, & Alicia. The characters are complex & multi-dimensional &made this more than just your typical mystery/thriller.

Masterfully written story with compelling plot and stunning twists and turns. Plenty of sorrowful topics, but the book is great.

This was a great thriller, kept me guessing and great twist at the end! I appreciated how well the three sisters loved each other, even while they were all dealing with difficult issues stemming from their painful childhoods and their shared history with the same abusive foster parent. #BOTM #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and it did not disappoint. I went back and re read some sections to make sure I understood what was happening and who was who. That last chapter really seals the deal!

Finished this on Monday! Another 5 star read from Sally Hepworth! If you love domestic suspense then this is for you! You really get to know the main characters of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia & how the abuse they endured as children in foster care (in Australia) shaped who they are but there‘s always the ability to change. Great twists & a quick read! I‘m going to go back and read her previous books (at some point!)

Another month of only thrillers & horror. Is it a rut if I love it there?? Still reading and loving Vengeful, but it's a slow go. Hopefully it'll make into my May Wrap Up 😅

Darling Girls ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Curse of the Reaper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Don't You Cry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Island ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Ohhhh, I‘ve never stacked my unreliable narrator stories up against each other, but this is a good one! I feel like I just can‘t say anything else less I give away any of the mystery.

I really loved this book. I have been a fan of Hepworth for a while now, but it's so obvious from this novel that her writing has developed to a whole new dimension. The characters were loveable and relatable. I loved Norah, Alicia, and Jessica each for different reasons. I also loved to hate Mrs. Fairchild. The book is fast paced and keeps you engaged by switching back and forth in perspectives and the evening is PERFECT. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really liked each character separately and enjoyed seeing their individual journeys. Together, their bond is impressive, heartwarming, and endearing. There were a few twists and turns that wound up tightly at the end and explained a few things, but the open ending makes me nervous and uncomfortable at numerous possibilities for this genre. Convinced Sally is trying to give us panic attacks.

Now Available! 🥳📚🎉
Darling Girls-Sally Hepworth

Review- https://www.boleybooks.com//darling-girls/

#boleybooks #darlinggirls #sallyhepworth #bookbeast #bookreview #bookbuds

If this isn‘t in your TBR, it NEEDS to be.

Ms. Hepworth‘s best yet!!

Surprise after surprise - twist after twist - with the ending one being the best. 5/5

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/bdepjvtm

@sallyhepworth
#sallyhepworth
@stmartinspress

Oh this book is good y‘all!

https://reecaspieces.com/2024/04/23/darling-girls-by-sally-hepworth-macmillanaud...

4.5⭐️/5⭐️

Looking for a tense domestic mystery/thriller? Australian Sally Hepworth‘s latest might be just the ticket. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#darling-girls

Publication is expected April 23.

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #DarlingGirls

This book is about three foster girls, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia who are all raised by the same foster mother, Holly Fairchild, and that foster mom is cruel and punishes them. The girls form a bond and refer to themselves as “sisters.”

Many years later, a detective calls them to tell the girls that bones have been found underneath the house they were raised in. They come back to be questioned by the police. Read the book to find out more.

I always assumed Sally Hepworth wasn‘t an author for me (based on the covers, I guess?), but I actually really enjoyed this. Now I‘ll have to give her backlist a try. #BOTM

DNF. This is NOT a review per se other than to say after 47% in, this book was not holding my attention and felt way too slow. I found myself putting it down way too often for another book (and I‘m a one-book-at-a-time person). Goodreads has it at a 4.2 so l guess I‘m in the #unpopularopinion boat.
I‘m sure that it picked up at 48% 😂😂, but I gave up.

Blue box delivery day! #BOTM

🌿 the way this month is shaping up, I'll be excited to read, period lol, but I'm enjoying my medieval England trip with Elizabeth Chadwick's Outlaw Knight, currently.
🌿🌿 Technically, my BOTM pick is an early release (tagged).
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
@Kaylaapps play~tag~share

WOW... Just WOW! This is Ms Hepworth's best book yet and she writes wonderful books. This one will blow your mind. A MUST READ for thriller lovers.

We start out in a Psychiatrist's office. Someone is telling him about things that happened in their life. Throughout this story you hear more and more about this sad life. About the abuse she endured. About the horrendous things that were done to her.

Full review: https://tinyurl.com/2s44vda8

FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON APRIL 23.

If this isn‘t in your TBR, it NEEDS to be.

Ms. Hepworth‘s best yet!!

Surprise after surprise - twist after twist - with the ending one being the best.

You won‘t want to put the book down even though the chapters about their time in foster care are unsettling and upsetting.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

@sallyhepworth
@stmartinspress

I may have gone a little overboard with my Book of the Month choices for April! I got five! Yikes! 😱 In my defense though, April is my birthday month so one of them was free! 🤭💕📚 What did everyone else pick this month? #botm

Sooo excited for my April #botm box! 😁

I‘m excited for my April #botm box! I got the new Sally Hepworth (I always really like her books) and added Familia with my birthday month credit! Now I just need to prioritize reading a bit more on a daily basis. 💗

Just one this month for #BOTM, but an author I've enjoyed in the past. What did you pick? 📚

https://www.mybotm.com/phuw7esbgwl5l8fr?show_box=true

I flew through this one! So good! As are all Sally Hepworth‘s books. The story is of three women who met in an awful foster care situation but who have bonded as sisters. Human remains are found underneath their former foster home and the police contact them. Very good enthralling read.

4.5⭐

Darling Girls is a book about 3 foster girls that were placed at Wild Meadows. After 25 years, they are thrust.back to where they hoped never to return. Wild Meadows has been sold and a body has been found. The police want to know what the girls know.

Tentative Publishing Date April 23, 2024! Go get this book when it hits the stands.

That Ending!

#bookspinbingo #marvellousmarch Readathon 4th book
#readaway2024

This was a fun twisty thriller/mystery that takes place in foster care. You can‘t stop. I listened to this in one sitting.

Just what I needed, a fantastic distraction.

Three young women return to the town where they spent time in foster care at the behest of the local constabulary. A dead body has been found under the house they were fostered in.

What horrible secrets, past & present, are ready to be unearthed?

Popcorn ♥️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

This book by Sally Hepworth is utterly brilliant!!! It comes out April 24 and should be added to your stack immediately ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📚

Taking some PTO today and reading this one. Trigger: child abuse

• 368 pages • first pub 2024 • Australia • fiction • thriller • dark • emotional • 3.5 Stars

“Darling Girls” by Sally Hepworth is a gripping novel that weaves together sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder. The story revolves around three women—Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—who were rescued from family tragedies as young girls and raised by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. ⬇️