Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: April 23, 2024
Source: Review copy from NetGalley
Rating: 3.5 Stars

DARLING GIRLS, while rather well written, wasn’t an easy book to read. It centers around three foster sisters who survived an abusive childhood at the hands of Miss Fairchild. On the outside, growing up with Miss Fairchild on her picturesque farm in Australia seems ideal for three orphaned girls, but on the inside, the reality was quite a different story. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and the sisters must face their shared trauma when they are summoned back to that dark place after bones are found underneath the farmhouse.

This is another case where the mystery was intriguing and some great twists kept me hooked, but I didn’t enjoy the subject matter. I loved the sisters and their dynamics, both as girls and as adults, and it was interesting (and often sad) to see how their past shaped the women they became. Reading about child abuse is tough though, but I think the author did a fine job highlighting the sometimes negative side of the foster care system. DARLING GIRLS is a compelling read that’s more an unsettling family drama than thriller.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions are my own.