Darling Girls

by Sally Hepworth

There are three grown foster sisters who live in Melbourne, Australia. Jessica is a professional organizer and has a business organizing spaces in people’s homes to be more efficient. She is married to Phil, and they have been together for fifteen years. She seems to have everything together, but she keeps a secret that not even her sisters know about. Norah is single and has a job taking IQ and psychometric tests for people who are applying for jobs. She also struggles with anger issues and violence. Alicia is a social worker responsible for placing children in foster situations and checking on them. All three have dysfunctional aspects that they have to deal with after living with Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows foster home for part of their growing up.

All three of their lives are interrupted one day when Detective Patel calls them and lets them know that she is investigating a body that was discovered on the property that once held Wild Meadows. All three foster sisters return to Port Agatha to talk to the detective as they think that they know who the body belongs to that was discovered.

This book has all three points of view and flashes back to when they were living at Wild Meadows. We learn the backstory of their time there and what it was like to live with Miss Fairchild. The only thing to be aware of is that the book will also switches to the present and Miss Fairchild talking to a psychiatrist Dr. Warren, which the first time, I didn’t realize that Miss Fairchild was speaking to Dr. Warren. Her story didn’t match up with the three girls: Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, but I still didn’t put it together until later. It is Miss Fairchild talking about her own upbringing at Wild Meadows before it was a foster home.

We also learn that some babies lived at Wild Meadows for a short time. They were respite babies who eventually went back to their own families. These babies are now grown and come back as part of the investigation.

This book has twists until the very last page. Even when you think you know how the story ends in the epilogue, there will be at least one last twist.