SynopsisSISTERS, 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.
Format 359 pages, Hardcover
Published April 23, 2024 by St. Martin's Press
ISBN 9781250284525 (ISBN10: 125028452X)
About the Author
Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels.
Sally's books have been heralded “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s novels as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”.
Sally's novels are available worldwide in English and have been translated into 20 languages.
Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her three children.
My Thoughts
Three girls, Jessica, Norah and Alicia, are raised together for a time in a foster home called Wild Meadows with Ms. Fairchild. Their painful years at Wild Meadows draws them together and they become sisters. Decades later, bones are found buried at the home and they are called upon by the police to help with the investigation.
Jessica is a type-A personality. She always needs to be in control and requires order. She's always on edge and amped up. Jessica went to Wild Meadows at four years of age and spent the most time under Miss Fairchild's "care".
Panic was her constant state of being, as familiar to her as breathing. She imagined that even as a newborn she'd awoken each day with her heart in her throat, asking, What will today be like? Will I forget something, or say the wrong thing? How can I make everyone happy? What if I can't?
Norah is smart, beautiful and damaged. She views sex as transactional. She's defensive. She went to Wild Meadows when she was 10 yrs old, but she spent a lot of time before that bouncing around foster homes. She was damaged before she ever showed up on the doorstep of Wild Meadows.
It would have been useful, for example, if Miss Fairchild had given her a swift punch that first day. At least then she would've known what was coming.
Alicia was being raised by her grandmother before she found herself at Wild Meadows as a respite case. She showed up with three suitcases.
...one containing clothes, another with books, and a final one with photographs and keepsakes from home.
Alicia has taken the pain from her time at Wild Meadows and turned it into good by becoming a social worker who really tries to do her best by the children she is responsible for.
The story is told between the alternating perspectives of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia, and between the present day and the past. It's an easy read but offers pretty good character development. Jessica isn't a very likable character through most of the story and her chronic anxiety put me on edge. Alicia felt a little one-dimensional, but I really liked Norah.
Five words: intriguing, muted, readable, predictable, triggering
My final word: This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the mystery. The time jumping could be a little disorienting, but generally speaking the author made it pretty easy to follow. The characters are some that you can feel something for to varying degrees. I was a bit put off with the way the young girls often spoke like they were in their mid-teens when they were more like 10-12 years old. The first half felt somewhat predictable, but then the twists started about halfway through and it got more interesting. Overall, I liked the story, but I fear it is one of those that I will soon forget. It's worth a read for anyone particularly fond of mysteries, although it could be potentially triggering for some.
Warnings:
Psychological child abuse, some vulgarity, drug use, mild sexual situations
Cover: B
Writing Style: B+
Characters: A-
Storyline/Plot: B
Interest/Uniqueness: B+
My Rating:
The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.
The opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
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