Sally Hepworth

Not a Novel, but a Gaslighting Machine
Review of the ARC paperback of the expected St. Martins Press hardcover (April 2022) of the original Macmillan Australia paperback "The Younger Wife" (October 2021)

I don't usually chase ARCs but the polarized reviews on this domestic suspense drama out of Australia had me intrigued and I managed to snap up an ARC paperback from an online site in order to satisfy my curiousity.

The top reviews on Goodreads rate this from a 1 star to 4 stars, but even the 1 show more star review describes it as being a 4 for most of the way through. I'm going to compromise with a 3 star and an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert ™ .

I can certainly see the reasons for the 4 to 5 star reviews, as the author builds effective suspense from the get-go with an incident of either injury or death at a wedding (at first we don't know which). Most of the rest of the book gives us flashbacks from before the wedding, with occasional interjections back to the event and what follows it. The concluding chapters give us the aftermath.

We hear the story from four voices. These are the grown daughters Rachel and Tully of a prominent surgeon, his younger wife-to-be Heather of the title, and an initially disguised 4th voice from someone who is an observer at the wedding ceremony. The flashbacks tell us what has led up to the wedding and what has happened to a not-so-younger wife.

The flashbacks continue to build the suspense constantly, but they also continually create room for doubt and this can't be an unintentional accident on the of the author, as it is repeated constantly. It is somewhat like David Mamet's Oleanna (1993), a theatrical play where you can be sure to have a lively debate with others about what really occurred, after you've seen or read it.

The degree to which this gaslighting by the author angers you or intrigues you will determine how you rate the experience. show less

A wonderful character driven drama that avoids typical thriller cliches and defies categorization.

Elsie Fitzpatrick is an 81-year-old woman living a quiet life in a Melbourne suburb. Her peace is shattered when she goes to the aid of a neighbor only to find him dead on the kitchen floor. The police investigate and uncover Elsie’s true identity; she is actually Mabel Waller. In 1954, at the age of 15, she became the youngest person convicted of murder in Australian history. She was known to show more the public as Mad Mabel. As notoriety once again revisits, Elsie decides to tell her side of the story to a pair of YouTubers.

The narrator I’ve alternatives between Elsie’s childhood in the 1950s and her present-day reality. The very large personality that is Elsie is blunt, grumpy, unbothered by social niceties, and extremely cynical and funny. I actually laughed out loud so many times at her comments and responses to people and situations. When a book makes me laugh, I’m so much more invested and I could not put this down. I kept guessing, and hoping, with the slow build to the reveal of Elsie’s actual crime and her victim. The characters came to life on the page and the story was well balanced between the dark themes and the humor. I was not expecting to like this as much as I did and definitely recommend it.

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators, Hannah Fredericksen (young Mabel in the 1050s) and Jenny Seedsman (81-year-old Elsie in present day) were absolutely fabulous. It was also tricky for them, I’m sure, to do the child parts as those never quite sound right. Both did a marvelous job of giving life to Mabel’s story and I enjoyed the immersive experience that enhanced my appreciation of the book. show less

Wow! This was so good! Un-put-down-able good! Twists and red herrings, marriages both healthy and fractured, children and parents with secrets, and characters both sympathetic and selfish. So many motives for murder, and the writing directs us first one way, then another as we read from Lucy’s point of view and then Diana’s. Daughter-in-law and mother-in-law tell the story going back and forth from past to present.

The more I read, the more layers were revealed in the lives of the show more characters, providing a level of depth beyond that which is typical of this genre. Hepworth skillfully creates sympathy and understanding as well as acrimony and hostility. The short chapters generated a lively energy that kept me turning the pages, reading “just one more chapter.”

I’m always apprehensive about reading a book labeled a “thriller” because I don’t like the scary parts where people are threatened by unhinged characters and it all but promises a tense and dangerous climax. Thankfully this book kept me on the edge of my seat without those over-the-top thriller aspects. I read this one with my book group and can’t wait to discuss with them next week. This is a book I will be telling everyone to read. show less

"Darling Girls," by Sally Hepworth's, is a chilling novel of psychological suspense. In the 1990s, Miss Holly Fairchild, owner of Wild Meadows Farm in Port Agatha, Australia, becomes a foster parent. She accepts only females into her care. Three of them, the central characters in this book, are Alicia, Jessica, and Norah. Jessica is needy and anxious to please her foster mother. Norah is rebellious, angry, and at times, violent. Alicia tries her best to fit in, but she quickly learns that show more she will be punished for the smallest infraction. In fact, these children are little more than slaves. They must clean the house, top to bottom, daily; are fed inadequate meals that leave them famished; and are regularly castigated both verbally and physically.

These unfortunate girls endure this harsh treatment because they make a pledge to consider themselves sisters. By banding together, they hope to tolerate their suffering until they find a means of escape. Hepworth is a skilled storyteller who hooks us with her twisty plot. The author repeatedly flashes back to the girls' upbringing under the iron fist of Miss Fairchild, and we learn what happens to them during the next twenty-five years. Everything comes to a head when the bones of a child are found buried under a construction site that used to be Miss Fairchild's home. The police summon Alicia, Jessica, Norah, who are now in their thirties, back to Port Agatha for their help in solving this mystery.

Hepworth's story moves along briskly, and she does not shy away from such topics as drug addiction; assault; the exploitation of minors; and mental illness. Fortunately, in contrast to all of the angst, there are passages of humor—mostly dark—and some optimism about the possibility that individuals with PTSD who seek help may eventually find peace of mind. One aspect of the conclusion is shocking and others are somewhat contrived, but if you can bear reading about predators who torture innocent youngsters, you will mesmerized by this compelling and intense page-turner. show less