sally hepworth
Darling Girls
Instant National Bestseller
A Book of the Month Club Pick
An IndieNext Pick
A Library Reads Pick
"Sally Hepworth's Darling Girls is the kind of story that grabs you hard and doesn't let go. Easily one of the best books I've read all year. An absolute page-turner from first word to last... A superb and haunting mystery." — New York Times bestselling author Jane Harper
A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.
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 where they were 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. But years later, when a body is discovered under the home where they grew up, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?
Sally Hepworth is the multi-million copy, New York Times bestselling author of nine novels published around the globe including The Good Sister and The Soulmate. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Published by Macmillan US & UK in April, 2024.
More praise for Darling Girls
“Australia’s finest thriller writer since Liane Moriarty, Sally Hepworth has found the perfect combination of character-based drama and completely unpredictable plots. Her latest rollercoaster of a novel follows three women who escaped a strict and mercurial foster mother when they were children, only to be reunited with her when bones are found on her property and the women are called in for questioning by the police.” — Bookpage
“This is the rare story that’s equally character and plot driven, with the “sisters” portrayed as distinct and lovable and the plot just packed with twists.”
—First Clue
“As in The Soulmate, compelling themes of trust, betrayal, and brittle façades circle the sisters’ relationships, raising the stakes of the investigation painfully high. Hepworth's fans will be primed for her newest unnerving thriller.” — Booklist
“Danger, deception and secrets…this heart-racing saga penned by Sally Hepworth has it all.” — Woman's World
The Soulmate
Instant New York Times Bestseller
A Book of the Month Club selection
A Library Reads Pick
An IndieNext Pick
One of Buzzfeed's Most Anticipated Thrillers of 2023
"The book is many things: a crime story, a psychological study, a blueprint for how and when to mete out information in a thriller. But most of all it is an inquiry into the mysteries of marriage and commitment, and into what we owe our spouses and one another." — The New York Times Book Review
Gabe is alone at the cliff's edge. His arms are outstretched, palms facing the empty air... He said she jumped. He wouldn't lie.
Before the woman went over the cliff, Pippa and Gabe were a happy couple. They have the kind of marriage that everyone envies, as well as two sweet young daughters, a supportive family, and a picturesque cliff-side home - which would have been idyllic had the tall beach-side cliffs not become so popular among those wishing to end their lives.
Gabe has become somewhat of a local hero since they moved to the cliff house, talking seven people down from stepping off the edge. But when Gabe fails to save the eighth, Amanda, a sordid web of secrets begins to unravel, pushing bonds of loyalty and love to the brink...
Published by St. Martin’s Press in April, 2023.
More praise for The Soulmate
“Hepworth is a master of suspense... From its inciting incident to its final shocking twist, The Soulmate will keep readers in its thrall, making them wonder how well someone can really know their partner.” — BookPage
“The Soulmate is the perfect thriller. Twisty, fun, and compelling in that I know I should go to bed, but this new twist means I’m up until at least 3 AM way. But it also cuts into the murky heart of a marriage, asking questions about trust, fidelity, the secrets we keep, and the things we’ll do for love.” — Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author
“Sympathetic characters combined with powerful themes of guilt, love, and loyalty will lead readers to consider the power of self-delusion. Recommended for fans of Liane Moriarty and Fiona Barton.” — Booklist
“Hepworth's follow-up to The Mother-In-Law and The Younger Wife will have you up past your bedtime.” — Country Living
“The latest twisty page-turner from the brilliant Sally Hepworth... Masterfully designed to keep readers on the edge of their seats and wanting more, The Soulmate examines love and loyalty, and how far we're willing to go for the sake of family. I devoured this book!” — Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author
“Scalpel-cut insights into modern marriage and the things we overlook in the name of love... Endlessly mysterious. Sally Hepworth is a born storyteller” — Trent Dalton, International Bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe
The Younger WIfe
Instant National Bestseller
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
An IndieNext selection
A Library Reads Pick
“Smart, suspenseful, brimming with secrets. This is Sally Hepworth at her unputdownable best.” — Kate Morton, New York Times bestselling author
New from the author of The Good Sister, the breakout New York Times bestseller called “stunningly clever thriller” (People), comes Sally Hepworth’s latest novel of domestic suspense about the tangled vines of family secrets.
THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.
THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.
THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.
THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses in all of them?
Published by St. Martin’s Press in April, 2022.
More praise for The Younger Wife
“[An] appealing domestic suspense novel from bestseller Hepworth [with a] fast-moving plot. This often funny and affecting outing should win Hepworth new fans.” — Publisher's Weekly
“Completely compulsive. Sally Hepworth delivers with this stay-up-late one-more-chapter gem.” — Jane Harper, New York Times bestselling author
“A warped tale [that] boasts Jane Harper’s multilayered characters and Liane Moriarty’s wealthy suburban world saturated with lies and deceit. With each domestic thriller, best-selling Hepworth shines brighter and draws in more readers.” — Booklist
The Good Sister
Instant New York Times Bestseller
One of Goodreads’ Most Anticipated Books of 2021
A People magazine Best New Books Pick
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
An IndieNext selection
An Apple Books Pick
A Library Reads Pick
“Hepworth's latest further solidifies her place among the top domestic suspense authors... Fern is drawn as smart, capable, and probably on the spectrum, and she is multilayered and relatable, illustrating Hepworth's talent for page-turners with depth.”— Booklist
“There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.“
Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be ... dangerous.
When Rose discovers that she cannot fall pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.
Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of unexpected love.
Published by St. Martin’s Press in April, 2021 in the US and Canada, by Pan MacMillan in Australia, and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK.
More praise for The Good Sister
"A stunningly clever thriller made doubly suspenseful by not one, but two unreliable narrators.” —People
“A warped tale of twisted memories and skewed perceptions that will make fans of psychological thrillers say, 'Wow, I didn't see that coming.’” —Library Journal *Starred review
“[A] compelling, assured psychological twister. . . .The book has a wicked sting of an ending, giving its title a dark second meaning. But where The Good Sister really shines is in its convincing, fascinating portrait of Fern’s sensory-processing disorder ― both its blessings and its curses.”―Seattle Times
"Sally Hepworth's The Good Sister achieves the impossible trio of creepy, tender, and funny. And while she is drawing comparisons to popular writer Liane Moriarty — both are Australian writers of domestic suspense — I found this tale of two sisters to be more of a mash-up of Gone Girl and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. —Sarah Gelman, Amazon Book Review
“Punchy prose helps propel the twisty plot to a creepy but satisfying conclusion. For fans of domestic dramas, this is a treat.”―Publishers Weekly
“Hepworth proficiently spins a web that slyly keeps pulling in readers until they realize they're caught up in it and can't escape." ―Shelf Awareness
“No one writes domestic suspense like Sally Hepworth. The Good Sister is the perfect blend of suspense and heart – a book that’s sure to get everyone talking!” ― New York Times bestselling author Kelly Rimmer
“Compelling… plenty of twists and a satisfying ending. Sally is an exceptional observer of people and their relationships.” ―Graeme Simsion, New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project
The Mother-in-law
National Bestseller
Television rights to NBC Universal
A GoodReads Most Anticipated Book of 2019
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
Featured on Entertainment Weekly’s Must List
A People magazine Best Books Pick
An US magazine Pick
An O, The Oprah Magazine Best Beach Book
An Indie Next selection
“Deliciously entertaining, packed with wit and suspense, and also delivers sharp insights about family dynamics and love.” ―People magazine
Cinematic and page-turning, a twisty, compulsively readable new novel about one woman's complicated relationship with her mother-in-law that ends in death.
From the moment Lucy met her husband's mother, Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana was exquisitely polite, and properly friendly, but Lucy knew that she was not what Diana envisioned. But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice who helped female refugees assimilate to their new country. Diana was happily married to Tom, and lived in wedded bliss for decades. Lucy wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.
That was five years ago.
Now, Diana has been found dead, a suicide note near her body. Diana claims that she no longer wanted to live because of a battle with cancer.
But the autopsy finds no cancer.
The autopsy does find traces of poison and suffocation.
Who could possibly want Diana dead?
Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both of her adult children and their spouses?
With Lucy's secrets getting deeper and her relationship with her mother-in-law growing more complex as the pages turn, this new novel from Sally Hepworth is sure to add to her growing legion of fans.
Published in April 2019 by St. Martin’s Press in the US and Canada, Pan MacMillan in Australia, and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK.
More praise for The Mother-In-Law:
"A masterful depiction of how much is said in the silences...a winner for fans of Liane Moriarty and Megan Abbott." ―Booklist, starred review
"This suspenseful thriller is impossible to put down." ―Cosmopolitan
"A mesmerizing domestic mystery." ―Kirkus
"Suspenseful… readers will race to the end of this clever novel to find the truth." —Publishers Weekly
"This one will keep you guessing until the very end."—US Magazine
"Absolutely stunning… The Mother-In-Law has so many layers, I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. I pride myself in being able to figure out ‘who-dunnit’. This time I didn’t.” —New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf
"Sally Hepworth writes compelling, compassionate novels with characters you come to know and love. She is one of my favorite Australian writers." —Liane Moriarty, New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies
The Things We Keep
National Bestseller
A People Magazine Pick
A GoodReads Best Book of the Month
An Indie Next selection
A Library Reads selection
A Woman’s Day Reader's Circle Pick of the Month
"A devastatingly beautiful love story" ― People
Anna Forster is only thirty-eight years old, but her mind is slowly slipping away from her. Armed only with her keen wit and sharp-eyed determination, she knows that her family is doing what they believe to be best when they take her to Rosalind House, an assisted living facility. But Anna has a secret: she does not plan on staying. She also knows there's just one another resident who is her age, Luke. What she does not expect is the love that blossoms between her and Luke even as she resists her new life. As her disease steals more and more of her memory, Anna fights to hold on to what she knows, including her relationship with Luke.
Eve Bennett, suddenly thrust into the role of single mother to her bright and vivacious seven-year-old daugher, finds herself putting her culinary training to use at Rosalind house. When she meets Anna and Luke, she is moved by the bond the pair has forged. But when a tragic incident leads Anna's and Luke's families to separate them, Eve finds herself questioning what she is willing to risk to help them. Eve has her own secrets, and her own desperate circumstances that raise the stakes even higher.
With huge heart, humor, and a compassionate understanding of human nature, Sally Hepworth delivers a page-turning novel about the power of love to grow and endure even when faced with the most devastating of obstacles. You won’t forget this book.
Published by St. Martin’s Press in 2016.
More praise for The Things We Keep:
"A poignant testament to the immeasurable and restorative power of love.... Sure to appeal to fans of Jojo Moyes, Jodi Piccoult, and Lisa Genova; book clubs will be lining up." — Library Journal, starred review
"Hepworth’s debut, The Secrets of Midwives, was critically acclaimed, and it’s always a formidable task to impress readers with a second novel. But with THE THINGS WE KEEP, Hepworth proves that literary lightning can indeed strike twice." — BookPage
"Heartbreaking...poignant and nuanced...an unconventional tearjerker of a love story." — Publishers Weekly
"A compelling read that touches on important themes, not least the different forms that love may take. Sally Hepworth succeeds by engaging our common humanity, capacity for love and sense of humor." — Graeme Simsion, New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project
The Family Next Door
National Bestseller
“A work full of searing secrets and riveting revelations…Readers will be sucked in from the first page…This novel is not to be missed…It will stick with readers for a long time.”— Library Journal, Starred Review
Small, perfect towns often hold the deepest secrets.
From the outside, Essie’s life looks idyllic: a loving husband, a beautiful house in a good neighborhood, and a nearby mother who dotes on her grandchildren. But few of Essie’s friends know her secret shame: that in a moment of maternal despair, she once walked away from her newborn, asleep in her carriage in a park. Disaster was avoided and Essie got better, but she still fears what lurks inside her, even as her daughter gets older and she has a second baby.
When a new woman named Isabelle moves in next door to Essie, she is an immediate object of curiosity in the neighborhood. Why single, when everyone else is married with children? Why renting, when everyone else owns? What mysterious job does she have? And why is she so fascinated with Essie? As the two women grow closer and Essie’s friends voice their disapproval, it starts to become clear that Isabelle’s choice of neighborhood was no accident. And that her presence threatens to bring shocking secrets to light.
The Family Next Door is Sally Hepworth at her very best: at once a deeply moving portrait of family drama and a compelling suburban mystery that will keep you hooked until the very last page.
Published by St. Martin’s Press in 2018
More Praise for The Family Next Door:
“Big Little Lies fans, this one’s for you.” ― Harper’s Bazaar
“A book Liane Moriarty fans will love.” ― Marie Claire
"Hepworth deftly keeps the reader turning pages and looking for clues, all the while building multilayered characters and carefully doling out bits of their motivations." ― Booklist
The Mother’s Promise
National Bestseller
An Indie Next selection
A Barnes & Noble Best New Fiction selection
“Grab the tissues: this story of a mother’s search for a loving, fierce protector for her child won’t leave you dry-eyed.” —People
With every book, Sally Hepworth becomes more and more known for her searing emotional portraits of families―and the things that test their bonds. In The Mother’s Promise, she delivers her most powerful novel yet: the story of a single mother who is dying, the troubled teen-aged daughter who is battling her own demons, and the two women who come into their lives at the most critical moment. Alice and her daughter Zoe have been a family of two all their lives. Zoe has always struggled with crippling social anxiety and her mother has been her constant and fierce protector. With no family to speak of, and the identity of Zoe’s father shrouded in mystery, their team of two works―until it doesn’t. Until Alice gets sick and is given a grim prognosis.
Desperate to find stability for Zoe, Alice reaches out to two women who are practically strangers, but who are her only hope: Kate, her oncology nurse, and Sonja, a social worker. As the four of them come together, a chain of events is set into motion and all four of them must confront their sharpest fears and secrets―secrets about abandonment, abuse, estrangement, and the deepest longing for family. Imbued with heart and humor in even the darkest moments, The Mother’s Promise is an unforgettable novel about the power of love and forgiveness.
Published by St. Martin’s Press in 2017.
The Secrets of Midwives
National Bestseller
“The Secrets of Midwives is women's fiction at its finest. Sally Hepworth has written a wonderfully satisfying story about three generations of midwives. It's touching, tender and obviously meticulously researched…a delightful read.” ―Liane Moriarty, New York Times bestselling author of The Husband's Secret
The Secrets of Midwives follows three generations in a family of midwives — mother, daughter, and grandmother — and the secrets of their pasts that are revealed when the youngest unmarried daughter reveals she herself is pregnant.
Neva Bradley is a third-generation midwife living in Boston. A natural introvert, she’s never courted attention like her flamboyant mother, nor become a trailblazer like her grandmother. So when she finds out she’s pregnant, Neva decides to keep the news a secret from her family and coworkers. But she soon realizes that even the bulkiest sweater isn’t going to keep her news hidden forever. She’s going to have to admit she’s pregnant…and reveal the identity of the baby’s father.
Grace, Neva’s mother, craves the passion and attention her daughter shies from. But her once-hot relationship with her husband is sputtering, and her own daughter barely tolerates her. When Neva announces her pregnancy — and refuses to reveal the baby’s father — Grace finds herself a challenge that just might add some excitement to her dreary life.
Then there's Floss, Neva’s grandmother, a retired midwife enjoying a new relationship, the first authentic one of her life. But when her granddaughter reveals the mysterious nature of her pregnancy, Floss is thrust back 60 years in time to a secret that eerily mirrors her granddaughter’s — a secret which, if revealed, will have life-changing consequences for them all.
Will these women reveal their secrets and deal with the inevitable consequences? Or are some secrets best kept hidden?
Published by St. Martin's Press in 2015.
More praise for The Secrets of Midwives:
“From the first page, I could not put The Secrets of Midwives down. Sally Hepworth delves into family secrets and family love in two different eras, adding mystery and plot twists at a breathless, exhilarating pace. I simply love this book!” ― Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle
“The Secrets of Midwives is a compelling exploration of life, loss, and love. Family secrets test the bonds between three women--Neva, her mother Grace, and her grandmother Floss--as they bring babies into the world and navigate their own complex paths. The story deepens and enlarges as it moves through their varied perspectives to its powerful conclusion.” ― Christina Baker Kline, author of The Orphan Train
“With empathy and keen insight, Sally Hepworth delivers a page-turning novel about the complex, lovely, and even heartbreaking relationships between mothers and daughters. The Secrets of Midwives is that rare tale that weaves together the past and the present in a totally absorbing narrative. Sally Hepworth illuminates one of the most important moments in a woman's life--when she becomes a mother--and spins a story that will hold you captivated till the very end.” ― Emily Giffin, author of The One and Only
“Hepworth's debut enchants…as three midwives unravel their secrets in the path of a classic New England storm…. combines vibrant and nuanced characters with a breathtaking plot.” ― Beatriz Williams, author of A Hundred Summers