This hooked me from the beginning and kept my attention 🤷🏻‍♀️ I liked the characters and wanted to see what really happened with Mabel. I really enjoyed reading from an old lady’s pov and her relationship with the little neighbor girl 🥹 I wished there was more of a twist at the end but still a good read to me!

This was not what I expected from Sally Hepworth, as it has a different feel from most of her other books. But it was highly enjoyable and I loved the character development throughout. Mabel is likable even through her gruffness and I ended up become very attached. Hepworth does a good job writing relationships and the connection between Mabel and Persephone was one of my favorite elements. I would highly recommend this book.

This was absolutely fantastic from start to end!! Mabel is a 81 year old curmudgeon (my new favorite!!). She lives on a quiet street where she knows everyone’s business but doesn’t want to be bothered by anyone, not even the adorable 7 year old across the street. Chapters alternate b/w her childhood when she received the nickname “Mad Mabel,” and present day when a neighbor passes away and Mabel’s secrets alllll begin to unravel. There is so much happening in both timelines, not to mention the twists and turns you expect (but still never see coming) from Sally Hepworth. This book was unputdownable and I would’ve finished it in 1 sitting if I could have!

Absolutely amazing! Loved the main character and dual timelines. Had me laughing, second guessing the twists, and sad to have it come to an end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC prior to its release in April 2026.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of Mad Mabel! From the onset and premise of Sally Hepworth's new novel, I was seated. The youngest Aussie to be convicted of murder? And narrated in the 80 year old's POV! This book had me hooked and I loved the way the story progressed through the pages. I was emotionally invested in the characters and had tears welling up a few times near the end. An easy 5 star read for me!

I have really mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, it was a quick read that kept my focus. On the other, the entire story was dramatically sad and hard to sit through. I can get behind a thriller that doesn’t have a happy ending - some of my favorites end tragically, but there has to be moments of happiness to oppose the sadness. There were a couple good parts about Mabel and Persephone, but all in all, Mabel’s life was devestating, not particularly thrilling or mysterious. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this earc in exchange for an honest review.

Mad Mabel is a wonderfully captivating read that blends sharp wit, richly drawn characters and an original setting.The storytelling is both clever and immersive, pulling you into a world that's as fascinating as main character. I found that the plot unfolds with just the right balance of mystery and surprise. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this intriguing and well-crafted advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed reading Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth; it had a nice blend of wit and wisdom that I found to be refreshing. Mabel is an 81 year old grump who shows us that it is not too late to find your way in this life. I love that she was able to find her community and surround herself with people who love her and enjoy her company. I thought the way she told her story throughout the book was clever. I am not usually a fan of a dual-timeline, but this book handled it in a way that was easy to follow and kept me wanting to read “just one more chapter”. This was my 2nd book by this author, and I would recommend it for those who are looking for a quick, fun read with some serious issues tackled throughout.

Mad Mable by Sally Hepworth is a different story than you may be use to by her. This is a charector driven story with depth. Thought provoking and it cases you to think about our conscience and un-conscience bias about people whom are different from us. Her storytelling is perfect and I feel in love with the journey she took us on in this amazing book.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth doesn’t come out until April 2026 but get your pre-orders in now! You don’t want to miss this one!

Mad Mabel Waller is an 81 year old just trying to stay to herself in her neighborhood. When a neighbor turns up dead, Mabel is revealed as the youngest murderer ever convicted in Australia.

As her past meets het future, what is revealed is a horrifying and heartrending story. A story of loneliness and found family. A story of loss but of found riches.

The chapters are short. I kept turning the pages as I went from “then” to “now.” I thought I knew what was happening but I never really got my footing in the story.

The reveal at the end was very satisfying and I’ll be thinking of Mad Mabel for awhile.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced e-copy of #madmabel.

Usually when I finish a book, I write my review right away. With this book, I’m glad I waited. I finished reading “Mad Mabel” last night, and at the conclusion I thought I would be giving this book four stars. However, throughout the day today, I’ve thought about Elsie (Mabel) and her young neighbor, Persephone, a little too much. I realized that I resonated with these two characters more than I thought, and I’m still feeling their pain and grief even though the story is over. With that being said, I’ve realized this is a five star read for me. Not only did I resonate and feel for the characters, but I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next.

In this story, we have “Then” and “Now” chapters. In the “Now”, Mabel is currently 81 years old, and due to a death of her neighbor and some unusual circumstances, she agrees to be interviewed for a YouTube interview. During this interview we go back into the “Then” chapters, and we are able to relive Mabel’s childhood and early teenage years. It is there we learn how Mabel (who now goes by Elsie), got her nickname of “Mad Mabel”.

I will say that I felt quite a few emotions while reading this book. I would be angry one minute, sad the next, and then laughing a few minutes later. Mabel had quite the personality, even at her age! This book also shows you how people do not know how to think for themselves, and are very quick to judge others based off of what one or a few people say about said person. It was very upsetting to read at times.

While you may be able to predict where this story is going (I’ll admit I did), it still doesn’t take anything away from it. I highly recommend reading this book!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: April 21, 2026

Sally does amazing writing. This was no it for me. I typically love the older generation plots, but this was a but far fetched.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 352
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Release Date: April 21, 2026

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick has lived a sad, misunderstood life in her 81 years. She’s a grumpy old lady who keeps to herself. All of her interactions revolve around the neighbors on her street. That is until word gets out that she’s Mad Mabel, Australia’s youngest convicted female murderer. A team of podcasters come knocking to get her story.

This book bounces between what Elsie is dealing with now and what happened when she was a lonely, bullied and ostracized child. It’s really kind of a depressing story as she’s so incredibly unlucky and misunderstood and doesn’t really get a break until now, when she’s 81 years old and finally able to explain everything that happened. It was a good story though, and full of interesting characters.

Thank you, @SallyHepworth and @StMartinsPress for my free advanced copy.

This is my first 6-star read of the year—maybe ever. Mad Mabel is compelling, heartbreaking, optimistic, and utterly lovely. On the surface, it’s a dual-timeline mystery waiting to be uncovered, but it’s so much more than that. Mad Mabel is ultimately the story of friendship: the devastation that comes from its absence, and the transformative power of friends who become family.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow, I am blown away by this book. It's nothing like I expected at all. It's so much better.

Imagine, if you will, through no fault of your own, most people assume the worst of you. Not that you're just mean, but that you are a murderer. Of multiple people.

Imagine your father leading the charge. Yeah, it was that bad for Mabel.

She manages to live a long life that not only defies the odds, but manages to pull you into her life and see HER.

I don't have adequate words for this book. So trust me, READ IT!!!

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved everything I've read by Sally Hepworth, and I think I might love this the most. This is also so different than anything else she's written, and it's unexpected nature is what makes it so good. Mabel is one of the most memorable book characters I've read. What drew me in initially was her wit, but then the story is also about her past and how she got to the present. That story's a hard one with a lot of pain, but her storytelling is so compelling. Mabel's story is a wild ride, and once I started reading this, I could not put the book down. The additional cast of characters also add some depth and twists to this one that make it the best thriller I've read this year! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this April 2026 release. Clear your calendars now for when this one comes out because you're going to need to get this and finish it one sitting!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for providing the copy of Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth. The five previous Hepworth books I have read kept me reading from the start, but this one had such a slow beginning that it was hard to stay engaged. Eventually, I started to understand the point of the past timeline, but the present timeline was still better. I loved Elsie, and she was the perfect old lady, funny and brash! I wouldn’t really classify this as a mystery or thriller, though. While I enjoyed how things eventually turned out, I don't think some of the reveals were very intriguing. I loved parts of this book, though, because Elsie was such an amazing character. 4 stars

Sally Hepworth is one of my favorite authors and this one did not disappoint. Honestly in the beginning I was wondering if this was going to be a DNF for me. I was not sure where it was going and the plot seemed a little slow for me. But I’m so glad I stuck with it bc in true Sally form she creates characters you absolutely fall in love with and root for. Mabel was no exception. A bit more of a mystery than a suspense. Absolutely loved it

Not my favorite Sally Hepworth but I did enjoy it, especially the ending. I think what kept me from enjoying it more was that I knew the twist with Daphne was coming from the very beginning. Thankfully there were a couple other little twists that I enjoyed.

Book quote: “It's interesting to note that there are two groups of people who are rarely, if ever, suspected of murder. These groups are elderly women and little girls.
On the whole, when it comes to murder, the stats very much favor the men. The odd woman is thrown into the mix every now and again, but she's inevitably perimenopausal (and having been through the change myself, I certainly understand why). But an elderly woman or little girl committing murder? It's one in a million.”

This book was a mash up of some of her early work with a little mystery/thriller mixed in. Mabel, known to her friends now as Elise is uncovered as someone slips a note under her door “I know who you are” and she realizes that her quiet life is about to be upended. In an attempt to keep the media hounds at bay, she agrees to be filmed for a documentary and tell her side of story. The unfolding of her story is told in a then versus now narrative. The story centers around Mabel and her upbringing and ultimately how she comes to be known as Mad Mabel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this ARC in exchange for my review and honest opinion.