Mad Mabel is a novel about an elderly woman who has an infamous personality of being known as a murderer. Since she has been outcasted by society, she does not warm up easily to her neighbors. Throughout the novel, Mabel's childhood unfolds leading the teacher to understand how Mabel received this cruel nickname. I devoured this book and the ending was gut wrenching.

Mad Mabel is a quirky read that had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. Sally Hepworth’s sharp humor mixed with her knack for heartfelt moments made the story both funny and surprisingly moving, despite the tragedies that befell the main character throughout her life. It was easy to fall in love with her. Can she be my Grandma?

My favorite line in the book was “I think he got dicked by the dangling dong of destiny, that’s what I think.”

I really loved this one.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
6/5 🌙's

Overview: Mabel now an elderly women has a past she would like to leave behind. A reputation she didnt want. Now her neighbor has died and all of the familiar emotions begin to dig their way to the surface.

Thoughts: This book was one of those rare books that takes me on an emotional roller coaster. I was laughing, i was afraid, I was nervous. This book made me think about moments of life that we might take for granted. Mabel was such a relatable character. Being quite the loner myself I found Mabels story unfolding slowly as perfection. Slowly unveiling both the present and the past bit by bit really kept me on the edge of my seat. I feel like this book needs a re-read after the ending.

I would recommend this book to many types of readers. This book touched in multiple genres. I can see a lot of people enjoying it.

This did not seem like a Sally Hepworth book to me. Mad Mabel doesn't fit into the role of "killer." It's not that she is a sweet old lady. Rather, she is gruff and grumpy and has no idea of how much the people in her neighborhood love her. In fact, she believes she is unlikeable. Except for her one good friend that talks to her quite often, Mabel is a loner. Unfortunately, one night her secret is blown apart and now all the neighbors know the truth about Mad Mabel. This book reminds me of the writing of Fredrik Backman, Phaedra Patrick and Rachel Joyce. Absolutely Lovely. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the privilege of receiving a digital complementary ARC. This review is my own opinion and was not coerced in any way.

I loved Mad Mabel! Elsie Mabel is cranky, funny, and unforgettable, and Hepworth balances mystery, humor, and heart so well. The past-meets-present storyline kept me hooked, and the twists were both clever and emotional. One of Hepworth’s best—quirky, moving, and impossible to put down.

I devoured this book. It was exactly what I needed to break me out of a reading slump. I loved the relationships, the truths about humanity, and the pace.

ABSOLUTELY FUCKING LOVED IT. SALLY HEPWORTH HT IT OUT THE PARK WITH THIS ONE. I have been a big fan for a long time. a perfectly balanced mystery that teases and twists until the very end, layers of questions that keep forming in your mind, and, this time, a tidal wave of emotion that caught me completely off guard. For the first time in a Hepworth novel, I found myself teary-eyed, glassy-eyed even, overwhelmed by the tenderness and heartbreak woven into the suspense. Beyond the thrills, it’s a story about friendship, honesty, resilience, and the power of a community that holds each other close—even when secrets threaten to tear everything apart.

read if you like:
👵🏼 old women as protagonists
👧🏻 childhood trauma
🔪 mysterious deaths

summary:
If you enjoy a quirky murder mystery, this one’s a fantastic pick! The story follows Elsie Fitzpatrick, an 81-year-old grouch who lives a seemingly quiet life on Kenny Lane. But when her neighbor turns up dead, Elsie quickly becomes the prime suspect—not only because she openly disliked him, but because of a dark secret from her past. As a child, Elsie was known as Mabel Walker, a girl convicted of murder. Now, as a curious little girl and a true-crime podcasting duo start digging into her past, long-buried secrets begin to surface. The question remains: Was Elsie innocent all along, or is she truly Mad Mabel?

The story unfolds across two timelines—Mabel’s troubled childhood and her present-day life on Kenny Lane. Mabel herself is quirky, sharp-witted, and darkly funny, which makes for a refreshing change from the typical thriller heroine. The book invites readers to reflect on how society treats women who are often overlooked or underestimated—whether they’re young girls or elderly women. It also highlights the power of female friendships, with their loyalty, trust, and quiet strength, while raising thought-provoking questions about guilt, truth, and the way stories are told.

The ending will absolutely floor you. It may lean a little over the top, but it’s a fitting conclusion to a witty, darkly clever tale that blends suspense with just the right touch of noir. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy, and make sure to check this book out when it releases on April 21, 2026!

I loved everything about this book. I loved the characters the setting and the storyline. It was a super quick read with short chapters. The storyline kept my attention throughout the whole book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh how I adore this book! Mad Mabel as an elderly person is such a well developed character! I loved her!

I love Sally Hepworth and she once again hits it out of the park. It gets four stars from me because there, as always, is one really good plot twist but there was also a smaller plot twist that I did not like and felt could have been taken out and the story would have been the same without it.

Dare I say one of my favorite books I've read in 2025??

I absolutely LOVED this story. Reasons why:
1) Obsessed with the grumpy 81 year old main character Mabel- her humor and banter is phenomenal
2) Obsessed with Mabel's relationship with her 7 year old neighbor (:
3) The story line of love in all stages of life, acceptance of self, friendship that surpasses circumstances, forgiveness MY GOSH it was beautiful
4) "Then" and "Now" storyline with short chapters that were easy to follow along with characters/timeline
5) The ending. for multiple reasons that you just have to read to understand
6) The mystery with "what really happened" when many people in her life pass away and she is accused of killing them- even as a child
7) the emotions I felt while I was reading- I laughed, cried, gasped, sat on the edge of my seat, wished that Mabel was my grandmother

I couldn't put it down and thought about it when I wasn't reading it, counting down the moments to be able to read again. I will be telling everyone around me to read this

This book is set to release 4/21/26 and I thought would be a great book club book! Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mad Mabel was a surprising pleasure to read. Surprising because it was so funny, and I did not expect that! I’ve read almost all of Australian author Sally Hepworth’s books. Mabel (whose name is actually Elsie), our main character, had an irrepressible voice and humorous, sardonic even, way of viewing the world and narrating her experience. Elsie is 81 years old, and she dives right in by narrating everything and everyone she loves and hates about her neighborhood. Elsie’s character is kind of offbeat, like in Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

The story is dual timeline, so it goes back and forth between Elsie’s childhood (which includes the mysterious loss of someone close to her) and how she was treated, which sadly included a lot of bullying and emotionally absent parents. In Mad Mabel, readers will find Sally Hepworth’s signature care for her characters, nuance in character development, and empathy for the most vulnerable characters, like the children in her previous book, Darling Girls. Yet strong narrator voice and development take the focus in Mad Mabel, even though an intriguing murder mystery is involved. This aspect makes me think those who enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club might like this book too.

I’ve enjoyed reading almost all of Sally Hepworth’s books and I often read them for the mystery or thriller aspect of it all: the fast-paced plot and finding out the truth about what happened. Yet this book has another layer; Mad Mabel shines with unique character voices and everyday experiences described in fresh ways, and a theme about how the people we love sustain us, like Elsie’s BFF Daphne and the quirky girl down the street. Every time I put down the book, I wondered, what is Elsie going to do next?

Thank you to Macmillan Publishers for the ARC.

My reviews are posted on goodreads and Amazon (when posting reviews for the book is available) as well as my Instagram and TikTok, @bookishbookjoy and my website http://www.bookishbookjoy.com . I also repost any reviews right before the book release date on Bookstagram and BookTok.

Sally Hepworth has outdone herself! I've read every book she has written, so imagine my excitement when I learned that she had written a new one. Mad Mabel is absolutely hilarious, and I mean laugh out loud funny! There were several times when I started cracking up sitting next to my husband while watching tv reading from the kindle app on my phone. He looked over at me and said, "Why are you laughing? This is a sad movie!" I then had to admit that I was, in fact, reading and not paying attention to the Netflix movie we took an hour to choose and agree upon!
Our FMC Mabel is an 81 year old woman who is grumpy and crotchety yet entirely lovable. We come to learn about Mabel's life and why she is called Mad Mabel through flashbacks and a YouTube documentary two "young people" make about her life. Is Mabel mad and a murderer or is she simply misunderstood? You'll have to read this incredible story to find out! I suggest putting this one a the top of your TBR. I promise you will be so glad you did!
Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced reader copy and to Sally Hepworth herself for writing one of the best books l've read this year!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC! 🙏📖

I was immediately intrigued by this one after just finishing Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth and then coming across this ARC 👀. The synopsis pulled me in right away and I couldn’t wait to dive in.

The story follows 81-year-old Elsie Mabel 👵 who is affectionately (and a little cruelly) nicknamed “Mad Mabel.” She has a strange history of people in her life ending up dead 💀 and her reputation has followed her for decades. The book alternates between two timelines ⏳: Elsie being interviewed by a documentary team about her childhood, and Elsie’s life in the present day. As the story unfolds you’re left wondering how much of the gossip and legend surrounding her is really true.

I loved Elsie’s voice throughout. Her wit, humor, and resilience made her such a standout character 💫. The present-day chapters especially shined because of the quirky, tight-knit community around her 🏡. Her neighbors were such a delight, from little Persephone 👧 to the yappy pup Nugget 🐕, and they created a warmth that balanced out the darker mystery elements.

Overall I absolutely loved this book ❤️. The pacing was a little slow at times since the murder reveal doesn’t come until about 80% in, and I occasionally found the dual timelines a bit confusing, but once the story picked up I could not put it down 📖🔥. The twists kept me hooked, and the ending genuinely shocked me 😱.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this surprisingly poignant novel. At 15, Mabel was the youngest Australian imprisoned for homicide. Now at 81, she just wants to live a quiet life quibbling with neighbors on her cul-de-sac. Then a neighbor ends up dead and Mabel ends up a person of interest. Soon, her long ago incarceration is dug up, and Mabel has to tell her side of the story. Charming book that goes back and forth from Mabel’s childhood to present day. We meet her quirky neighbors & discover how special Mabel is in the neighborhood. Publishes next year - add it to your list.

This is my first book by Sally Hepworth, and I absolutely loved it. Told in Elsie/Mabel’s point of view over different time periods, I think it is impossible not o fall in love with the main character. Even though the book covers some very sad periods in Elsie’s life, her biting wit, humor and resilience uplifts the reader. The fact that Elsie is 81 and develops some wonderful friendships during her last act in life, is wonderfully hopeful. The setting is a neighborhood in central Melbourne, and we learn quite a bit about the neighbors and their interactions with Elsie. We learn about the heroes and a villain from Elsie’s past as well as those in her present. There are also some wonderful surprises at the end of the book.

This was an incredibly well-written, unique, and riveting read.

I could not put this book down. Elsie grabbed me from the start, with her humor, sarcasm, wit and 81 year old wisdom.

The story of “Mad Mabel” was told from Elsie’s pov and switched back and forth from “now” to “then”. I liked both the “now” and “then” chapters equally. As the story evolved, my emotions were all over the place. I was saddened, I was shocked, I was worried, I was entertained and I was questioning. Persephone, and Mabel’s Aunt Cess, were the true heroes, in my opinion. I loved them.

I liked this quote from Elsie so much:
“Looking back, I sometimes think this should be a service one could gift the grieving: the quiet, steadfast presence of someone who still believes there’s joy to be found—someone willing to hunt for it on your behalf.”

Sally Hepworth always writes a good story.

Advanced Reader Copy Courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

I loved this. There was humor, slow burn mystery, love. This is my new fave by Sally Hepworth. It felt like a warm hug.

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Ok, I went into this book expecting a psychological thriller (just based on other books I've read by this author), and let me just say, this is definitely not that. It doesn't matter, though, because this book was so good! There were definitely some parts that you would also find in a thriller, like murder and scary strange men, but this book was more about friendship and not being judgemental than it was about anything like murder and mayhem. I think the best part was how funny it is! Maybel is freaking hilarious, and I wish I knew her in real life. I hope I'm as quick-witted and humorous when I'm in my 80s!
I loved hearing Maybel's story, even though some of it was heartbreaking. I loved this story, and I really enjoyed the twists because I honestly wasn't expecting them. If you love Sally Hepworth, I think you'll enjoy this as well, even if it is a little different than her other books.