I just absolutely love Mabel! This is a duel timeline book as Mabel in present day is in her 80s telling about her childhood and how she got the nickname Mad Mabel. This was honestly so different from what I usually read but I ate it up! My first Sally Hepworth novel was a hit and I’m definitely going back to read some of her others.

Marvelous Mabel is more like it! Love her special interactions with Persephone. This has to be a movie! A solid and enjoyable read. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this early ARC.

I've never liked a grump character so instantly! Great developed characters and a super quick pace. Really really good!

THIS BOOK 😍👏🏼

To say I am obsessed with this book would be such an understatement. I was hooked from the very first sentence & it fully held my attention until the very last page. I’ve loved every single book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth, but this might just be my very favorite 😍 Seriously such an amazing read!

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

huge thanks to @netgalley for the ARC! Drop everything on April 21st when this masterpiece is released 🤌🏼

#mystery #thriller #suspense #madmabel #sallyhepworth #arc #newrelease

I’ve never read a book that made me genuinely believe I was reading a true story—until this one. The characters felt so authentic, especially Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, an 81-year-old woman whose nickname “Mad Mabel” was cruelly given by others. She brought me laughter, tears, and moments where I literally held my breath. I stayed up far too late night after night, completely immersed—my under-eye bags now proudly worn as a fashion statement!

The story follows Elsie through two stages of life: as a teenager and as an elderly woman with a past she’s tried to keep hidden. As the layers of her life unfold, I found myself filled with compassion and heartbreak. The supporting characters are just as believable, seamlessly woven into the narrative in a way that makes you feel part of their world. This book also had its own message and reminder of how important it is to treat people with kindness, young and old.

There are no loose ends here. Every twist and turn is purposeful, and guessing what might happen next simply wasn’t an option—I was too captivated to predict anything. The ending was powerful and unexpected, leaving me deeply moved.

I highly recommend this book and will absolutely be seeking out more from this author. Honestly, it deserves to be made into a miniseries—it’s that good.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the privilege of reviewing this book.

*2026 Preview*
Sometimes You Just Can’t Wait!

“When it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies”-Unless, apparently, your name is Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick.

According to her “loving” father-she was responsible for the first death when she was just three years old. And, after a series of other “unfortunate” incidents, fifteen year old Mabel Waller became the youngest Australian in history to be convicted of MURDER becoming known as MAD MABEL around the World.

Now, living under her new name, the 81 year old becomes a “person of interest” when she is the one to find her 93 year old neighbor dead, and Police find out who “Elsie” really is…

But is she guilty of EVERYTHING she was accused of? Is she guilty of ANY of it? And, most importantly, is she Mad?
(A double entendre for sure!)

The story alternates between THEN chapters-to fill in the past, and NOW chapters-where Elsie (Mabel) agrees to be interviewed for the first time, for ADLIB-a YouTube channel, hosted by Libby Conquest and Adeem Anand. The only constant in the two timelines-her enduring friendship with Daphne.

This story wasn’t at all what I was expecting based on the book blurb-it sounded like it would be yet another book this year about a senior citizen who slays, but it really isn’t.

What you CAN expect is a story about a dysfunctional childhood in THEN, and found family and community support in the NOW chapters.

It took awhile to capture my interest but by about 35%, I was all in.

Stealing every scene in the present day, is Mabel’s 7 year old neighbor, Persephone and a yappy dog named Nugget, who both manage to bring out her softer side.

I didn’t like the very LAST chapter at all, and it could be the latest LOVE IT or HATE IT ending that Sally Hepworth has written. I couldn’t help but recall the ending of her book “The Younger Wife” which ended up being changed prior to publication date based on early feedback. Although I was team “LOVE IT” for that book (and was disappointed with the change) I do believe the author should be able to write her stories any way that she wants to, even though this time the ending didn’t work for me.

Expected publication date: April 21, 2026

Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the very early ARC provided by NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

The title and the cover give no clues to the complexity and originality of the story within. This was a fascinating and sometimes chilling tale of a tragedy from long ago that continued to affect Mabel decades later.The characters were well developed and I appreciated that Mabel was not a caricature of a grumpy old lady but rather a complex, haunted individual. Her ‘family” of neighbors were interesting, especially her relationship with the young girl. I also appreciated the Australian setting to the novel. This was a worthy, satisfying read and will find me going back to read more if Hepworth’s earlier works.

This was the most delightful book I've read in a long time. Refreshing, different, beautiful character development. I'm so glad to have picked it up, as I think it has inspired me to be a more forthright and brave person, just like Mad Mabel. I highly recommend if you enjoy a moving, witty, slightly quirky, feel-good read.

Best book I’ve read all year—no contest. Sally nailed it and I can't wait to pick up the audiobook version! I couldn’t put it down, and the twists totally blindsided me in the best way. I am so ready to read this with my book club!!! I can't believe I have to wait till next year to do so!!!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Sally Hepworth’s Mad Mabel is a deliciously unsettling blend of domestic suspense and psychological mystery, centered on Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick—an 81-year-old curmudgeon with a past as shadowy as her nickname suggests. Living quietly on Kenny Lane for six decades, Elsie is the kind of neighbor who minds everyone’s business but guards her own with barbed wire. When a precocious 7-year-old named Persephone moves in next door and a pair of YouTubers start digging into Elsie’s past, the façade begins to crack.

The story toggles between Elsie’s present-day life and her childhood as “Mad Mabel,” a girl surrounded by a trail of suspicious deaths. Hepworth masterfully builds tension through these alternating timelines, slowly revealing whether Elsie is a misunderstood recluse—or something far more sinister.

Elsie is a triumph of character work: prickly, nosy, and deeply layered. Hepworth doesn’t ask us to like her—she dares us to understand her. The relationship between Elsie and young Persephone is the emotional heartbeat of the novel, offering moments of genuine tenderness amid the creeping dread. Nugget the dog adds a whimsical touch that balances the darker themes.

What makes Mad Mabel stand out is its exploration of identity and justice. Hepworth probes how society treats little girls and old women—two groups often underestimated, dismissed, or feared. The novel asks: Who gets to tell their story? And what happens when they finally do?

Themes & Technique

- Justice vs. Reputation: The novel interrogates how public perception can distort truth, especially when shaped by gender and age.

- Memory & Redemption: Elsie’s journey is as much about reclaiming her narrative as it is about confronting buried trauma.

- Dark Humor: Hepworth’s signature wit is razor-sharp, making the suspense all the more delicious.

Mad Mabel is a slow-burn thriller that rewards patience with explosive revelations. It’s clever, emotionally rich, and unsettling in all the right ways. Hepworth doesn’t just write mysteries—she writes human puzzles, and Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is one of her most enigmatic yet.

Upon first meeting Elsie/Mabel, I felt such sadness for her--she seemed bitter and alone.
But as her story unfolded, I grew to adore her, especially through the eyes of her young friend who saw her true heart.
A beautiful told story where the past and present intertwine, filled with guilt, sorrow, but also the healing powers of love and friendship.

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @StMartin's Press for this wonderful, detailed, emotional ARC and allowing me to provide my own review.
Well done! I loved it!

absolutely loved this book! A bit different from the thrillers I normally read, but filled with suspense and quite cheeky at times. I was drawn in by the authors writing and the characters, and I never knew what was coming next. Loved it from start to finish!

Mad Mabel follows the life of Mabel, infamous for crimes committed when she was a young girl. She led her adult life as quietly as possible, even changing her name. But when someone finds out who she really is, trouble soon follows. This is much more than a thriller, and the author did a wonderful job telling a story about love, family, and friendship.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
I have devoured each of Sally Hepworth's books so far and this one was no exception! I loved the going back and forth in time to build up the story and understand what truly happened. Mabel was totally likeable and also so funny! I laughed out loud a few times.
Even though I thought I had some things figured out, I was definitely wrong too. So many twists towards the end, made it such an amazing read. And that ending...just wow!
I highly recommend and a 5 🌟 read!!!

Glad to review an advanced copy from NetGalley, Sally Hepworth’s books are always enjoyable. Mad Mabel is no different, following a misunderstood eccentric older woman back through her past when new troubles come her way. The characters are dimensional and engaging. Bits of the story are predictable but it all comes together nicely.

81 year old Elsie Mabel has lived an ideal life in an ideal location for most of her years. She is nosy and curmudgeonly, and therefore no one ever suspects that she has always tried to hide her past. A past that has quite a few people winding up dead.

This book seems to have it all; an intriguing lead, shock and mystery, laughs, cool side characters, and even emotional depth. The storyline of Elsie/Mabel is provided in the form of a past and present story. Readers learn how Mabel acquired a bit of a reputation when she was younger, and in her later years Elsie encounters another event that shines light on her past. But, she is then afforded the opportunity to put things right. As other readers have indicated, hold on for the ending!

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

Mad Mabel is everything I love about Sally Hepworth: witty, darkly clever, and completely addictive. From the very first page, Mabel had me hooked. She’s eccentric, sharp-tongued, unpredictable, and yet so heartbreakingly human that I couldn’t help but adore her.

The story weaves family drama, secrets, and suspense together with Hepworth’s signature blend of humor and emotional depth. One moment I was laughing out loud at Mabel’s biting observations, and the next I had that lump in my throat because beneath the “madness” is a woman who has endured, survived, and learned to wield her quirks like armor.

This book is both wildly entertaining and sneakily profound. It reminds us that the people society calls “difficult” are often the most layered, resilient, and unforgettable. Mabel isn’t just a character, she’s truly an experience.

If you’re a Hepworth fan, you’re going to devour this. And if you’re new to her work? Buckle up, because Mad Mabel will absolutely steal your heart.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hands down this was the best book I have read all year. Sally did not disappoint with this book. I could not put it down. So many twist and turns I didn't see coming.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Eighty one year old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick has a past and she hopes no one remembers it. She wants to stay hidden, unnoticed, forgotten in the best of ways rather than remembered in the worst of ways, which was the way her younger years were spent. Mabel is a nosy old lady, into everyone else's business but expecting everyone to stay out of her business. She's had an ongoing feud with more than one neighbor, including her elderly (older than her, even!) supplement addicted neighbor and his dog. Now an annoying pest of a little girl has moved into the neighborhood and she has latched onto Mabel like a leach.

The little girl is Persephone and I love this little girl. Mabel does, too, but it takes her a while to admit it to herself. Their relationship is so important to this story and is my favorite part of it. There is a lot of humor here but I can't help finishing the story feeling sad for Mabel, sad for Persephone, sad for what could have been Mabel's life if things had been different, if she hadn't been saddled with so much hurt and hardship. But behind all of that which Mabel has tried to keep hidden, there have been blessings, too. That's what I'm going to remember and I'm going to remember the Mabel who is so much more than what strangers may read and see.

I enjoy Sally Hepworth's books (this is my seventh by her and I want to go back and read some of her older books) and she always seems to add something a bit different, often something controversial, and lots to always keep me coming back. I won't forget this story soon and I wish the characters well. In fact, I kind of want to know how they are doing down the line of life.

Pay attention to the book cover (the red one with a lady with sunglasses on). When I finished the book it meant something to me and now I adore that book cover. This was a fun buddy read with Jayme and DeAnn, so be sure to check out their reviews on this thought provoking story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, the SMP Early Readers program, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I finished Mad Mabel in less than 24 hours because I could not put it down. This is my seventh Sally Hepworth novel, and she continues to deliver stories that are both compelling and emotional.

What stood out to me was the choice of protagonist. Mabel is an elderly woman, which is not the usual type of main character we see, and she brought such depth and heart to the story. I also loved the dual timeline. That structure can sometimes feel clunky, but here it was done beautifully and added so much to the reading experience.

The themes of found family really resonated with me, as well as the message of empathy and not making assumptions about others before you know their story. This book gave me so many emotions, and it will stay with me for a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. Mad Mabel will be published on April 20, 2026.

Mad Mabel is an absolute ride—dark, twisty, and unexpectedly moving. Sally Hepworth has this uncanny ability to blend domestic suspense with raw human emotion, and here she takes it to a whole new level. From the first chapter, I was hooked by the unsettling tension and the lingering question of who exactly Mabel is—and what she might be hiding.
The beauty of this book lies in how layered it is. On the surface, it’s a sharp, compulsive thriller with twists that genuinely blindsided me. But underneath, it’s also a story about perception, family, and the dangerous stories we tell ourselves about other people. Hepworth makes her characters feel so real that I was never just reading about them—I was living alongside them, second-guessing everything I thought I knew.
It’s chilling, clever, and full of heart. Mad Mabel proves once again that Sally Hepworth is one of the best at what she does.