Huge thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Mad Mabel! This book was absolutely exquisite—one of those rare reads that makes you laugh out loud, tear up unexpectedly, and feel every emotion in between. The twists just kept coming, and each one hit harder than the last. I was completely immersed in the story from beginning to end. The characters were rich and unforgettable, and the emotional depth stayed with me long after I turned the final page. Masterful storytelling. I'm sad it's over.

I’ve already recommended this to friends and can’t wait for publication day so I can grab a physical copy for my bookshelf. A stunning, twisty, heartfelt read—5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Sally Hepworth for the eARC of Mad Mabel! I absolutelty LOVED it. I was hooked from the begining and couldnt wait to find out what was going to happen! In true Sally fashion there were twists and turns that I didnt expect. I laughed out loud several times and even cried as I experienced Mabel/Elsie's story!! I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy when its released in the US. Mad Mabel is in the top 5 books that I've read this year!

This is one of my favorite books this year!!! Elsie is a 6 foot tall 81 year old woman whose secrets are found out by her community, the world and most importantly, her neighbors. What happened to this person- a past filled with bullying, unloved by parents and questionable deaths. Just so darn good!

Sally Hepworth has done it again, this book is absolutely brilliant! I was hooked from the very first page and completely enchanted by the way the story unfolds through alternating timelines. Watching Mabel as a misunderstood little girl in the 1950s and then later as Elsie, the grouchy yet oddly lovable 81-year-old, was such a rewarding, emotional experience.

What I loved most was how layered Elsie/Mabel’s character is—was she a victim of circumstance or someone far more dangerous? That constant tension kept me turning the pages late into the night. Hepworth has this magical ability to write characters who feel so real, with flaws, quirks, and humor that make you root for them even when you’re not sure you should. Elsie may be prickly and nosy, but her relationship with young Persephone absolutely melted my heart. It was one of the sweetest, most genuine friendships I’ve read in ages. And don’t even get me started on Nugget the dog, such a perfect touch!

The story takes its time to build, but that slow burn just made the payoff even more satisfying. By the end, I was equal parts smiling and heartbroken. Hepworth’s character work is simply superb, and she ties everything together in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable.

Mad Mabel is clever, charming, emotional, and darkly funny all at once. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves twisty character-driven stories with heart. Sally Hepworth is at the top of her game!

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Darkly clever and utterly absorbing, Mad Mabel is the kind of story that keeps you second-guessing everyone. Sally Hepworth balances suspense with emotional depth, creating a character-driven mystery that is both unsettling and compelling. I couldn’t stop listening—every chapter pulled me deeper into the tension.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC of Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth.

I am a fan of Sally Hepworth’s books, with their punchy plot lines and wit.

Hilariously curmudgeonly Elsie (81 in first-person POV) lives on Kenny Lane in Melbourne, Australia, and will die there as she is hiding from her former “Mad” Mabel (14) identity and her past crimes.

Elsie is a hoot! I found her perceptive grumpiness so humorously relatable, especially as she is a resident of a closely-knit urban neighborhood (many “Mother of God”s).

Characters Persephone (7) and a Chihuahua named Nugget (“that snarling footstool,” whose equally disliked owner Ishaan dies) come to glom onto - and slowly grow on - Elsie, in the most heartwarming of ways.

Elsie’s long-term friend “Daphne” is her solid sidekick and her first true friend. Their lifelong relationship is both humorous and moving to witness.

Elsie’s “Mad Mabel” cover is blown on Kenny Lane and she decides to tell her side of the story finally, when Persephone needs to interview “someone old.”
Two YouTube podcasters of AdLib also want to interview her, about “old crimes.”

Elsie as Mabel, 14, grew up as an awkward, gangly kid to glamorous and wealthy parents who blamed her for a family tragedy that caused yet another involving her. And another, and another, and another.

Is she guilty as reputed, or an unlucky innocent? Is there another, bigger, Monster shadowing her young life?

Mabel is a sympathetic young character despite any involvement in crimes. She possessed a deep loneliness and only ever wanted to be loved.

I enjoyed reading about Aunt Cess and her Ness, and how they changed fate for Mabel from that of a mere bookworm to an artist. They possessed the eyes to truly see her.

Mad Mabel is a charming, *twisty* psychological mystery with compelling characters, especially the women.
It reminded me of the literary sub-genre of eccentric characters such as in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, a type of fiction I wholly enjoy.

Themes include justice and perception.
It contains quirky humor, plus emotion, loneliness, trauma, family drama, and the need for human connection. It showcases the importance of female bonding and friendship., and of what really makes a family.

This book was a joy to read - to gasp, laugh, and weep along to. I will read anything from Sally Hepworth!
Five stars.

This is the first book that I've read by Sally Hepworth but it definitely won't be the last! I had a hard time putting this book down. Mad Mabel has so many things that I love: a curmudgeonly old lady, an annoying little kid (who steals the curmudgeon's heart), found family and true crime. This book surprised me with how it easily moved between the heartbreaking sadness of the past and the love and humor in the present. The characters were well drawn out and very relatable. It was a bit hard for me to read at times since the story involves difficult themes like child abuse, bullying and loneliness but it was so compelling that I still enjoyed it very much. Now I'm off to pick up more Sally Hepworth novels!

Sally Hepworth is a must-read author for me. Any time she has a new book I need it IMMEDIATELY and I was so happy to get this one. I don’t know how she does it, but she hooks me from the start and I can never put her books down. Mad Mabel was no exception. I picked it up thinking I’d get started and someh0w read half the book in a busy afternoon.

We follow Elsie, an 81 year old woman who lives on a small street where all the neighbors know each other. She is a curmudgeonly woman, but her grumpiness comes with lots of humor. The alternate timeline is young Mabel, whose peers call her “Mad Mabel” even though she has no idea why, though she knows it must be why she has no friends.

Hepworth makes you feel so much empathy for young Mabel, while also getting you to laugh at elderly Elsie’s strong opinions and antics. The mystery is this: is Mad Mabel, the youngest Australian to ever be convicted of murder, really a serial killer? Why does everyone around her die? Why does everyone — then and now — believe the worst about her?

While this is all being explored, there is another storyline that you will think is too easy, not a twist at all — don’t be fooled about what the twist is. That is all I’ll say about that.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was my ninth Sally Hepworth novel and one of her best so far. As always, her writing is both poignant and witty. There was so much unexpected heart within what I expected to be a murderous story. A moving tale of the power of judgment, redemption, and friendship, with a few surprising twists along the way. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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

Oh how I loved this one. So clever! And the twists! Some I figured out but there was one that was just *chef’s kiss*

This is my favorite Sally Hepworth yet. Make this into a movie right now! I laughed, I cried, and I was on the edge of my seat!

Sally Hepworth has long been one of my favorite authors, but this novel might just be her best yet. The characters are delightfully distinctive, and Hepworth brings them to life with such vividness that I found myself wishing I could meet a few in real life.

As Elsie Mabel’s remarkable life unfolds, the neighborhood around her transforms in unexpected and heartwarming ways. The story is rich with mystery, yet it’s also infused with humor and humanity. I have a soft spot for curmudgeonly characters, and this book delivers them in spades—alongside touching moments of connection and growth that made me smile, tear up, and reflect.

It’s a beautifully layered read that would spark lively conversation in any book club. I’m grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who loves character-driven stories with heart, wit, and a touch of intrigue.

I loved this book! From beginning to end it had me hooked. Mabel is such a great character and I love a good strong female lead. This book had so many strong females in it! Some great twists along with some funny banter made this book fun to read.

This book was absolutely amazing!!! Loved loved loved it! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc!!

Mabel aka Elsie is an octogenarian who has a past and doesn’t want anyone to find out about it. She lives in a small village and would be perfectly happy to keep to herself. Her friend from childhood, Daphne, is her closest friend in whom she confides. There is also a small, intrusive child, Persephone, who won’t leave Elsie alone in spite of all that Elsie does to dissuade her. It seems some people that Elsie knew as a child seemed to die or get hurt and she was always around when it happened. She became known as Mad Mabel at an early age. When her neighbor dies, suspicion is aroused that she may have had something to do with it.
As the story of Elsie’ childhood unfolds through an interview with vloggers, Elsie talks about events from her past and the reader finds out the truth about Mad Mabel and she and Persephone begin to develop a relationship that benefits both of them.
Sally Hepworth has done it again. I love her writing and was so excited to be able to read Mad Mabel through Net Galley. Can’t wait for her next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advance copy of Mad Mabel. I am a longtime fan of Sally Hepworth and have enjoyed many of her books, This one is very different and I must say that the first couple of chapters left me unsure about the book. I stuck with it and am so glad that I did! This is the story of Elsie, aka Mad Mabel, now 81 and living quietly on Kenny Lane. She lives alone and keeps to herself until a young neighbor, Persephone, turns up and wiggles her way into Elsie’s heart. The story goes back in time to reveal the origin of her unfortunate nickname and the secret that has kept her living in seclusion. A death in the neighborhood starts to unravel her past life and secrets and the twists come fast and furious. I did not seem some of them coming!
Amazing book and I hated to see it end but what an ending it was!

Sally Hepworth hit it out of the park with her new book, "Mad Mabel." I pretty much love everything Sally does, but this is her at her absolute finest. The story is about 81-year-old, Elsie, who has spent a long time living on Kenny Lane and knows all the neighbors, she has a quick, dry wit and may come off as a grouchy old lady sometimes. Elsie's youth as "Mad Mabel" was her little secret but when precocious little neighbor girl, Persephone comes along, her life gets turned upside down. The community is shook when they realize that Elsie is actually renowned and famous Mad Mabel, a convicted killer.
Next thing you know, Elsie gets the chance to tell her side of the story. What actually happened when she was 15 and convicted of murder? The storytelling jumps between Elsie's lonely youth and her present day. As you get to know her, you just become charmed by her. The character development in this novel is peak Sally. She has created a small group of characters that you can't help but love and root for I didn't want the story to end. The twists came and one in particular was clear to me already, but the others floored me. I will remember this story for a long time and bravo to Sally for one of her finest works to date.
Run, don't walk, to get this book when it publishes in April.
Thank you to Sally, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early, it was truly a gem in my year.

I wasn't entirely sure about the first couple chapters but I ended up loving this book! Sally Hepworth is a wonderful mystery writer and Mad Mabel is a great book. There is a lot of heart in this book with some great humor.

Charming and captivating, just like Mabel. It’s hard to describe this lovely novel - Just go find it!!

Sally Hepworth never misses. She can write a thriller with a huge amount of heart, and that is what I love about her. I loved Mabel as soon as she told Persephone to "f*!k off" in the first chapter, and the relationship between the two of them was special throughout the book. I have to say I saw the twist about Daphne from a mile away, but that didn't take away anything for me. I loved sweet Mabel so much, even if she is a little mad...

Sally always comes through with a good time! Her books are not necessarily the most informative but they are fun in a twisted sort of way :) I LOVE her dialogue. Her humor comes through it and I find myself LOLing. She is also great at creating a mystery and is the master of twists