Wow! This is a twisted read. It had me hooked from the first page to the last. I loved the character Mabel. This book will twist your heart for her. Characters are spot on. Heartbreaking and heartwarming suspenseful read. Recommend. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review. #netgally @netgalley #sallyhepworth @authorsallyhepworth # stmartinspress @stmartinspress

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

This is my first Sally Hepworth book. WOW! She does not disappoint.

It was dark, it was twisty, it was emotional, all of the feelings were done so well.

Her characters were incredible. You loved, you hated, you cried. And in the end it wrapped up so nicely❤️

Run to get a copy.

I was absolutely obsessed with this. Couldn’t put it down. I’ve always been a huge fan of sally hepworth and her books. Darling girls is one of my all time favorites and mad Mabel has just made its way pretty close to it! I loved everything about this. It was fast paced, twisty, and I LOVE MABEL!!!!

Great evolution of characters interwoven with mystery. Age does not define one when love and care are in jeopardy.

OMG MY HEART. I'M SO OBSESSED!

Sally Hepworth is an auto buy author for me and I started this the second it hit my kindle - it might just be my new favorite by her! My poor emotions! Elsie (Mabel/Maybelline/Elsa) was the perfect mix of grumpy yet loveable, Daphne had me cackling out loud and Persephone was just the sweetest, most obnoxious child ever. I loved all the neighborly drama in present day and the chapters that took us back to Mabel's childhood. I have some choice words for her dad and some very nice ones for Cess and Ness.

This one is perfect for lovers of A Man Called Ove and The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett.... or just anyone with human emotions. I will be screaming about this one closer to the publication date!

I don’t see this being popular with our readers - Sally Hepworth has some name recognition, but not enough to pull this one out of the pile. Thank you for the ARC.

This was my third book by Hepworth and it was great. It tells Mabel’s story through flashbacks. She grows up in a wealthy family and goes to private school. Her father is a monster who tried to destroy her life through spreading rumors throughout town that she had murdered her baby sister. So she lives her childhood as a social outcast. Thankfully her mothers sister, Cess, is there for her. And Cess‘s girlfriend Tess, both are strong women who stand up to her father.

In her later life she lives in a poor neighborhood and befriends her neighbors. Her neighbor‘s daughter is seven year old Persephone, who very outgoing and latches on to Mabel or Elise as she calls herself now.

As the story unfolds I wanted to know the real Mabel, was she mad or just a victim of unfortunate circumstances. Hepworth takes her time unraveling the mystery and developing Mabel‘s character.

I look forward to reading more Hepworth books, both old and new. Thanks to New Galley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I could not get enough of Mabel/Elsie. Learning about her as a girl to her present 81 yr old self was amazing. She endured so much because of her dad, she suffered the loss of her mother at a young age not to mention the horrible time she had at school. As strong as she was, she was also frightened a lot of the time. She never got the love that she deserved. Now much older, she gets to tell her story, and it is filled with heartbreak for the kid she never got to be and the woman she had become.

There is drama, humor, and mystery in this story that felt so real at times.

I wish I could give the book 4.5 stars. It really was not a 5-star book so I have to round down. I enjoyed the book--especially the first third. The witty, sardonic MC added a good blend of humor. She did become acerbic at points but her witty wisecracks were enjoyable. In the middle, I thought the flow of the plot dragged a bit. Nonetheless, I did find the novel enjoyable. There were a couple of twists but they were actually so obvious that they were not really twists. For me there was only one surprise regarding one element and that was because the situation was not referenced at all nor was it alluded to. It is a quick, easy read. I would recommend the novel.

Solid 4.5/5 stars. Quirky, funny, interesting and unexpected. Sally Hepworth is a must read for me always, and her latest novel didn’t disappoint.

Mad Mabel is a quirky, twist-filled read with a lot of heart. Elsie “Mad Mabel” Fitzpatrick might be the cranky neighbor everyone gossips about, but she’s also hiding one heck of a past—she was once Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. When a curious little girl moves in next door, Mabel’s secrets start bubbling up, and you can’t help but root for her as the truth unfolds. It’s funny, a little dark, and surprisingly touching—a perfect mix for fans of character-driven mysteries.

Having read most of this author’s books, this is by far my favorite! I came to enjoy Elsie “ Mad Mabel”, she’s sassy and has been through so much turmoil that now she’s tamed and settled. She has kept to herself until seven year old Persephone started coming over and then two investigative journalists requesting she tell her story. This is twisty and funny! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy.

This was an entertaining read! I loved Mabel's personality. I guessed the twist early on, but still enjoyed the story. Thank you publishers for the ARC!

Absolutely love Sally and everything she writes! Such an interesting story and the twists at the end really got me! 4 stars, I read it in 24 hours!

In Sally Hepworth's Mad Mabel, we have Elsie, the crabby, nosy old lady who has lived longer on her street than anyone else that everyone stays clear of...until a new little girl on the street, Persephone, decides that she's going to be her friend - whether she wants to or not.

As their relationship develops, we get thrown back into Elsie's childhood and find out why she's called Mad Mabel and what's up with all these people around her who end up dead?

This book was a great character book. I loved the main and secondary characters. Ms. Hepworth gives us characters we can laugh with, sympathize with, and just plain dislike. I enjoyed every word of this and am off to find more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old and living peacefully in her small home on Kenny Lane surrounded by an eclectic group of neighbors, including a precocious seven year old named Persephone. Elsie has basically established herself as the neighborhood grump; however, beneath that grumpy exterior lies a past she has chosen to keep secret—a pattern of unexplained deaths surrounding her in childhood and early adulthood which left her with the nickname of Mad Mabel. As hard as she might try to ignore Persephone and the child's unrelenting goal to become her best friend, long buried secrets begin to surface and Elsie's secret life begins to unravel.

This is an incredible book. I was laughing out loud half of the time and drying my tears from the heartbreak Elsie experienced throughout her life. I have read several Sally Hepworth's novels and they have all been excellent. I highly recommend adding this one to your shelf.

It’s always a good day when I get a chance to read and review a Sally Hepworth novel and “Mad Mabel” is no exception. Told in alternating storylines—Elise is the present and her previous persona, Mabel, in the past, Hepworth creates an engaging, memorable protagonist that you cannot help but root for.

Elsie (or “Mad Mabel”) has spent the last several decades living a rather solidary life until the murder of a neighbor leads Elise to become a possible suspect (and her past as Mabel to become unveiled). Not only does Hepworth skillfully pull back the layers of Elise/Mabel’s history but creates a set of noteworthy characters, including Persephone. The precocious kid befriending the older stodgy person could be a trope, but not here.

This novel is packed full of laugh out loud moments and whimsical quotes. While this is a slight departure from Hepworth’s last couple of novels, new and old readers will not be disappointed. While parts of the plot were a bit too convenient, I still enjoyed “Mad Mabel” and give it four stars.

Thanks to Sally Hepworth, the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read and review this novel.

Sally Hepworth has done it again! The narrator captured my attention from the very first pages as she introduces herself. While there was one plot twist that I predicted because there were enough clues, there were others that left me surprised until the end. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Sally Hepworth, mysteries, and oddball, lovable characters.

I am forever and always a Sally Hepworth fan. This book has it all! Twists, humor, mystery. I love Elsie ans Persephone!

Mad Mabel is mad. The plot, characters, and design were perfect for a lighthearted novel with a protagonist with a misfortune of unlikely events that one grows to love as the story of her life is revealed. Superb book.