I am not sure how to even go about talking about this story. I was sad, hopeful, disgusted. Some very strong female characters, Ness and Cess and Mabel, even Mabel's mom to some extent made me want to keep reading. I enjoyed the Then and Now way the story unfolded. I am not sure that I might come back and change it to five stars. I need to sit on it a bit.

Another intriguing and page-turner from Sally Hepworth! Mad Mabel is filled with vibrant characters, including an annoying dog, and an inquisitive girl, family vs found family.
I always look forward to the next Sally Hepworth story.

****Publishing April 21 2026*****

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick “Mad Mabel” is an eighty-one-year-old who knows her neighbors and everything about them. Even their routines! She is spunky and goes to measures other people wouldn’t do. When a neighbor ends up dead, this turns the neighborhood upside down. What will be discovered? Will anyone be accused? Will Elsie’s past come back to haunt her?

This is a fun and entertaining book with a great deal of whitt! It will make you laugh from the beginning! This book will have you turning the pages from beginning to end! I loved the variety of characters and the sense of humor in this book! It’s a roller-coaster of a book that will bring out all kinds of emotions. A great book for book clubs as it will lead to many interesting discussions!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was SO compelling and I love love loved the characters. I will definitely recommend this to my book club. We've read other Sally Hepworth novels in the past and they're going to love this one.

Sally Hepworth delivers another smart, layered story with her signature mix of humor, heart, and unexpected turns. Mad Mabel moves between past and present in a way that feels seamless, pulling together themes of truth, second chances, and the kind of justice that comes when you least expect it.

I just loved this one. I have been enjoying books with older lead characters lately, and Mabel, at 81, was such a standout. She was sharp, complicated, and full of surprises. One of the things I love most about Hepworth’s writing is that even when I am convinced I know where the story is going, she finds a way to add another layer that changes everything.

This was such a satisfying read from start to finish, and I can see it being a big hit in 2026. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

Writing this review with tears streaming down my face! I absolutely loved the characters. This story was half heart wrenching, half heart warming and very twisted!

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth is a wonderfully clever, quirky novel that I could not put down.

Elsie is eighty-one years old and has lived in her house on Kenny Lane for sixty years. Cantankerous and happy to keep to herself, Elsie finds herself rather aggressively befriended by a seven year old neighbour named Persephone and, following the death of another neighbour, Elsie's former life, the one in which she was known as Mad Mabel, begins to be exposed.

Told from the alternating perspectives of the past and present, Elsie's unfortunate history is examined, and we in the present must determine if her nickname is justified.

This is a brilliant story and easily one of my favourite reads of the year thus far.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

Sally Hepworth is the best!! I loved this story. I loved Mabel and the description of her- I loved her neighbors and how they each played a role in this story. I loved all the details about her past. Another great book!

A darkly funny and twisted family drama with a delightfully eccentric lead. Hepworth’s storytelling is equal parts sharp and surprising.

This is my first trip with Sally Hepworth and I could not be happier.
This book grabbed from the beginning and I had a hard time putting it down.
This is 81 year old Elsie’s story and it is fantastic.
Many twists that I did not see coming, and the story did not disappoint at the end.
I have already picked up another Sally Hepworth book and am excited to start!
I highly recommend reading this book. You will go through every emotion when immersed in Elsie’s life.
Thank you NetGalley for guving me the opportunity to read this fabulous book! Coming April 21, 2026!

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book. Sally Hepworth develops characters so well in here. The friendship between two of the main characters is just beautiful. I enjoyed the double timelines and the slow evolution of the story. It made me wonder what would happen next. Hepworth brought me to tears more than once. I didn’t love how the mystery resolved itself, but the rest of the book was worth it. Lots of little twists throughout, which I love. Definitely check this book out when it’s released in April 2026! A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 read for me (rounded down here).

Elsie’s yearned for a friend her entire childhood then Daphne showed up offering friendship. So caught up in her yearning for friendship she forgot to yearn for love. Love didn’t come from her father or her mother. Love wasn’t something Elsie knew was missing until it was revealed.
…
Now Elsie is eighty-one and a seven year girl chooses Elsie to be friends with her.
…
Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick has lived on Kenny Lane for close to sixty years. Kenny Lane is a peculiar little cobbled street on the periphery of central Melbourne. It’s a safe neighborhood. There are six properties close together, yet the neighbors don’t interact with each other. Although, Everyone watches out for each other like their own Neighborhood Watch Program. Sometimes it benefits having nosy neighbors.
…
Elsie is a direct woman. She said what she meant, and she meant what she said using a sharp witted tongue that leaves people speechless. Most don’t know if they should take her words personally or if she’s joking. Elsie’s has carried the stigma of being called Mad Mabel throughout her life. She tried to hide her identity by changing her name, but someone found out. Now she’s ready to set the story straight.
…
Got to give props to Sally Hepworth for writing a splendidly humorous story. This was an entertaining read. A steady pace of activity with Elsie the primary character. She plays both Mad Mabel a name derived from childhood and Elsie an eighty-one year old crotchety woman who police suspect of killing her older neighbor. Now she needs to set the story straight about how she was given the name Mad Mabel. While I enjoyed reading about Elsie’s life from childhood into elderly years I found the excitement wore off midway.

Mad Mabel is dark, twisty, funny and full of twists. Everything you could want in a Sally Hepworth novel. This book is also sad and heart wrenching. There’s so much to love about it. Can’t recommend it enough!

I love all of Sally's books and this one was no exception. I love the characters se creates and the dialogue. I love murder mysteries and that 's exactly what Sally writes. There are a few twists and turns. Some surprise me and some did not. I had my suspicions about Daphne. The relationship between Persephone and Elsie was just so special.. YOu need to read this - sadly it won't be out until next spring!

This book as so good I had to read it in a single day. I couldn't put it down. I love the cast of characters and the way the neighborhood evolved from the beginning to the end. In places it reminded me of the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective, another book I really liked.

This one had a different vibe from the author’s last few books I’ve read — but in the best way. Mabel was such a standout, and honestly, all the characters were great. I did manage to guess both of the big twists, but it didn’t ruin anything for me. The pacing was spot-on and kept me hooked.

Sally Hepworth!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!! The way Mad Mabel had me giggling while griping the edge of my seat in anticipation! I thought the entire time I had it figured out but then Sally would swoop in and say SIKE!

OMG - what did I just read and can I please have MORE?!!!
Yes, I absolutely loved Elsie “Mad Mabel” Fitzpatrick - she is my new favorite fictional neighbor. I loved the dual timelines showing how she went from the youngest convicted murderer in Australia to the fiercely independent octogenarian on Kenny Lane. Her banter with Persephone had me laughing out loud, and the Kenny Lane crew felt so vivid I could picture every Aldi-bargain-buying, gossip-swapping neighbor.

Yes, it starts a little slow, but once the past and present begin to collide, I could not put it down. The twists especially the one I didn’t see coming land perfectly, and the ending hit me right in the heart but with a darker, twistier edge.

I loved it, I laughed through the entire story. A really great cast of characters and a unique story. I've never read anything by Sally Hepworth, but Darling Girls just moved up on my TBR list. 4.5 ⭐️

St. Martin's Press eARC
This was something different from Sally's previous novels, and I absolutely loved it! It had her signature complex characters, chapters that keep you reading, and a solid mystery. I liked how this was much more of a character study than her previous books. The exploration of people's preconceived notions about those that are at urban legend status was intriguing and there was so much empathy laced throughout. I adored Mabel. Her story and this book was so emotional, and I teared up multiple times. The side characters and community were so vivid. I loved Persephone, Joan, Peter, Roxanne, and Daphne. I binged this in a day, and it will be a favorite of 2025, and in the top of my 2026 release favorites.