Hepworth has officially taken the spot as my favorite thriller writer! Her approach to domestic thrillers is so so good! Mad Mabel was no exception. I loved the way we got to experience life through Mabel’s eyes both in present and past. The way the timelines were handled were seamless and so easy to understand and follow. I will be recommending this to everyone looking for a new thriller to read!

Thank you to St. Martin’s press for the ARC!

Elsie Fitzpatrick is the most engaging serial killer you'll ever meet. Eighty-one years old and full of life, Elsie has worked hard to hide her past. Her efforts fall apart, however, when the new kid on the block (literally!) befriends Elsie against her will.

Like Sally Hepworth's previous books, Mad Mabel is full of interesting, multi-faceted characters. The pacing is quick, seamlessly weaving Elsie's present with her backstory in what is ultimately a dual-timeline story. Hepworth's strength has always been portraying complex, interpersonal dynamics, and Mad Mabel certainly delivers.

My gratitude to NetGalley for the opportunity to get an early look at this darkly funny masterpiece.

If Sally Hepworth is writing it, I am reading it. I absolutely adored the MC in this book. I could not get enough of her, and quite frankly, most people annoy me, so this doesn't happen often. She was blunt, bold, snarky, all the things I love in a solid old bag.

I found myself laughing out loud and couldn't wait to pick my Kindle back up to see where the story left off.

Another hit from Hepworth.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for making this a Read Now. I would have undoubtedly been denied for an ARC of this book and cried in my vodka.

I loved this book! I’ve been meaning to read this author and this was a great introduction to her work. One of my favorite new tropes is grumpy elderly person whose life is enriched by quirky younger person.

Elsie Fitzpatrick–aka “Mad Mabel” Waller–is a cantankerous octogenarian who, as a teenager, was convicted of murder, resulting in a tabloid frenzy and an enduring legacy in the annals of true crime. The story alternates between her present life of near-reclusive anonymity and the remembrances of a childhood stamped by tragedy. Unlike the vast majority of dual timeline books, I was equally invested in both time periods. I wondered how events would unfold for young Mabel, but I was also enamored with current-day Elsie’s entanglements with her neighbors, who became the chink in her armor. By turns funny, heart-wrenching, and poignant, this story is a testament to the power of friendship and the fact that it’s never too late to change your story.

I found this book utterly charming.

With alternating chapters, this book introduces us to the cantankerous modern Mabel (an 81 year old, who knows everyone's business on her block, and is suddenly connected to a suspicious death) and flashbacks to her past where we get to determine if she's earned the moniker of "Mad Mabel."

Both stories are intriguing. The modern ones are a bit more fun since they include Mabel's new friend, 7 year old neighbor, Persephone and a dog named Nugget. Both allow us to get to know Mabel's softer side and see the face behind her infamous past. (Seriously I'd read a whole book of Mabel and Persephone going on adventures!)

Oh, and the writing! It is glorious. For a book about an elderly woman, it's surprisingly sassy, (e.g. "he got dicked by the dangling dong of destiny" and "Marriage is for men. They get a free housekeeper, a whore, someone to provide them with children and rant to about their troubles of an evening. And women get...what? Room and board?")

The only thing I didn't like is there are two hidden reveals. One I figured out really early in the book. I guess that bothered me a little, but it did allow me to appreciate how subsequent scenes were written to hide the clues. Overall though, this was a treat.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

One of my fave reads this year! Mad Mabel is now 81 years old and living on a small street full of residents in each other’s business, but mostly keeps to herself. Her past catches up to her when it is exposed who she is and her old identity of “Mad Mabel” resurfaces. While rehashing her past she also deals with a nosey and adorable 7-year-old neighbour girl who has decided Mabel is her new best friend.

Mad Mabel is full of heart, redemption, justice, sarcasm, and humour all wrapped up in a plot twist filled story highlighting found family. This story addresses social isolation/exclusion and the impacts it can have on long term mental health in a really fascinating way.

This will be a new go-to recommendation for me due to its alternating timeline chapters (past and present) making for fast-paced reading, alongside the characters that are easy to love and empathize with.

4.5 ⭐️

This was so fun to read! Mabel, an old lady now, is known as a curmudgeon. She appears to have no heart but a little girl neighbor breaks through her barrier. Mabel has worked hard to conceal her past but it seems it might all come to light. Really fun read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sally Hepworth has a gift for crafting family dramas that feel both unsettling and relatable, and Mad Mabel is no exception. The story blends domestic suspense with emotional depth, slowly peeling back layers of family secrets and strained relationships. The pacing kept me engaged throughout, and I appreciated how the characters felt flawed but real. It’s less about big jump scares and more about the creeping tension that builds as the truth comes out. A solid read for fans of character-driven suspense.

This is one of those books that ends up being SO good that writing a review is difficult because you basically want to tell everything about it. However, since I am not a spoiler provider, I won't give too many details. I can't wait for it to be published and someone I know to read it so that we can discuss ALL the things.
I absolutely love Mabel! All of the characters, even the minor ones, are unforgettable. The main character tells her story through flashbacks and story sharing. It is filled with so many complex issues that shaped who she became... and the ending! OMG. Add this new Sally Hepworth to your library on publication day.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

I tore through Mad Mabel in record time and loved every single page.

From the first chapter, I was hooked — Mabel’s quick wit, sarcasm, and quirky charm had me laughing out loud (one favourite line: “Perhaps I’m experiencing some of the Alzheimer’s induced madness that I’d read about recently in Pensioner’s Weekly”).

But don’t let the humour fool you, this book is layered with sadness, mystery, and suspense. Mabel is the kind of narrator that keeps you second-guessing: is she truly mad, or is there more to the story? The dual timelines, sharp writing, and darkly funny edge made this one of my top reads of 2025 already.

By turns wryly humorous and heart-breakingly tragic, Mad Mabel was a book I had a hard time putting down.

Young Persephone - who questions everything, won't take no for an answer and decides to adopt Mabel as her friend - was a total riot. I often laughed out loud in the dead of night (my poor neighbours!) countless times as I read Mabel's story. Loved Persephone to bits: she was Mabel's little doppelganger. Persephone was only second to Daphne as my favourite secondary character in this novel.

I had a few suspicions about Daphne as well, but her timely quips and antics had me guffawing time and again. Daphne's wholehearted support of Mabel was a welcome bit of comic relief that helped diffuse the tension and anger and irritation we feel every time Mabel is in a scene with her father, or the police or the pod-casters who keep hounding her for a story show up at her door. (And yes, I did see the "twist" coming. We all have our own ways of coping with tragedy and loneliness, and Mabel definitely needed it as much, if not more, than most people. What a very hard life she'd had to endure: intolerance piled upon injustice her entire life.)

I was emotionally invested in young (and the much older) Mabel. I was interested in her adult years, but we didn't get much information on the in-between years. (I have to be careful not to be too specific here for fear of dropping a few spoilers.) Also, how was Mabel able to afford to buy a house even in a shabby part of town?

Regardless, this was an edge of your seat read. You keep trying to guess what exactly happened and how. We already partially suspect WHY, but the actual reveal was so much more powerful and you really hated Mabel's father (and a few other characters) by then. Once the truth comes out during that podcast, I dare you not to be right there with the rest of the Australian public, posting commentaries that that maniacal cad had it coming - and so much more. Evil. Just plain EVIL!

I'm rating this a 5 out of 5 stars. I was highly entertained and hooked from the start. Well done! My thanks to the author, her publishers and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping, moving, thought provoking and shocking. Sally Hepworth has delivered yet again (when does she not?)! I had a hard time putting this book down as I was entranced by the twists, turns, and revelations. This book is told in then and now timelines which tell the story by peeling back one woman's life from childhood to adulthood.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, an 81-year-old woman who has been called 'Mad Mabel' for most of her life. She has lived on her street for a very long time and seems to know everyone's businesses. She has been befriended by Persephone, a young girl in the neighborhood and they have a lovely friendship. When a neighbor dies and people begin to know her business, Elsie a.k.a. Mad Mabel beings to tell her story. It is a moving and heartbreaking story that had me feeling all kinds of emotions. It is a story of love, of neglect, of abuse, of cruelty, of gossip, of suspicion, of bullying, of survival, of nurturing by her aunt, and a story of loss.

As people begin to know more about elderly Elsie/Mabel, it becomes a story of acceptance, friendship, enlightenment, strength, and moving on. In some ways, 81-year-old Elsie/Mad Mabel reminded me of Olive Kitteridge in her frankness, her bluntness, and her grumpy exterior. But Elsie is also caring, witty, sarcastic, and brave. Will her actions speak louder than words people say about her?

I found myself feeling mad for her as a young girl and how she carried the heavy burden of being labeled 'Mad' by society. I was mad about how she was judged, bullied, and tormented. She was the child everyone looked at when things went awry, when people got hurt, or accidents happened. I felt for her loneliness, rejoiced as her aunt advocated for her, and sighed deeply when life threw her lemons. But was Elsie 'mad'? Did societies actions make her 'mad', or was she an innocent child forced to bear something that was never hers to bear? This book had me pondering how the labels assigned to people affect them? Is it fair to judge someone for something we know little to nothing about?

As with her previous books, Mad Mabel is beautifully written, well thought out, moving, and thought provoking. Sally Hepworth is a must-read author for me and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

I enjoyed this book, in particular the witty dialogue. I also enjoyed the relationship between Elsie and Persephone, as well as the mystery element. . I think fans of the Thursday Night Murder Club series will enjoy this one.

Sally Hepworth can do no wrong. I want to thank the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book early! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!!!

Absolutely delightful book. It reads like a Series of Unfortunate Events book for adults. Short, punchy chapters. A plot that kept humming across two timelines made it impossible to put down.

I loved all of the characters, the community aspects, the modern touches. It was just so good. A couple fatphobic comments rubbed me the wrong way but it was less than a handful and hopefully the author will grow away from this…

Splendid! I’ll consider reading more from this author!

A hearty thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book!

I absolutely love this author’s early books, but her latest books have been hit or miss for me. This one is going to be a DNF due to content I do not want to consume.

If I could give this book 6 stars I would. I absolutely devoured this book. The twist with Daphne?? How did I not see that sooner? I couldn’t put this book down. It was slow to start but the way the story was being told through Mable’s eyes was fantastic.

I’ve read a few books by Sally Hepworth and this one felt refreshing and new for her. This had a lot of dry humor along with sadness and still kept it twisty, and shocking. This was a ton of fun to read. It did take me a while to get invested at first, but once I did, it was hard to put down. I loved the characters and the relationships they had with each other. It was such an interesting dynamic. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. The opinion in this review is my own.

Mad Mabel took me awhile to really get into but once I did I really enjoyed it. I loved the character of Persephone. She brought so much to the story in multiple ways. Thank you St Martin’s for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my feedback