Let me just say, Sally Hepworth is a total gem! She consistently delivers captivating stories, and "Mad Mabel" is no exception. This book gave me all the feels – I went from laughing and chuckling to feeling genuinely sad and even a little mad at times. I think a lot of readers will really connect with the characters and the struggles they face. Mabel herself kind of reminded me of Iona Iverson from "Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting" by Clare Pooley; she's got that same dry, witty humor. You can tell she has a big heart, even if she tries to hide it with sarcasm. Every single character felt so real and memorable. And the ending? Oh my goodness! I literally gasped – I did not see that coming. Seriously, if you want a book that will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between, you absolutely need to read this one!

Expected publication date: April 21, 2026

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this wonderful book in exchange of my honest review.
#happilyaddictedtobooks #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #SallyHepworth #Mystery #Thriller

Sally Hepworth does it again with her latest book, Mad Mabel. I loved the dry humor in the book as well as getting to know Mabel. The book alternates between past and present timelines. I enjoyed the timelines of the past a bit more, but ultimately the entire story as a whole was excellent. The characters were all so entertaining, especially little Persephone, I especially loved the final chapter. The very last sentence of the book actually made me gasp in delight. Such a great book!

Thank you to the publisher and also NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced electronic copy.

Fantastic book! I love a good curmudgeon’s story and this one was one of the most intriguing and mysterious novels with surprises at every turn.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one and living alone in a small nosey neighborhood with only one friend, Daphne, that she has had since childhood, when a seven year old child starts invading her home. This sweet relationship between old and young begins to flourish as little Persephone needs a friend just like Elsie. When Elsie Mabel is discovered to be the infamous Mad Mabel, her childhood of murder and tragedy begins to unravel.

Sally Hepworth’s amazing imagination is shown in her storytelling again and I can’t wait to be able to discuss this book with other readers when it is published April 21, 2026.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #MadMabel #StMartinsPress @StMartinsPress

This novel is intriguing from the first paragraph and gets better from there. The narrator, Mabel, is quirky with a backstory that I couldn't wait to discover. Each character is the cast is well-developed and believable with struggles of their own. There were moments when reading when I simple thought: gosh, this is nice writing. It's one of those books that I reached the 98% point and kept putting off finishing it because I wanted to keep hanging out with everyone!

Wow. I’m not a big mystery book reader. I feel like I can see the ending so often or they are too slow. But this was great! So many twists and turns till the end! Definitely kept me engaged and was so hard to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 STARS !!!

this will be one of my top 3 favorite reads this year. maybe even #1. Mad Mabel is a mixture of comical encounters with her neighbors, suspenseful intrigue, twisty plots, and heartwarming story. it pulled at my heartstrings and left me in tears. i'm absolutely devastated that the story had to end. it had a cast of characters that were all lovable (some in their own way), and some that just filled you with rage.

Mabel Waller, or "Mad Mabel", was the youngest convicted unaliver in Australia's history. her story was widely known and made her notorious for all the wrong reasons. she was only 15, and for decades, people debated over the horrific things she'd done. now, going by the name Elsie Fitzgerald, she's 81 years old and thrust into the spotlight once again for her neighbor's suspicious death. a true crime YouTube duo helps to give her a chance to tell her side of the story. how things unfold is told in Elsie's POV from the past and present.

i can go on and on about all the things i love about this book, but i will simply say that the author crafted an amazing story that gripped me from the start and never lets go. Elsie's story was every way tragic, heartbreaking, and traumatic. Mabel was a girl who just wanted to be loved and seen for the right reasons. to see things reflected in contrast from the past into the present was beautifully and skillfully written. i cried for Mad Mabel, sobbed for Elsie, weeped for Daphne, then completely crumbled at the end. 💔😭

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! if there's any book that i've ever recommended that anyone should choose to read, may it be this one! of course give the other ones a chance after. 😅 but this will be a reread in the future for sure. maybe even a comfort read.

shout out to the author, Sally Hepworth, and publisher, St. Martin's Press, for allowing me the privilege of reading this book in advanced via NetGalley. i leave this review of my own volition. all thoughts and opinions are mine.

Sally Hepworth's newest novel, Mad Mabel, is very different from her other books but equally as wonderful. Mabel is an 81-year-old woman who is trying to live a quiet life in her suburban neighborhood. However, her entire life, bad things happen to people around her, incriminating Mabel. Is Mabel a kind human being or a sinister murderer?

Hepworth's development of Mabel's character is brilliant. You can't help but love Mad Mabel's quirkiness and interactions with the other characters. She is a character like no other and so different from Sally Hepworth's other novels. .

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this wonderful book!

Sally Hepworth has outdone herself with Mad Mabel—a darkly witty, compulsively readable novel that proves once again why she’s a master of character-driven suspense. Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, eighty-one years old and long dubbed the neighborhood curmudgeon, is one of the most unforgettable protagonists I’ve encountered in a long time. Equal parts prickly, vulnerable, and sharp as a tack, Elsie is the kind of character you can’t look away from—especially once her sinister past begins to surface.

The dual timelines, moving between Elsie’s shadowy past and her present on Kenny Lane, were perfectly balanced and kept me hooked. I loved how Hepworth played with the idea of innocence and guilt, weaving together the voices of “little girl” Mabel and “old lady” Mabel in ways that were both chilling and heartbreaking. The arrival of the curious young neighbor was the perfect catalyst to unravel Elsie’s carefully guarded secrets, and the tension ratcheted up beautifully as past and present collided.

What makes Mad Mabel so brilliant, though, is not just the mystery—it’s the humanity. Hepworth infuses the story with humor, charm, and compassion, reminding us that even the darkest characters are rarely just one thing. By the end, I found myself surprised not only by the twists but by how deeply I cared about Elsie and her search for redemption.

Clever, twisty, and unexpectedly moving, Mad Mabel is Sally Hepworth at her absolute best. Fans of The Good Sister and Darling Girls will devour this, and newcomers will quickly see why Hepworth is a go-to for smart, emotionally rich thrillers. This one is going to stick with me for a long time.

Book Review 📚
Title: Mad Mabel
Author: Sally Hepworth


I’m honestly a big fan of Sally’s books but this one was a miss for me. I found the story line to be okay but nothing that really pulled me in. This was different from her usual books so I think that’s why I had such a hard time with it. I went into thinking it would be like the others which is my fault. But this just wasn’t for me. If you like women’s fiction, I’d definitely recommend this book!

Thank you Sally Hepworth, NetGalley, and St.Martin’s Press for the ARC!!

Publication Date: April 21 2026
Rating: ✨✨

Hepworth has done it again! I loved Mabel, a vibrant character in her 80's. The characters are all complex and wonderful. I was much more invested in the characters than in the mystery itself . Was Mabel mad? You will have to read this to find out! Highly recommended.

I give this book 3.5 stars. It was very well written, but I struggled through the subject matter. It was funny at times, but also painfully sad. I felt like the book should be called Poor Mabel! I was totally into the book and read it all in two days because there was so much to uncover. I think most people will love this book, but I prefer happier stories.

5 stars. I don't give 5 stars too freely but this was sensational. Perhaps one of my favorite Sally novels to date. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, self-defined as athletic, strong, able bodied, sharp of mind and wit, has a best friend Daphne and likes her privacy, and oh by the way, is also 81 years old! For the past few decades, she has lived quite comfortably on Kenny Lane, a little street with few neighbors, who keep mostly to themselves. And Elsie likes it just like that even though her neighbor Ishaan and his obnoxiously yippy dog Nugget live beyond the fence that separates their little houses, and Joan across the way is always complaining about some idiotic infraction Elsie has supposedly done, reminding her that her nephew is a partner in a law firm, or Peter across the way who shops endlessly at Aldi and loves to announce his Aldi Finds to the neighborhood or the Nguyens whose wrath can be invoked if their parking spot is taken by a non-thinking visitor! And all of these idiosyncrasies can be tolerated until one little 7 year old Persephone moves in down the street along with her single mom Roxanne and upends Elsie's life, privacy and most of all.... heart!
Told in NOW and THEN alternating chapters, Elsie's story is laid out to the reader after Nugget's endless barking day and night finally leaves Elsie no choice but to investigate, especially when Ishaan's front porch is covered in packages and Persephone rings her bell and demands to know why. Using her 6ft able body, Elsie climbs their fence and discovers to her dismay, the man's dead body. After the police are called in, some suspicious evidence require Elsie to answer some questions down at the station and just like that, her past is suddenly all over the media. Who was Elsie Fitzpatrick before? She was Mad Mabel Waller, known as such because in her very young life, murders seemed to follow her where ever she went. Hidden for a long time under her new name, she lived her quiet life, but now, to get her side of things, a team of YouTube podcasters, cleverly named AdLib for Adeem and Libby, give Elsie a chance to tell her side of the story and put the rumors, speculations and otherwise made up nonsense to bed. And her story is heartbreaking.
The author has done such a brilliant job etching out a story of loneliness, bullying, isolation and parental absence. It tugs at the reader's heartstrings and it is easy to watch the build up of bitterness and anger as it brews within Mabel's young heart and world. Her desperate need for affection and attention, especially from a male, is so evident in some of her choices later on. But she always has Daphne who is her rock, who laughs with her, makes her feel wanted and cared about. Because this is what besties are there for! And it is later, that Elsie's closed off heart opens up as Persephone becomes her constant companion who is also in need of love, consistency and support. This little kid doesn't care if Elsa, as she likes to call her, is dismissive, curmudgeony or intolerant, she knows that this 81 year old lady, needs her as she needs Elsie. Their sweet relationship (think A Man Called Ove) is just what Elsie needs not realizing that loving this child has seeped into her soul, and she would do anything to protect her.
Hepworth brings a book filled with twists, turns and endless surprises and will 100% keep the reader turning pages and wanting more. It is a story filled with LOL moments and such deep sadness at the same time. The steady build up to the final moments of the story is so engaging and rich. A book club's dream story for discussion. Brava Ms. Hepworth for giving us Mad Mabel!

This is my fifth Hepworth book. I really enjoy her ability to explore character development, as demonstrated in The Good Sister. I was particularly pleased that Mad Mabel is fully character-driven and leans more towards a mystery than a thriller. Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, an 81-year-old sarcastic curmudgeon, resides in a quiet cul-de-sac in Melbourne.

She keeps a dark secret and pushes others away to prevent being pushed away herself. This leaves her feeling very lonely, a sensation she has experienced all her life. The book shifts between Elsie's childhood and her present-day life. We learn what horrible events have shaped her and watch her finally deal with those events and let others into her life.

I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who likes character-driven mystery thrillers. There are lots of found family elements in it too. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. Mad Mabel comes out in North America on April 21, 2026.

This is the first book I've read by Sally Hepworth and it definitely wont be the last. I loved Mabel, she is the person I hope to be in my 80's. She is spicy, and a little cantankerous but sharp and strong. I appreciate well developed characters, Mable and Persephone are brilliant, every character is complex, Daphne too, is wonderful. For a good part of the novel I thought the plot secondary. I was much more invested in the people than in the mystery. I wasn't sure if there was a mystery. Was Mabel mad? And yet, author did an incredible job pulling me in and surprising me with an amazing finish. This is another addition to my favorites list. Highly recommended.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early read of Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth.
I honestly don’t think my review can do this book justice, what an amazing 5-star read!
When I first started reading, I was a bit hesitant and ended up setting it aside for a few days. But after seeing so many readers raving about it, I picked it up again and I’m so glad I did. I did not want to stop reading!
So many emotions are stirred by Mad Mabel’s (or Elsie, as she goes by in the present) story and all the characters connected to her, both past and present. She’s a character you can’t help but fall in love with so real, so raw, so human. Her story brought tears to my eyes and stayed with me long after I finished the last page.
And can we talk about little Nugget? Absolutely adorable and lovable.
I’ll be recommending this book a hundred times over. Truly unforgettable.

Hepworth is usuaolly hit or miss for me, but this was pretty good! I was not expecting to like this book so much. Was worried this would be another really bad mystery book, instead it became quite a sweet book about an octogenarian finding reckoning with her past life.

I was not expecting to like this book so much. Was worried this would be another really bad mystery book, instead it became quite a sweet book about an octogenarian finding reckoning with her past life.
There are twists and turns you won't expect and Mabel has a heart of gold.

It was funny, brisk, and will be the talk of the publishing world once released in April 26'.

Sally Hepworth never disappoints! This book felt very A Man Called Ove - with a twist.

I found myself continually rooting for Mabel - regardless of all the accusations and stories surrounding her life.

This was not Hepworth's most mysterious but I was unable to predict the end throughout. A mystery - but not a true thriller.

At first I was skeptical if I was going to be able to complete the story. Very slow and steady in the beginning. Eventually, we had a snowball effect. One thing led to another and soon I was dying to finish the rest to find out what had happened back then and in the present.
I eventually fell in love with the characters and the neighborhood community. The twists and turns from many different themes kept my attention from the halfway point, onward.
Other than the little spelling errors (not many), I would say this was a very satisfying read and I will be officially adding Sally Hepworth to my backlist authors.