Eighty-one-year-old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick has lived on her quiet street for sixty years and knows absolutely everything about her neighbors. Known as a meddling curmudgeon, she’s also hiding a past she’s worked very hard to burybecause throughout her life, people around Elsie have had a strange habit of turning up dead. After all, no one ever suspects little girls… or old ladies.
Sally does it again! I absolutely loved Mad Mabel. I’m already a little sad that I finished it because I’m genuinely missing Mabel. This one felt different from Hepworth’s other books. Yes, technically it’s a murdery book (Mabel is, objectively, a murderer… obviously), but somehow it’s also incredibly warm and heartfelt. I loved Mabel, I loved her neighbors, I loved the way the whole community slowly came together, and Persophena completely stole my heart. Honestly, I just have a soft spot for grouchy seniors with big hearts, and Mabel fits that category perfectly.
At this point, Hepworth is without question my reigning Australian thriller favorites. With this novel she doesn’t just deliver another strong story; she delivers what might honestly be my favorite of hers. It has everything I love about her writing: a perfectly balanced mystery that slowly teases out its secrets, twists that keep the questions piling up, and characters that feel deeply real. Beneath the suspense is a story about friendship, honesty, resilience, and the quiet power of a neighborhood community that holds each other up, even when secrets threaten to tear everything apart.
My one small hiccup: I actually tried starting this on audiobook first and just couldn’t quite jive with the narration, so I switched to reading it instead. I’m a little picky about narrators, and while I can usually breeze through mysteries on audio, this one just worked better for me in print.
Overall, I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a great mystery with strong character development. It’s surprisingly uplifting for a thriller, incredibly bingeable, and full of heart. If you enjoy suspense with memorable characters and a story that leaves you feeling something long after the last page, Mad Mabel is absolutely worth picking up.
AMAZON | GOODREADS |★★★★★
Mad Mabel comes out April 21, 2026! Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books
