Mad Mabel, Sally Hepworth
Mad Mabel, Sally Hepworth
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

Mad Mabel
A Novel

Author: Sally Hepworth

Narrator: Hannah Fredericksen, Jenny Seedsman

Unabridged: 9 hr 21 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/21/2026


Synopsis

From Sally Hepworth, the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and The Good Sister, comes a twist-filled, darkly funny mystery about the two kinds of people no one ever expects to be murderers: little girls and old ladies.

Meet Mad Mabel.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She's lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years--longer than anyone else. Aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else's business, few would suspect that Elsie has a past that she has worked exceedingly hard at concealing. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies. And Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, once a little girl and now an old lady, has a strange history of people in her life coming to a foul end.

When a new little girl (talkative, curious, nosy) moves into the neighborhood and stops at nothing to befriend Elsie, her carefully-constructed life threatens to come crashing down as the secrets in Elsie's past start coming to light. Who was "Mad Mabel" fifty years ago? Who is Elsie Fitzpatrick today? And if the past has a habit of repeating itself, who has the most to lose?

Told with Sally Hepworth's twists, humor, charm, and heart, MAD MABEL is novel that weaves past and present together--through the power of justice and redemption, and all the way to its stunning conclusion.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

About Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Good Sister and The Soulmate. Drawing on the good, the bad and the downright odd of human behaviour, Sally writes incisively about family, relationships and identity. Her domestic thriller novels are laced with quirky humour, sass and a darkly charming tone. They are available worldwide in English and have been translated into twenty languages. Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her family and one adorable dog.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on January 30, 2026

Hepworth is, without question, my reigning Australian thriller queen (sorry, Liane Moriarty—Sally has absolutely earned this crown!). With her latest novel, she doesn’t just deliver another solid story—she delivers her masterpiece. From the moment I finished it, I wanted to stand on the rooftops and......more

Goodreads review by Holly on August 21, 2025

What a story! So happy I got to know Mabel! I'm not ever going to call her "Mad Mabel" either!! 💞 She is eighty-one and her real name is Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. She seems to be a sour, cranky and cantankerous lady. She also has a terrific, sarcastic sense of humor that had me rolling with laughter o......more

Goodreads review by Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) on August 30, 2025

*2026 Preview* Sometimes You Just Can’t Wait! “When it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies”-Unless, apparently, your name is Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. According to her “loving” father-she was responsible for the first death when she was just three years old. And, after a ser......more

Goodreads review by Rachel on September 08, 2025

Usually when I finish a book, I write my review right away. With this book, I’m glad I waited. I finished reading “Mad Mabel” last night, and at the conclusion I thought I would be giving this book four stars. However, throughout the day today, I’ve thought about Elsie (Mabel) and her young neighbor......more

Goodreads review by Debra on September 20, 2025

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......more


Quotes

"A must-purchase for most collections. Not only will Hepworth’s many fans be clamoring for this, but it’s sure to grow her reader base." --Library Journal, starred review

"Hepworth balances heartbreak with Elsie’s delicious snark and strong suspense, but readers will be hard-pressed to resist feeling something here as allies emerge to defeat Elsie’s resigned loneliness. Arguably Hepworth’s best, this is a must-read for fans of Helene Tursten’s Elderly Lady series and Christopher Bollen’s Havoc (2024). " --Booklist, starred review