Release date: April 21, 2026
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
Genre: Mystery, General Fiction
Synopsis:
There are two kinds of people no one ever expects to be murderers: little girls and old ladies.
Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She’s lived on her idyllic street 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 she’s 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.
Review:
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth leans more layered mystery than outright thriller—but don’t let that fool you. It’s still deliciously tense, twisty, and packed with surprises that keep the pages turning. Hepworth masterfully weaves past and present timelines, allowing Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick’s history to unfold in pieces that feel both haunting and deeply intentional. As the story builds, the question isn’t just what happened—it’s who is Mabel, really?, and that slow unraveling is where the book truly shines.
What elevates this story is how unexpectedly tender and character driven it is. Mabel herself is an absolute standout: sharp, biting, and hilariously grumpy, with a brutally honest edge that makes her impossible to ignore. And yet beneath all that prickliness is something softer, more vulnerable, and surprisingly emotional. Watching those layers peel back, especially as her connection with Persephone, the curious and delightful little girl next door, grows, adds so much heart to the mystery. Their dynamic brings warmth and levity while also quietly raising the stakes.
This is one of those rare books that balances intrigue with genuine emotional depth. The merging timelines create a rich sense of history, giving weight to every revelation and making the twists land even harder. By the end, Mabel isn’t just unforgettable, she feels deeply human. Smart, complicated, a little messy, and wholly original, Mad Mabel is a special kind of story that lingers long after the final page.
Overall rating: 5/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
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