Mad Mabel: A Novel by Sally Hepworth

No One Suspects Little Girls… or Old Ladies.

In Mad Mabel: A Novel, New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth (The Soulmate, The Good Sister) delivers her most twisty, darkly funny, and unforgettable domestic thriller yet.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She’s lived on the same idyllic Melbourne street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years — longer than anyone else. She’s gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent, and always ready with a cutting remark and a cup of tea. To her neighbors, she’s harmless.

But Elsie has a secret.

When she was just a little girl, Elsie became Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. Now, decades later, her carefully constructed life is about to unravel. A nosy new neighbor and her talkative seven-year-old daughter, Persephone, worm their way into Elsie’s world. Then a body turns up — and the whispers start.

As the past and present collide in this razor-sharp, dual-timeline story, readers discover the shocking truth about the people who “came to a foul end” around Elsie… and why she might not be done breaking the rules just yet.

Equal parts suspenseful, hilarious, and deeply moving, Mad Mabel is a brilliant exploration of justice, redemption, friendship, and the surprising bonds that form between the most unlikely people.