Mad Mabel: A Novel
Not yet published: Expected Apr 21, 2026

There are 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.
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Community Reviews
Sally Hepworth has done it again with Mad Mabel—a twisty, clever thriller that surprises at every turn. What I didn’t expect was how often I’d laugh out loud. Amidst the suspense and secrets, Hepworth threads in sharp humor and wit, making this story stand out in the genre.
It’s dark in the best way—full of tension and mystery—but also layered with warmth and humanity, with moments that catch you off guard in the most delightful way. That balance kept me hooked, flipping pages quickly to see how it all unraveled.
A smart, suspenseful, and wildly entertaining ride.
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