Editorial note: I received a copy of Mad Mabel in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth is an addictive and emotional read about a woman full of many secrets.
Sally Hepworth is an extremely popular author. I quite liked her books, The Good Sister and The Mother-in-Law, but I haven’t read one of her stories in a while. However, when I read the premise for Mad Mabel, I knew I needed to move this one to the top of the list.
It features such a unique premise: an 81-year-old woman named Elise, who was convicted of murder as a child, is living quietly in a typical suburban neighborhood. But when her neighbor is found dead, fingers point to Elise.
This engaging and intriguing premise inspired me to select this novel as one of the must-read book club picks of 2026. And it more than deserves its place on that list. Mad Mabel is fantastic. It’s truly unlike anything I’ve read, and I did not want to put it down. I actually read it way too late at night, which is always a sign of a good novel.
What’s the Story About
So yes, Elise is Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. She is known as Mad Mabel.
But when we meet Elise as an 81-year-old, she’s rather quiet, grumpy, and minds her own business. Her neighbor, a seven-year-old named Persephone, instantly decides she wants to be best friends with Elsie, much to Elsie’s disdain (well, or maybe not).
However, when Elise’s neighbor is found dead, and people learn that Mad Mabel is his next-door neighbor, the police and neighborhood begin to suspect Elise’s involvement.
But is she really a cold-blooded killer? Or is she misunderstood?
Elise’s Story
It’s definitely important to go into the book spoiler-free. So, as always, I won’t go into spoilers. But I can tell you more about what appealed to me about the story, and you can decide if it’s the right pick for you.
This story is framed as a domestic thriller. There are certainly suspenseful elements; you really don’t know what’s true and what really happened with Elise as a child, until, of course, you get to the reveals.
But this is also very much a character study.
The author Sally Hepworth truly dives into Elise, and we understand why she is the way she is, but also how people can be misunderstood and underestimated. I truly felt we got the full picture of Elise, and she felt so vivid and real.
The story jumps back and forth from the past when she was a child in the ’40s and ’50s to the present day when Elise is an 81-year-old adult. Switching off between the past and the present helps lay the foundation for the story, and also keeps the suspense going.
Justice
This is a story that will keep you guessing, and you might also figure out where it’s going, which is part of the fun, too. But something to note, Mad Mabel does cover heavy topics, and there are extremely serious developments that happen. So it’s not a light read.
However, at the same time, 81-year-old Elise is pretty funny. Her observations about neighbors and more, including her reaction to Persephone’s fondness for her is really entertaining. I think my favorite scenes were between Elise and Persephone.
Still, there is a lot of cruelty displayed in Elise’s story, especially as she is a child.
Verdict
Mad Mabel is a great book club pick. There’s so much to discuss and analyze, I think book clubs really will enjoy this one.
I love the originality of this story; it was refreshing to read something completely different. Elise’s journey was fascinating, and the story features some heartwarming elements, but of course, a lot of tragedy too.
Solid one all around.
For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
