Book review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Genre: Mystery

Release date: April 21, 2026

Goodreads rating: 4.39

My rating: 4

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There are two kinds of people no one ever expects to be murderers: little girls and old ladies…

I was drawn to this book because I read Too Old for This last year and loved it. I went into Mad Mabel expecting a similar story but in fact, Mad Mabel is quite different… but equally captivating!

The story follows Mabel, a woman in her early eighties who was once known as the youngest convicted murderer in Australia. Through a series of interviews with two YouTubers, she slowly shares her story. The events that shaped her life are revealed.

I loved Mabel as a character. She’s sharp, sarcastic, and unapologetically grumpy but somehow still easy to love. I often found myself laughing at her quick-witted sarcastic comments, which I didn’t expect. I also grew quite fond of Persephone, the young intrusive neighbour.

Throughout the book, I kept asking myself: is Mabel actually ‘mad’ or is that just a label that the world gave her? The book plays with that uncertainty in a subtle way and as I got closer to the ending of the book, I thought I had guessed the ending… but was wrong.  

There is a strong thread about community (or lack thereof) and how that absence or presence can shape a person’s life in sometimes permanent ways. Some moments in the story felt genuinely heartwarming, while others hit hard.

I quite enjoyed this story! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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