Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Today, for my 13^th Epilogue, I’m highlighting my top, most favorite book that I read in May 2026. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth is absolutely a ‘must read’ and here are my reasons why.

Set in Melbourne, Australia, this story explores gossip, community, and the ways neighbors look out for one another. The residents of Kenny Lane are drawn into a death investigation involving one of their own, and at the center is Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. As the case unfolds, so do the secrets she has fought to keep hidden for decades. Will those secrets stay buried, or will the community discover why she is known as Mad Mabel—and how she became Australia’s youngest convicted murderer?

The book is a fast-paced read, it gives us just enough mystery, both present day and that of the buried past of our main character. It offers a dual-time period between present day on Kenny Lane where Elsie is navigating through the mysterious death investigation of her neighbor and back to her life as a young girl living at her family’s estate at Rose Hill. The dual story lines kept me engaged and it is Elsie’s past that gives us context to why she, Mad Mabel. Her past greatly impacted her and as a result, relationships are often a struggle. She’s been deceived and left to fend for herself so it’s really no wonder why she has a tough time trusting others and finding people to rally behind her.

Elsie’s childhood was anything but normal. She was often lonely because her parents were poor caregivers—her father was controlling, cold, and absent, while her mother was on the verge of alcoholism. As a child, Elsie contracted polio and was later blamed for the death of her younger sister, Kitty. The grief and depression that followed Kitty’s death fractured the family bonds that should have offered comfort and support. With blame placed squarely on her, Elsie found kindness in only three people: her best friend Daphne, her Aunt Cecily (“Cess”), and Cess’ friend Vanessa (“Ness”). That lifelong grief, loss, and isolation left Elsie guarded and cautious. You can still see that wariness in her life on Kenny Lane, where she keeps to herself and struggles to form lasting relationships beyond Daphne.

After her neighbor—also her longtime nemesis—is found dead, Elsie’s identity as “Mad Mabel” begins to overshadow everything. She is forced to confront her past from every angle: at the center of a murder investigation, under the weight of neighborhood whispers, and in the glare of news headlines. To move forward, Elsie must reckon with the assumptions and bias that have followed her for years.

As Elsie’s best friend helps her navigate the investigation, Elsie begins to realize she may not be as alone on Kenny Lane as she once believed. Support comes from unexpected places, and she slowly forms friendships with several neighbors. Above all, Elsie—“Mad Mabel”—stands out as one of my favorite characters of the year. She is perfectly imperfect, and I loved watching her grow. She is grumpy, blunt, and ornery—an eighty-something woman constantly bothered by her much younger, spirited, and sometimes overly inquisitive neighbor, Persephone. Persephone, the young daughter of Elsie’s single-mother neighbor Roxanne, is lonely too and longs for attention, companionship, and friendship. Despite Elsie’s initial reluctance, she becomes a grandmother figure to Persephone, and watching their bond develop was a joy. In many ways, Persephone keeps Elsie young, drawing out a playful, almost childlike side of her. I loved seeing Elsie’s hard exterior soften as kindness, joy, and love began to shine through—perhaps more than at any time since her relationship with Aunt Cess. Because Elsie is so guarded, she seems surprised by how deeply she begins to care for others. I especially enjoyed watching her connections grow, not only with Persephone but with other neighbors as well.

The book explores several themes, but its strongest message is the power of public opinion and perception. When misunderstandings take hold, rumors and deception can obscure the truth and cause lasting harm. For me, the story highlights the tension between truth and rumor, the struggle to overcome grief and loneliness, and the resilience found in friendship, love, and rising above preconceived judgments.

As a mother, I often tell my daughters that words matter. In a world where spoken and written words can become permanent records, whether published or posted on social media, they can cause lasting harm. Elsie experiences that harm firsthand in her own life. One quote that especially resonated with me from the book was:

“Because a few choice victims know, the only thing worse than bullying itself is the shame of speaking it aloud”.

I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’ll leave it at this: go read this book! I gave it 5 stars because I couldn’t put it down, and I loved learning more about Mad Mabel. At the time of writing my review, Mad Mabel had a 4.37 rating on Goodreads with more than 83,775 ratings. It also won the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards for Audiobook of the Year and General Fiction Book of the Year.

Check out Sally Hepworth at: https://www.sallyhepworthauthor.com/ . Her other published works include Darling Girls and The Soulmate.