ALC Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
Mad Mabel
Author: Sally Hepworth
Narrators:
Hannah Frederickson
Jenny Seedsman
To Be Published: April 21, 2026
Audiobook: 9 hours 20 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: March 1-6, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: eighty-one years old, gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent, and never without a hot cup of tea—or a cutting remark. She minds her own business in her quiet Melbourne suburb, until a neighbor turns up dead and the whispers start flying.
Because Elsie hasn’t always been Elsie. Once upon a headline, she was Mad Mabel Waller—Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. But was she really mad, or just misunderstood? Either way, she’s kept her secret buried for decades.
Enter seven-year-old Persephone, a relentless little chatterbox who has just moved in across the road (armed with stickers, questions, and no sense of personal boundaries); Joan, who appears to have it in for Elsie; and a healthy dose of public interest—the cops are sniffing around, and the media is circling like seagulls at a picnic.
So Mabel does what she’s always done best—she takes matters into her own hands.
Is she a cantankerous old lady with a shady past? A cold-blooded killer with arthritis? Or just someone who’s finally ready to tell her side of the story?
Sharp, surprising, and wickedly funny, this is the unforgettable story of a woman who’s spent a lifetime being underestimated—and is about to prove everyone wrong. Again.
Jessica’s Review:
Meet Elsie “Mad Mabel” Fitzpatrick: The youngest girl to be found guilty of murder in Australia. She a rude, crotchety, old ‘Karen” at 81 years old. She has been living a quiet and ‘normal’ life until she discovers her nemesis neighbor dead. Suddenly she becomes the center of attention of… Well… Everyone because of who she was. She is all over the news and all she wants is to be left alone.
We have two time periods with Mabel telling us her story in the past and present. The narrators are superb! I adored Jenny Seedsman as present Mabel. She was perfection and her narration really brought Mabel to life! Hannah Frederickson was also wonderful, but Seedsman made the audiobook for me! I am #TeamMabel and enjoy every second, she is so gruff and honest. And just when you think you have Mabel figured out the reader meets young Persephone. I just loved their relationship! You just never know who you may gain as a friend.
Just when you think you have the story and its direction figured out, Hepworth surprises us by bringing everything full circle in a shocking and unexpected way.
Many thanks to the publishers for granting me an arc and alc. I enjoyed this one and almost always enjoy a Hepworth novel! Be sure to read this one come April 21!
Pre-Order Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK (Mad Mabel will be released in the UK on July 9, 2026)
Audiobook Review: The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
The Soulmate
Author: Sally Hepworth
Narrators:
Barrie Kreinik
Jessica Douglas-Henry
To Be Published: April 4, 2023
Audiobook: 7 hours 44 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: March 20-23, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.
When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral…Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?
And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate…lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.
Jessica’s Review:
Secrets and lies is what most of this book is about! It is also a book dealing with mental health and family drama. It is seemingly being advertised as a thriller, but it is not, and I mostly enjoyed it throughout. From the book description sounding intriguing and having read several of Hepworth’s previous novels, I was ready for this one.
We have Pippa and Gabe who recently moved to this cottage on the extreme edge of a cliff with their young daughters. They are in for more than they bargained for since people seem to like to commit suicide on this cliff! Gabe has a knack of talking potential jumpers out of what they are doing until one lady shows up and jumps. Later on Pippa finds out that Gabe knew the woman who jumped and many questions start to come to mind.
We have both Pippa and Amanda as our narrators. Amanda’s narrations take place before and after her jump. Through both narrators the reader/listener find out all kinds of connections that come to a head. Some are unexpected: but remember its all about secrets and lies!
Part of the climax really wasn’t, it was more of a letdown. Ultimate motives really did not work for me. But the ending was ultimately satisfying as everything came together despite everything that occurred.
I did have some issues with the narrators. Their voices seemed so similar for me that it was hard to distinguish between Pippa and Amanda at times. For this particular book, I would say read it. I think I would have enjoyed it more that way.
So far this is the weakest novel by Hepworth for me, but she is still enjoyable and I look forward to reading more by her!
Many thanks to the publisher Macmillian Audio for granting me an audio arc to listen to and review.
Pre-order Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Short Story Sunday: Uncharted Waters by Sally Hepworth
Uncharted Waters
Series: Getaway #1
Author: Sally Hepworth
Narrator: Candice Moll
Published: August 31, 2022
Audiobook: 1 hour 44 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Listened To: October 21, 2022
Jessica’s Rating: 1 star
Book Description:
“Speak your truth.” An icebreaker leads to unintended consequences for two strangers aboard a luxury yacht in this seductively twisty short story by the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister.
When Ella boards a sumptuous charter off the coast of Australia, she feels…dread. Her husband, Mac, the social butterfly who makes these wellness retreats so much easier to navigate, is stuck at work, leaving her exposed to the other passengers. Luckily, she forms an instant bond with the charismatic Chloe, a newly single woman salving a broken heart. But as the friendship grows, Ella discovers they share more than the need for an escape, and their devastating connection has the power to forever alter their lives.
Uncharted Waters by Sally Hepworth is part of Getaway, a collection of six stories about dream escapes that take unimaginable, even sinister, turns. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single sitting.
Jessica’s Review:
I wasn’t prepared for the direction this short story went in. It was unpleasant in several areas for me. The only reason I continued it was that I would not have been able to get something else in during my commute, and I really regret it. This short story is not typical of Hepworth’s novels that I have read and enjoyed in the past. It is described as a thriller but it is not: It is all about cheating on the part of both spouses. We have a FF (female/female) affair story here. This short story was not for me at all and if this had been my first experience with Hepworth I would not continue her full length novels. She was the whole reason I went for this short story in the series first and was very disappointed.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK