Description:

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?

Adele’s Review:

Mad Mabel stands out from Sally Hepworth’s earlier novels, and this reviewer thoroughly enjoyed her latest story. The book’s style and offbeat characters are similar to a cozy mystery yet offer more substance. The novel is well-written, well-paced, and fun to read. I especially liked that central character, Elsie Fitzpatrick, keeps us guessing whether she’s the protagonist or antagonist of this murder mystery until the final pages. There are twists and turns that took me by surprise, no easy feat for this lifetime reader, and I absolutely loved the ending. A recommended read.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8250805256

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F5PCBV62