Books/Series
Mad Mabel
Flesh and Fire series
Flesh and Fire series

Mad Mabel

Mad Mabel
Mad Mabel
By:
Sally Hepworth
  • Spice Scale
  • Number of books

    1 Published

  • KU

    ❌

  • Audiobook

    ✅

  • Series Status

    Complete

  • Interconnected

    N/A

  • Overall Rating

    Coming Soon

WINNER - 2026 ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
WINNER - 2026 ABIA AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR
WINNER - KERRY GREENWOOD READERS' CHOICE, 2026 DAVITT AWARDS
WINNER - 2026 NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST CRIME FICTION
SHORTLISTED - 2026 DANGER AWARD FOR BEST CRIME FICTION

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and Darling Girls comes the story of Mad Mabel. They called it murder. She called it justice.

In 1959, at just fifteen years of age, Mabel Waller became the youngest Australian in history to be convicted of murder.

In 2025, on a quiet Melbourne lane, an elderly man is found dead by his neighbour, 81-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick. No one suspects any foul play.

Until they discover Elsie's past.

In the 1950s, her name was not Elsie. It was Mabel.

She is known around the world as Mad Mabel. But is she mad? More importantly, is she guilty?

When the police open a new investigation and the media descend upon her, the elderly Mabel decides it's time to set the record straight.

In a world first, at the age of 81, Mabel Waller is speaking.

New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth is at her finest in this twisty, compulsive thriller of friendship, family and murder. Or is it justice . . . ?

Praise for Sally Hepworth:

'She is one of my favourite Australian writers' - Liane Moriarty

'Sally Hepworth is a born storyteller' - Trent Dalton

'The queen of suburban noir' - Sunday Telegraph

Jamie’s review

Uggggghhhhhhh 😭😭😭 Reminded me in several ways of The Correspondent (another 5 ⭐️ read). I laughed. I gasped. I cried. I never cry. It's bittersweet tears. I just really came to love Mabel.

Mabel is 81 and when she was 15, she became the youngest convicted murderer in Australian history.

I normally hate time jumping, I get disoriented going back and forth. But it's done really well in Mad Mabel. You stay in each timeframe long enough to get your bearings.

I partially guessed one of the twists 🙌 but there were a few others I did not see coming. And the way it all unfolds, it's done so well. I love them all: Mabel, Cess, Ness, Daphne, and especially Persephone and Nugget, the yapping dog 🐶

Uggggghhhhhhh 😭😭😭 Reminded me in several ways of The Correspondent (another 5 ⭐️ read). I laughed. I gasped. I cried. I never cry. It's bittersweet tears. I just really came to love Mabel.

Mabel is 81 and when she was 15, she became the youngest convicted murderer in Australian history.

I normally hate time jumping, I get disoriented going back and forth. But it's done really well in Mad Mabel. You stay in each timeframe long enough to get your bearings.

I partially guessed one of the twists 🙌 but there were a few others I did not see coming. And the way it all unfolds, it's done so well. I love them all: Mabel, Cess, Ness, Daphne, and especially Persephone and Nugget, the yapping dog 🐶

Erica’s review

Erica hasn’t read this yet, it’s on her never ending TBR

Books in this series

  • Book 1

    of

    1

    A Shadow in the Ember
    Mad Mabel

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© 2025 Basic Bookish

© 2025 Basic Bookish