Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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Mad Mabel  by Sally Hepworth  is a domestic thriller about the youngest person convicted of murder in Australia, Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. Now 81 years old, Elsie is living on Kenny Lane and has been for the past sixty years. When a mother named Roxanne moves into Mabel's neighborhood with her seven year old daughter, an unlikely friendship forms between Elsie and the seven year old child named Persephone. As Elsie's secrets come to light, her world comes crashing down.  Having read quite a few novels by Sally Hepworth, I requested an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Mad Mabel  without reading the synopsis of the story. I was thrilled when NetGalley and St. Martin's Press approved my request. The expected publication date of the book is April 21, 2026. Not knowing anything about the storyline before I started reading Mad Mabel  made the story much more interesting to me as I had no preconceived ideas. The tale was told from Mabel's perspective in alternating timeli...
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Book Review: The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

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book review the mother in law sally hepworth
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth opens with Lucy finding out that her mother-in-law, Diana, has died. Narrated from varying characters perspectives, the story alternates between the present and the past and weaves a twisted story between Lucy, Diana, and the rest of the family.

I didn't know what to expect because I chose to read The Mother-in-Law based on all the rave reviews I heard about it, and I wasn't sure what was going to play out. But, wow . . . this book was AMAZING! 
 
Twists and turns, oh my! There were so many that I was kept guessing throughout the entire book, and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. And, I loved the fact that the author kept me guessing as to who the killer was because red herring after red herring kept materializing.

The character development and backstories were spectacular. By the end of the book, we really got to see what made Diana tick and made her who she was. Once you know her backstory, Diana actually becomes a likable character, and it made me sad that she ended up dying the way she did. Other characters that I liked at the beginning, I ended up despising by the end of the story. I won't say more than that as it could possibly be a spoiler.

It was written a bit differently from most of the mystery, suspense, and thriller novels I typically read, but it was exceptionally well written and held my interest throughout. The Mother-in-Law was the first novel I read by Sally Hepworth, but it definitely will not be my last. I gave it five out five stars. If you enjoyed The Mother-in-Law, then I recommend Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger.


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