Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

 

From the publisher:

From Sally Hepworth, the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and The Good Sister, comes a twist-filled, darkly funny mystery about the 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?

Told with Sally Hepworth's twists, humor, charm, and heart, MAD MABEL is novel that weaves past and present together--through the power of justice and redemption, and all the way to its stunning conclusion.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth was published April 21, 2026 by St. Martin's Press.

My thoughts: Mabel is a very interesting character both in the past and the present. We get to read her creation story as well as what she has become. Her story has plenty of tragedy and death. But, there are lighter moments as well. This is less a mystery and more domestic suspense. I liked Mabel and Persephone. I thought Daphne was interesting as well. 

There are twists and turns that are revealed mostly through Mabel's interview and looking back at her life. There is tension about what she is revealing of her past as well as what's going on in her present.The plot moved along fast enough. Some things in the end were predictable while others were not.

I gave this book 5 stars. I enjoyed reading it. If you like domestic suspense with twists and some dark humor, then this could be a good book for you.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #609: Dead Lift by Clio Evans

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: Lights Out meets Butcher & Blackbird in Dead Lift, a serial killer romcom from beloved author Clio Evans.

Murdering a man isn't hard. Getting rid of the body, though? That’s another story.

Forensic scientist Shelby has a simple plan. Get justice for her sister, kill the men who murdered her, and (hopefully) get away with it. But when a hot himbo with a man bun catches Shelby in the act—her simple plan becomes a lot more complicated.

With her pink hazmat suit and butcher knife, Shelby is the most alluring woman Brad has ever met. He’s in danger, but he’s never felt more alive. He needs to be in her life, even if it means risking his.

Brad offers to be her henchman. Shelby grudgingly decides to spare his life. What could possibly go wrong?

It turns out everything.

Will Shelby finally get the justice she’s sacrificed her future for? Or will falling for her hot himbo henchman ruin it all?

Dead Lift by Clio Evans is expected out January 5, 2027 from Bramble.

Why am I waiting on this book? It's really an absurd way for a couple to meet. The pink hazmat suit is funny. It's going to entail a sizable amount of suspension of disbelief, but it's meant to be entertainment not a how to or how not to book. I want to know if she gets away with it and just what goes wrong. And while it comes out in January 2027, I expect it will find it's way into a few beach bags come summer.

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Pants on Fire by Alex A. King

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

 

Nat is a Chihuahua, though. She'll never let this go. She's Katie's ride-or-die, and right now she's in her Die! Die! Die! mode. At this rate, Tyler won't be there for his child's birth. Not if she doesn't keep Nat away from sharp things. And poisons. 

p. 12 Pants on Fire by Alex A. King

Pants on Fire was published May 9, 2025. I think it would make a great Beach Read. It's the 10th book in The Women of Greece series and can be read as a standalone.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #608: To All the Men I’ve Killed Before by Katy Brent

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

The brand-new novel from the bestselling author of How to Kill Men and Get Away With it. Available to pre-order now!

If a man hurt your best friend – like, really hurt her – what would you do?

Key his car? Or hunt him down and chop him into little pieces? Tough decision, I know.

I’ve tracked this lowlife to LA and brought my little sister Antoinette along for the ride. I'm trying not to be irritated that she's found a taste for murder and is leaving body parts all over our hotel. Because this girls’ trip needs a Hollywood ending.

And of all the men I've killed before, this one will be the sweetest…

To All the Men I've Killed Before by Katy Brent is expected out August 25, 2026 from HQ Digital.

Why am I waiting on this book? It sounds outrageous and like it will be a lot of fun to read. I suspect the urge to commit bodily harm on someone who really hurt your best friend has passed through more than a few minds.

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Rich Girl by Julie Mulhern

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

 

"Steam exited Frances's ears, swirling around her perfectly coiffed head until it formed demon horns.

The angel on my right shoulder feared for the officer's well-being. The demon on my left rubbed its hands together in anticipatory glee."

p.7 Rich Girl by Julie Mulhern

Rich Girl was published March 10, 2026 by J & M Press.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #607: The Demon Overlord's Retirement Plan by M.H. Foster

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: The Demon Overlord retires to farm turnips in peace, only to find life in a small village far more chaotic than he ever could have anticipated in this laugh-out-loud debut cozy fantasy with teeth. Includes an exclusive bonus adventure coming 8/25/26! 

When destroying the world and killing the hero grows boring, what's a Demon Overlord to do but quit while he's ahead?

Galornus Prime was the Scourge of Nations, Ender of Hope, and Master of the Cardinal Sins. He had done everything worth doing. Some of it more than once.

His retirement plan was simple: get a goat, farm quietly, and avoid accidentally conquering anything. The plan didn't include soul-crushing town halls, after-school combat lessons with children, and a war with perhaps his most worthy nemesis yet: the rose-growing, seventy-three year-old widow next door. 

Even in retirement, evil never sleeps...but it does plant turnips.

When corrupt officials and greedy merchants threaten his infuriatingly loveable neighbors, Galornus faces a new kind of challenge: saving the village without revealing he is the monster parents invoke to make children eat their vegetables.

The Demon Overlord’s Retirement Plan is a cozy fantasy with teeth, where the hardest battle isn’t defeating heroes—it’s staying retired and learning how to live after 444 lifetimes of villainy.

The Demon Overlord's Retirement Plan by M.H. Foster is expected out August 25, 2026 from Grand Central Publishing.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like the premise. What happens to evil when it decides enough is enough? Can it peacefully retire to a small, obscure village? My favorite line from the synopsis though is: "Even in retirement, evil never sleeps... but it does plant turnips." It sounds like it will be an interesting and fun read.

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Errands and Espionage by Sam Tschida

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

There was something so comforting about a pancake--perfectly round and tan as a buckskin pony. Wanting kids as an adult was a lot like wanting a pony as a child--you couldn't know how much work they'd be until you got them home.

Errands and Espionage by Sam Tschida

This book was published August 6, 2024 by Forever. If you have Kindle Unlimited, it is currently a reading choice there.

And if you enjoy this book, you will most likely also enjoy the Poppy Fields' Adventures series by Julie Mulhern. Book one is Fields' Guide to Abduction.