Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth is a unique and thought-provoking book, a very character-driven work of crime fiction. Will you love this unique book? Let’s discuss it! Include Jen’s Quick Take, Spoilers, and Your Questions Answered!
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
Table of Contents
Jen’s Quick Take on Mad Mabel
- Mad Mabel is character-driven crime fiction. If you liked books like Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent or I’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig, I think this book will be right up your reading alley.
- In the book, Australia’s youngest murderer is now in her eighties. Now a recluse, she decides to share her story.
- Mad Mabel is gently comic at times, but also very moving.
- It is NOT fast-paced but I did find it suspenseful. You won’t get the details on Mabel’s crimes until the end.
- It’s quite different than the Sally Hepworth books I have read, which included The Younger Wife, The Soulmate, and The Darling Girls.
- Publication date: April 21, 2026. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the advance copy!
My Longer Thoughts on Mad Mabel
In the present, Mad Mabel takes place in a clusters of Melbourne terrace homes on Kenny Lane. Mabel knows all her five neighbors and has opinions on ALL of them. Her closest companion is her lifelong “bosom friend” Daphne, and she compares their relationship to that of Anne and Diana in Anne of Green Gables.
We then learn about Mabel’s lavish childhood, and her loneliness at school. She’s the fabled “poor little rich girl.”
When one of the residents of Kenny Lane dies, Mabel’s criminal past is exposed and she decided she might as well tell her side of the story.
It takes a while to get there, but it’s Mabel’s story is a fascinating journey and worth the wait.
Spoilers and Questions About the Book
SPOILERS BELOW!! BEWARE!!
Whom did Mabel kill and why?
Mabel discovered Aunt Cecily (“Cess”) dead on the floor. Her father said “you did it, Mad Mabel,” meaning that he was going to frame her for the crime. She then beat him to death with an umbrella. But Mabel insists that her father killed them all: her mother, who was driven to suicide by her father’s cheating, Vanessa (“Ness,” Cecily’s lover) and himself.
Was Mabel found guilty of killing Cess and her father?
Sort of. Because her “witness” Daphne didn’t actually exist, Mabel was found guilty but sentenced to five years in a psychiatric hospital with a diagnosis of multiple personality disorder.
What? Daphne is imaginary?
Yes, and no. There was a real girl named Daphne in Mabel’s kindergarten class who did move to England. But she never came back. Mabel fantasized that she returned to Australia when they were fourteen and she was Mabel’s imaginary friend after that.
What? Mabel has a child?
Yes, she gave birth to a baby in the psychiatric hospital. Her son is Pete the Greek, her neighbor. Ness, Aunt Cess’s lover, adopted Mabel’s baby.
Who was Pete’s father?
Two (Greek) candidates:
- Mr. Loukas. I think they definitely had a physical relationship (but I may be the only one). Until his fiancee finds out and murders him.
- The other possibility is Christos. What do you think?
- Everyone in comments disagrees with me,. EVEN MY OWN FAMILY disagrees with me. But I am sticking to my theory. I think part of Mabel’s trauma was that she was groomed and abused, and a lonely, friendless child is a perfect target for that. It’s horrible, and I’m not sorry Loukas is dead, but I think that’s what happened.
Why is Mabel wearing socks just like her father’s?
I am not sure. If you have theories, please put them in comments! Edited: oooh, love the theories!
What happens to Mabel in the end?
Shane, Roxanne’s ex-boyfriend, shows up and points a gun at Persephone’s head. Mabel pushes Persephone to safety and is shot. I was so sad about this, but sometimes a sad ending is the right ending. If that makes sense!
I definitely think Peter’s father is Christos because she mentioned his “Greek hair” when he was younger.
Also, her father’s socks…she mentions in the beginning of the book that it was the only thing she liked about him besides his hair. I think it was a nod to the fact that she doesnt regret killing her father.
Oooh interesting sock theory! And thanks for weighing in on Peter’s dad. I hope you liked the book as much as I did!
Just finished the book and came here to see what people thought of the socks and the father.
I agree with Christos as the father because of the Greek hair comment. His mom speaks Greek and mentioned a few times them being outsiders from Greece. And it seems like she didn’t get that far with the teacher (thank goodness).
Love your theory on the socks!
I think the dad is definitely the teacher though breaks my heart. Loukas is Greek name too….wonder if Christos is even real?
Ugh, yes, I feel like it has to be him even though that’s just horrible. And I didn’t think that Christos might be imaginary. Interesting theory!
I did question if Christos was imaginary too! The comment about his Greek hair makes me think it was Christos but I never saw anything that indicated that they had a love affair except that he was her defender! The teacher was Greek as well and hopefully he did not take advantage of her like that but it makes you wonder why she wanted to see him so badly at his house! I originally thought that is was his!
I hadn’t even thought that Christos might be imaginary, but it really makes sense.
I thought Cess was her aunt and Ness her lover? Not the other way around. Do we think someone unlocked the door and let Kitty outside to get polio from Mabel?
Oh, no!! I am notorious for getting characters names mixed up. Yes, Cecily is the aunt and Vanessa the lover. Thanks for letting me know and I’m going to fix it!
And whoa I hadn’t even thought of that possibility. You might be right!! What are your theories on Pete’s father? There must be one person who agrees with me (but it’s ok if you don’t 🙂 )
My first thought was Mr. Loukas was Peter’s father because that is how Mabel’s life would go! But hoping it was Christos 🤔
Exactly!
The author wrote a few times that the door was locked and they never clarified if someone actually unlocked it and let her out?
Sorry, I didn’t give my opinion about the door:
Mabel seems to feel that her father was responsible for her sister’s death (“My father killed them all. Indirectly, perhaps, but he still did it.”) Her father told Mabel’s mother that he thought Mabel unlocked it, and then in chapter 20 when Mabel asked her father if he did it, she says he “smiled slightly.”
I definitely think it was him. But what I love about this book is that a lot is debatable!
I think Cristo was a nice kind boy and not the father. I think her father is the father and Mabel can’t face that, so she believes in one way or another that Cristo is the father.
Someone else in comments agrees with you! That had not even occurred to me as an option, so thanks for mentioning that theory!
I think the baby’s father was her own father and she has blocked that from her mind. She never mentions the father. I think Cristo was a nice boy who was friendly to her.
That had not even occurred to me as a third option, but he was a pretty terrible person!
I just finished Mad Mabel, and wow! As to the main question, I think the author purposely chose two Greek sounding names to keep us guessing on whether it was Christos or Mr. Loukas – she could have picked any names in the world is my thought. Also, just in case useful for the summary, it wasn’t Loukas’s wife who killed him, it was his fiancee. That’s the only part of the story I had to suspend disbelief about, as in, would she have really come forward that she did it when she had a perfect scapegoat? Otherwise, this book had a LOT of suspense for me, and I thought very well-crafted with so much heart and soul. The audiobook was really well done with two readers, one old Mabel; one young. While I did guess the one twist – there were a couple of hints, to my ears – the others were huge surprises!
Ooh, thanks for the correction; I will fix it! That’s a good point that maybe the author wanted us to be unsure about the baby’s father. I always assume I missed something!
Loved this book and I love finding out that there were two Mabel narrators!
The principal seemed to interrupt before they went too far. Also, Mabel seems to indicate this would be the first time they had sex – she described feeling panic and resignation because she had entered the shed.
Here is a quote from a time she is with Christos. “I lay down. He did too.” I think Christos is the father. Elsie is always fondly thinking about Peter being Greek. I don’t think she would have been as thrilled if Mr.Louise was the father.
I figured out very early on that Daphne was imaginary. But I loved the characters enough that it didn’t bother me.
I think her father unlocked the door and let Kitty out! (Remember how he purposely did not catch Amelia when she was jumping from the tree?) I believe he was so.hateful to Mabel NOT because he had loved Kitty but because he was a hateful monster.
Thanks for weighing in – I always want to know what you think. You have me 80% convinced about Pete’s father. Did you like the book?
Yes, I really did. I loved Elsie.
I’m going to try Strange Sally Diamond next based on your recommendation. 🙂
I think it’s an interesting companion read to this one. Look forward to hearing what you think!
I was trying to figure out where I should have figured this out about Daphne. Where did you figure it out?