The Book of Mabel by Sally Hepworth is a witty and twisty mystery about justice, redemption, secrets, and a woman determined to control her own story. At the center is Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, an eighty-one-year-old woman who is fiercely independent, sharp-tongued, and perfectly comfortable keeping to herself.
Elsie’s quiet life in a Melbourne suburb is disrupted when a neighbor is found dead and suspicion begins to spread. The situation becomes even more complicated when her long-hidden past comes to light. Decades earlier, Elsie was known as Mad Mabel Waller, Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. She has spent years keeping that chapter of her life private, but the arrival of the police and media threatens to expose everything.
As questions about her past resurface, Elsie finds herself drawn into an unexpected friendship with Persephone, a curious and outspoken seven-year-old girl who has recently moved across the street. Meanwhile, Joan appears determined to cause trouble, adding another layer of tension to Elsie’s increasingly complicated life.
Rather than sit back and let others decide who she is, Elsie takes matters into her own hands. As the truth surrounding her past and the recent death begins to unfold, readers are left to question whether she is a misunderstood woman, a dangerous criminal, or something much more complicated.
Sharp, humorous, and full of surprises, The Book of Mabel is an entertaining mystery about an unforgettable woman who has spent a lifetime being underestimated and is finally ready to tell her own story.
