Clear your schedule, find a comfortable reading spot, and get ready to meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. Once you start reading this novel, you are not going to want to put it down.

If Sally Hepworth has a new book coming out, you can be sure that I am going to have it high on my to-be-read list. She has the ability to create intriguing characters that you immediately want to know every detail about, all the while pulling you into a suspenseful story that is equal parts thrilling, humorous, and emotional.

The novel goes from the Then and Now, and this worked beautifully for Mabel’s story. Mabel is eighty-one and she has done a good job of living a quiet, inconspicuous life over the past several decades. She has a past that is well-known, a past that is filled with accusations and death.

Mabel is not your typical elderly lady. She is not a frail, mild-mannered, quiet granny-type. Oh, no. Despite trying to keep her past in the past, Mabel is a no-nonsense lady who doesn’t mince words. If she doesn’t like someone, they’ll know it. Well, except for the young girl who lives on her street. Persephone doesn’t get the hint that Elsie isn’t interested in being friends with her. She is persistent, bold, and asks a lot of questions. I think I liked her as much as I liked Elsie.

Mad Mabel was a propulsive read. I just kept wanting to read one more chapter and one more chapter. I wanted to know all of Elsie’s secrets and what made her known as Mad Mabel. Now, I did have a couple of things figured out quite early on, but that certainly didn’t detract from my love of this story. It was still a riveting read from start to finish. I have already been recommending it to anyone who will listen. It was an absolutely wonderful read that even brought me to tears.

*5 Stars