Sallly Hepworth's newest novel opens with the lines "It's interesting to note that there are two groups of people who are rarely, if ever, suspected of murder. These groups are elderly women and little girls." Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is 81 years old and has been living a quiet life on Kenny Lane for 60 years. She gets along with all her neighbors except for the man next door who lets his yappy dog poop on Elsie's roses. Elsie throws the feces back over the fence in an endless battle. When the neighbor dies, Elsie's dark past is revealed by one of her neighbors to the police. In her youth, she was known as Mabel Waller, the youngest person ever to be convicted of murder. Her height and red hair would probably be enough to single her out for torment as as a child, but her father spreads the rumor that, when 3-year-old Mabel got polio, she intentionally exposed her younger sister. Sister Kitty was a toddler and subsequently died from polio. Mabel herself did not know the story until the neighborhood kids started calling her "Mad Mabel."
The news that Mad Mabel was living in this quiet cul de sac of Melbourne spreads quickly and the press and conspiracy fanatics show up in droves. Mabel decides to reveal her history to two young documentarians who want to present Elsie/ Mabel's side of the story. The chapters alternate between young Mabel's childhood and the present day. This is a story of redemption which "emphasize[s] resilience and the power of friendship" (Kirkus). Library Journal concludes their review by saying, "Hepworth... showcases her storytelling prowess with this dual-timeline tale that is part thriller, part historical mystery and filled with quirky characters that will pull readers in different directions emotionally. The twists may not all be surprising, but readers will be fully enraptured by the story and fall in love with Mabel, curmudgeonly woman that she is."
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