What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedMad Mabel
Sally Hepworth · Book
If you loved Mad Mabel, start with The Housemaid (Paul Feig, 2025) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Mad Mabel across media.
What hooked you in Mad Mabel was the way the weight of a buried, violent past inevitably resurfaces to shatter current lives.
Films on the same thread
The Housemaid
Paul Feig · Film · 2025
Shares a thread with Mad Mabel: Psychological Thriller.
Like Mad Mabel, this story centers on a woman attempting to outrun her history, only to find that secrets have a dangerous way of unraveling her new reality.
Mother
Bong Joon Ho · Film · 2009
Shares a thread with Mad Mabel: Psychological Thriller.
You will recognize the same suffocating tension found in Mad Mabel as a mother fights to protect her son from a dark, small-town accusation and past trauma.
Sleeping Dogs
Adam Cooper · Film · 2024
Shares a thread with Mad Mabel: Psychological Thriller.
Much like the protagonist in Mad Mabel, this detective must confront a fractured memory and the haunting burden of a decade-old crime that refuses to stay buried.
The Dry
Robert Connolly · Film · 2021
Shares a thread with Mad Mabel: Australian Noir.
This Australian noir mirrors the atmosphere of Mad Mabel, exploring how a return to a judgmental hometown forces a character to face long-buried, tragic secrets.
Series on the same thread
Sharp Objects
Marti Noxon · Series · 2018
Shares a thread with Mad Mabel: Psychological Thriller.
If you were drawn to the psychological toll of the past in Mad Mabel, you will appreciate how this protagonist must confront her own demons while returning home.
All Her Fault
Megan Gallagher · Series · 2025
Shares a thread with Mad Mabel: Psychological Thriller.
This series captures the unsettling dread seen in Mad Mabel, where a simple, mundane situation suddenly shifts into a nightmare rooted in hidden identities and past fears.
Big Little Lies
David E. Kelley · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with Mad Mabel: Psychological Thriller.
Similar to the unraveling lives in Mad Mabel, this story examines how the facade of a perfect life is systematically dismantled by the weight of hidden secrets.
Unforgiven
Sally Wainwright · Series · 2009
Shares a thread with Mad Mabel: Psychological Thriller.
This narrative mirrors the core conflict of Mad Mabel, focusing on the struggle of an ex-convict trying to navigate societal stigma while reconciling with a forgotten past.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth About Amy
LiSTNR · Podcast
Explores: Domestic Violence, Wrongful Death, Police Investigation.
This investigation echoes the tragic domestic intensity of Mad Mabel, highlighting how a sudden, violent event can leave a family legacy defined by unanswered questions and secrets.
The Trial of Erin Patterson
Podcast
Explores: Poisoning, Family Dynamics, Murder Investigation.
Fans of the Australian setting and murder-focused mystery in Mad Mabel will find this real-life investigation into familial poisoning equally gripping and dark in its implications.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Mad Mabel based on a true story about an Australian murderer?
Mad Mabel is a work of fiction by Sally Hepworth. While the story features an elderly woman who was once Australia's youngest convicted murderer, the narrative and the character of Mabel are not based on actual historical events or real people.
What is the primary conflict in Mad Mabel?
The primary conflict in Mad Mabel centers on the protagonist attempting to keep her past life as a convicted murderer hidden. As an elderly woman, she struggles to maintain her anonymity while living with the weight of her previous actions.
Does Mad Mabel focus on the perspective of the convicted murderer?
Yes, Mad Mabel focuses on the perspective of the elderly protagonist who was once Australia's youngest convicted murderer. The story explores the challenges she faces in her current life while she works to ensure her secret remains undiscovered by those around her.
Is Mad Mabel a standalone book?
Mad Mabel is a standalone novel written by Sally Hepworth. There are no sequels or related adaptations in the current catalog, so the story of the elderly woman hiding her past as a convicted murderer is contained entirely within this single volume.