Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (St. Martin’s; LJ starred review) is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

These days, 81-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick lives a quiet, if lonely, life on an unassuming street in Melbourne. When her neighbor Ishaan, her nemesis, is found dead in his home, people put together that Elsie is really the infamous “Mad Mabel” Waller, the youngest person in Australian history to be convicted of murder, and the police label Ishaan’s death as suspicious. Was he murdered, and did she have anything to do with it? Soon, a couple of young documentarians arrive, and Elsie/Mabel agrees to tell her story for the first time, starting with the very first death. It happened when she was three. Hepworth (Darling Girls) 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. VERDICT A must-purchase for most collections. Not only will Hepworth’s many fans be clamoring for this, but it’s sure to grow her reader base.—Sarah Sullivan

Homecoming by Kate Morton (Mariner)

Appeared on the April 2023 LibraryReads list

“Kate Morton is one of the few authors whose books I anticipate reading without even having to know the details of the story. Her books invariably contain well-developed characters, a twisty plot, and family secrets—and Homecoming is no exception. Set in Australia, this latest novel examines the mysterious circumstances and lasting effects of a family tragedy on Christmas Eve in 1959. In the present day, a woman must delve into her own past to uncover the secrets that impacted her life in ways she doesn't yet understand.”—Lesley Williams, New Castle Libraries, DE

Saltwater by Katy Hays (Ballantine)

Appeared on the March 2025 LibraryReads list

“A normal family might have stopped visiting Capri after one of them ‘accidentally’ fell off a cliff, but the Lingates are far from normal. Wealthy enough to shrug off the scandal, they've only become more insular in the decades since. Sarah and Lorna scheme to finally learn the truth, but then Lorna vanishes. This narrative unveils the family's toxicity as it alternates between three POVs.”—Sarah Walker, Indianapolis Public Library, IN 

The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo, tr. by Chi-Young (Hanover Square)

At 65, Hornclaw is slowing down at work and content to live quietly in a small apartment with her rescue dog. She should be cashing out her share of the company, but she’s made the mistake of growing close to a doctor and his family after an emergency visit. Such connections are dangerous stuff in her business—actually, she’s an assassin routinely hired to do in cheating spouses, corporate enemies, and the like—and there are repercussions. From an award-winning, internationally best-selling South Korean author making her English-language debut; with a 50,000-copy first printing.—Barbara Hoffert