Jenny Cooper Has a Secret

JENNY COOPER HAS A SECRET is Joy Fielding writing at its finest. On the lighter side it was a cross between ‘Who’s on first?” and a darker version of Fried Green Tomatoes. Seventy six Year-old Linda Davidson is a widow after the death of her husband of 45 years, Bob and she feels lost. Her best friend since the fourth grade, Carol Krieger, is now in a memory care facility with dementia so Linda is adrift and feeling lonely in her twilight years. When her daughter Kleo and her husband, Mick moved in a year ago to keep her company, it seems like the answer to some of their prayers. But Kleo and Mick are always fighting and Linda feels the need to escape her home. She goes to Legacy Place to visit with Carol any chance she gets. It’s during one of these visits that she meets 92 year old Jenny Cooper who confesses that she’s killed people. Are these confessions just that of a travelling mind or is Jenny telling the truth? As Linda continues to meet with Jenny more secrets are revealed and she begins to try to corroborate some of the stories. On the home front, Kleo has been working on her PhD for years and Mick, who works from home seems to be racking up hours with other people. What was once a seemingly boring life has suddenly taken a huge upswing in twists and turns. Can Linda find the truth about what Jenny is telling her? Can she do anything to help Kleo and what of Carol’s husband of eight years? Not such a boring life anymore, is it, Linda? And when there are a few residents who pass on, that’s to be expected, isn’t it? All kidding aside, there are some very sad moments in Linda’s day; watching the decline of her best friend, the breakdown of her daughter’s marriage and trying to decipher fact from fiction in Jenny’s storytelling. I LOVED THIS BOOK! Themes of sisterhood, the enduring power of female friendship, abandonment, both physical and mental, and just pure love shine through. And all of that wrapped up in a murder/mystery. I was hooked from the very beginning and joyfully went along for the ride. This is one of those books that will kept me reading well past bedtime. The writing was clear and concise which led to an enjoyable read. I have loved reading Joy Fielding for years and can’t wait to see where she takes me next. Thank you to NetGalley and random house for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Linda Davidson is struggling from losing her husband 2 years ago and also her best friend being diagnosed with dementia. As she's visiting her at Legacy Place an elderly woman comes out from behind a pillar and tells her a secret, she's killed people. This book felt more like a cozy mystery than a dark psychological thriller, but I did enjoy it. As Linda is struggling with her life and her daughter's life problems and trying to regain some joy as she's lonely and starts up a friendship with a total stranger. I liked reading about Linda's journey and coming in to her own as a senior, enjoying her life. Even if she did have some help from Jenny.

Another terrific read from Joy! Couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to her next one!

A delightful combo of a murder mystery inside of a women’s lit novel, Jenny Cooper Has a Secret was everything I could want from a quick, easy read. With perfect pacing, short chapters, and a handful of serious themes, I found myself flying through the pages of this unputdownable book in no time at all. And while it wasn’t exactly action-packed or adrenaline-fueled, the seniors at the center of this simple yet addictive plot kept me firmly hooked on the words. Realistic, compelling, and running the gamut from unlikeable in the extreme to oddly endearing, this cast of characters was the definition of complete and utter perfection. That’s right, Fielding hit it out of the park with this group of unforgettable personas.My favorite part of this one, though, was easily Jenny Cooper herself. Eccentric, funny, and the kind of woman I’d want to know, she made for the absolute best kind of character: one I could connect with while also making me giggle with glee. You see, while the plot might’ve been somewhat predictable, the eccentric cast of characters made this book into an utter home run. Darkly comedic and laugh-out-loud funny, the plot also contained a number of thought-provoking topics that had me feeling all of the feels. From outrage to sorrow, Fielding brought out all the stops. Perfect for a book club selection, there was plenty to discuss inside of this story. Besides, don’t you want to know if Jenny was really a serial killer?All said and done, I’m sure that I won’t be forgetting this one anytime soon. A truly special novel that explored both friendship and loss, I was tied up in knots as we were given a fly-on-the-wall view of what’s waiting for us all later in life. Alongside of that, though, was a healthy dose of secrets and lies that gave this book the suspense my thriller-loving brain always craves. With plenty of page-turning cliffhangers and an ominous vibe, it was no big surprise that I sped through this novel in under twenty-four hours. After all, I was constantly waiting for the next shoe—or body—to drop. A fast-paced tale of intrigue and love, I don’t know a single person who won’t be won over completely by Mrs. Jenny Cooper. Rating of 4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed Joy Fielding's See Jane Run, Someone is Watching, Cul-de-sac, and The Housekeeper and this is another good one. Linda Davidson is a lonely 76 year-old widow with two adult daughters. Her daughter Kleo and her husband Mick have moved into her house as Kleo completes her PhD dissertation and Mick tries to get his new business off the ground. Their constant fighting makes Linda very anxious and not comfortable in her own home. By contrast, her other daughter Vanessa has her life a lot more together - living in Connecticut with a successful career and a beautiful family. Linda's best friend Carol is now in a memory care facility with Alzheimers. She visits Carol regularly at Legacy Place, even though Carol often doesn't know who Linda is anymore. During these visits, Linda meets Jenny Cooper, an eccentric 92 year-old. Because her visits to Carol are so depressing and she doesn't want to deal with what's going on at home, Linda starts spending more and more time with Jenny, hearing many crazy stories and questioning how much could be true. Joy Fielding's writing is really good and her characters are beautifully developed. She tackles some tough topics with just enough humor to keep the book from getting too heavy. I look forward to her next book.