This novel is a thought-provoking and heartfelt mystery that balances suspense with themes of aging, friendship, and resilience. Jenny Cooper, a 92-year-old resident of Legacy Place memory care facility, may suffer from dementia - but she also carries a startling secret. When Linda Davidson, a recently widowed 76-year-old, befriends Jenny, she’s not sure whether Jenny’s story can be trusted… until a suspicious death at Legacy Place raises chilling questions.

What begins as an unlikely friendship soon becomes Linda’s source of comfort, even as she faces turmoil at home with her manipulative son-in-law Mick. Jenny’s secret - and the wisdom tucked within it - guides Linda through both the mystery inside Legacy Place and her own complicated family dynamics.

The story is easy to read yet layered, touching on sensitive topics like dementia, grief, loneliness, abuse, and the blurred lines between right and wrong. The repetition in the narrative cleverly mirrors the effects of memory loss, though some readers may find it distracting. Still, the blend of humor, heart, and suspense makes this both an engaging and accessible read.

Jenny and Linda shine as vibrant, memorable protagonists - two older women full of grit, charm, and surprising strength. Their bond carries the novel, making it equal parts sad, funny, and uplifting. And while the mystery itself may feel somewhat predictable at times, the conclusion is immensely satisfying and will leave readers with plenty to discuss.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #87/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3.5 🍷🍷🍷
Book: Jenny Coopers Has a Secret
Author: Joy Fielding
AVAILABLE NOW!!

Sipping thoughts: I really enjoyed the cheekiness of this book. I loved the suspense and to hear the stories of Jenny’s past. She was so cooky and lovable at the same time. I loved the end, but I was thinking and hoping there was going to be a different type of twist that involved Jenny and Linda. All in all, I really enjoyed this book.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @RandomHousePublishingGroup for an advanced copy of @JennyCooperHasASecret.

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Thanks to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for the chance to read this book

This was a great book, very fast paced read had me hooked from the beginning, ending was a bit predictable but does not take away from the story at all! Found Jenny way too interesting!

In Jenny Cooper Has a Secret, Joy Fielding created quite a character in Jenny Cooper. The intrigue is in finding out if she's an old lady with dementia or a killer.

I had a hard time getting into this book at first. I started it then gave it a break for a few days then I finished it. It was entertaining but not absolutely gripping.

Jenny Cooper Has A Secret by joy Fielding is one of the best most funniest laugh out loud cringe inducing read I’ve read in a while. when Linda Davis stops to see her lifelong friend Carol who has dementia and is living at Legacy assisted living facility she runs into 92 year old Jenny Cooper who tells her in a whisper “I have a secret. “I have killed people“ this stops Linda in her tracks but when Jenny Cooper introduces herself and then does it again immediately after Linda remembers where she is and continues on her way. Linda lives in the house she raised her two children in it was married to the love of her life for 45 years and now she lives with her daughter Cleo and husband Mick who insisted on coming to live with her supposedly to help her out. at first it was great but then Nick’s true colors started to shine a little too bright when he claimed to be working Linda would find him snoozing on the couch he would go out supposedly to get business deals and come home drunk or not at all. Overall Linda does her best to keep things even tempered and for the most part even gets along with Nick. This is why she tells Nick and her daughter Cleo all about Jenny Cooper thinking she’ll never see her again. before it’s over however Jenny will become at first a distraction from the agony of watching her best friend not know who Linda is and everything at home to an addiction and by the time the story is over Jenny will make a big impact on all of their lives. I really loved this book it wasn’t intense it wasn’t on the edge of your seat reading except for the stories Jenny Cooper told Linda that at the best is dubious and at the worst is too long ago to be prosecuted lol! I thought this was fabulously done and I can’t believe I’m saying this but I really cheered at the end you go Linda. I loved Linda’s relationship with her Apple Watch that was funny and it even caused a meat cute in the middle of the mall. I just really enjoyed this book it is a definite five star read and I couldn’t understand how others disliked it but I guess that is why they say there is a book for every reader and this is definitely my book… Does that say anything bad about me… I don’t care. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #JoyFielding, #JennyCooperHasASecret,

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Joy Fielding's Jenny Cooper Has A Secret, in exchange for my honest review.

Joy Fielding has done it again! She is one of my go-to authors. I can always count on an amazing story!

Linda Davidson has been widowed for 2 years. Her daughter and son-in-law, Kleo and Mick, have moved in to try to save money while Kleo works on her dissertation and Mick is working on starting a new company, and trying to get new clients.

Linda goes to visit her best friend, Carol, who is suffering from Alzheimers. Carol has gotten to the point where her husband has had to put her in a care facility. While visiting Carol, Linda meets another resident named Jenny Cooper. As Carol deteriorates, Jenny and Linda get closer. Jenny is 93 and also suffering from dementia, or is she? Linda is not so sure, the more time she spends with Jenny.

I highly reccomend this story!

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.

I became a fan of Joy Fielding after stumbling upon The Housekeeper years ago. Her books are just so different and I truly appreciate stepping out of the norm when reading her works. It’s no different with Jenny Cooper Has a Secret. If you would have told me that I would enjoy a book surrounding elderly women with dementia, i would have thought you crazy but here we are. I felt extremely drawn to the story. I kept going back and forth on whether Jenny Cooper truly had dementia or if she was 100% sane. I also loved the running joke in the book on her extracurricular activities over the years, This opened my eyes to another layer of domestic thriller and I truly appreciate Ms, Fielding for doing a job well done.

Thank you NetGally for this advance reader copy in exchange for my free and honest review. Joy Fielding is and always has been the absolute master story teller, and this latest masterpiece continues to prove that. What a fantastically weaved story that pulled me in quickly and did not loosen its grip even at the end. I cannot recommend this book enough, it is phenomenal!

amazing I love this one and hope to read more by this author. It was easy to understand and time flew by pretty quickly

This book has gone to the top of my favorites list. Jenny Cooper Has a Secret is an absolute DELIGHT! I am in love with this book and I will recommend it to anyone who asks for a book recommendation from me. It is classified as a thriller, but I thought it was more a story about life. I think if you read it as a thriller, you may be disappointed, but that's just my opinion.

Linda Davidson is recently widowed. She's in her 70s and is learning how to live without her beloved spouse. She is adjusting by letting her daughter and her husband live with her, but their marriage is rocky and makes Linda uncomfortable in her own home. Linda's best friend is recently diagnosed with dementia and can't remember who Linda is anymore, so when Linda visits her at her residential facility, she feels empty and sad.

On one of her visits, Linda meets another resident, Jenny Cooper, who is in her 90s and who shares a secret with Linda. Linda is not sure whether to believe the secret, but she continues meeting with Jenny in search of the truth. Or maybe just in search of friendship and companionship. Their relationship grows throughout the book, evoking some tears and some laughter from the reader.

I personally thought this was a very sweet story, even though it did have the thriller component to it. I would love to hear your thoughts once you read it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/ Ballantine for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so disappointed with this book. I have read and loved every book this author has written but this one is not one that I liked at all.

I found Linda Davidson to be aggravating. I utterly despise Jenny Cooper. The daughter and son in law were just over the top to much. I just didn't enjoy this one at all. Nothing about it appealed to be. Linda is going to start dating her best friend's husband. Give me a break. That just doesn't happen in my world. There was no edge of your seat thrills or anything that kept me wanting more. I was just relieved when it was over.

Sorry but that is exactly how I felt.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Jenny Cooper Has a Secret.

Linda Davidson is grieving the loss of her husband to cancer and her BFF, Carol, to dementia. She visits Carol frequently at the assisted facility and it's where she encounters Jenny Cooper, an almost 100 year old who has more than her share of secrets.

As Linda and Jenny begin to spend more time together, Linda wrestles with her age, her future, and her daughter's troubled marriage.

The narrative focuses on the woes of aging, a fact of life most of us (if we're lucky) will face in our lives; what does it mean to be a woman and to grow old especially as a widow; how do we keep busy, find fulfillment and meaning in our lives as we near the end.

The story lacks suspense and urgency, even when Jenny is divulging her secrets since her past is in the rearview mirror and her recollections can't be entirely trusted due to her dementia.

Jenny's murderous revelations become a turning point Linda as she decides on how far to go to protect her daughter.

The ending is predictable and you can see how the narrative leads straight there.

I would have liked to know more about Jenny and her exploits but it was more about how Linda's friendship with Jenny enables Linda to take a more active role in her life and future.

(3.5 stars – rounding up to 4)

This book is a mess and all over the place but will grab your attention and keep you engaged.

Linda is feeling alone following her husband’s death and friend’s dementia diagnosis that had her admitted to a memory care facility. While visiting her friend, she meets Jenny Cooper, a 92-year-old resident who blurts out a secret – she kills people. At first Linda chalks up Jenny’s outburst to dementia, but when Jenny is alarmingly lucid with detailed stories, Linda begins to think there is more to Jenny’s “secret.” What is fact or fiction?

Jenny Cooper Has a Secret is largely fast paced but does drag on a smidge too long and with repetitious parts. There was a mix of moments from laughing aloud to second guessing what’s truth and asking myself “what did I just read?”

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy.

Linda is visiting her best friend in a memory care facility when she meets resident Jenny Cooper. Jenny tells her that she is a murderess. Linda doesn’t know what to do with this secret… is it true or ramblings of a dementia patient?

While not many surprises in this one (it pleasantly ended exactly how I thought and hoped it would), it was a pleasure to read. I loved Jenny’s character. The discussions she and Linda would have were the best and had me laughing out loud at times.

“Am I losing my mind, along with my waistline and my once-prominent upper lip.”

Jenny Cooper Has a Secret is available now.

I am a big fan of Joy Fielding and this book was one of her best! Talk about revenge!! I won't give anything away, because the story, as is, will keep you engaged until the last pages. Can't wait for anew Joy Fielding book.

Jenny Cooper Has a Secret
Joy Fielding

Linda’s husband just died. Her best friend, saddled with a dementia diagnosis, moves into a memory care ward. Linda is swirling in a whirlwind of grief. She has no one to talk to, no one to confide in, no one to go home to.

One day, while she is visiting her friend in the memory care unit, she comes across a patient. Her name is Jenny. Jenny Cooper. Instantly fascinated by her, Jenny says she has a secret. She has killed before.

At first, Linda assumes Jenny is at best not in her right mind, and she blows Jenny off. After days of being confronted by Jenny in the hallways of the memory care unit, Linda finally takes a moment to listen.

The story meanders at points, Jenny starts and stops, but at the end, Jenny tells Linda her secret.

I haven’t read Joy Fielding since before I started tracking books I’ve read. I have no idea how many I read, but I can picture these little paperback copies. Oh, I miss those books.

JENNY COOPER HAS A SECRET was both fun and boring. These two can exist at the same time. I liked the characters, and I liked the story for the most part. However, the nature of several of the characters leads to a lot of rehashing and going over things multiple times. It got repetitive quickly.

I wish my experience this time were different.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books

JENNY COOPER HAS A SECRET…⭐️⭐️⭐️

OK full disclosure: I used to read Joy Fielding back in the 90’s and See Jane Run was one of the books that started my love for reading as a fun escape-y hobby! So, when I was approved for Jenny Cooper Has a Secret, I was excited! And rightfully so! Now, I’ll admit Jenny’s age threw me for a loop at first. I wasn’t sure I’d “vibe” with her... but surprise! I totally did! And I loved Jenny Cooper, although I am sure I wasn’t supposed to, but she was so fun, snarky, and honestly a hoot! Yes, I guessed the twist. But did that ruin the fun? Not even a little. The ride was worth every page-turning minute. The story follows Linda, who’s juggling grief, grown-up kids living under her roof, and the slow unraveling of her closest friendship. She meets Jenny during a vulnerable time and comes to listen to Jenny and the wild stories and life she has led. While their friendship blooms, Linda is getting more and more under Jenny’s spell and life stories. This is a quick easy read and so fun! I will continue to check out Joy Fielding’s books I missed between now and the 90s and have a little binge-a-thon. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the review copy—these thoughts are all mine, and I’m not keeping them secret like Jenny.

This book was nothing like anything I have ever read before. The author did a wonderful job of keeping me engaged and entertained. This was my first book by this author but definitely won’t be my last. This book had my emotions all over the place, in a good way. Overall a good read and definitely worth checking out.