“Jenny Cooper has a Secret” by Joy Fielding is a unique mystery that felt more like a real life family drama. The story follows a recently widowed 76 year old woman who is struggling to navigate life after the loss of her husband. She is lonely and stressed as her one of her grown daughters and her husband has moved back into her home, and her closest childhood friend is in a memory care facility suffering with Alzheimer’s.
While visiting her friend she meets a 92 year old woman who tells her she has killed people! Intrigued but unbelieving she befriends her. When another resident at the facility dies suspiciously the journey to discover if it’s confusion or delusion begins.
This book moves at a slow pace because of the profound emotional issues of aging, grief and loneliness. The author did a great job in making these topics feel so authentic that I teared up a few times. All in all, it’s a thought provoking mystery and a very enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have read almost all of this authors books and this one was one of her better ones. Interesting and unique plot, fast-paced, and good character development.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, for providing the copy of Jenny Cooper Has a Secret by Joy Fielding. I was waiting for this book because Fielding has been a must-read author for me for over 40 years, so I was disappointed that this one never caught my interest. I didn’t understand why Linda became so obsessed with Jenny, who was really annoying, she even heard her voice in her head.
If it had been marketed to be about Linda dealing with aging and the loss of her best friend after the loss of her husband instead of as a thriller, I might have been more invested and would not have kept waiting for something to happen that was remotely mystery or thriller-like. Even that ending didn’t redeem this one for me. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Joy's works are a must-read for me. The titles she crafts are interesting and intriguing. I devoured this latest story and thought the memory care storyline was entertaining and mysterious. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Joy Fielding was one of my very first must read authors. She is one reason I became a fan of psychological suspense. From her very first book, up to and including Jenny Cooper Has A Secret, has been some of the best suspense I have read. I devoured each and every one.

Linda Davidson is an elderly widow who frequently visits her very best friend who is living at memory care facility. During one of her visits she meets another resident, Jenny Cooper, who appears to have a very checkered past. When her friend is transferred to another facility to be closer to her son, Linda decides to keep visiting with Jenny. While unsure if Jenny's stories are actually true, she finds she enjoys her company and is happy to spend time with her. It's also a reprieve for her from her daughter and her gaslighting husband who moved in with her shortly after her husband passed away. Though she tries to be there for her daughter, the constant fighting is getting to her. Jenny tells her she has the answer to her problem. She just has to stop over thinking the situation.

This book was so good. I loved all the characters except the gaslighter. The premise was definitely unique and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Canada for the advanced copy

Joy Fielding gives a voice to women of a "certain age" in this intriguing new title. Is Jenny Cooper crazy, lying, or is it dementia? Has she really killed 4 people? Patrons will relate to these characters and what happens as we age.

I loved this book for its sensitive perspective of dementia/Alzheimer’s patients. Adding a touch of humor was the icing on the cake along with the revelation of the “secret”.

Joy Fielding, known for her skillful blend of suspense and emotional depth, returns with Jenny Cooper Has A Secret—a slow-burning psychological thriller that explores aging, memory, and the unsettling possibility that a dementia patient might be telling the truth about a lifetime of murders.

The story follows 76-year-old Linda Davidson, a recent widow struggling to navigate life after loss. With her daughter and son-in-law living under the same roof and creating more stress than comfort, Linda seeks solace in visiting her friend at Legacy Place, a memory care facility. There, she meets 92-year-old Jenny Cooper, a woman with dementia who matter-of-factly claims she has killed people. Initially, Linda chalks it up to confusion or delusion—until another resident dies under suspicious circumstances.

The premise is both chilling and unique, inviting readers to question what truth might lie beneath the haze of a failing mind. Fielding weaves themes of loneliness, trust, and justice into an eerie narrative that slowly gains momentum.

As a long-time fan of Fielding’s work (with Missing Pieces still being a personal favorite), I was eager to get my hands on this book before its official release. Admittedly, it took some time to get into—perhaps due to its slower pace and quieter tension—but once it found its rhythm, it became an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

Fans of psychological thrillers with a human touch will appreciate Fielding’s thoughtful characterization and layered storytelling. While not her most gripping work at the outset, Jenny Cooper Has A Secret ultimately delivers a rewarding journey that lingers in the mind, much like the secrets it slowly unveils.

This book was terrible. I never would have guessed Joy wrote this based on her past books. Jenny Cooper is old and whispered, I have a secret, I kill people. That is about it. Then people die. Nothing thrilling about this book. Nothing to grab the reader. Very blah.

As Linda Davidson is losing her lifelong best friend (Carol) to dementia, she falls into a troubled new relationship as she meets another resident of the memory care facility, Jenny Cooper. It starts with the whisper, "I've got a secret," and soon Linda is as hooked as readers will be on Jenny Cooper's story. This psychological thriller will have you racing to find out if her secret is true, and if so, how many people were impacted.

I have been a Joy Fielding fan for years, but this was a massive disappointment and very lazy. This was a miss and I hope the next will be better.

First. I have NEVER read a book by Joy Fielding that I had not loved and this was no exception.
I can't say I didn't see the ending coming! I couldn't put this book down.
I was kept up all night trying to finish it and even though I pretty much knew how it was going to end still was pleasantly surprised in the details.
Definitely one of the best books I have read and one of my favorite authors.

I really enjoyed this book! Based off of the synopsis, I thought that I would be reading a thriller, so I didn't expect the story to be more of a drama. But it worked! I loved that the main characters were elderly. The author did a beautiful job portraying the effects of dementia as well as capturing the fears, insecurities, and sense of profound loss that come with age. I did NOT expect to cry, but there were moments in this story that choked me up quite a bit. And I just adored Jenny! She was a real hoot. Her character was completely unreliable. I felt like I was going crazy with her constant, back-and-forth ramblings. Did she truly suffer from memory loss or was she just faking it in order to cure her loneliness and gain a new friend? The answer to that question was not exactly clear at the end, but it was extremely sad to witness the deterioration of her mind either way. The ending was predictable and satisfying, but a little too neat. I would have liked a little more. I would definitely recommend this book! Just be warned that it is more women's fiction than mystery/thriller.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Jenny Cooper Has a Secret by Joy Fielding; I have a love/hate relationship with Joy Fielding's books. Unfortunately this was one of the dislikes - but she is popular with our readership, so I'm sure we'll grab a copy.

I basically finished this book in a day, this was a very well paced domestic thriller.
I have been a fan of Joy Fielding since I was a teen, she’s typically an auto buy author for me but some of her titles from the last few years were more average than I expect from her.
This book was fantastic, I loved the setting and the characters.
Linda Davidson is a 76 year old widow whose best friend Carol is in a memory care facility.
Linda visits Carol often but it’s draining her as Carol has very few moments of clarity anymore.
One visit Linda is approached by another resident Jenny Cooper who says she has a secret. Jenny says that she’s killed people and draws Linda in with her stories.
Is the sweet Jenny really a serial killer or is this the fantasies of a woman with dementia.
I don’t want to give anything away, if you like a good thriller with great character development and very short chapters then definitely pick this up.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

I really liked this book. For me I am older and I do think about dying. It was a very quirky story and so were the characters. I liked the twist at the end even though I knew what was going to happen. I highly recommend this book.

I have read so many books by Joy Fielding and she has always been a go-to author for me. The story features Linda Davidson, an aging widow and retired teacher, living in Jupiter, Florida with her daughter and son-in-law. Her closest friend, Carol, resides in a nursing home, afflicted with dementia. This is a clever story and I couldn’t put it down. Recommended!

This is a riveting psychological thriller and is a definite page-turner! This was my first book to read by the author but wont' be my last! I love the suspense and read this one in one sitting! Highly recommend!

Enjoyable novel and premise but the ending seemed a bit unbelievable and convenient. Jenny Cooper was a pretty fun character though.

Oh, this has SUCH a satisfying ending!

The book is sad and funny and simply a delight.

I adored Jenny. I also loved Linda, though I really worried that a certain relationship would go the wrong way. Both Jenny and Linda are badass older women who are so much fun to read.

Much of the plot deals with challenging subjects - things like aging, dementia and abuse come into play. But there's also so much heart.

I loved this one.