Editorial Content for Jenny Cooper Has a Secret

I've been a fan of Joy Fielding's novels for decades, although I hadn't read any recently. JENNY COOPER HAS A SECRET reminded me of why I love her books and why I need to catch up with the ones I've missed. Fielding is a master at creating characters who are regular people with whom we truly connect. They aren't spies, detectives, superheroes, law enforcement officials or famous folks. In her latest effort, the protagonist is Linda Davidson, a 76-year-old retired teacher and a widow of two years who lives in Florida.

Linda’s youngest daughter, Kleo, and Kleo's manipulative husband, Mick, have moved in with Linda. Kleo is working on her doctorate and not teaching during that time, and Mick is starting a new business. Linda does not appreciate the company, especially when Kleo and Mick argue incessantly.

"Death, dementia, marital problems, abuse and humor. While they don't seem to go together, in Fielding's extremely capable hands, they combine for a delightfully fascinating read."

Linda has been visiting Carol, who is living in a memory care facility. Carol rarely recognizes her, even though they've been best friends since childhood. One day, on her way to see Carol, Linda is stopped in the hallway by a diminutive 92-year-old woman named Jenny Cooper who says she has a secret, which she whispers to her: She kills people. But it's also apparent that Jenny has dementia, and Linda doesn't believe her.

When Linda goes back home after her heartbreaking visit with Carol, who merely smiles and nods at everything she says, Kleo and Mick are fighting yet again. So Linda keeps seeing Carol, but she also spends time with Jenny, whom she grows to like. Jenny hasn't had an easy time of it, but she seems to have made her life easier by killing those in her way. Or has she?

Do Jenny's ramblings reflect the musings of a serial killer, or is she just a harmless old lady having fun with Linda? Or does she believe she has done these things that only exist in her mind? As Linda grapples with these scenarios, there is a death in the facility --- that of a very unpleasant man who did even more unpleasant things to his granddaughter, which Jenny heard about. Deaths are not unexpected in memory care facilities, but with Linda's newfound information about a possible serial killer living there, she wonders.

How is it that Fielding makes talking about murders and killing almost humorous? Jenny is to all appearances a sweet, eccentric old woman, and we really like her, but there are glimpses of a razor-sharp intellect. There's also her background as a pharmacist. And just before the resident died, Jenny had gone missing. She had gone to the drugstore.

But the story isn't just about Jenny Cooper, the maybe serial killer. There’s Carol's husband, Lorne, who seems more interested in Linda than a man with a still-alive wife should be. And there's the ever-growing anger that has taken root in Kleo’s marriage to Mick, who disappears in the evening, drinks too much beer, and seems to want to sabotage her work. Linda hates how her daughter is being treated.

The ending does not present us with some unexpected twist. It's something that is hinted at and that we have wondered about. And let's be honest, it's what we want to happen. At least I did. Does that make me a bad person? That's why JENNY COOPER HAS A SECRET would be a perfect choice for a book club. Death, dementia, marital problems, abuse and humor. While they don't seem to go together, in Fielding's extremely capable hands, they combine for a delightfully fascinating read.