JENNY COOPER HAS A SECRET

Fielding's excellent latest (after The Housekeeper) nestles a murder mystery inside a witty novel of friendship and loss. Linda Davidson, 76, is starting to admit she's growing old. Since she lost her husband to cancer two years ago, she's opened her home in Jupiter, Fla., to her youngest daughter, Kleo, and her chauvinistic son-in-law, Mick. Linda's best friend, Carol, has recently been diagnosed with dementia and is now living in an "upscale oceanfront memory care facility that calls itself--with not the slightest hint of irony--Legacy Place." Linda pays regular visits to the facility, even though Carol no longer recognizes her. On one such occasion, she's approached by diminutive 92-year-old Jenny Cooper, who tells her a secret: "I kill people." Initially, Linda brushes it off as the ramblings of a sick woman, until a sudden death at the facility spurs her to take Jenny's confession more seriously. Linda starts to visit Jenny, who tells her stories of the men she's supposedly killed, moving Linda--and readers--to wonder if she's befriending a serial killer. Fielding renders Linda and Jenny's blossoming friendship with sensitivity while ensuring things never get mawkish. Punchy, surprising, and sweet in equal measure, this tale of twisted sisterhood is a home run. Agent: Tracy Fisher, WME. (Aug.)