Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret

Eleanor Jones #2

by Amy Doak

Things have settled down in Cooinda and Eleanor Jones is getting used to her new normal – spending time with her friends, going to school, and working on a project at the local old age home. But just as things start to feel calm, a series of events once again rock Eleanor’s Troy’s ex-girlfriend is back in town and, during a visit to the old age home, Eleanor’s buddy Nance admits to witnessing a murder, swearing Eleanor to secrecy.

In an effort to definitely not be concerned about Troy’s ex, Eleanor throws herself into solving the mystery of the murder Nance spoke about. Enlisting the help of new friend and genealogy expert Jem to research Nance’s past, Eleanor soon realises that digging into old secrets can sometimes be incredibly dangerous indeed.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Crime, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller, Friendship, Murder Mystery

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 2, 2024

Reviews

[charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️

[hannah! (lowkey gone) · Rating 5 out of 5]

THEY JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER.

[Nicole B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the Audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the first book and the sequel didn’t disappoint. Eleanor (16) is a great teenage character although at times infuriating, and her friends are all well written. There was a bit of a twist in this one which I didn’t see coming. Themes touched on include, dementia, domestic violence, stalking. Looking forward to number 3!

[destinypotato14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the first book it was quick and epic. I always had a bad feeling abt Jem and as soon as the robber people said JD and underage girls I was like that’s him. I love her and Troy they’re so cute and I hope they get together in the next book.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch, good fun. Glad to be back with the (scooby) gang.

Yeh, ssh, not supposed to have read it till I finished all the June reads. (this is July). but couldn't help myself (and didn't try very hard either).

Next title: Eleanor Jones can't help finding trouble.

[리비 ★ (libby) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i didnt put it on goodreads but i read it yesterday afternoon

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: murder (in the past), domestic violence (in the past), bullying, toxic relationship

I was ridiculously excited to read this when it was announced because I really enjoyed the first book when I read it last year, and I really loved Eleanor as a protagonist. This honestly reminds me of a less high stakes version of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder set in small town Australia, and I'm very much here for it. This one was a compelling mystery, led by a revelation from an old lady with dementia. There were moments when this was darker than I anticipated, but it worked really effectively and I loved how vulnerable and authentically teenaged Eleanor was at various points in the story.

All in all, I cannot WAIT to see where this series goes from here!

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

No lo sé Rick… me gustó más el primero. Lo sentí algo innecesario? Bueno el misterio estuvo interesante y pues luego el creepy guy widjdkdk jajaja. El final fue predecible pero con respecto a los personajes principales jajaja prácticamente me
dieron las mismas vibes que el primer libro… bueno jajajaja. Para tenerlo de fondo todo bien.

[✧･ﾟ. Amy ✧･ﾟ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love a shorter mystery that actually ends up making sense 🥰

very good book, i’m excited to read the third one 👍🏻

[Millie M (8A) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, there were so many plot twists that Amy Doak incorperated nicely, I listened to the audiobook read by Lola Bond, it was very good I loved it.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Doak’s debut novel, Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer, was one of my favourite books of 2023, so I could barely contain my excitement when I discovered there would be more adventures starring the fabulous Eleanor.

Set a few weeks after the events of book one, Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret sees the start of a school project, where Eleanor and her friends pay regular visits to the local aged care home. Eleanor is paired up with elderly resident, Nance Williams, who is suffering from dementia. Nance has moments of lucidity and in one of these she becomes quite agitated and talks about witnessing a murder. Eleanor’s “spidey senses” begin to tingle at the chance to solve another crime, but was there really a murder, or is it the ramblings of a confused elderly woman? As Eleanor begins to investigate she discovers that digging up the past can be dangerous.

Eleanor Jones is again in fine form as the amateur teen detective who is determined to find answers. Her investigation soon takes her to the library to find out about local history. I absolutely love libraries and seeing them in books and I especially loved this quote “…people who work in libraries are a totally unique species of human and they are amazing and they know everything.” As someone who works in a library, I found this so heartwarming.

Eleanor’s friendships are again a highlight with her now having found her tribe. I really enjoyed seeing her much more relaxed and at home, mostly due to amazing loyal friends like Namita, Angus, Ethan, Alfie, Troy and of course Detective Sergeant Holly Williams.

The historical mystery at the centre of this story was so intriguing and had me quickly turning the pages to find answers. Eleanor again finds herself at the centre of it all and in plenty of danger as she refuses to leave things alone even when threatened.

I loved Eleanor! She is an amazingly multifaceted character who is fiercely loyal and protective of her friends and family. Her determination in pursuing the truth is admirable and I was inspired by her quick thinking and cleverness . However, she’s a typical teen in that she doesn’t really consider consequences and is lacking in confidence and certainty.

This leads to her making questionable decisions, which result in some edge of your seat moments.

Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep A Secret can be read as a standalone, but I would highly recommend reading Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer first so you can get to know the characters properly and really appreciate their friendship and of course, their detective skills.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fragments of a memory that is fast fading is the thread that connects a past mystery to the present.
In contrast a sharp young mind is instrumental in some proactive sleuthing.
Eleanor is back.
Eleanor meets Nance on a school program where they pair up with elderly residents at a home.
Suffering dementia she reveals a secret.
Eleanor takes the bait and immediately begins an investigation.
A spate of farm burglaries has the community on edge and the police stretched.
With the help of her friends she embarks on finding out the truth.
A volunteer at the library is keen to help and is a valuable source of information.
The kids do not let fear control them as they find themselves in dangerous situations.
I was impressed at how much this story had to offer and how its twisty nature kept me guessing.
It delved into social issues and the bonds of friendship.
Eleanor is a great lead character that’s provides lighter comedic value.
This is the second book in the series and it wins my appraise.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few weeks after the end of Eleanor Jones Is Not A Murderer, we catch up with Eleanor and her new friends and see what situations they find themselves in next. Their class is doing a community project at the local retirement home, all is going well until one resident shares some unsettling news. But can someone with dementia be trusted with their decades old memories??
.
I really enjoyed this read- I particularly loved how relevant topics were handled - especially healthy and appropriate relationships and red flags. I wish I had this book and read it when I was a teenager! It’s very raw and real and highly important for young people (and adults!).
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I loved Eleanor Jones Is Not A Murderer - and my expectations were pretty high for this second instalment. Well, I wasn’t disappointed. The writing draws you in from the first page, with enough mystery and suspense which will have you clearing your schedule to read read read! Although you could easily pick up book 2 and enjoy it- you’ll get more out of it if you read book 1 first. I’m relieved to know book 3 has been announced for 2025

[TheMadHatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great YA mystery series with a really likable cast and an interesting (if somewhat predictable) mystery. This time, Eleanor stumbles across a 50+ year old missing persons case that our Nancy Drew and her sidekicks take on. Add in some local break and enters in the small Australian town and the usual teenage woes and you have a fast paced book that is over before you know it.

I really love the writing. It seems effortless. Like book 1, I was engaged from page 1 and I am really looking forward to reading more from this author although I hope she ups the ante on the romance side of it as so far it all seems a bit flatline.

Reading Challenge
Aussie Readers 2024 Annual Vowel Book Titles: November/December (Book Title contains all vowels - AEIOU) - Read books where the first letter of the title appears in pErsUAsIOn (E)
Aussie Readers 2024 November "Marcus Zusak" Challenge: His books have been awarded numerous honours ranging from literary prizes to readers choice awards to prizes voted on by booksellers. Read a book by an AUSTRALIAN author

[TheSarahChapters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a fun read.
Teenage love mixed with crime.
So good

[Alisha Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jaxon Manks · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed it
can’t wait for the third book!!

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this book lots more than the first. I also loved finding out it was set in Australia too; I may have missed this in the first book. Another fun, quick, easy read.

The series of events throughout had a good pace to keep me entertained while also continuing with the overall story.

I look forward to read book three to see how everything pans out.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a huge improvement on the first novel. Really loved it!

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I really enjoyed reading it. I did not know who Laura actually was. I am very impressed with this book.

[Núria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5*

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

another exceptional read

can troy and eleanor pls get together soon xx

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw this book in the shops I needed to get it right away! The start sentence had me gripping the book until the very end.
Eleanor is brave and courageous. I thought the robberies were just an extra addition to the book but when Eleanor and Troy snuck into that creepy house I was amazed by how different the story was compared to what I thought it would be. I also didn’t expect a body to be under the floor of the house. I thought that all there would be is an old leather book. But No. Doak astounds me with her writing. When you finally think you’re on the right track, everything changes. The characters that make this story interesting ( Nancy, Vi, Jeremy, Troy and especially Eleanor) are very different and I think that some people can relate to these characters very well. I hated Jeremy! I’m not saying that the story shouldn’t have him in it. Even though I don’t like him I still believe that he was an important character to the story. I honestly didn’t expect him to be with part of the robbers and I thought he was only twenty! Very clever, Amy. My teacher got me the prequel, Eleanor Jones Is Not A Murderer and I loved it. I was waiting for this to come out and every time someone asked me what I want for my birthday, straight away I was like, “ Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep A Secret Please!”
When is Eleanor Jones is on fire coming out? Seriously, Amy, you can’t stop there! Please do more?

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two of Eleanor jones. I loved reading this book I love the characters of Eleanor, namita, Alfie, Ethan, Angus, Troy, millie, min and holly. I loved the mystery that unravels throughout this book as Eleanor investigates. This book is highly entertaining and enjoyable book to read.






Eleanor recently moved to the town of Coodina and has settled in making a nice group of friends Troy, Ethan, namita, Alfie, Angus, it’s been a few weeks since she helped bust a drug ring that involved the chemistry teacher Mr Carl Michael which led to Angus being stabbed. Things have settled down since until Eleanor and her friends reading to the folks in the Cooinda retirement village, assigned to resident nance who confesses to witnessing a murder and the names of Laura laprote and victor sharp. Her friends don’t take it seriously because nance has alzheimers but Eleanor does and begins investigating. She talks to detective holly who takes a look whilst working a case involving a string of farmhouse robberies. She doesn’t get much information on Laura or victor. Eleanor meets Troy’s ex girlfriend Ruby walker who has moved back and she’s just as mean as queen bee Tyler. Eleanor tries to ignore her jealousy over Ruby and Troy. At the library Eleanor meets Jem a uni student who helps research the families history including Laura’s old farmhouse and that there’s no record of her after the age of 15. Eleanor asks other residents and locals and learns that victor and Laura were star crossed lovers the bad boy and good girl. Catherine a staff member of the retirement village knew both Laura and victor and hated Laura. Eleanor believes she killed them not buying the story of Laura and victor running away together. Jem tells Eleanor he found more information that victor was older than Laura and librarian Vi finds a photo of Catherine and victor. Eleanor follows some leads hoping to find Laura’s diary but all are dead ends. Eleanor questions Catherine who admits she dated victor but he was abusive and tried to warn Laura. Eleanor goes on a date with Jem out of jealousy of Troy and Ruby and it’s horrible he forces his kiss on her and begins stalking her. Eleanor and her friends track down victors old house and finds it abandoned but finds the stolen goods from the robberies and quickly hide as the robbers return they discover a Skelton in the crawl space and manage to call the police who arrests the men with the exception of JD who isn’t there. Holly confides that she looked into Jem who is actually 25 year old James Davison who has been using the records to target farmhouses for robberies. Eleanor reads the diary she found of Laura’s and realises that Vi from the library is actually Laura and believes she killed victor. Eleanor doesn’t want to dob her into the police and talks to vi herself and confirms she is Laura giving back her journal. James aka Jem attacks Eleanor who is saved by vi knocking him out they tell the police everything, Laura didn’t kill victor ten year old nance whom she was babysitting accidentally killed victor while protecting Laura, Laura cleaned the mess and hid the body before running away. James is arrested and life settles down peacefully. Troy finally asks out Eleanor on a date who happily says yes.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summed Up: A Modern Day Nancy Drew

- - -
There’s just something about young adult murder mysteries that always gets me. Even though they’re written for teens, they still manage to pull off gripping storylines that big kids like me love to devour.

Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep A Secret reminded me a lot of Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. Eleanor is your classic teenage super sleuth, a modern day Nancy Drew, always on a mission to solve the next big case.

What I really loved about this book, aside from the fun plot and great characters, was how it perfectly delivered life advice for teens, covering everything from crushes to building resilience. Honestly, even though it’s a murder mystery, I’d recommend it to any teen just for the valuable insights on navigating life that Amy perfectly describes.

This book highlights the importance of friendship, adds some fun detective cleverness and as always with teenagers, some questionable decision making 😅

Sequels can be hit or miss, but I think this one was even better than the original! If you haven’t started this series yet, do yourself a favour and read them both.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in just a few hours.

After seeing the book nominated for the 2025 Children’s Book Council Australia (CBCA) Notables list, it wasn’t until students at school chose to make a trailer for this book that I was motivated to read it (also, being a primary school I was mildly concerned this was a book intended for older readers).

Wow!

It’s actually the second book in the series (third book came out this week and is now sitting on my bedside), and works beautifully as a stand alone read.

The Eleanor Jones of the title narrates the book, and speaks directly to readers in parts (“You’re not to judge me, all right? I mean, you need to understand: I had to know…” p272).

With her circle of friends/school mates and single Mum, Min, Eleanor Jones possesses a detective’s nose for intrigue and a reader’s eye for clues.

It’s while visiting the local nursing home as part of a school initiative, sixteen year old Eleanor meets Nance and our story unfolds.

Australian country town Cooinda is the setting, and could be any small town in Australia, with a theatre, library, local cafe and high school.

Holly/Detective Sergeant Holly Williams thankfully arrives when needed, but with parents busy, phone reception poor and protagonists able to cycle/get a lift Cooinda provides all the details and old-fashioned features you would expect from a traditional who-dunnit.

Great work, Amy Doak. New fan here.

[Brooke Layer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Doak • Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret

This is the second book in a young adult series.

Eleanor Jones is still adjusting to her new life in Cooinda. She’s volunteering at the local aged care facility for a school assignment and when her nursing home buddy Nance, who lives with Alzheimers, admits to witnessing a murder Eleanor needs to find out who was killed.

I literally loved this book. It’s such an easy read and I genuinely didn’t pick the ending at all. When the twist came it didn’t feel rushed or weird, it really worked and I was so impressed. I was more impressed by this twist than I was by many well-known authors.

This is a YA trilogy but it doesn’t feel childish at all. This is my favourite of the trilogy so far and I’m so excited for the rest. (Spoiler alert I’ve already read the rest of the series and I loved it.)

If you want a YA series for your kids, or honestly even yourself, I highly recommend this one. Amy is lovely and Eleanor is a character I think everyone needs to know.

[Nora Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t remember how I felt about book 1 (gave it four stars) but Eleanor seems a bit annoying. And the narrator can be a bit shrill.

[Honeybee 676 💐🌻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. 🤯 4/5 star ⭐️ read, Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret was so engaging and enjoyable compared to its previous book 📕 in which I personally found boring 🥱 and hated. In this book, the action and suspense was top tier, Eleanor’s relationships with all the other characters were interesting 🧐 and even though the main mystery set 60+ years ago still kept you in the loop ➰ and wondering what’s going to happen next!

Eleanor Jones is still quite invisible 🫥 and plain but she has made more progress since the last book, 📖 she is more outspoken and confident. Consistently pursuing her desire to complete the mystery and find out what happened to Laura Laprete and Victor Sharp.

I kind of knew either one of them died and there was some kind of twist, with what everyone said about Victor Sharp, I knew he surely would have tried to kill 🔪 Laura at some point. But the perfect 👌🏾 twist was when firstly, Laura turned out to be Vi, 😮 and secondly, little Nance was the one who killed Victor. 🫢 It’s sad 😢 but also a good ending for their little mystery.

I loved 🥰 how even though there was no danger ‼️ since it was set back in the olden days, there was still a threat of safety due to the robbers and creepy Jem. 😰 When he first met Eleanor I thought 💭 he was wayy too upfront with her and I really wanted to know how old he was. 25?! 😳 This is what I also appreciate, including this predator themed bit in the book 📖 to show the real creeps of their world 🌍 and how it’s our duty to watch out and make sure who we’re associating with and letting them do. 😌

Troy, on the other hand 🖐️ has also made some progress since the previous, he’s definitely 💯 more obvious that he likes Eleanor, it was just her that couldn’t recognize it and focused on horrible Ruby Walker. ☹️ Their ending part at the end was cute. 😊

I really hope more happens with Namita and Ethan, I’m happy 😃 he’s tight with the group and in his lil crutches. 🩼 Their secret 🤫 dates/study sessions are also cute. ☺️

Angus is in their friend group now and it’s nice because he fits in quite well after getting stabbed and creating drugs 💊 and all.

Alfie is crazy and weird but that’s just his personality and I hope 🤞🏾 he stays like that. 🤩 I lowkey don’t want him and Millie together because she just dims his spirit and refuses to acknowledge that he’s into her which is kind of annoying. 😒

The old folks at the retirement center were all cute ☺️ old ducks 🦆 and I need to see more of them in the next book! 📖

I can’t believe there’s another coming book! 😆 I can’t wait to see all the characters again, Eleanor and Troy, Namita and Ethan, Alfie and Angus. 😌 Hopefully 🤞🏾 it doesn’t ruin all of them to me and it’s another intriguing 🧐 mystery. 💝

[alice (lana del rey's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0⭐

this was such a fun and easy read! i knocked most of it out in a few hours, and i was really invested in the mystery. it's so underrated, and set in australia, which i love. if you need a high school mystery that you can speed through on a flight or on vacation, this is a great option (the first book in the series is Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer).

i honestly think i preferred the first book better (i think i gave it 4 stars as well though??), as this mystery felt sort of rushed and eleanor didn't really have a real incentive to solve such an old murder (except that she just likes solving murders, i guess..). i also didn't feel very motivated to read during the first chapter of the book, even though the first word was literally 'murder!' because i felt like i was just thrown into the story without any context whatsoever, which made it hard to connect with the characters. but maybe it was just a while since i read the first book. i would have preferred (like how the first book started off) to have some context or just start it off as like a normal day as a highschooler, because the book wasn't really just a mystery, but also included things like friends, family, romance, etc.
and on that topic, i liked the little bit of romance between the characters. jem the creepy guy was portrayed really well and i guessed he had something to do with the robberies / victor really early on which is surprising for me because i'm never able to guess what happens in mysteries lol.
anyway i'm trying not to think too deeply into this book because it was a really fun read!