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The Truth About Ruby Cooper
Not yet published
Expected 25 Aug 26“I couldn’t stop reading! Absolutely a triumph!” —Freida McFadden
From the internationally bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond comes a twisted and brilliantly observed new novel about two sisters and the lies that shape their lives.
If my sister hadn’t been beautiful, none of it would have happened.
Ruby Cooper and her sister, Erin, live an idyllic life in their close-knit church community in Boston. But when Ruby is sixteen, she is involved in an incident that causes her family’s world to implode.
Across decades, the fallout leaves a wake of destruction behind Ruby in Dublin and Erin in Boston.
Not that Ruby wants to think about the past.
But it can’t stay a secret forever.
From the internationally bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond comes a twisted and brilliantly observed new novel about two sisters and the lies that shape their lives.
If my sister hadn’t been beautiful, none of it would have happened.
Ruby Cooper and her sister, Erin, live an idyllic life in their close-knit church community in Boston. But when Ruby is sixteen, she is involved in an incident that causes her family’s world to implode.
Across decades, the fallout leaves a wake of destruction behind Ruby in Dublin and Erin in Boston.
Not that Ruby wants to think about the past.
But it can’t stay a secret forever.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 12, 2026
4 people are currently reading
948 people want to read
About the author
Liz Nugent
12 books4,672 followersLiz Nugent worked as a stage manager in theatres in Ireland and toured internationally before writing extensively for radio and television drama.
Unravelling Oliver was published in 2014, hit the number 1 spot for several weeks and won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards.
Lying in Wait, published in 2016, went straight to number 1 and was chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club. It won the Radio 1 Ryan Tubridy Listeners Choice Award at the Irish Book Awards.
In October 2017, Liz won the Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Award in Literature.
Skin Deep was published in 2018. It also went straight to number 1 in the bestsellers charts and scooped two awards at the An Post Irish Book Awards in Nov '18: Crime Novel of the Year AND the Radio 1 Ryan Tubridy Listener's Choice Award.
Little Cruelties (Our Little Cruelties) was published in 2020. Another number 1 bestseller, it topped the charts for fifteen weeks, was nominated for Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, long listed for a CWA award at Theakston Crime Festival at Harrogate. It was listed as one of the most recommended thrillers of the Year by the New York Times.
Liz was presented with the James Joyce Medal for Literature (via Zoom!) in February 21 and was a Guest of Honour at Iceland Noir in November 21.
Strange Sally. Diamond was published in 2023 and was number 1 in the Irish charts for 9 weeks and stayed I the top ten for 26 weeks. It won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and made the shortlist of six for Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2024. It was the second best selling book in Ireland after the Booker Prize winning Prophet Son by Paul Lynch and the most borrowed book for adults from Irish libraries.
Her new novel The Truth About Ruby Cooper will be published in March 2026 in UK and iRL by Penguin Sandycove and in the US by Gallery /Simon and Schuster at a later date TBC.
Unravelling Oliver was published in 2014, hit the number 1 spot for several weeks and won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards.
Lying in Wait, published in 2016, went straight to number 1 and was chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club. It won the Radio 1 Ryan Tubridy Listeners Choice Award at the Irish Book Awards.
In October 2017, Liz won the Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Award in Literature.
Skin Deep was published in 2018. It also went straight to number 1 in the bestsellers charts and scooped two awards at the An Post Irish Book Awards in Nov '18: Crime Novel of the Year AND the Radio 1 Ryan Tubridy Listener's Choice Award.
Little Cruelties (Our Little Cruelties) was published in 2020. Another number 1 bestseller, it topped the charts for fifteen weeks, was nominated for Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, long listed for a CWA award at Theakston Crime Festival at Harrogate. It was listed as one of the most recommended thrillers of the Year by the New York Times.
Liz was presented with the James Joyce Medal for Literature (via Zoom!) in February 21 and was a Guest of Honour at Iceland Noir in November 21.
Strange Sally. Diamond was published in 2023 and was number 1 in the Irish charts for 9 weeks and stayed I the top ten for 26 weeks. It won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and made the shortlist of six for Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2024. It was the second best selling book in Ireland after the Booker Prize winning Prophet Son by Paul Lynch and the most borrowed book for adults from Irish libraries.
Her new novel The Truth About Ruby Cooper will be published in March 2026 in UK and iRL by Penguin Sandycove and in the US by Gallery /Simon and Schuster at a later date TBC.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Want to read
July 25, 2025Eeeek! I love this authors work!
I cant wait for this to be released!
😁😁😁😁😁
I cant wait for this to be released!
😁😁😁😁😁
August 4, 2025
Giving 5 stars to off set that silly 2 star review when it’s not even published yet- or arcs available. I am SO EXCITED for this!!!!
November 20, 2025
The Queen of the Opening Line has done it again!
This is a perfect example of how to nail the psychological thriller, keep the reader utterly gripped and throw in several WTF and OMG moments that literally left me open mouthed with shock.
As a huge fan of Liz Nugent and having read all her books, I was delighted to get an early ARC copy of The Truth About Ruby Cooper. I was so excited I didn’t even read the blurb, so went in completely oblivious to what this story was about and if you need further proof of how much I loved it, I didn’t put it down and devoured it in a day, only stopping halfway to message Liz to say WOW.
I’m not going to spoil anything for you, but I will say it’s about a family, a shocking and awful incident and the cataclysmic and devastating effects it has on everyone from that moment on.
It’s raw and beautiful, brutal and heartbreaking laying bare some of the truths about addiction, recovery and the effect our actions have on those we love.
5 big fat stars
This is a perfect example of how to nail the psychological thriller, keep the reader utterly gripped and throw in several WTF and OMG moments that literally left me open mouthed with shock.
As a huge fan of Liz Nugent and having read all her books, I was delighted to get an early ARC copy of The Truth About Ruby Cooper. I was so excited I didn’t even read the blurb, so went in completely oblivious to what this story was about and if you need further proof of how much I loved it, I didn’t put it down and devoured it in a day, only stopping halfway to message Liz to say WOW.
I’m not going to spoil anything for you, but I will say it’s about a family, a shocking and awful incident and the cataclysmic and devastating effects it has on everyone from that moment on.
It’s raw and beautiful, brutal and heartbreaking laying bare some of the truths about addiction, recovery and the effect our actions have on those we love.
5 big fat stars
August 31, 2025
I’ve read everything this author has written so I was excited to read a 30 page sampler and I enjoyed it. It’s got quite a heavy storyline but it is a page turner and written in the authors typical style. I’m excited and intrigued to read more.
August 6, 2025
Can’t wait for this book, all her others are 5 stars so I’m assuming this one will be too haha
November 20, 2025
I didn’t read the blurb, I didn’t read the author foreword letter to the reader. I went in blind.
Ruby and Erin are sisters. The Truth About Ruby Cooper tells the story of the incident that happened when they were teenagers and the impacts on those concerned through the decades and through generations.
This is a completely original thriller, I’ve never read this angle before.
This is a masterpiece from Liz Nugent. Serious subjects, deeply involving believable characters, tightly plotted and with plenty of hard hitting shocks along the way.
Definitely a book of the year. Read it as soon as you possibly can!
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business
Ruby and Erin are sisters. The Truth About Ruby Cooper tells the story of the incident that happened when they were teenagers and the impacts on those concerned through the decades and through generations.
This is a completely original thriller, I’ve never read this angle before.
This is a masterpiece from Liz Nugent. Serious subjects, deeply involving believable characters, tightly plotted and with plenty of hard hitting shocks along the way.
Definitely a book of the year. Read it as soon as you possibly can!
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business
November 19, 2025
I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, I was looking forward to it and I wasn't disappointed, I read it in a day as I could not put it down. The characters were so well drawn, once again another fabulous book by this author that I will be recommending to everyone.
November 20, 2025
This has been skillfully masterminded and is something quite different. It makes for a harrowing read but is nevertheless a gripping and dramatic thriller. Nothing is what it it first seems. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can highly recommend it.
November 21, 2025
If you love your stories sharp and your characters properly wicked, Lucy Cooper’s world is an absolute ride!
Practically inhaled this. Lost sleep over it.
Absolutely… LOVED IT.
There a deviousness running throughout - in the plot, in Lucy and her choices, in the way everything slowly tightens around her - that reminded me so much of Skin Deep (one of my favourite books.)
Liz Nugent REALLY knows how to craft a character you’re horrified and obsessed by in equal measure!
Fair warning: the subject matter definitely veers into the dark, and Lucy herself is… let’s just say morally flexible.
But that’s exactly what makes both her and the story so gripping for me.
It’s twisted in all the best, most addictive ways, and once the plot really starts to unravel… gah!! I was glued. GLUUUUED. To every page.
Practically inhaled this. Lost sleep over it.
Absolutely… LOVED IT.
There a deviousness running throughout - in the plot, in Lucy and her choices, in the way everything slowly tightens around her - that reminded me so much of Skin Deep (one of my favourite books.)
Liz Nugent REALLY knows how to craft a character you’re horrified and obsessed by in equal measure!
Fair warning: the subject matter definitely veers into the dark, and Lucy herself is… let’s just say morally flexible.
But that’s exactly what makes both her and the story so gripping for me.
It’s twisted in all the best, most addictive ways, and once the plot really starts to unravel… gah!! I was glued. GLUUUUED. To every page.
November 5, 2025
I was so thrilled to get an early read of this book, because Liz is one of my favourite authors! I've read and loved all her books. THE TRUTH ABOUT RUBY COOPER is is a brilliant page-turner about family secrets, sibling rivalry, and sex as a weapon. It's another dark, twisted Liz Nugent winner. I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews