Chapter summaries Not a Happy Family Shari Lapena

Chapter 62 Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

⚠️ This summary and analysis contains major plot revelations from Not a Happy Family, including the identity of the killer and the outcome of the investigation. Read at your own risk.

Summary

Catherine has been on edge ever since Irena was released from custody. The police never explained why they arrested Irena or why they let her go, and Irena has stopped answering Catherine’s calls and her door. Catherine is also rattled because the detectives took DNA samples from all of them two days earlier. When the doorbell rings, she panics, fearing arrest, but it is only Audrey.

Audrey lets herself in and announces that she has been talking to Irena. Catherine is surprised—Irena won’t speak to her own family but will talk to Audrey, who had taken care of Irena’s cat during the arrest. Audrey explains that Irena’s car was seen near the crime scene, but Irena was at home on the phone that night, so someone else must have used the car. The police have phone records to prove it. Audrey adds that Irena kept a spare set of keys in the backyard, and all the siblings knew about it.

Then Audrey delivers the crucial piece of news: the police found a hair—DNA evidence—belonging to Jenna in the driver’s seat of Irena’s car. Audrey learned this from a reporter friend who knows someone in the lab. Catherine and Ted are stunned. Catherine immediately feels a wave of relief. She had long suspected Dan, but now the evidence points to Jenna. Audrey says the DNA is not enough to arrest Jenna for murder; the police interviewed her and let her go.

Catherine realizes that no one else in the family will be charged. The scandal will fade, and they will all inherit. She feels a burden lifted, though she hides her relief. Audrey, clearly enjoying the moment, admits she has always disliked Jenna and would love to see her convicted. She leaves.

Dan receives a call from Catherine. He feels adrenaline and then relief—the detectives will back off him now. Catherine proposes that they confront Jenna that evening to let her know they know the truth and to reassure her they will never say anything. Dan reluctantly agrees, noting Jenna’s temper.

That evening, the siblings gather at Catherine’s house. Irena declined the invitation, saying she wants nothing more to do with them and plans to retire and move south. Catherine, Ted, Jenna, Dan, and Lisa are present. Catherine pours wine and nurses a fake gin and tonic. She tells Jenna that the detectives found her DNA in Irena’s car and that they believe Jenna murdered their parents. She tries to reassure Jenna that nothing will happen because the evidence is insufficient.

Jenna reacts with fury. She denies everything and turns the accusation back on Catherine and Dan, suggesting that one of them killed their parents and planted her hair in Irena’s car. She points out that she never left her house that night, while the others were out for hours. Catherine is horrified to realize that her own husband, Ted, may now doubt her. Lisa, too, looks at Dan with uncertainty. The chapter ends with Catherine thinking bitterly about her family.

Key Events

  • Catherine’s anxiety spikes after Irena’s release; Irena goes silent.

  • Audrey visits and reveals that Irena’s car was seen near the crime scene, but Irena was on the phone at home, proving someone else used the car.

  • Audrey discloses that a hair matching Jenna’s DNA was found in the driver’s seat of Irena’s car.

  • Catherine feels relief, believing Jenna will not be arrested and the family will escape scandal.

  • Catherine and Dan decide to confront Jenna that evening.

  • At the gathering, Catherine tells Jenna about the DNA evidence.

  • Jenna denies it and accuses Catherine or Dan of planting her hair, sowing distrust among the siblings.

  • The chapter ends with Catherine’s internal lament about her family.

Character Development

Catherine shifts from fear to relief. She had suspected Dan for most of the novel, but the DNA evidence redirects her suspicion to Jenna. Her relief is selfish—she cares more about avoiding scandal and securing the inheritance than about justice. She also shows a manipulative side, wanting to “reassure” Jenna while secretly planning to keep an eye on her.

Dan is relieved that the investigation will back off him. He is also pragmatic, agreeing to confront Jenna despite his fear of her temper. His relief is tinged with wariness—he now knows which sibling to watch.

Jenna reveals her cold, defensive nature. She does not confess or show guilt; instead, she immediately attacks, accusing her siblings of planting evidence. Her confidence returns when she realizes the DNA is not conclusive. She uses the fact that the others were out that night to cast doubt on them.

Audrey emerges as a bitter, vindictive figure. She enjoys passing on the information and openly wishes to see Jenna convicted. Her resentment stems from being cut out of Fred’s will, and she feels she deserved a share.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Family mistrust is the central theme. The siblings are unable to trust one another even when they share a common secret. Jenna’s counter-accusation instantly fractures the fragile alliance, leaving Catherine and Dan doubting each other and their spouses.

Inheritance motive drives the plot. The siblings’ desire for wealth and their fear of losing it shape their decisions. Catherine’s relief that “they’ll all be rich” shows that money outweighs morality.

Manipulation appears in Jenna’s denial and in Catherine’s plan to control the narrative. Both sisters try to manipulate the situation to protect themselves.

Secrets and lies are motifs. The spare keys, the hidden hair, and the unspoken accusations all represent the family’s buried truths.

Burden of suspicion is lifted from Catherine and Dan, but it is transferred to Jenna—and then back onto them when Jenna accuses them. The burden never truly disappears.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel. It confirms that Jenna is the likely killer, at least in the minds of Catherine and Dan, and it sets up the final confrontation. The DNA evidence is not enough for an arrest, so the family must decide how to live with the truth. The chapter also deepens the theme of mistrust, as Jenna’s accusation poisons the relationships among the siblings and their spouses. It raises the stakes for the ending: will Jenna get away with murder, or will the truth come out?

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Catherine feel relief when she learns about Jenna’s DNA?

Catherine is relieved because the evidence points to Jenna, not to Dan or herself. She believes Jenna will not be arrested because the DNA is insufficient, so the family will avoid scandal and still inherit the money. Her relief is selfish—she prioritizes her own comfort over justice.

2. How does Jenna defend herself when confronted?

Jenna denies the accusation and turns the tables, suggesting that one of the other siblings killed their parents and planted her hair in Irena’s car. She points out that she never left her house that night, while the others were out for hours, casting suspicion on them.

3. What effect does Jenna’s counter-accusation have on Catherine and Dan?

Jenna’s accusation creates doubt and fear. Catherine realizes that her husband Ted may now suspect her, and Lisa looks at Dan with uncertainty. The siblings’ fragile alliance shatters, leaving each of them isolated and distrustful.

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