Chapter summaries The Girl from Devil's Lake J. A. Jance

The Girl from Devil’s Lake Chapter 53 (Chapter 51) Summary & Analysis

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

Summary

Sunday, December 10, 2023. Joanna wakes to a flood of interview requests after Anna Rae sends out the press release about Marliss Shackleford’s murder. She schedules network and local TV spots but stays home instead of attending church, explaining to her children Dennis and Sage that she cannot answer questions about the case. Detective Deb Howell calls to say Marliss’s mother, Dianne Borison, is arriving to meet Joanna. Dianne, a condescending woman dripping with diamonds, dismisses Bisbee as a hick town and Marliss’s home as a rundown shack. She tells Joanna that Marliss wanted cremation and her ashes scattered at Juniper Flats. Dianne has arranged a memorial service and asks Joanna to deliver the eulogy, believing her daughter considered Joanna her best friend. Joanna accepts, recognizing their parallel struggles with controlling mothers and absent fathers.

Key Events

  • Joanna sleeps ten hours, then wakes to a media storm: four networks and Tucson stations request hour-long interviews. She schedules them but refuses to change her appearance.
  • She forwards evidence‑photo requests to Dave Hollicker and confirms the press release response with Anna Rae.
  • Dennis notices Joanna skipping church and connects it to police activity near Roper’s house. Joanna clarifies the suspect can’t be named before the arraignment.
  • Sage also asks to stay home; Joanna agrees without argument.
  • Detective Howell calls to inform Joanna that Dianne Borison wants to meet.
  • Dianne arrives at the sheriff’s office, treating Joanna and Bisbee with undisguised snobbery. She reveals Marliss’s wish for cremation and ashes at Juniper Flats.
  • Dianne mentions a memorial service at Higgins Funeral Home on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and asks Joanna to give the eulogy, believing Marliss considered Joanna her best friend.
  • Joanna, moved by their shared struggles, accepts.

Character Development

  • Joanna Brady: Shows maturity in handling media pressure by prioritizing her duties and refusing to conform to cosmetic expectations. Her decision to skip church reflects a need for professional privacy. She demonstrates empathy by agreeing to eulogize Marliss despite their complicated history.
  • Dennis and Sage: Both express curiosity and independence. Dennis connects the crime‑scene tape to gossip; Sage seeks permission to stay home. Joanna grants autonomy, signaling trust.
  • Dianne Borison: Introduced as a condescending, judgmental figure who belittles Bisbee and Marliss’s choices. Her grief is real but overshadowed by her own vanity and lack of understanding of her daughter’s life.
  • Marliss Shackleford: Though deceased, her character deepens through Dianne’s revelations: a strained relationship with her mother, a preference for simple living, and a church‑going side that surprises Dianne.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Media Management vs. Privacy: Joanna’s careful scheduling of interviews while staying out of church symbolizes the tension between public duty and personal boundaries.
  • Mother‑Daughter Conflict: Dianne’s contempt for Marliss’s choices mirrors the challenges Joanna faced with her own mother, Eleanor. Joanna recognizes this parallel, which fuels her willingness to give the eulogy.
  • Hick‑Town Stigma vs. Community Value: Dianne’s snobbery about Bisbee and the “run‑down shack” contrasts with Joanna’s quiet pride in the town and its history (company housing, Phelps Dodge).
  • Legacy and Closure: Marliss’s wish for cremation and ashes at Juniper Flats—a high, dangerous point—reflects her desire for a final gesture of freedom, away from her mother’s control.
  • Unexpected Friendship: Dianne’s mistaken belief that Marliss and Joanna were best friends underscores how little she knew her daughter, while Joanna’s decision to eulogize Marliss represents a bridge between their professional rivalry and shared humanity.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 53 pivots from the investigation’s procedural aftermath to the human cost of murder. It solidifies Joanna’s character as she balances media obligations, family dynamics, and a deeply personal encounter with the victim’s mother. The eulogy request sets up a critical emotional arc for the next chapters: Joanna must honor a woman she often clashed with, and in doing so, she reaffirms her own values of community, compassion, and integrity. The chapter also deepens the theme of parental influence, contrasting Dianne’s dismissiveness with Joanna’s more supportive approach to her own children.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Joanna decide not to go to church, and how does she explain it to Dennis?
    Joanna feels that attending church would expose her to unanswered questions about the case, which she legally cannot discuss before the suspect is charged. She tells Dennis it’s “rude” to face people she can’t fully answer.

  2. How does Dianne Borison’s attitude toward Bisbee and her daughter’s home reveal her character?
    Dianne dismisses Bisbee as a “hick town” and calls Marliss’s bungalow a “run‑down shack.” This shows her snobbery, her lack of understanding of Marliss’s life, and the emotional distance between mother and daughter.

  3. What does Joanna’s acceptance of the eulogy request suggest about her growth?
    Despite their adversarial history, Joanna sees their shared experiences and chooses empathy over resentment. It shows her ability to set aside personal feelings to serve the community and honor the dead.

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