Publisher’s Description
Arizona County Sheriff Joanna Brady solves her biggest case yet, from a body in the desert to crimes spanning decades and countries, in the thrilling latest installment in the New York Times bestselling suspense series.
Sheriff Joanna Brady is looking forward to the holidays with her busy family, and to celebrating her daughter Jenny’s graduation from the police academy. But the family is interrupted when a body is discovered beneath a flooded bridge in the Arizona desert, and Joanna is called onto the case. A young boy was murdered, and the details of the crime scene tell Joanna two things: This was not the killer’s first murder. And it’s only a matter of time before he kills again.
As Joanna digs deeper into the case, she begins to understand this murder is just one piece of a much, much bigger puzzle. She uncovers unlikely connections between cases of mysterious deaths and missing persons, having long since gone cold, that extend far beyond the confines of her small town and include the discovery of a body near Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. To get justice for the victims and to save the town of Bisbee from a predator, Joanna must chase down every dangerous lead.
Meanwhile, as a dogged journalist is circling the case and privileged information is leaked, Joanna can’t be sure who to trust. Could a prolific killer be hiding in plain sight? And how far will that person go to keep his many crimes hidden?
Thrilling Reads Review
J.A. Jance’s The Girl from Devil’s Lake is the 21st novel in her long-running Joanna Brady series, and it opens with one of the most unsettling beginnings yet. In rural Minnesota in 1956, a young boy murders his step-grandmother. Haunted by voices in his head, he embarks on a lifelong killing spree that stretches across decades and states. From this chilling start, Jance weaves a procedural thriller that’s both character-driven and deeply atmospheric.
Fast-forward to the present day: Arizona Sheriff Joanna Brady is preparing for the holidays and her daughter’s police academy graduation when duty calls. A body is found beneath a flooded bridge in the desert, and Joanna immediately recognizes the work of an experienced killer. As she digs deeper, she uncovers a string of cold cases and missing persons reports that lead all the way to Devil’s Lake, North Dakota.
The novel alternates perspectives between Joanna’s investigation and the killer’s dark evolution. Since readers know from the outset who the murderer is, the suspense hinges not on “whodunit” but on whether Joanna can uncover the full truth in time. The effect is a slow tightening of tension as the investigation unravels the killer’s decades-long trail of victims.
What makes this installment stand out is Jance’s ability to balance the procedural details with the personal stakes. Joanna is a capable sheriff, but also a mother, daughter, and wife juggling competing responsibilities. Against that, the killer’s voice-driven compulsion offers a disturbing study of evil festering in plain sight.
With its sharp pacing, vivid Southwestern setting, and psychologically chilling premise, The Girl from Devil’s Lake is both a standout procedural and a character-rich crime novel. Fans of the series will find much to admire, while new readers will be hooked from the very first page.
Interview with the Author
