How does the author use flashback in the novel, A Toast Before Dying?

The mostly straightforward, linear plot does use some flashback when necessary for clarity. The most prominent use of flashback is with the introduction of new characters to tell something about their lives. While most of the flashback is direct description, some of it is in the stories about characters, told especially as a form of gossip or as reminiscences from some of the older characters such as Mali's father and Miss Adele.