This story is told from the point of view of third person omniscient. The narrator not only has access to the visible actions and spoken sentiments of every character, but also the inner thoughts of such. As the scenes of the book change, so does the narrator's focus, as it follows the present action. The narrator is honest and trustworthy, and informs the reader of facts that not every other character in the book can know. The reader is far more informed than any other character in the book, which allows for deeper understanding and heavier judgment to fall on characters like Peter Thorpe. Thorpe looks so guilty that his peers believe he could not possibly be guilty. However, less than halfway through the novel the reader watches as he tortures his longtime friend, Nicholas West. Though Abrams and Patrick O'Brien do not trust Thorpe, another fact learned through the omniscient narrator, they do not have the eyewitness evidence that the reader gains as a fly on the wall.