Point of View

"Chain Letter" is written from a third-person point of view. The narrator may or may not be omniscient, but he does not reveal that omniscience to the reader. It is characteristic of mysteries and suspense stories that the narrator is a kind of conniving and subtle guide to the mystery's resolution. We are given ample clues throughout the novel as to the identity of the Caretaker but those clues are often misleading. When it is noted, for example, that Brenda refused to ride with Kipp on the day that he crashed into a brick wall, we are being guided to suspect Brenda. These kinds of clues, which are really coincidences, are never explained away. They simply become insignificant when the truth is revealed. Occasionally, the narrator takes us into the thoughts of two of the central characters: Tony and Alison. We are privy to Tony's thoughts...