Jim Qwilleran

Qwilleran, referred to by his last name throughout the book, is its central characte and detective. The narrative does not go into extensive detail about his background. This is the third book in the series and the author seems to assume that the reader is at least passingly familiar with what has gone on in the character's life up to the point the narrative begins. Nevertheless, hints about who he was emerge in various conversations. He is an alcoholic who is divorced, unlucky in love, and lonely. Qwilleran is trying to rebuild his life after what seems to have been a significant period of dysfunction. As part of this process, he works in a job he feels is to some degree beneath him, writing what he thinks of as soft and feature-length stories of human interest for a small Midwestern town newspaper. This is in sharp contrast...