Point of View

The novel, like many of this genre, is narrated from the first person subjective point of view—specifically, that of Sughrue, the central character and protagonist. This point of view is effective on several levels. First, it places the reader in a similar position to that of the narrator, as both struggle to put the pieces of the novel's mystery together. Second, it draws the reader into the narrator's mind, not just in terms of his thought processes as he strives to solve the mystery but also in terms of the feelings, memories, and experiences that he becomes aware of during that process of striving. In other words, it draws the reader into the broader range of Sughrue's experience, making him a much more complex and engaging character than other, often shallowly drawn, detective figures in narratives of this genre. Third, the language and attitudes...