Point of View

This novel is told from the point of view of an omniscient, third person narrator. There is no particular character of focus in the novel. The action of the novel follows a linear timeline. Information is given to the reader as it is unveiled through conversations between characters, or as it is given by the narrator.

Language and Meaning

John Grisham, the author of The Whistler, is a noted trial lawyer who has become famous for his crime novels. As such, Grisham uses many law terms, including ones that are specific to racketeering, in this story. There are several acronyms which could be unfamiliar to the reader. RICO, for instance, stands for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act; and DLE is the Department of Law Enforcement. The writing is very dense with a good deal of information given in a short amount of time. The...