Point of View

The majority of this story is narrated in the first person limited point of view of Parnell. The exception is the opening section The Burned Man, which is narrated by a third person narrator from the perspective of Rhodes. Nickless uses a different point of view for this opening section because Parnell is not present for Rhodes’ trip to Elise’s apartment. She does not see or experience what he sees and experiences inside Elise’s apartment so Parnell would be unable to narrate that portion of the book.

Parnell’s point of view is important because it is not only what happens in the novel but also how she reacts to it that is significant. Nickless has written a murder mystery with the added angle of describing what life with PTSD is like. If Nickless had not written this novel from the first person...