Point of View

The point of view of this novel is first person. The main character, private investigator Kinsey Millhone, is the narrator. Kinsey narrates the novel much like the detective movies of the fifties, talking the reader through the case as though she were writing a report on her investigation. This type of narration gives the novel a nostalgic feel. Kinsey never really lies to the reader, but there are times when Kinsey does not have all the information; therefore, she appears to be something of an unreliable narrator when she expresses an opinion about the case that later proves to be inaccurate or only partially correct.

The point of view of this novel works because of the nostalgic aspect to it. The novel is written in such a way that it reminds the reader of the type of narration that took place in old movies such as...