Point of View

This novel is told from the point of view of a third-person narrator. The narrator follows Armand most closely. Consider the opening sentence of the novel: “‘This doesn’t feel right, patron.’ Isabelle Lacoste’s voice in his earpiece was anxious, verging on urgent” (1). Isabelle speaks to Armand, who is unnamed in this sentence because those who follow Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series recognize to whom she is reporting. The narrator presents Armand from the beginning as the central, top person in the Sûreté and as the central character in the novel.

This third-person narration is ideal for this novel because the plot is about uncovering motives. It deals with the psychological reactions people have to the things that happen around them. While the reader does connect with Armand and Jean-Guy as they struggle with their opinion of what Abigail is suggesting versus...