Thompson's techniques vary drastically from those of other detective and crime writers of his era. His novels are psychological studies, in which he delves into the darkest thoughts and passions of his characters. Even the "good" characters' motives come under reader scrutiny. Many of his novels lack a clear moral center, and readers find themselves asked to provide their own moral centers. He uses an unusual technique in telling this particular story, allowing each character to tell one or two chapters from his or her point of view. Thus, the novel is narrated in fourteen chapters by ten different voices. While William Faulkner made this technique famous in novels such as The Sound and the Fury (1929) and As I Lay Dying (1930), few writers have used it with success as Thompson does.

Thompson remains a master of understatement. In digesting this novel, which is both subtle and satirical, readers...