Point of View

As is common in the murder mystery genre, the majority of the novel is told from the perspective of the main protagonist, Dave Robicheaux. The only exceptions to this assertion can be found in Chapters 4, 14, and 18, which chronicle events that take place in the past. By breaking away from the first-person perspective, the author grounds the greater overall narrative in both time and space outside the story. In addition, the use of an omniscient narrator in Chapters 14 and 18 affords the reader the luxury of determining what impact these historical events have on the present lives of Dave Robicheaux and the other characters in the novel. Furthermore, historical information (pertaining to the American south and to the personal life of Dave Robicheaux offer an opportunity for broader discussion of such subjects as marital infidelity and black and white race relations in America. Robicheaux's first-person narration is uncomplicated...