Point of View

The novel is written in third-person from several perspectives. These perspectives change, depending on the situation. For example, Chapter 8 is from Matthew's perspective as he visits the Sandpiper for the first time during the investigation. In Chapter 11, Ross goes to the Sandpiper. Chapter 22 is from Jen's perspective as she goes to the Sandpiper. Each chapter is limited to one perspective, and the reader sees the business, the home, and the family through those very different perspectives. Ross would not go to this kind of bar for pleasure, and Jen admits to feeling a little starstruck as she meets Martha for the first time. While the perspectives are limited within each chapter, each is less limited because the reader gets different views of the various characters and situations.

The limited perspective means that Jen and Ross carry on conversations with Janey several times, but they only...