The novel focuses on the relationship between Joe and his companions on the barge – a husband, Les and his younger wife, Ella – and it becomes clearer as the novel progresses that Joe is connected to the dead woman he found.
The narrative explores Joe’s relationships with his fellow passengers on the barge, including a married couple, Les and his young wife, Ella. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that Joe has some connection to the dead woman he found.