Ron Rash writes “Burning Bright” in third-person limited omniscient about a woman, Marcie who has a late husband, Arthur, and a second husband, Carl. The town she lives in in North Carolina is going through a drought and someone is setting fires in the woods. Marcie begins to believe Carl, her second husband is setting the fires because he is never home during the times the fires were set, he drives a black pickup truck, and he picked a lighter as Marcie’s gift to him.
“But it was a tray of cigarette lighters where he lingered. He asked the clerk to see several, opening and closing their hinged lids, flicking the thumbwheel to summon the flame, finally settling on one whose metal bore the image of a cloisonné tiger.” (p112)
Even though Marcie believes Carl is setting the fires, she lies to the Sheriff about where Carl was when the last fire was set.
“You don‘t need to ask Carl,” Marcie said. “He was here eating supper.”
“At six o‘clock?”
“Around six, but he was here by five thirty.”
“How are you so sure of that?”
“The five–thirty news had just come on when he pulled up.”