What were some of the ways Cameron manipulated the people around him? Why and how did he get away with it?

Over the course of the novel, Cameron Bright is revealed to us as someone who had both good and not so good qualities, which he hides well. What were some of the ways Cameron manipulated the people around him? Why and how did he get away with it?

In some respects, Cameron reminded me of a Ted Bundy type - not that he was a serial killer but, like Bundy, had people bamboozled with his good lucks and success of his ranch. In many ways people with that smooth social veneer are often the last to be suspected of horror underneath all that polish.

If one is charming during daily activities, that person can get away with much more in his/her personal life because people aren't watching. There is more vigilance toward someone who makes us angry or suspicious. A good ol' boy will always be given additional leeway and the victim skepticism when speaking against such a wonderful 'friend'.

Like all abusers, he warned the people he victimized "not to tell." Everyone in the family kept secrets to themselves. In Chapter 35 (p. 306) when Harry asks Nathan why he never called for help when his father mistreated the three brothers and their mother, Nathan thinks "He hadn't called anyone for help because it simply hadn't occurred to him that he could ..... unspoken rules: don't tell anyone, not even each other ....
Out there, he was on his own."

Annec has an excellent point. And people find it so much easier to look the other way, maybe just not wanting to believe that he (especially if the other person is known to them) could do such a thing.

He was charming, and on the exterior he looked to be a huge success, and people respected that. But, at the same time he probably was a bully, and was just used to always getting his way. The isolation didn't help either, because people couldn't see what was happening.

Perhaps Cam was more aggressive than mere manipulation. He appeared to actively make certain that Nathan wouldn't get the things he wanted (i.e. a relationship with Ilse) and it appeared that he didn't help Nathan's relationship with the townspeople even after a number of years.

Cameron was manipulative in many ways, i.e. physically and mentally abusing his wife, physically harming his daughter, raping Jenna Moore, forcing Katy into a sexual relationship she didn't want, refusing to help smooth things over with the townspeople when they ostracized Nathan, dating Ilse when he knew Nathan was interested in her and not considering Bub's ideas for doing things differently in the operation of the ranch. He got away with it because "don't tell" was the rule in the Bright family. Also, since he presented such a charming front to those who didn't know him well, he was considered a "good guy."

Cameron was good looking and charming and those two qualities cause many people to overlook character flaws. There were no close friends or neighbors who could see his actions on a regular basis so there was no community indignation.

His father knew of many of his misdeeds and yet protected him, starting with the first rape of a young woman. The father abused his wife and children and as a result, Cameron was taught by example to control through abuse of his wife and children and as his father's favored child, control over his brothers.

I agree with Jackie. Good looks and charm go a long way, and few would believe that someone like that could be anything other than a good guy. Isolation is a huge part of control, and just by living where they did, that was a built-in condition.