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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. At the end of her conversation with Nikki in Rosie's Bar, Kinsey says that the first move will be to talk to a certain individual. Who is that person?

2. Why is Rosie, the owner of Rosie's Bar, openly hostile to Nikki when she and Kinsey meet there for lunch?

3. What opinion does Gwen have about the trial for her ex-husband Laurence's murder?

4. What does Kinsey find out that makes her think Nikki might be guilty after all?

5. After finding out about Charlotte Mercer, why does Kinsey want to speak to her?

Short Essay Questions

1. Kinsey likes to jog every day, and when she goes out for her daily run after visiting Montebello, Charlie Scorsoni pulls up beside her in his blue Mercedes. They go back to Kinsey's apartment. What do they talk about there?

2. What does Kinsey learn when she stops to speak to Laurence Fife's pharmacist before she leaves Montebello?

3. Kinsey meets Nikki for the second time at Rosie's Bar. What is Rose's Bar, and what do they discuss there?

4. What is Charlie's reaction to Nikki Fife's reopening the murder case? What does he say about Gwen Fife, Sharon Napier, and Libby Glass?

5. After discovering Sharon Napier's whereabouts, Kinsey decides she must visit Los Angeles first. Whom does she go to see there and what does she find out?

6. What happens when Kinsey gets to Sharon's apartment?

7. Kinsey confronts Lyle after she leaves the Glass residence by following him to his workplace. How does he respond to her questions about Libby?

8. What does the reader find out about the city of Santa Teresa in Chapter 2?

9. Immediately after taking on Nikki's case, Kinsey turns her attention to Charlie Scorsoni, Laurence Fife's law partner. What is the result of this?

10. The day after meeting Charlie Scorsoni, Kinsey meets Gwen Fife. Where do they meet, and what does Kinsey learn?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Conflict is a common element of writing in both fiction and nonfiction. Why is conflict so often used in narratives? How can it help move a story along? Give four examples where conflict in "'A' Is for Alibi" occurs and how it helps explain the relationship between Kinsey and other characters.

Essay Topic 2

What do the element of challenges add to a work of fiction, in particular, the murder mystery novel? What challenges does Kinsey Millhone face in "'A' Is for Alibi"? Give four examples of challenges, and explain how she overcomes or is defeated by these challenges.

Essay Topic 3

Tragic Flaw. Discuss your overall impression of Kinsey as a person. Is she good, bad, or average? What are her particular qualities that shape her personality and character as a human being? What is Kinsey's tragic flaw, and what is its part in "'A' Is for Alibi"?

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