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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. What does Mercer do after offering Dalgliesh assistance?

2. About what is Massingham happy when they land?

3. Who is Maxim Howarth?

4. What prints are found on the mallet?

5. Who interrupts the meeting between Howarth and Dr. Lorrimer?

Short Essay Questions

1. About what situation does Dalgliesh try to understand?

2. Describe Adam Dalgliesh.

3. Why does Blakelock go up to Dr. Lorrimer's lab and what does he tell Director Howarth when coming back downstairs?

4. How do Angela Foley and Stella Mawson come to be living together?

5. Describe the conversation between Brenda Pridmore and Adam Dalgliesh.

6. Describe Mrs. Bidwell.

7. How is the staff at Hoggatt's Lab sorted for who needs to stay and who may go home?

8. Why is Dr. Lorrimer's father calling and what does Brenda offer to do?

9. Why is Dr. Kerrison leaving his home in the middle of the night and what is his biggest concern?

10. Who arrives at the lab before any one else and what surprises one of them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Death of an Expert Witness belongs to the literary genre of mystery/detective fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Thoroughly define the term genre and offer examples of it from your own reading experience. Why do you think it is useful to categorize fiction into genres? What could be a disadvantage of doing so?

2. What do you think is the main motivation for a person to read a mystery and detective novel? Is entertainment a good enough reason? Are there any other reasons to read this genre? What? Explain fully.

3. In "academe," mystery/murder novels are often thought of as less literary than some other genres and for that reason are sometimes "snubbed" in the study of literature. Why do you think this is so? Do you agree with this "snobbery"?

Essay Topic 2

Brenda Pridmore's character serves at least two functions in the novel. Discuss the following:

1. Analyze Brenda Pridmore's character. What are her strengths, weaknesses and personality? Is she a sympathetic character?

2. One of Brenda Pridmore's function in the story is to be as "ignorant" as the reader about criminal investigations and evidence gathering in order to ask questions that the reader might ask and thus educate the reader. How well does Brenda Pridmore serve in this function?

3. A second function for the character of Brenda Pridmore is to serve as a literary foil to several of the character. Define the term "literary foil" and analyze how Pridmore serves as a foil and to what characters and how she does so.

Essay Topic 3

One of the themes of the novel, as alluded to over and over, is the idea that the investigation into a crime disregards all claims to privacy. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze the ways in which Dr. Lorrimer's privacy is violated after his death. Is this right and necessary? Is there any way to conduct an investigation to discover his murderer without violating his privacy?

2. Not only is Dr. Lorrimer's privacy violated, but so, too, is the privacy of several other characters. Discuss two other characters (besides Dr. Larrimer) whose privacy is violated in the course of the murder investigation. Is this invasion of privacy right? Necessary? Is there any way to conduct an investigation to discover the murderer without violating these people's privacy?

3. In the "real" world, many times the privacy of the victim's and perpetrator's families are also violated. Do you believe the police and press have the right to invade innocent people's privacy? What can be done to minimize the effects of this on the families of those involved in a crime? Do you think the criminal's family deserves as much respect to privacy as the victim's family? Why or why not? Do Nell and William deserve privacy?

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