Death of an Expert Witness Test | Final Test - Hard

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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. Who sees Dr. Lorrimer dead but leaves the scene without telling anyone?

2. What does Mr. Lorrimer remember about a conversation with a woman who calls earlier in the week?

3. What happens to Dr. Lorrimer for about six months?

4. To what does Director Howarth think back?

5. What does Nell ask Dalgliesh and Massingham?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Brenda work the day after the discovery of the murder and what does she discuss with Director Howarth?

2. What additional information does Dalgliesh learn from Angela Foley?

3. Describe Maxim Howarth's thoughts about Domenica?

4. What does Major Hunt tell Dalgliesh and Massingham about Dr. Lorrimer's will?

5. Describe Domenica Schofield.

6. What does Dalgliesh ask Domenica and Howarth and what astounds the detectives with Domenica's reply?

7. What do the detectives from in a locked drawer in Dr. Lorrimer's room?

8. What does Dalgliesh learn from Miss Willard?

9. Who do Dalgliesh and Massingham meet upon arriving at the Lorrimer cottage and what do they learn from the person?

10. What does Dalgliesh think about concerning his interview with Dr. Kerrison?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

It seems that Dr. Kerrison should know a lot about crime and how a detective investigates a crime scene to be able to avoid some of the mistakes he makes that leads to his exposure as the murderer. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze throughout the book all the mistakes Dr. Kerrison makes. Are they stupid mistakes or is Dalgliesh so good that Dalgliesh is able to pick up on very tiny clues?

2. Sometimes it almost seems that a criminal wants to get caught. Do you think this is partially why Dr. Kerrison makes the mistakes he does? Why or why not?

3. Dalgliesh states that Kerrison almost seems relieved when the detectives drive up to arrest him. Why do you think this is?

Essay Topic 3

Probably one of the most important literary techniques in a detective novel is foreshadowing. However, much of the foreshadowing is only obvious by the end of the book. P.D. James gives plenty of clues as to the outcome of the main plot and so the reader should not be totally in the dark by the end of the book. Discuss the following:

1. Find ten instances of foreshadowing in earlier parts of the book and discuss how they are fulfilled later in the book.

2. Besides foreshadowing, many mysteries contain many devices sometimes called "red herrings." Define red herring and then discuss five examples of that in the book.

3. Why do you think foreshadowing is inherent in a murder mystery? What would be the effect on the story if there were no foreshadowing? What if there were no red herrings?

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