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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 is the name of the woman that Rosalyn Simpson is involved with?

2. When Lynley goes to Elena's room to look for clues, what does Lynley realize Elena had been fond of?

3. Who leaves a message on Sarah Gordon's phone while she is being interviewed by Lynley?

4. Who is Rosalyn's chief competitor in the running club she belonged to?

5. How old is Barbara Havers's mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Lynley learn during his initial meeting with Terrence Cuff?

2. As Barbara Havers is introduced in the story, what decision is Barbara contemplating?

3. When Lynley reaches the crime scene, what do the local men in the workshop repairing boats believe about the ongoing investigation?

4. How did Elena's difficulties in adjusting to life at Cambridge manifest themselves?

5. During his meeting with Lynley, what is the Master of St. Stephen's College reluctant to speculate on with Lynley?

6. As the story opens, one of the characters has decided to take up drawing and painting again. Why?

7. When did Sarah Gordon and Elena Weaver first meet?

8. How would life change if Anthony Weaver is awarded the Penford Chair?

9. As the story opens and Elena is running, what is Elena remembering?

10. According to her sister, what does the large wooden puzzle that Helen and Christian are working on say about Iris's tastes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The theme of loyalty is evident throughout the novel. Adam Jenn's loyalties, for instance, lie with himself, his professor, and Elena. Discuss how the theme of loyalty is portrayed through the eyes of Adam Jenn, Anthony Weaver, Sarah Gordon, and Barbara Havers.

Essay Topic 2

In many ways, the novel is a series of contrasts designed to heighten the reader's awareness and draw the reader deeper into the story and the intricacies of each of the story's characters. Identify at least three contrasts that are used in the novel. Describe these contrasts and determine how they impact the story's plot as well as the reader's emotional involvement in the characters' lives. If these identified contrasts were not included in the story, what impact would their absence have on the storyline, the characters' development, and the readers' involvement?

Essay Topic 3

George uses this story to examine the role that truth plays in our daily lives. Examine the author's beliefs through her storytelling. Why would the author choose this story to overlay his demonstration of the consequences realized when the truth is distorted or hidden? What did you learn from the author's discussion on truth? What other avenues, if any, could the author have used to express her beliefs? Would those avenues have been as effective as the story?

(see the answer keys)

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