1. After meeting with Con, Kinsey decides the time has come to finally trap Marcia Threadgill, the fraudster who is trying to get money out of the California Fidelity Insurance Company. What does Kinsey do?

2. After confronting Lyle in L.A., Kinsey goes to the accounting firm where Libby used to work. What does she tell Garry Steinberg that she suspects about Charlie?

3. What is the result of Kinsey's going to the Ranch House restaurant with Charlie?

4. The morning after Sharon Napier's death, Kinsey heads to Salton Sea. Who does she meet there, and what does she learn?

5. After taking photos of Marcia Threadgill, Garry Steinberg passes some information on to Kinsey. What is it, and why might it be important to the case?

6. When she gets home from Nikki's beach house, Charlie is waiting for Kinsey, but she is not very happy to see him. She agrees to go to dinner with him. What happens at the Ranch House restaurant?

7. After Diane talks about her parents, Kinsey asks her about Bruno, the dog who died on the last Labor Day weekend Laurence was alive. How does Diane respond to this?

8. What does Kinsey do when she returns to the Glass residence the day after the explosion?

9. Where does Kinsey go after she has attempted to find out more from Colin about Gwen?

10. After her fight with Charlie, what does Kinsey do? What does this make her realize? What happens when he comes over later to apologize?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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"?

Essay Topic 2

"'A' Is for Alibi" is a first-person narrative told from private investigator Kinsey Millhone's point of view. Briefly explain how the first-person narrative is effective and how it is limited. Give four specific examples that show how the story is effective told from Kinsey's point of view, and how our vicarious experience of them is enhanced.

Essay Topic 3

Tone refers to the attitude of the author of a work. Through Kinsey, as the narrator of "'A' Is for Alibi," what is the author's tone at different stages of the book? Explain the tone, with examples:

1) At the beginning of the book, when Kinsey takes on the Fife case

2) When Kinsey is doing the groundwork of her investigation

3) When Kinsey gets involved with Charlie

4) When Kinsey gets the answers she needs to solve the case

(see the answer keys)

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