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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. Where does Sam Felton invite Spenser and Candy, in Chapter 16?

2. What was Sam Felton's involvement in the corruption?

3. Who does Candy tell Spenser she is going to have dinner with the night after her dinner with him?

4. Why does Candy tell Spenser that she believes Franco killed Felton, after she is told to stop investigating the story?

5. Who does Spenser say killed Candy and Franco, when he is in Peter Brewster's office?

Short Essay Questions

1. Does Spenser respect Candy?

2. Why does Spenser refuse the extra week's pay he is offered by Candy's boss?

3. Why does Candy hinder the police investigation into Mickey Rafferty's death?

4. Why does Spenser decide to tell Detective Samuelson about the bribe?

5. What does Spenser do after finding Candy's dead body?

6. Describe Franco's known background.

7. Describe Franco's visit to Sam Felton's house.

8. Why do Candy and Spenser go to visit Sam Felton?

9. What are Spenser's feelings about Candy's relationship with Peter Brewster?

10. Why does Spenser go to Peter Brewster's office after Candy is killed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Violence in A Savage Place is often used with a purpose, on the part of the author. Select 2-3 issues of violence in the novel and analyze their effect on the story in ways that might include character and plot development, contrast, purpose and other literary techniques.

Essay Topic 2

Susan is an absent character who is only referred to in the story.

1) How would the novel be different if this character did not exist?

2) How would the novel be different if this character was present at events in the novel?

3) How would the novel be different if the lead character was a woman, and Spenser was the absent boyfriend?

Essay Topic 3

Many elements of A Savage Place seem ready made for the big screen: car chases, sex, corruption and murder, all on a large scale. Imagine that the author wrote this novel, not as a detective story, but as a narrative of the event. What elements would need to be changed? Consider things like names, settings, and events in your response.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 807 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample