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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 charity organization does Pat Harvey suspect is front for drug trafficking?

2. How does Hilda describe the individual that she "sees" with Fred and Deborah when they disappeared?

3. When Pat Harvey shows Hilda a picture of Fred Cheney, what does Hilda immediately know?

4. What caused the intense reaction by one of the search and rescue dogs at the crime scene?

5. What do toxicology reports on the teen victims reveal about drugs?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Abby find out about the Seven-Eleven and what does it show?

2. What is the problem with the cartridge casing Scarpetta finds at the Cheney-Harvey murder scene?

3. As Chapter 1 opens, what is Scarpetta's perspective on working with other police agencies involved in VICAP?

4. Describe how Pat Harvey might be feeling when she first arrives at the rest stop where her daughter's abandoned Jeep has been found.

5. Discuss why Scarpetta and Marino feel in Chapter 3 as if they've been "handled" by Benton Wesley.

6. Why does Scarpetta dread having lunch with Pat Harvey?

7. Why is Scarpetta concerned about the bodies of Cheney and Harvey being moved?

8. Why does Scarpetta struggle over spending time with Abby Turnbull in Chapter 3?

9. Why is a politically inspired kidnapping such a disturbing possibility?

10. In Chapter 2, why does Pat Harvey question Scarpetta about the murder of the other couples?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Another theme that plays throughout the book is that of betrayal and the havoc it wreaks on different individuals. Select two of the following characters and explain how betrayal impacted their lives and shaped their decisions:

Pete Marino

Pat Harvey

Kay Scarpetta

Essay Topic 2

Toward the end of the book, Benton Wesley discusses what he thinks are the psycho-sexual urges that motivated Steven Spurrier to kill. Explain how the contents as well as the condition of Spurrier's home supports or undermines Wesley's conclusions about Spurrier. Be specific.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following to write about:

1) Discuss the multiple issues the FBI was balancing while investigating The Couple Killings and the impact of those issues on the investigation.

2) Abby Turnbull and Pat Harvey share information with each other on a regular basis. Do you think this was a reasonable thing for Abby to do? Use examples from the story to support your answer.

3) Pat Harvey was convinced Steven Spurrier murdered her daughter and that Spurrier would never be convicted. Ms. Harvey decided to take matters into her own hands. What do you think of Pat Harvey's decision and should her actions have been foreseen by the police and FBI? Use examples from the book to explain your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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