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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 happens to Waddell's body after the autopsy is performed?

2. Who did Waddell want to attend his execution?

3. Over what do Benton and Scarpetta discuss their cases during the holidays?

4. What job offer does Benton make to Scarpetta by the end of the novel?

5. Why was Grueman unable to meet with Jennifer?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Benton concerned for Scarpetta's safety?

2. What act of kindness does Charlie Hale do for Scarpetta?

3. How does Scarpetta know that the killer only had access to crime scene pictures, not the crime scene itself, of Robyn's murder?

4. How does the press know about Scarpetta's meeting with the governor?

5. Why does Scarpetta find the request to see her guns ridiculous?

6. What do Benton and Scarpetta find when they darken Robyn's old house?

7. Why isn't anyone able to get fingerprints from Waddell?

8. Why does Waddell's decision to give up appealing his case surprise Scarpetta?

9. What personal advice does Marino give Scarpetta over lunch once rumors surrounding Susan's death have hit the papers?

10. What does Scarpetta hypothesize about the killer from the information she learns from the bird expert?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify what you think is the tone for the novel and discuss 3 literary devices that Cornwell uses to create this tone.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss at least 4 ways "Cruel and Unusual" would be different if it were to take place in a very rural setting.

Essay Topic 3

Some fans of the Scarpetta series have been disappointed in later books in the series. They believe that Cornwell has drifted away from what makes Scarpetta so appealing in the first place. Discuss the 3 most appealing aspects of Scarpetta's character. How does Cornwell convey those characteristics to the audience so that the reader is drawn into the book/series?

(see the answer keys)

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