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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 Grueman's demeanor during his meeting with Scarpetta after she met with the bird expert?

2. What happens to Scarpetta after she appears in court?

3. How does Ben respond to Scarpetta's numerous accusations?

4. Why was Waddell's file not deleted as it should have been after his execution?

5. What does Scarpetta smell in Ben's office?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What question does Grueman have about Scarpetta's finances?

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

4. What does Scarpetta suspect about the briefcase Jennifer's ex-husband gives her?

5. Why does Scarpetta head to Robyn's old house to get fingerprints?

6. Why is Scarpetta relieved of her duties?

7. What causes Benton and Scarpetta to wonder if Eddie Heath's and Robyn's murders are related?

8. What does Susan's husband tell the newspapers about Scarpetta?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe at least 4 negative aspects of having a protagonist as strong as Dr. Scarpetta. Make sure to use evidence from the novel to support your position.

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the relationship between Lucy and Scarpetta. Using direct evidence from the text, make sure to address the following points: what their relationship has been like historically, what their relationship is like now, and what the reader learns about these 2 characters through their interactions with each other.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 785 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample