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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. How do Brenda's parents feel about her job?

2. Who does Dalgliesh first interview in opening his investigation into the murder of Dr. Lorrimer?

3. Who witnesses the exchange between Middlemass and Lorrimer?

4. Why does Director Howarth know Dr. Lorrimer looked at a book on Howarth's desk?

5. Who is entering the lab as Dr. Lorrimer is being removed?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Adam Dalgliesh.

2. What does Howarth talk to Dr. Lorrimer about and what is the outcome?

3. Why is Dr. Kerrison leaving his home in the middle of the night and what is his biggest concern?

4. What does Howarth do after Dalgliesh arrives and what does Dalgliesh learn about the case?

5. About what does Adam Dalgliesh speak to his boss?

6. Describe the scene between Cliff and Susan Bradley as she is breastfeeding their new baby.

7. Describe Dr. Kerrison.

8. About what situation does Dalgliesh try to understand?

9. Describe Angela Foley.

10. What is the situation with Mawson and Foley's need for money and how is Dr. Lorrimer mentioned in regards to money?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Obviously, suspense/mystery is a part of the detective genre. Answer the following questions:

1. What do you think is the difference between suspense and mystery? Give examples to illustrate your ideas.

2. Does Death of an Expert Witness hold more suspense of mystery? Explain your answer with examples.

3. Would you rather read a mystery or a suspense or do you think there is any difference between the two?

4. Does Death of an Expert Witness offer enough suspense and/or mystery to keep you turning the pages? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The murder of Stella Mawson comes late in the book. Discuss the following:

1. How does the murder of Stella Mawson contribute to the basic plot line or not?

2. How different would Death of an Expert Witness be if Mawson has not been murdered?

3. How did you as a reader react to Mawson's murder? Explain thoroughly.

4. Most readers have heard of the term "gratuitous violence" when referring to violence that seems to be a part of a story for no good reason. Is this true of Mawson's murder? Explain your thoughts with examples.

Essay Topic 3

One of the themes of the novel, as alluded to over and over, is the idea that the investigation into a crime disregards all claims to privacy. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze the ways in which Dr. Lorrimer's privacy is violated after his death. Is this right and necessary? Is there any way to conduct an investigation to discover his murderer without violating his privacy?

2. Not only is Dr. Lorrimer's privacy violated, but so, too, is the privacy of several other characters. Discuss two other characters (besides Dr. Larrimer) whose privacy is violated in the course of the murder investigation. Is this invasion of privacy right? Necessary? Is there any way to conduct an investigation to discover the murderer without violating these people's privacy?

3. In the "real" world, many times the privacy of the victim's and perpetrator's families are also violated. Do you believe the police and press have the right to invade innocent people's privacy? What can be done to minimize the effects of this on the families of those involved in a crime? Do you think the criminal's family deserves as much respect to privacy as the victim's family? Why or why not? Do Nell and William deserve privacy?

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