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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. Who wants to see Dalgliesh after he is done at the Lorrimer house?

2. What does Angela do when she learns of Stella's death?

3. To what does Domenica admit?

4. What does Domenica look like?

5. Who rummaged through the upstairs of Mr. Lorrimer's house earlier in the day?

Short Essay Questions

1. What additional information does Dalgliesh learn from Angela Foley?

2. What does Dalgliesh learn from Miss Willard?

3. What do several witnesses on a bus tell the detectives?

4. Describe the scene at the chapel when Dalgliesh and Massingham arrive and what do they do.

5. What does Angela Foley do when she learns of Stella's death and what does Dalgliesh believe about the death?

6. Describe Miss Willard.

7. What does Dalgliesh ask Domenica and Howarth and what astounds the detectives with Domenica's reply?

8. Where does Brenda work the day after the discovery of the murder and what does she discuss with Director Howarth?

9. Describe Maxim Howarth's thoughts about Domenica?

10. What does Dalgliesh learn upon interviewing Inspector Doyle?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

It seems that Dr. Kerrison should know a lot about crime and how a detective investigates a crime scene to be able to avoid some of the mistakes he makes that leads to his exposure as the murderer. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze throughout the book all the mistakes Dr. Kerrison makes. Are they stupid mistakes or is Dalgliesh so good that Dalgliesh is able to pick up on very tiny clues?

2. Sometimes it almost seems that a criminal wants to get caught. Do you think this is partially why Dr. Kerrison makes the mistakes he does? Why or why not?

3. Dalgliesh states that Kerrison almost seems relieved when the detectives drive up to arrest him. Why do you think this is?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Most of the action of the story is based upon the main plot--that of finding Dr. Lorrimer's murderer. However, there are a couple minor sub-plots in the novel. Discuss the following:

1. What is a sub-plot? Do you think most works of fiction have at least one sub-plot? Why or why not?

2. Identify 2 subplots in Death of an Expert Witness. Identify the parts of the sub-plots you examine such as exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution and whether the sub-plot contains all these elements.

3. What do you think is the purpose of the 2 sub-plots you identify? Discuss with examples from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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