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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 does Doyle plan to do about his job?

2. What time does Miss Williard know Dr. Kerrison is at home the night of the murder?

3. To what does Domenica admit?

4. What does Brenda see in the chapel?

5. When does Dr. Lorrimer change his will?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe Maxim Howarth's thoughts about Domenica?

3. What does Dalgliesh learn from Domenica about Dr. Lorrimer?

4. What does Dalgliesh find during his search of the chapel?

5. What does Dalgliesh learn upon interviewing Inspector Doyle?

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

7. Who do Dalgliesh and Massingham meet upon arriving at the Lorrimer cottage and what do they learn from the person?

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

9. What do the detectives from in a locked drawer in Dr. Lorrimer's room?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Death of an Expert Witness is one book in a series of novels involving Adam Dalgliesh. Discuss the following.

1. What are two advantages of writing and reading a series of novels about the same characters? Use examples.

2. What are two disadvantages of writing and reading a series of novels about the same characters? Use examples.

3. Do you prefer to read a standalone book, or a series of books with the same main characters? Explain your response.

4. Do you think it is easier or more difficult to write a standalone book versus one in a series? Explain your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Death of an Expert Witness belongs to the literary genre of mystery/detective fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Thoroughly define the term genre and offer examples of it from your own reading experience. Why do you think it is useful to categorize fiction into genres? What could be a disadvantage of doing so?

2. What do you think is the main motivation for a person to read a mystery and detective novel? Is entertainment a good enough reason? Are there any other reasons to read this genre? What? Explain fully.

3. In "academe," mystery/murder novels are often thought of as less literary than some other genres and for that reason are sometimes "snubbed" in the study of literature. Why do you think this is so? Do you agree with this "snobbery"?

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?

(see the answer keys)

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