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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 Domenica look like?

2. What does Mr. Lorrimer remember about a conversation with a woman who calls earlier in the week?

3. What does Brenda see in the chapel?

4. When do Dalgliesh and Massingham visit Dr. Kerrison?

5. About what does Howarth blame himself?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Inspector Doyle.

2. Describe Brenda Pridmore's walk through the construction site.

3. Describe Dr. Lorrimer.

4. What does Dalgliesh think about concerning his interview with Dr. Kerrison?

5. What do Angela Foley and Stella Mawson talk about before Stella leaves the house?

6. Why is Brenda Pridmore's mother upset and what does she want Brenda to tell Dalgliesh?

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

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

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

10. What does Dalgliesh learn upon interviewing Inspector Doyle?

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

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

There are several instances of irony in Death of an Expert Witness. Discuss the following:

1. Thoroughly define and offer several examples of irony.

2. Find three cases of irony in Death of an Expert Witness. Describe the situation and why you think it is ironic.

3. There is another type of irony called "dramatic irony." Thoroughly define the term "dramatic irony," and find at least one example of it in Death of an Expert Witness and explain why you think it is dramatic irony.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,446 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample