View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Regan tell Alec that she saw the day she came to the police station to talk to Sweeney?

2. What is Alec thinking about buying in Boston?

3. What does Wincott tell Alec that the police found behind Sweeney's house?

4. Who is Peter Morris?

5. What is Alec's hiding place during the drug bust?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author think it is important to introduce the characters as children? How do you think this plot device will help later in the story?

2. In Chapter 27 at the party for the high school artists, who do you think is the uninvited guest and what does he want with Regan? It could be several people. Give your answer and explain.

3. In Chapter 19, Wincott tells Alec that Sweeney kept a diary. What does the diary say? Why is this information important? Does any of this connect to Regan? Why or why not?

4. Alec is in trouble at work. What has he done to anger his boss, Lewis? How does this one action affect the relationship between the two men?

5. During the drug bust in Chapter 6, a uniformed officer appears on the scene to give the twin drug dealers a parking ticket. What happens in the warehouse? What do you think will happen to the officer? Will he be in trouble for this action? Why?

6. Why is Sweeney being investigated by the Internal Affairs department?

7. What does the killer do when he returns home from murdering the runner in the park?

8. When the computer technician arrives, she tells Regan that the photo is showing exactly how Sweeney was found by the police. Why is this such frightening news? Who would know what Sweeney looked like when he was killed?

9. Describe what each girl (Regan, Sophie, and Cordie) wrote on their "murder lists." What does this tell the reader? What danger is Regan in over this list?

10. When Regan tells Alec that the murder list is hers, what is his reaction and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the connections of the killer's crate (later the shoebox.) What does the killer collect? Why does the killer collect these items? Since these items would tie the killer to the victims, why would he hang on to them?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Regan's relationship with Cordie and Sophie, then describe Cordie and Sophie's relationship with Regan's brothers. Cordie and Sophie have interesting families of their own. How does that connect with Regan's brothers? What do Regan's brothers think of Sophie's dad?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the symbolism of the running trail at the park and the connection to this place throughout the story.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,075 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample