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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 relationship do Strike and Robin pretend to have when they visit Vashti in Part 3, Chapter 4?

2. What does Guy Some say he called John Bristow when he meets with Strike in Part 4, Chapter 1?

3. What does John Bristow give to Strike before departing into his office building in Part 3, Chapter 6?

4. What are described as the causes of death in Lula's autopsy report in Part 3, Chapter 1?

5. At what hotel did Tony Landry stay on the night before Lula's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is noted about the body of the deceased in Lula's autopsy file?

2. Who does Guy Some believe to be Lula's killer? Why?

3. Who is Marlene Higson, and how is she described when Strike meets her?

4. What prompted Lula's comment about her brother, according to Ciara in Part 4, Chapter 7?

5. How would you describe Robin's feelings about Strike as revealed in the narrative in Part 3, Chapter 10?

6. What is Evan Duffield's alibi for the night that Lula died?

7. What was Strike's relationship with his mother like? How did Strike's mother die?

8. How does Robin glean information from the staff at Vashti? What new information does she learn?

9. Why did Tansy Bestigui lie about where she was when Lula fell?

10. What is said about the phone calls in the conversation between Strike and Tony Landry in Part 3, Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss examples of irony in The Cuckoo's Calling. How does the author employ irony to develop tension in the narrative? What are examples of situational, verbal, and dramatic irony and what purpose does each example serve to the text?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following elements of symbolism in the narrative: Robin's engagement ring, Strike's prosthetic leg, and Strike's sleeping cot. What does each of these items represent to the characters in the novel? What do they represent to the reader? How do they contribute to the novel's themes?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the character of Robin Ellacott in The Cuckoo's Calling. How old is Robin? Where is she from? What leads her to move to London? How does she become involved in the case? How does Robin's character evolve in the course of the narrative?

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