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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 James Thoday rent and use to give himself an alibi in the murder of Jeff Deacon?

2. Whose photo does Lord Peter send to Suzanne Legros to be identified?

3. What are the emeralds wrapped in when they're discovered?

4. One year after Deacon's murder, how much deeper is the River Wale due to a rainy season?

5. What food does Will Thoday take to Jeff Deacon while he imprisons Deacon in the church belfry?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lady Wilbraham respond when her stolen emeralds are found?

2. What does the behavior of the villagers during the flood indicate about the closeness of the people and the church's role in their lives?

3. What makes Lord Peter and the police think that Arthur Cobbleigh and Jean Legros are the same man?

4. What brings Lord Peter back to Fenchurch St. Paul one year after he abandons the mystery of Jeff Deacon's murder?

5. What aspect of the mystery of Jeff Deacon's death is Lord Peter still unable to solve one year after first becoming involved in the puzzle?

6. To whom does Lady Wilbraham leave her money when she dies and for what is she trying to atone in how she bequeaths her wealth?

7. What surprising news is revealed about Deacon's murder when James and Will Thoday are left alone in a room with a hidden microphone?

8. Discuss the religious symbolism in the flood of Fenchurch St. Paul and the villagers' experience in the church during the flood.

9. How does Lord Peter solve the mystery of Deacon's death and what does the cause of Deacon's death turn out to be?

10. How does Lord Peter find the stolen emeralds?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the antagonists Lord Peter encounters in the novel: Will Thoday, James Thoday, Jeff Deacon and Nobby Cranton.

Essay Topic 2

The Nine Tailors takes place in a small English village during the 1920's. Discuss how the geographical and chronological setting affect the story and how the characters and story might differ if Dorothy L. Sayers had set the novel in the United States during the 1940's instead. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the following secondary characters in the novel: Reverend Venables, Bunter and Hilary Thorpe. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

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