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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 Rebus have to attend in Glasgow?

2. How does the killer refer to himself?

3. What does the killer remember begging his mother to do?

4. What does Rebus purchase from the underground bookstall?

5. What kind of bullets does Superintendent Watson tell Rebus to take with him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rebus say about motives in this section?

2. Why is Flight angry that Rebus lied to the press?

3. Why is Rebus so uncomfortable with the fact the Metropolitan police regard him as an expert in serial killers?

4. What does Rebus have for his breakfast?

5. What does Rebus say to the press after the copycat killing?

6. Why doesn't Rebus like his daughter's new boyfriend?

7. Why is Cath at the Old Bailey?

8. What does Rebus think about the Glaswegian accent?

9. Why does Rebus doubt the murderer could be a woman?

10. Why is Rebus glad for the break?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why do the London Metropolitan police send for Rebus? Why does Rebus believe the Metropolitan police are expecting too much from him?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the author's writing style. How would you describe the author's prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? What meaning does the author's style give to the story?

Essay Topic 3

In what does the story's ending highlight the theme of honesty? What has happened to the characters who haven't been honest?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 632 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample