Cooking Up a Suspense Story Online Quiz | Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. One of the first basics to this genre is the title, as it will grab the reader's attention. What do you think "Full Circle" by Sue Grafton is all about? (Possible spoiler answer)

Answer: The murderer is killed at the murder scene.

The story "Full Circle" is interesting in how the ending of the story is a reflection of the beginning of the story--with one big twist! Sue Grafton is well known for her alphabetical dectective titles as in "A is for Alibi", "B is for Burglar", "C is for Corpse", and so on.

2. Let's think next about the setting, where the story takes place. Some authors choose exotic locals, while others select everyday places. Setting also involves the time period in which the story takes place, as well as the occupations of the characters. All these give the story more depth and distinction, and set the stage for the action. Dick Francis writes his stories usually in a setting involving this particular business. What is it?

Answer: Horse racing

Dick Francis is a author of over 40 mystery novels to his name. A son of a jockey, Francis had quite a successful career as a jockey, yet was advised to retire from racing after two serious falls. He traded his silks for ink, and has proven to be a winner in the writing world, having received several prestigous awards and honors.

3. Another aspect to consider are the characters. Characters in mystery/suspense/detective stories can run the gamut from sane to cynical to dangerously psychotic and everything in between. The story will usually have a protagonist, generally thought of as the hero, or main character, and the antagonist, the villian, or the character going against the protagonist. Who is the main character in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado"?

Answer: Montressor

Poe is considered by many to be the father of the dectective story. While his characters are often a little crazed around the edges, like Montressor in "The Cask of Amontillado", Poe's stories definitely keep the reader's attention. In this story the main character lures his victim with the promise of sampling his amontillado (similar to sherry) and ends up walling the man alive in his basement.

This ending still tends to be shocking in its impact when read today.

4. Another integral component is conflict, or problem in the plot. There needs to be a problem to constitute a story. Perplexing situations such as the ones Sherlock Holmes dealt with gave an intrigue to the plot, and readers counted on Holmes' brilliant deduction skills to solve the crime at hand. Sir Conan Doyle was famous for creating Sherlock Holmes. Is it true that Doyle actually killed Holmes off since he had become sick of writing about the violin playing detective?

Answer: True

Yes, Doyle did "off" his bread and butter, so to speak, because the Baker Street dectective had begun to literally make him ill, as Doyle claimed to have overdosed on the detective. However, the public was in such an outrage over Holmes' demise Doyle was forced to resurrect him, and did so in "The Empty House".

5. As the plot thickens, as they say, the author will often hint at what could happen later on in the story, which is known as foreshadowing. The famous girl detective Nancy Drew and her male counterparts The Hardy Boys in their ongoing mystery series had plenty of foreshadowing. Complete the title to the first Nancy Drew mystery: "The Secret of..."

Answer: The Old Clock

In 2005 Nancy Drew turned 75, which is amazing since she never has managed to get past the age of 20 or actually 18 in most of her books. She began in the 1930's and her sleuthing has endured through the years. Both Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys are a fun way to introduce young readers to suspense and detective stories. I remember trying to guess the outcome within the first few pages, and then skipping to the end of the book to confirm my guess. Cheater, you say? Nah, just validating my deduction skills.

6. Exposition is in the early part of the story and explains some of the important ingredients of the plot, like setting the tone, introducing the characters, and setting the overall tone of the story. John Grisham has excellent exposition in his novels that combine suspense and legal drama, due no doubt, to the fact that he was once a practicing lawyer. In what state did he first set up his practice?

Answer: Mississippi

John Grisham used to arrive at his law office at five in the morning to work on his first novel, "A Time to Kill". While this book was a disappointment in sales, his next book, "The Firm", and his subsequent books, have established him as a successful author, with many of his novels becoming films.

7. How a story is told, the point of view used or POV,is an important element also. One of the more common POVs is third person, where the narrator is able to relate the plot in a neutral bystander tone. In many detective stories the first person POV is used, which can lend a more directness to the plot. Ray Bradbury uses the first person POV in his short story "The Utterly Perfect Murder". The murder was perfect because no one was able to find the gun Doug used on his nemesis Ralph.

Answer: False

This is an amazing story of human drama, how quickly things can change with last minute knowledge. It would spoil the story to say anything more! Ray Bradbury is primarily known for his science fiction writing, yet looking closely at his work he mainly writes about strange happenings to ordinary people--it's just that sometimes they are in different settings, like living on Mars.

As for point of view, having "The Utterly Perfect Murder" in first person versus third gives the story more impact and relevance whereas third person would have given it distance and objectivity.

8. Let's examine motive. Motive is what compels characters to do what they do, whether it be to steal, kill, or destroy someone or something, there needs to be a reason. Tony Hillerman writes about an actual event known as "The Great Taos Bank Robbery". What was the motive of the robbers?

Answer: It was never stated.

There is quite a bit of humor in this story. It seemed more than a few people knew the bank was going to be robbed because the two robbers were so obvious in their intent, as one was dressed as a woman with a beard under his makeup and people could see their poorly hidden guns as the robbers stood patiently in line. Apparently the robbers left the bank without actually going through the hold up because they distinctly heard giggles from those in line with them.

As for their motive? It was never said, but the answer choices could have been possibilities.

9. Action and dialogue are also key ingredients to this genre. Action keeps a reader's interest, and dialogue helps to both move the plot and develop the characters. Agatha Christie and Dorothy Gilman each created noteworthy female crime solvers. Who would these characters be?

Answer: Miss Marple and Mrs Pollifax

Miss Marple, created by Dame Agatha Christie, and Mrs. Pollifax, penned by Dorothy Gilman, are both elderly women who are charming and disarming in their sleuthing. This is where the similarities pretty much stop. Miss Marple is English, a spinster, quite prim and proper, and is never physical in her quest for justice.

Then we have Mrs. Pollifax, an American widow, who decided she was bored with retirement and became a CIA agent.

10. The plot will build to a climax, the turning point of the story which will lead to the resolution, where all the loose ends will be tied up. Along the way to the resolution the author might have thrown the readers a false clue to add a twist to the plot or to lead to a wrong conclusion. What is another name for a clue that seems important at the time but leads nowhere?

Answer: red herring

So why is red herring part of the suspense story lexicon? Back in the 1800's British fugitives would rub a a herring on their trail to throw off the bloodhounds following them, and later in the 1920's, bankers would warn investors of documents that were not complete, and could be misleading. So both explanations have to deal with those involved becoming misled and distracted from their pursuit of purpose.

As for the red? That comes from the curing process...

Source: Author 57wordsmith

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Cooking Up a Suspense Story Trivia Quiz

There are certain elements, or ingredients that go into the making of a well-done suspense, mystery or detective story. These authors have proven they can cook up a good read.

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