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Quiz about Prose and Cons
Quiz about Prose and Cons

Prose and Cons Trivia Quiz


Can you determine the culprits behind these appalling literary crimes? If you can figure out whodunnit from these reports, then perhaps for these authors, the writing is on the wall...

A multiple-choice quiz by reedy. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
reedy
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
351,631
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
1476
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 120 (6/10), bopeep (8/10), Guest 74 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. 'Controversy aside, the theft of a priceless Da Vinci work of art was certainly not done by an angel. This demon of a man managed to break into a fortress to effect the crime.' Which author perpetrated this heinous act? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. 'Agents Nicholas and David reported a twist in their investigation. While searching for important stolen papers in London and Paris, a tip from a mutual friend led to their recovery in Portsmouth.' What writer committed the crime? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. 'A firm testament by the witness should put this racketeer away for good. A confession won't even be necessary. The jury's deliberation will be so brief, they'll have time to kill.' Which wordsmith did the deed? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. 'For 80 days, this culprit has been chased around the world. He stole 20,000 dollars and a diamond, ran a blockade, and hopped a flight to France before he mysteriously vanished.' Who was the thieving writer? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. 'A state of fear has existed ever since the government made a full disclosure about the nature of the deadly strain found in the jungles of the Congo and being spread by the zero patient. The timeline of the spread is so fast that our whole world may be lost if it cannot be kept within a small sphere.' Who is this dangerous writer? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. 'The house at 44 Charles Street was broken into, with a valuable set of jewels stolen. The good woman who lived there thought it might have been a betrayal by her sisters or daddy, and pointed them out in the family album, but neighbors assured police that the rogue was a perfect stranger.' What writer is the culprit? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. 'A great hunt is underway for a barbarian who has left a path of destruction in his wake. On the run since the heart of winter, new evidence last spring has brought the investigation to a crossroads. It is only a matter of time before this lord of chaos is caught.' What author is it? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. 'Despite the smokescreen by the banker, an enquiry by the police has revealed proof of a break in. Odds are against the hot money will be recovered, but wild horses could not keep the police from a knockdown effort!' Which writer did it? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. 'Prince Otto was kidnapped, and it has turned out to be a strange case, indeed. A lady named Catriona brought a ransom note, along with a black arrow and two roses; some sort of signature from the kidnapper. Oddly, it said to bring the treasure to the island... and ensure you do not place the ransom in the wrong box!' Which wordsmith committed the crime? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. 'It was during the night shift, full dark with no stars, at exactly 12:04 when the report came in of a fire started in old Mr. Salem's lot. With only a skeleton crew working, the new lieutenant felt desperation and misery over his lack of ability to deal properly with the situation.' Who is this arsonist author? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 23 2024 : Guest 120: 6/10
Mar 22 2024 : bopeep: 8/10
Mar 15 2024 : Guest 74: 6/10
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Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. 'Controversy aside, the theft of a priceless Da Vinci work of art was certainly not done by an angel. This demon of a man managed to break into a fortress to effect the crime.' Which author perpetrated this heinous act?

Answer: Dan Brown

Author Dan Brown is the author of a number of books, beginning with his first novel "Digital Fortress", published in 1998. He is most notably known for the series that features his character made famous in the movies by Tom Hanks, symbologist Robert Langdon.

The first three books featuring Langdon are "Angels & Demons" (2000), "The Da Vinci Code" (2003), and "The Lost Symbol" (2009). "The Da Vinci Code", with its story questioning the traditionally accepted biblical depiction of Christ and Mary Magdalene, was very controversial.
2. 'Agents Nicholas and David reported a twist in their investigation. While searching for important stolen papers in London and Paris, a tip from a mutual friend led to their recovery in Portsmouth.' What writer committed the crime?

Answer: Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England in 1812. Among his published works are "Nicholas Nickleby" (1838), "David Copperfield" (1850), "Oliver Twist" (1838), "The Pickwick Papers" (1836), and "A Tale of Two Cities (1859). The two cities in question in the latter, of course, were London and Paris. Lastly, there is also "Our Mutual Friend", published in 1864.

Over his writing career, Dickens published 15 novels along with hundreds of short stories.
3. 'A firm testament by the witness should put this racketeer away for good. A confession won't even be necessary. The jury's deliberation will be so brief, they'll have time to kill.' Which wordsmith did the deed?

Answer: John Grisham

John Grisham practiced law for about ten years, in addition to serving in public office for six years, before becoming a published author. His first novel was "A Time to Kill" (1989), and the other titles that can be partially found in the question clue are "The Firm" (1991), "The Testament" (1999), "The Racketeer" (2012), "The Confession" (2010), "The Runaway Jury" (1996), and "The Pelican Brief" (1992).

A number of films have already been made of Grisham's more than 20 novels, and some have even been adapted into television series.
4. 'For 80 days, this culprit has been chased around the world. He stole 20,000 dollars and a diamond, ran a blockade, and hopped a flight to France before he mysteriously vanished.' Who was the thieving writer?

Answer: Jules Verne

Jules Verne (1828-1905) is thought of by many as the 'Father of Science Fiction' for his many stories that explored both the mysteries of the world and of outer space. Clues given in the question refer to "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1873), "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870), "The Vanished Diamond" (1884), "The Blockade Runners" (1876), "The Flight to France" (1878), and "The Mysterious Island".
5. 'A state of fear has existed ever since the government made a full disclosure about the nature of the deadly strain found in the jungles of the Congo and being spread by the zero patient. The timeline of the spread is so fast that our whole world may be lost if it cannot be kept within a small sphere.' Who is this dangerous writer?

Answer: Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton (1942-2008) wrote many novels that touched on mankind's delving into a technological world that gets away from him. Among Crichton's more well-known works is 1990's "Jurassic Park". In the case of the clues given in the question, the referenced works were "State of Fear" (2004), "Disclosure" (1994), "The Andromeda Strain" (1969), "Congo" (1980), "Zero Cool" (1969), "Timeline" (1999), "The Lost World" (1995), and "Sphere" (1987).
6. 'The house at 44 Charles Street was broken into, with a valuable set of jewels stolen. The good woman who lived there thought it might have been a betrayal by her sisters or daddy, and pointed them out in the family album, but neighbors assured police that the rogue was a perfect stranger.' What writer is the culprit?

Answer: Danielle Steel

Danielle Steel is one of the biggest best-selling authors of all time, with over 800 million books sold and more than 70 romance novels written. The novels referred to in the question were "The House" (2006), "44 Charles Street" (2011), "Jewels" (1992), "A Good Woman" (2008), "Betrayal" (2012), "Sisters" (2007), "Daddy" (1989), "Family Album" (1985), "Rogue" (2008), and "A Perfect Stranger" (1983).
7. 'A great hunt is underway for a barbarian who has left a path of destruction in his wake. On the run since the heart of winter, new evidence last spring has brought the investigation to a crossroads. It is only a matter of time before this lord of chaos is caught.' What author is it?

Answer: Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan (1948-2007) was the pen name for Oliver Rigney, Jr. Most famously known for his "Wheel of Time" fantasy series, Jordan also wrote stories about Conan the Barbarian in the 1980s. Along with the Conan reference in the question, the "Wheel of Time" books referred to were "The Great Hunt" (2nd book, 1990), "The Path of Daggers" (8th book, 1998), "Winter's Heart" (9th book, 2000), "New Spring" (prequel, 1998), "Crossroads of Twilight" (10th book, 2003), and "Lord of Chaos" (6th book, 1994).

Jordan passed away after writing the 11th book in the series ("Knife of Dreams"), and Brandon Sanderson was chosen by Jordan's wife (and editor) to complete the work.
8. 'Despite the smokescreen by the banker, an enquiry by the police has revealed proof of a break in. Odds are against the hot money will be recovered, but wild horses could not keep the police from a knockdown effort!' Which writer did it?

Answer: Dick Francis

Dick Francis (1920-2010) spent some time in Britain's Royal Air Force before a stellar career as a jockey, winning over 350 races in his day. His crime-story books almost exclusively centered around the world of horse-racing, and he wrote over 40 international best-sellers before his death in 2010. Clues in the question reference "Smokescreen" (1972), "Banker" (1982), "Enquiry" (1969), "Proof" (1984), "Break In" (1985), "Odds Against" (1965), "Hot Money" (1987), "Wild Horses" (1994), and "Knockdown" (1974).
9. 'Prince Otto was kidnapped, and it has turned out to be a strange case, indeed. A lady named Catriona brought a ransom note, along with a black arrow and two roses; some sort of signature from the kidnapper. Oddly, it said to bring the treasure to the island... and ensure you do not place the ransom in the wrong box!' Which wordsmith committed the crime?

Answer: Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a well-known and well-liked author in his day, writing not only novels, but also poetry, essays and travelogues. The works referred to in the question were "Prince Otto" (1885), "Kidnapped" (1886), "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (1886), "Catriona" (1893), "The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses" (1888), "Treasure Island" (1883), and "The Wrong Box" (1889).
10. 'It was during the night shift, full dark with no stars, at exactly 12:04 when the report came in of a fire started in old Mr. Salem's lot. With only a skeleton crew working, the new lieutenant felt desperation and misery over his lack of ability to deal properly with the situation.' Who is this arsonist author?

Answer: Stephen King

The master of horror, Stephen King has sold over 350 million copies of his books, which also delve into suspense, fantasy and science fiction genres. Many of his books and short stories have been adapted for film as well. The books referred to in the question are "It" (1986), "Night Shift" (1978), "Full Dark, No Stars" (2010), "Four Past Midnight" (1990), "Firestarter" (1980), "Salem's Lot" (1975), "Skeleton Crew" (1985), "The New Lieutenant's Rap" (1999), "Desperation" (1996), and "Misery" (1987).
Source: Author reedy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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This quiz is part of series Author Rainbow: My Tier 5 Set:

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