The Ghost Orchid Quiz

Test your memory of Jonathan Kellerman's The Ghost Orchid with this comprehensive quiz. Answers are at the end.

Quiz Questions

1. According to the estimated time of death, within what window were the double homicides of Gio Aggiunta and Meagin March committed? A) 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. B) 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. C) Midnight to 4 a.m. D) 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

2. What weapon was used in all the murders linked to the case? A) A 9mm Glock B) A .38 revolver C) A .45 automatic D) A hunting knife

3. What unusual type of flower did Meagin March paint just before her death? A) A black rose B) A ghost orchid C) A blue lotus D) A corpse flower

4. What did Robin Castagna discover by rearranging the letters in the name "Meagin"? A) "Gamine" B) "Enigma" C) "Magine" D) "Aiming"

5. What was the real first name of the woman who called herself Meagin March? A) Persephone B) Athena C) Daphne D) Calliope

6. Where did the black compact car's owner live after fleeing the crime scenes? A) In a motel near the King Henry Motel B) In a rented Bel Air mansion C) In a cabin near St. Jerome's Church D) In a Las Vegas hotel

7. Why did Milo Sturgis initially stop asking Alex Delaware to consult on cases? A) Alex charged too much B) Milo felt guilt over Alex's near-death experience C) The department banned civilian consultants D) Robin asked Milo to protect Alex

8. What did the "ghost orchid" painting symbolize for Meagin March, according to Alex and Robin? A) Her love of rare plants B) Her desire to be invisible and rootless C) A gift for her husband D) A code for a secret meeting place

9. Which family member of Meagin March turned out to be the murderer? A) Her father, Davis Gilmore B) Her brother, Rooney Gilmore C) Her husband, Douglass March D) Her cousin, Richard Barlett

10. How did the killer obtain information about Meagin's whereabouts? A) Through hired private detectives B) By following her from Florida C) Through phone records from St. Jerome's Church D) By bribing the maids

11. What was the killer's stated motivation for the murders? A) Revenge for his father and anger at his sister for "ruining" the family B) Financial gain from the purple diamond C) Jealousy over Meagin's affair D) Religious fanaticism

12. What item did Meagin leave with housekeeper Irma Ruiz before her death? A) A stack of cash B) A box of documents containing her true identity C) The purple diamond necklace D) A suicide note

13. Why did Alex Delaware accept the custody evaluation of fifteen-year-old Derek Ruffalo? A) He needed a distraction from the murder case B) Judge Julie Beck requested his expertise C) Derek was a witness to the murders D) Milo asked him to investigate the family

14. What was the occupation of Rhonda Mae "Rikki" Montel when she knew Gio Aggiunta? A) Medical assistant B) Sex worker C) Hotel bartender D) Spa receptionist

15. How did the killer finally get captured? A) At a traffic stop B) He was shot by an Inglewood officer after a shoplifting call C) Milo and Alex arrested him at his motel D) He turned himself in

16. What clue from the killer's belongings confirmed his identity? A) A map to St. Jerome's Church and the March mansion with a note about avenging his father B) A photo of Meagin as a child C) A list of all his victims D) A letter from his mother

17. Which character's name reveals an anagram that becomes a central theme? A) Milo Sturgis B) Meagin March C) Giovanni Aggiunta D) Rooney Gilmore

18. What does the ghost orchid's parasitic nature symbolize for Meagin's life, according to the novel? A) She took without giving back to the people around her B) She was dependent on her husband C) She used other people for survival while staying emotionally detached D) Both A and C

19. How does the theme of "reinvention" appear in the novel? A) Meagin creates multiple false identities to escape her past B) Alex reevaluates his role as a consultant C) Robin changes her instrument-making style D) Milo adopts a new approach to policing

20. What new perspective does Robin's anagram provide Alex and Milo? A) That Meagin was simply a gold digger B) That the case might involve childhood trauma rather than a simple love triangle C) That the murders were random D) That the killer was a professional hitman

Answer Key

1. B) 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Chapter 2: Time of death estimated between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., likely earlier.)

2. B) A .38 revolver (Chapter 2, 28, 46: All victims shot with a .38 revolver, no casings found.)

3. B) A ghost orchid (Chapter 30: Robin identifies the slashed painting as a ghost orchid.)

4. B) "Enigma" (Chapter 36: Robin rearranges the letters to reveal "ENIGMA.")

5. A) Persephone (Chapter 40: The box of documents shows a Texas ID for Persephone Sue Gilmore.)

6. C) In a cabin near St. Jerome's Church (Chapter 28–29: Richard Barlett lived in a cabin near the church; the killer visited him, then later returned to kill him.)

7. B) Milo felt guilt over Alex's near-death experience (Chapter 1, 5: Milo avoids asking Alex because he feels guilty.)

8. B) Her desire to be invisible and rootless (Chapter 30–31, 37: Robin and Alex interpret the painting as Meagin identifying with the ghost orchid's elusiveness.)

9. B) Her brother, Rooney Gilmore (Chapters 43–48: Rooney Gilmore is identified as the killer, targeting his siblings.)

10. C) Through phone records from St. Jerome's Church (Chapter 25, 28: Meagin called St. Jerome's auxiliary; the killer likely used that to track her.)

11. A) Revenge for his father and anger at his sister for "ruining" the family (Chapter 49: Milo finds maps with a note about avenging his father.)

12. B) A box of documents containing her true identity (Chapter 39–40: Irma Ruiz gives Milo a box left by Meagin, revealing her aliases.)

13. B) Judge Julie Beck requested his expertise (Chapter 16, 18: Judge Beck refers a custody evaluation for Derek Ruffalo.)

14. B) Sex worker (Chapter 19: Rikki Montel is a sex worker; she had a relationship with Gio.)

15. B) He was shot by an Inglewood officer after a shoplifting call (Chapter 46–47: Rooney Gilmore is shot during a shoplifting response, then captured.)

16. A) A map to St. Jerome's Church and the March mansion with a note about avenging his father (Chapter 49: This evidence confirms his motive and identity.)

17. B) Meagin March (Chapter 36: Her name anagrams to "Enigma.")

18. D) Both A and C (Chapter 30, 37: The ghost orchid "gives nothing back" and "attaches itself" to survive, reflecting Meagin's parasitic emotional survival.)

19. A) Meagin creates multiple false identities to escape her past (Chapter 40: IDs under Persephone, Martha, Lori, Meagin show her pattern of reinvention.)

20. B) That the case might involve childhood trauma rather than a simple love triangle (Chapter 37: The anagram shifts the focus to Meagin's traumatic past and empathy.)

For further study, check out the book overview, questions and answers, and ending explained.