Worksheet
Answer Key
A Death in Oxford Richard MacAndrew
Summary
Dr Janet Leighton of the Leighton Clinic is found
dead in the front room of her home in St John Street,
Oxford. Inspector Frank Williams and Sergeant Kate
Miller investigate. When they arrive at her house,
the room is a mess, with a window, a lamp and the
telephone broken, papers, books, her handbag and a
Chinese dog on the floor, and the computer missing.
On the table is a new book, Our Beautiful World, with
a receipt showing it was bought the day before. The
police also find a letter from Dr Leighton’s lawyer
about her will.
Williams and Miller drive to visit Dr Barbara Collins,
a doctor who worked for the Leighton Clinic, but
who was asked to leave because the clinic is having
financial problems. Collins is angry because Leighton
told the local newspaper about this before she told
her. Also, she believes she is losing her job because
Leighton is jealous of her; Collins is famous because
she writes for the local newspaper. She says she hates
Leighton.
Williams and Miller then visit Leighton’s lawyer. They
find out that Leighton went to see her lawyer the day
before to discuss changing her will. After her death
she wanted all her money to go to an African charity
rather than to her husband and son.
When Williams and Miller visit Simon Leighton,
Janet’s husband (they no longer live together), they
find out that he visited Janet to ask for his part of
the money and the house, but that Janet said she was
giving him nothing. He left angrily.
They then find Chris Leighton, her 28-year-old student
son, who tells them about an unpleasant meeting with
his mother the night before. He wanted her to give him
£500 to buy a car, and she told him she’s not giving
him any more money and that even in her will he’s
going to get nothing. He says he doesn’t love her and
leaves angrily.
Williams then gets the results from the police scientist,
Jenkins. They show Simon Leighton’s fingerprints
Cambridge English Readers © Cambridge University Press 2009
Starter Level
everywhere, except on the knife that killed Janet
Leighton. Williams is particularly interested in the
fact that the Chinese dog is worth £100,000 but isn’t
broken, and that Simon Leighton’s fingerprints are on
a book bought only the day before.
We then find out that Simon Leighton returned to
Janet’s house at 10.30 pm and asked for the money or
the house, and killed her with a knife. He then made
a mess in the room and took the computer to make
it look like a normal robbery. He didn’t break the
Chinese dog, thinking it was a secret between him and
his dead wife.
In the final chapter Williams shows that Simon
Leighton is guilty because he did not break the
Chinese dog and his fingerprints are on the book.
Simon Leighton admits to killing his wife and also
says that he’s happy about it. Both Chris Leighton
and Barbara Collins say they are not sad about Janet’s
death.
Before reading
1. The picture shows a smashed lamp in a room
with an open window and dramatic lighting; it
gives the idea of mystery and violence.
2. A murder mystery.
3. The story happens on two days and moves
backwards and forwards in time between the
two days.
4. a police: Frank Williams/Kate
Miller / Jenkins; b doctors: Janet Leighton/
Barbara Collins; c family: Janet/Simon/Chris
Leighton; d lawyers: Elizabeth Morgan
5. Simon Leighton lives in Bridge Street; Janet
Leighton lives in St John Street; Barbara Collins
lives in Frenchay Road; Elizabeth Morgan works
at Morgan and Freebody’s in Worcester Street;
Kate Miller and Frank Williams work at the
police station in St Aldate’s.
6. The Ashmolean Museum and the railway
station.
www.cambridge.org/elt/readers PHOTOCOPIABLE
 Worksheet
Answer Key
Starter Level

A Death in Oxford Richard MacAndrew

Check your reading
2. The railway station.
Chapter 1 3. No – she says ‘Number 117, I think.’
1. At 6.30 am on Friday 26 July. 4. False. He has a room in a house in Woodstock
2. At 17B St John Street; because Janet Leighton is Road.
dead.
3. Her bag is on the floor; the lamp is broken; a Chapter 6
window is broken; there are papers on the floor; 1. At 6.30 pm on Thursday 25 July.
there is a statue (a Chinese dog) on the floor; an 2. At Janet Leighton’s house.
open book is on the floor. 3. He wants some money or the house.
4. There is no computer in the room. 4. She says the money is all in the clinic. No, she
5. The book is called Our Beautiful World. The just doesn’t want him to have any money.
receipt shows the date of the day before. The 5. He’s going to go to his lawyer.
letter is about Janet Leighton’s will – a will tells 6. Very angry.
us who gets someone’s property when they die. 7. Student’s own answer.
6. To visit Dr Barbara Collins.
Chapter 7
Chapter 2
1. In Woodstock Road outside his house.
1. At 9.30 am on Thursday 25 July. 2. Because he looks like his father.
2. a T, b F, c T, d T, e F, f F
3. a She says there is not enough money. Chapter 8
b She thinks Janet Leighton doesn’t like her
because she is famous. 1. At 8.30 pm on Thursday 25 July.
4. She hates her. 2. a T, b F, c F, d T, e T, f F, g F
5. Student’s own answer. 3. Very angry.
4. Student’s own answer.
Chapter 3
Chapter 9
1. Her husband and son.
2. They don’t live together. 1. In Inspector Williams’ room at St Aldate’s police
3. To visit Elizabeth Morgan, the lawyer. station.
2. Jenkins, the police scientist.
Chapter 4 3. That it’s worth £100,000. Student’s own answer.
4. a Janet Leighton’s and Simon Leighton’s,
1. At 11 am on Thursday 25 July. another person’s (possibly the shop
2. 1 b, 2 d, 3 e, 4 a, 5 c assistant’s)
3. It tells us that she doesn’t like them. b nobody’s
5. Because Janet Leighton bought the book on
Chapter 5 Thursday 25 July, so Simon Leighton was in her
house after Janet Leighton bought it.
1. It’s a large office. From the windows there is a
view over the old buildings of Oxford. At the
other end of the room there are dark bookshelves
full of books.
Cambridge English Readers © Cambridge University Press 2009 www.cambridge.org/elt/readers PHOTOCOPIABLE
 Worksheet
Answer Key
Starter Level

A Death in Oxford Richard MacAndrew

Chapter 10 Chapter 11

1. At 10.30 pm on Thursday 25 July. 1. Simon and Chris Leighton, Barbara Collins,

2. Because Simon was there at 6.30 that evening.
3. The money or the house.
4. That Janet has money for books but no money
for him.
5. With a knife he finds on the table.
6. He makes a mess in the room and takes the
computer to make it look as if someone got in to
take money and things.
7. Because it’s worth a lot of money.
Inspector Williams, Sergeant Miller.
2. Open
3. Because his fingerprints are on Our Beautiful
World and Janet bought it the day before.
4. Simon is happy; Chris is sorry but not sad;
Dr Collins isn’t sad.
5. He means that if someone dies and people feel
happy, and sorry but not sad, the world isn’t
really very beautiful.

After reading
1–8. Student’s own answers.

Cambridge English Readers © Cambridge University Press 2009 www.cambridge.org/elt/readers PHOTOCOPIABLE