taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance

pronounce not guilty of criminal charges

an investigation into the cause of an unexpected death

without rigor or strictness

a close friend or associate

tired to the point of exhaustion

look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail

an odd or fanciful or capricious idea

in a manner expressing sorrow

marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

dangerously unstable and unpredictable

in a manner that is difficult to discern

marked by practical hardheaded intelligence

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments