Which of the following statements about the authors of the novels "Forty Thieves", "Half of a Yellow Sun" and "Middlesex" are correct? 1. The author of the novel "Forty Thieves" is Thomas Perry. 2. The author of the novel "Half of a Yellow Sun" is Jennifer Egan. 3. The author of the novel "Middlesex" is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Introduction / Context:
This question again checks how accurately you can match contemporary literary novels with their correct authors. It provides three statements and asks which are correct. All three titles mentioned are well known in modern fiction, but only one of the author pairings given is accurate. Identifying that one correct link is the key to answering this question.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Statement 1 connects "Forty Thieves" with Thomas Perry.
• Statement 2 connects "Half of a Yellow Sun" with Jennifer Egan.
• Statement 3 connects "Middlesex" with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
• You must determine which statements are correct.

Concept / Approach:
The actual authors are:

• "Forty Thieves" is a crime novel by Thomas Perry.
• "Half of a Yellow Sun" is by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
• "Middlesex" is by American author Jeffrey Eugenides.

Once you know or recall these facts, you can compare each statement with reality and see which ones are true or false.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Evaluate statement 1. "Forty Thieves" is indeed written by Thomas Perry, so statement 1 is correct. Step 2: Evaluate statement 2. "Half of a Yellow Sun" is not by Jennifer Egan; it is by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Thus, statement 2 is incorrect. Step 3: Evaluate statement 3. "Middlesex" is written by Jeffrey Eugenides, not by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, so statement 3 is also incorrect. Step 4: Summarise: only statement 1 is correct, while statements 2 and 3 are incorrect. Step 5: Look at the answer choices to find the option that corresponds to "1 only". Step 6: Option e states "1 only", so option e is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consulting reliable book listings confirms that Thomas Perry is credited with "Forty Thieves". Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's major novels include "Purple Hibiscus", "Half of a Yellow Sun" and "Americanah", but not "Middlesex". Jeffrey Eugenides is consistently listed as the author of "Middlesex". This cross checking validates that only statement 1 is accurate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Options a, b, c and d all assume that at least one of the incorrect statements (2 or 3) is correct, which contradicts the factual authorship. Option d assumes all three statements are correct, which is entirely wrong in this case. Only option e isolates the single true statement and therefore only that option matches the required pattern.

Common Pitfalls:
A typical mistake is to see the name Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and incorrectly assume that she also wrote "Middlesex" simply because all three titles seem to be modern literary novels. Another pitfall is weak familiarity with Jennifer Egan and Jeffrey Eugenides, which can cause confusion. To avoid this, it helps to remember at least one landmark title for each important modern author you study, so that false pairings are easier to spot.

Final Answer:
Only statement 1, which credits "Forty Thieves" to Thomas Perry, is correct.