A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder Reading Kit

What Is A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder?

A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder is the first book in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series by Dianne Freeman. The amateur sleuth is Frances Wynn, an American-born Countess, who finds herself juggling multiple mysteries in London’s high society in 1899.

Read more about A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder.

A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder Reader Questions

Note: If you aren’t in a book club, you can still use these questions to reflect on the story after you read it.

• What three words would you use to describe Frances Wynn, the Countess of Harleigh?

• Do you think Frances’ place in high society helps or hinders her sleuthing abilities?

• Who is your favorite character from A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder?

• Do you think George makes a good sidekick for Frances?

• Have you ever visited London?

• Would you like to live in London in 1899?

• If you were attending a fancy ball during the social season, what color would your dress be?

• Was there a historical tidbit or custom that surprised you while reading this book?

• Did you have a favorite scene in the book? What did you like about this scene?

• Were you able to identify the culprit before Frances did?

• What red herrings threw you off the real culprit’s trail?

• Were there any twists that surprised you?

• What did you think of the ending of A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder?

• Would you like to see A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder turned into a TV series or movie? Who would you pick to play Frances, George, Fiona, Lily, Aunt Hetty, and Inspector Delaney?

• Do you have any predictions for future books in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series?

• Will you read the next book in the series, A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder?

You can find additional discussion questions for A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder on author Dianne Freeman’s website.

Book Club Activities

• Have a tea party. Serve tea and other beverages, along with a mix of savory and sweet items. Scroll down to see a Tea Party Menu for specific food and beverage ideas.

• Ask every book club member to bring an index card or a piece of paper with a fun fact about 1899 and take turns reading the facts out loud to learn more about what Victorian life was like.

• Imagine that A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder is being turned into a television series. Take turns saying which actor or actress you would choose to play your favorite character from the book.

A Countess of Harleigh Tea Party Menu

A three-course tea menu inspired by A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder.

Tea Service

Pour the tea when guests are seated and serve it continuously throughout the party. Serve the tea with optional accompaniments, such as milk, sugar cubes, and lemon slices.

• Creamy Earl Grey Tea (Try this Organic Tea from the Woman-owned Light of Day Shop)

• Afternoon Darjeeling (Try this Taylors of Harrogate Loose Leaf Tea)

• Homemade Lemonade (Recipe from Sugar Run Spun)

Sherry, white wine, and champagne can also be served if you’d like to make your tea party a little more lavish.

Savories (First Course)

Serve the savories first so that they can be eaten with sips of tea.

• English Tea Sandwiches (Recipes from Preppy Kitchen)

Other savory menu items could include potted chicken or shrimp in pastry shells, tiny hand pies, mini mushroom tartlets, and anchovy toast.

Scones (Second Course)

Serve the scones warm with more tea. You can put the scones in linen-lined baskets to help them retain heat.

• Devonshire scones (Recipe from Mary Berry)

• Currant scones (Recipe from Allrecipes)

Optional accompaniments might include Devon clotted cream, strawberry jam, and apricot preserves.

Sweets (Third Course)

Serve this course last with final sips of tea.

• Victoria Sponge (Recipe from Mary Berry)

• Madeleines (Recipe from Sugar Spun Run)

• Coconut macaroons (Recipe from Once Upon a Chef)

Other handheld sweets that work well for this course include petit fours, eclairs or cream puffs, fruit tartlets, and marzipan confections.

Go Beyond the Book

Browse the Costume Institute fashion plates on the Metropolitan Museum of Art website to see the types of fashions that Frances and other women wore in 1899.