A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder

To save her family's reputation, American-born heiress Frances Wynn, the Countess of Harleigh, takes immediate action to hide the details regarding the death of her unfaithful husband, Reggie. Frances also gets assistance from George Hazelton, her best friend's brother, to make sure no one ever knows where and with whom Reggie died. A year later, Frances is coming out of mourning and preparing to make a life on her own with her young daughter. Though the current Earl of Harleigh and his wife are eager to get as much of Frances's money as they can to maintain the estate and keep up appearances to the ton, Frances finds a home she can afford in London and moves out. Frances's younger sister, Lily, comes to stay with her in London for her first season. Frances has her hands full with her daughter and sister, but when she learns of her brother-in-law's plans to claim her fortune by any means possible, her situation becomes even more precarious. Luckily for her, her next-door neighbor just happens to be the man who was there for her in her time of need a year ago: George Hazelton. In this smart and charming first novel, we see a delightful, independent heroine who, as an American in England, has a perspective that is fresh and can be explored more thoroughly in future installments. Narrator Sarah Zimmerman does a wonderful job with the accents throughout the book. Her voice as Frances is most agreeable and distinct against the other genders and ages of the English personae.