- Kate has always dreamt of Christmas in England. Nevertheless, she plans to return home to be with her mother on Christmas Eve, the anniversary of her father’s tragic death twenty-nine years earlier. How is that emblematic of Kate’s life since?
- Christine, Kate’s impulsive daughter, is a handful for sure. Is Kate’s assessment of Christine’s character fair? Could she handle her daughter differently? How and why?
- Why do you think Christine is attracted to feckless men? Will she ever change?
- Finchley Hall has been the center of life in Long Barston for centuries—for good or for bad? How does Lady Barbara fill a role in village society today?
- Loyalty is a theme in the book. Is loyalty always a good thing?
- What role does Ivor Tweedy play in Kate’s life? Did you like him—and why?
- Describe Kate’s reaction to the Finchley Hoard treasures and the objects in Ivor Tweedy’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Do her instincts help her solve the crime(s)?
- How does Kate’s mother, Linnea, help her solve puzzles? What do you learn from her?
- Describe Tom’s mother, Liz. What circumstances in her life make her as she is today?
- Besides Kate and Tom, which character would you most like to have dinner with—and why?
- How is Kate forced to face her fears in this book? Have you ever had to face one of your fears—and how did it turn out?
- How does Kate change over the course of the book? What do you foresee for her future?