On the cusp of 1938 in New York City, Katey Kontent, a twenty-five-year-old with a sharp wit and keen intellect, finds herself in a second-rate jazz bar on New Year's Eve. An unexpected introduction to the dashing banker Tinker Grey ushers her into the dizzying heights of New York high society. As Katey navigates through a world of mansions and magazine offices, her journey of glamour and ambition also reveals the fragility of social status. 'Rules of Civility' is a story where the delights and downfalls of the American dream are as intoxicating as the finest cocktail, reminding us how life's path can change with the clink of a champagne flute.