ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I’m grateful for so many people who made this book possible. My critique partners Nancy Adams, Emberly Nesbitt, Sue Parman, Brian Selfon, and Diane Vallere. Additional early readers Ellen Byron, Joe Crawford, Nancy Tingley, and Stina Va. At Henery Press, my editor Maria Edwards for keen insights, and Kendel Lynn for believing in Jaya from the start. My agent Jill Marsal, for ten years of support and guidance (ten years!).

 

For research help, big thanks to Stina Va for pointing out what did and didn’t ring true about Cambodia, Nancy Tingley for Southeast Asian art history expertise, and John Stucky at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum who searched for nagas with me. In Cambodia, my guides Mr. Ratha and Mr. Pel, tuk-tuk driver Mr. Visith, and countless others who generously answered my questions—and shared their recipes. Any mistakes in these pages are my own.

 

For inspiration, thanks to Shelly Dickson Carr for inspiring me to write a locked-room mystery into a full-length novel for the first time, and Beth Mertz for giving her blessing for how I pay homage to her mom Elizabeth Peters’ character Vicky Bliss in The Glass Thief.

 

And for making all of this possible, my wonderful family, who’ve always believed in me, and my readers, without whom this wouldn’t be nearly as fun. It’s because of you that this series will be continuing. Thank you.

 

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