ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I must thank my fantastic agent, Paula Munier, without whom my Henny Penny Farmette series would not have found its wonderful home at Kensington Publishing. To my brilliant editor Michaela Hamilton, whose unwavering enthusiasm and insights in shaping the books are always spot on, I will forever be grateful. Thanks also to Rosemary Silva and Robin Cook for the excellent copyediting work and incredible attention to detail on the manuscript and galleys. Thanks also to the hardworking publicity team: Karen Auerbach, Morgan Elwell, Lauren Jernigan, and everyone else at Kensington who has contributed to making my Henny Penny Farmette mystery series a success.

I’m blessed to have a phenomenal group of professional writers in my critique group. Writing a novel a year means that for many months at a time, I face the blank page alone. But I know that there is an invisible cord connecting me to my Scribe Tribe, and I have only to tug on it for help. For your tremendous support, insights, and feedback, I owe huge thanks to Mardeene Burr Mitchell, Paula Munier, Susan Reynolds, John Waters, and Indi Zeleny.

Thanks to Katerina Lorenzatos Makris for a lifelong friendship, as well as valuable tips and insights about dogs. I don’t know anyone who knows more about rescuing our four-legged, furry friends.

I am deeply grateful to Thomas O’Neill, a forensic anthropologist and (ret.) San Francisco Police Department captain, who helped me understand the world of bullets and bones. A big hug and thanks to Sergeant Aaron Pomeroy, who continues to provide me with an invaluable lens for viewing law enforcement issues in my stories. You answered my every text as fast as I could send it. To both Tom and Aaron, know that I sincerely appreciate your help, and if, inadvertently, I have made any mistakes involving the workings of a small-town police department, procedural elements, or other law enforcement aspects, they are all mine.

Thanks to my daughter, Heather Pomeroy, for sharing stories about her life as a paramedic and evidence technician in a small-town police department. As always, these stories provide a plethora of ideas. Thanks also to Madison and Savannah for their suggestions, story ideas, and infectious laughter, which kept me going in times of fatigue. I’m thrilled you both are such avid readers.

A big thanks to my beekeeper neighbors Botros (Peter) Kemel and Wajiha (Jill) Nasrallah. Your encyclopedic knowledge about honeybees is what provided me with the impetus and confidence to start my own apiary. And your praise and promotion of my homemade jams is opening doors to new opportunities, for which I am grateful.

A hug of appreciation goes to my son Joshua for all the tech support needed for maintenance of my Web sites and social media platforms.

A big hug to my Dominican-born architect husband, Carlos J. Carvajal, for aspects of my stories that involve buildings and for the Spanish language translations. You deserve credit also for being one of my recipe taste testers.

For her wonderful ideas and support for recycling, gardening, jam making, fine wine, world travel, and all things home crafted, I offer my heartfelt thanks to Jeanne Lederer, heir and owner of the property behind the real Henny Penny Farmette.

A huge thank-you goes to talented writer, editor, and friend A. Bronwyn Llewellyn, who gifted me her mother’s collection of mysteries and an unfinished quilt in an orange box (a mystery in itself), which started me down the path into this story.