Acknowledgments

Many thanks to John Talbot for getting excited about a series set in southern Indiana, and to the Kensington Publishing crew for sending me on this new cozy mystery venture. To Cindy Shultz and Benjamin for renovating the store in Story, Indiana, so long ago and giving me not only the idea seed for this series but also the practice of making whole wheat banana walnut pancakes. To Rick Hofstetter and Jane Ammeson for talking with me about the current Story Inn, on which I roughly modeled the interior of Pans ‘N Pancakes, letting me take as many pictures as I wanted, and for their book, Images of America: Brown County.

I’m much indebted to Indiana University linguists Robert Botne, Dan Dinnsen, Judy Gierut, Diane Kewley-Port, and Robert Port, friends all, for help with matters of southern Indiana dialect. Any going overboard with colorful phrases is entirely of my own doing. My sister Barbara Bergendorf, a more northern Hoosier, was wonderful company and a source of much local information on my Midwestern research trip during the writing of this book. Officer Garnet Watson helped out with a few questions of police procedure, which I might not always have followed, and Dave DeCaro allowed me to use his blog detail and photograph of the Elite Club mosaic and alarm button.

I cite Maryann Kovalski’s vivid and wonderful tale of a dream gone bad, Frank and Zelda. My friend, author, and investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan unknowingly gave me the idea for the awful Sunday morning discovery near the end of the book. My son JD Hutchison-Maxwell helped out with cycling knowledge in this book. Thanks, all.

Books like this do not get done without the help of writer friends. Sherry Harris once again ably gave me editorial feedback before I turned in the manuscript. Sherry and the other Wicked Cozy Authors—Jessie Crockett (aka Jessica Estevao), Julie Hennrikus (aka Julianne Holmes), Liz Mugavero (aka Cate Conte), and Barbara Ross—are my lifeboat. Thanks, dears. Longtime mentor and author friend Kate Flora allowed me to spend four glorious solitary days in her Maine cottage as I revised the story. And Sisters in Crime—national, New England chapter, and Guppies—you’re the best.

As always, my deep love and grateful thanks to my family. You know who you are.

Readers: a positive review of a book you read goes a long way to helping the author. Please consider posting your opinion on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, and elsewhere if you liked my story (and check out my other author names: Edith Maxwell and Tace Baker).