ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Apart from “The Cambodian Curse,” the short story that leads this collection, each of the stories first appeared elsewhere. Thank you to Gary Phillips for inviting me to contribute a story to Asian Pulp, and to the editors of the anthologies where the stories originally appeared: Ramona DeFlice Long (editor of “The Hindi Houdini” in Fish Nets: The Second Guppy Anthology and “The Shadow of the River” in Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology); Dana Cameron (editor of “The Haunted Room” in Murder at the Beach); Tommy Hancock and Morgan McKay (editors of “The Curse of Cloud Castle” in Asian Pulp); Naomi Hirahara, Kate Thornton, and Jeri Westerson (editors of “Tempest in a Teapot” in LAdies Night); Verena Rose, Barb Goffman, and Rita Owen (editors of “A Dark and Stormy Light” in Malice Domestic: Murder Most Conventional).

 

Before these stories were accepted for publication, my critique readers were essential in helping me figure out if my twists were successfully executed. Thanks to Nancy Adams, Paula Benson, Stephen Buehler, Shelley Dickson Carr, Kim Fay, Emberly Nesbit, Susan Parman, Brian Selfon, and Diane Vallere.

 

Luci Zahray generously gave me insights into poisons. The Guppies chapter of Sisters in Crime provided me with the tools I needed to become a writer and gave me my first publication credit, “The Shadow of the River”—my only Jaya Jones story with a different narrator!

 

As always, I’m grateful to the team at Henery Press, especially Maria Edwards and Meagan Smith who helped me with the stories in this collection, and Kendel Lynn, for being part of my journey from the start. To impossible crime literature expert Doug Greene and master of mystery Laurie King for giving their time to introduce this collection. To my husband James, for providing ongoing support even when I would disappear for hours at a time as I worked out these puzzles.

 

And to my readers, whether you’re picking up this collection because you’re an existing fan of Jaya Jones, a short story enthusiast, or someone intrigued by locked room mysteries—thank you for making this such a fun undertaking, and I hope you enjoy the mysteries in the coming pages.