Sticks & Scones

More Five-Star Praise for the
Nationally Bestselling Mysteries
of Diane Mott Davidson

Also by
Diane Mott Davidson

Catering to Nobody
Dying for Chocolate
The Cereal Murders
The Last Suppers
Killer Pancake
The Main Corpse
The Grilling Season
Prime Cut
Tough Cookie

And coming soon in hardcover
from Bantam Books:

Chopping Spree

To John William Schenk,
a stupendously talented and fabulously creative
chef and caterer.
Thank you.

I wish to acknowledge the assistance of the following people: Jim, J.Z., and Joe Davidson; Jeff and Rosa Davidson; Kate Miciak, a fabulous editor; Sandra Dijkstra, an incredible agent; and Susan Corcoran and Sharon Lulek, both unequaled publicists.

For help in Great Britain, I am particularly indebted to the marvelous staff at Books for Cooks in Notting Hill; to the equally brilliant staff at Hampton Court; to Julie Cullen, Director of Catering for Cliveden, Taplow, and Maidenhead, in the National Trust; and to David Edge of the Wallace Collection.

I was also greatly aided by my friend Julie Wallin Kaewert, who intrepidly drove on the left side of the road for our great adventure into English castles, abbeys, hotels, bookstores, and gourmet restaurants.

In addition, I am thankful to the following people: Lee Karr and the group that assembles at her home; Carol Devine Rusley, for encouragement and friendship; Lucy Mott Faison, who once again provided sisterly aid by
testing and retesting the recipes at low altitude; John William Schenk and Karen Johnson, who once more took time to answer numerous catering questions; Katherine Goodwin Saideman, for her close readings of the manuscript; Shirley Carnahan, Ph.D., instructor in Humanities at the University of Colorado, for her helpful tips on all aspects of medieval history and castle life, and for her insightful reading of the manuscript; Dr. Michael Schuett, Attending Physician, Emergency Department, Porter Hospital, for insight into emergency procedures; Chuck Musser, meat department, Albertson’s Grocery Store, Evergreen, Colorado, for advice on the steak pies; Richard Staller, D.O., Elk Ridge Family Physicians, for medical details; Meg Kendal and Daniel Martinez, M.D., Denver-Evergreen Ob-Gyn Group, for all manner of medical background; Francine Mathews and Mo Mathews, for their extremely helpful historical input; Kay Bergstrom; Triena Harper, chief deputy coroner, Jon Cline, coroner’s investigator, Chris Bauchmeyer, Deputy District Attorney, all of Jefferson County, and John Lauck, Criminal Investigator, District Attorney’s Office, First Judicial District of Colorado, all of whom provided key information; Paula Millsapps, for offering banking background; Webster Stickney, philatelic agent, Harmer Schau Auction Galleries, for providing outstanding stamp-collecting expertise; Deputy Troy Murfin, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, for details on statutes; and as always, for his wide-ranging knowledge and his wonderful ability to articulate it, Sergeant Richard Millsapps, Jefferson County Work-Release Program, Lakewood, Colorado.

Wounds of the flesh a surgeon’s skill may heal,
But wounded honor’s only cured with steel.

—“THE ART OF DUELLING,” BY
‘A TRAVELLER.’ LONDON, 1836.