"Not many of us would admit, even to ourselves, that we had actually wished for something awful to befall anybody we knew. On the other hand, if we've ever felt exploited by an acquaintance, or undervalued in a job that we felt trapped in-if we've experienced an unappreciative boss, a backstabbing co-worker, a jealous rival, a manipulative friend, a faithless lover, an intrusive neighbor, or even a controlling homeowners' association board . . . well, you get the picture.

"Each of us has doubtless gone a round or two with someone whom we secretly felt deserved more than a small dose of Divine Justice. This probably explains why most of us can't help but smile upon hearing that somebody who "done us wrong" has, at long last, gotten his "just desserts." In extreme cases (that is, if you're anything like me) you might even have gone so far, in the past, as to uncork a small split of champagne!

"I suspect there'll be plenty of bubbly flowing as you relish reading about twenty of literature's most deserving villains, who get their comeuppance in Chesapeake Crimes: They Had It Comin'."

--Katherine Neville, from the Foreword