Archives par étiquette : Crooked Lane & Alcove Press

THE UNPAID DEBT de Thomas Dann

In this southern noir, two detectives forge an unlikely alliance as they strive to bridge the racial divide and catch a killer hell bent on revenge. Set against a historical backdrop of racial inequality and political turmoil, this thriller is perfect for fans of William Kent Kruger and Greg Iles.

THE UNPAID DEBT
by Thomas Dann
Crooked Lane, November 2025

1955, Memphis. Homicide detective Burdett Vance is trying to outrun his past, but working in the homicide division always ends up bringing in new waves of horror. The time, a killer is reaping retribution for decades of lynching by targeting the daughters of rich white families in Memphis. When Vance is assigned to the case, he’s also put in charge of a new trainee, Officer Eustace Johnson.

In the latest publicity stunt of the police department, Eustace Johnson has been recently hired as the only Black man on the force. Forced to work together, Vance and Johnson must catch the rampaging killer in a city that is already roiling with racial injustice and a fight to control the crumbling local politics.

Then Emmeline Bryce, Vance’s old flame, becomes the killer’s next target. With Emmeline’s life on the line, Vance and Johnson must confront their deepest fears and darkest desires before the city ignites into chaos and the blissful vision of a better future disappears forever.

Readers of James Lee Burke will delight in this bitingly smart thriller full of intrigue and age-old animosities

Thomas Dann was born and bred in Memphis, Tennessee, five generations deep in a family fighting the entrenched political machine there. He has spent time variously on the East and Left Coasts, studying creative writing at Stanford, working for years as a felony defense investigator for the Washington, DC Public Defender, then lawyer, company builder, and writer, all the while wondering what he wants to do when he grows up. He now lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with his wife Melissa and their goofy golden retriever Benji. And he loves the Blues.

EVERY SWEET THING IS BITTER de Samantha Crewson

A woman with a violent past gets a chance at redemption in this upmarket suspense debut, perfect for fans of Lisa Taddeo and Tiffany McDaniel.

EVERY SWEET THING IS BITTER
by Samantha Crewson
Crooked Lane, April 2025

Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd threw the family car in reverse and ran over her mother. Even though her mother survived, that single instant of teenage madness made Providence a felon and irrevocably altered her life. When her mother disappears years later under suspicious circumstances, Providence tells herself that returning home is her chance to find closure after a prolonged estrangement from her family. Never mind that this is only half of the truth: she’s also returning to finally confront her abusive father, Tom Byrd. Nothing can stamp out Providence’s certainty that he is guilty of whatever terrible thing has happened to her mother.

As the search unfolds, Providence is haunted by the wounds of her past, none of which cut as deep as the distance between her and her younger sisters. Harmony and Grace are both uniquely scarred by her attempted matricide, and both have their own idea of what reconciliations might look like – if reconciling is even possible. Harmony urges Providence to make their father pay for his sins; Grace begs her to end the cycle of violence that has haunted their family for generations. As her thirst for vengeance collides with her desire to heal her relationships with her sisters, Providence must decide which she values more: revenge or redemption.

Sharp and poignant, EVERY SWEET THING IS BITTER is a stunning novel that eschews picture-perfect endings and dares to tell a story about a resilient queer woman and her relentless determination to persevere.

Samantha Crewson graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a degree in political science. A proud queer woman, she currently resides in California’s Inland Empire with her partner and their many cats.

COOKING AS THERAPY de Debra Borden

Follow 20 recipes to find calm, improve self-esteem, and form daily habits—in your very own kitchen!—through mindfulness-based cooking therapy.

COOKING AS THERAPY:
How to Improve Mental Health Through Cooking
by Debra Borden
Alcove Press, November 2025

Follow 20 recipes to find calm, improve self-esteem, and form daily habits—in your very own kitchen!—through mindfulness-based cooking therapy.

In COOKING AS THERAPY, licensed clinical social worker and Sous Therapist Debra Borden provides you with all the tools and techniques to have therapy sessions in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Cooking therapy is an experiential therapy that allows you to conduct a therapy session while you cook a meal. Using cooking processes like chopping, kneading, stirring and more, you’ll develop the skills to recognize limiting patterns and behaviors, improve self-esteem, and form healthy daily habits, and you might even have fun incorporating techniques centered around:

– mindfulness—which develops calm

– metaphor—which creates clarity, and

– mastery—which sparks self-esteem.

Luckily, you don’t have to be a great cook to try cooking therapy—or even like cooking. You only need an interest in self-exploration. Borden will teach you the processes involved in preparing a recipe or meal that trigger awareness and even “aha” moments. Unlike talk therapy, cooking therapy sessions incorporate tangible acts. It is less about what you prepare and more of a guided journey to self-reflection through how you prepare a dish.

Debra Borden is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in NY and NJ and a novelist. Her essays and articles have appeared in Women’s Health Magazine and the New York Times. A pioneer in the field of cooking therapy, Debra is thrilled and grateful to be a part of the creative community of mental health professionals, writers, and foodies.

SMALL HABITS, LASTING CHANGE de Tal Ben-Shahar

Cultivate lasting change with simple habits, fromNew York Times bestselling author Tal Ben-Shahar.

SMALL HABITS, LASTING CHANGE
by Tal Ben-Shahar
Alcove Press, January 2026

Do you struggle to make real change because you’re starting too big without building a foundation first ? get a new job, lose twenty pounds, learn a new language? Maybe the tools at your disposal seem inadequate, the prospect of change overwhelms you, and you feel stuck.

In SMALL HABITS, LASTING CHANGE, happiness expert Tal Ben-Shahar provides accessible and easy-to-implement tools, and an easy-to-follow three step process, that can help you realize your goals, aspirations, and dreams.

He starts with simple intervention techniques to reset your mood in as little time as possible—what he calls Happiness Boosters in the form of MVIs (Minimum Viable Interventions), which include:

– Taking three deep breaths
– Writing down five things for which you are grateful
– Reading a quote slowly and deliberately
– Vigorously climbing stairs for 45 seconds

From there, discover how to improve well-being—spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational, and emotional—and build a stronger base within yourself for committing to change, increasing your willpower, and finding joy in the journey.

The final step in Ben-Shahar’s guide will help you learn how to create the daily rituals that will help you turn goals into habits, and intentions into reality, using the 3 Rs of change:

– Reminders
– Repetitions
– Rituals

With concrete examples, practical, direct advice, and an easy-to-follow action plan, Ben-Shahar shows you that while cultivating lasting change takes motivation, it does not have to be a frustrating experience that is doomed to failure: you’re just starting without the foundation you need for real change.

Tal Ben-Shahar is the New York Times bestselling author of Happier and the co-founder and chief learning officer of The Happiness Studies Academy. He taught two of the largest classes in Harvard University’s history, “Positive Psychology” and “The Psychology of Leadership.” In 2022, Tal designed and launched the world’s first Master’s Degree in Happiness Studies in collaboration with Centenary University. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have appeared on bestseller lists around the world.

THE DEADLY BOOK CLUB de Lyn Liao Butler

A member of a virtual book club is killed while the Zoom screen is frozen and the others listen in horror in this twisty and delicious popcorn thriller perfect for fans of First Lie Wins and The Housemaid.

THE DEADLY BOOK CLUB
by Lyn Liao Butler
Crooked Lane Books, October 2025

Helena, Sidney, Leigh, Kate, and Jessie are five of the most prominent book influencers in the US. Once a month, they get on a video call to sip cocktails, chat about social media campaigns and book events, and discuss their monthly book club pick. Their exclusive group is the envy of the online book world.

Until one meeting, when all of their Zoom screens freeze and they listen to gut wrenching screams as one of their friends is brutally attacked. It feels like an eternity before the video call drops—and thus begins the frantic texts and phone calls as each tries to figure out who was murdered and why.

As the investigation into their friend’s violent death unearths secrets each of the five women need to keep buried, the jealousies, hidden resentments, and trouble in their personal lives begin to surface. The remaining four women are suspicious of each other, pointing fingers to take the heat off their own indiscretions. But if they want to figure out who killed their friend, they need to band together and put past hurts behind them. Or one of them will be next.

Lyn Liao Butler is the Amazon bestselling author of thrillers What is Mine and Someone Else’s Life, and received critical acclaim for her women’s fiction The Tiger Mom’s Tale and Red Thread of Fate. She was born in Taiwan and moved to the States when she was seven. Before becoming an author, she was a professional ballet and modern dancer, and is still a personal trainer, fitness instructor, and yoga instructor. She is an avid animal lover and fosters dogs as well as volunteers with rescues. Her works have been praised by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and featured in Forbes, Parade, Pop Sugar, and more.