Crime fiction imprint Crooked Lane Books has unmasked its first four titles, set to launch on August 11: a hardcover edition of Denise Grover Swank's Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes; Ellen Byron's Plantation Shudders; and two debut novels: C. Michele Dorsey's No Virgin Island; and Red Line by Brian Thiem, a former Oakland homicide detective.
Crooked Lane plans to publish 20 titles this year in a range of crime fiction sub-genres, from "psychological suspense and high-concept thrillers" to "traditionals and cozies." Crooked Lane is distributed by Legato Publishers Group, a member of Perseus Books Group.
Crooked Lane was founded last year by Dan Weiss (formerly publisher at large with St. Martin's Press and managing director and publisher with Barnes & Noble's educational publishing company) and Matt Martz (formerly of Minotaur Books, St. Martin's crime imprint).
"We founded Crooked Lane Books to work with new and midlist authors in crime fiction," said Martz. "As vibrant as the space has traditionally been, we believe that there are a number of underserved subgenres. Readers are looking hard for authors and series that they can fall in love with and enjoy for years to come, and we're in an excellent position to help them find their next great read."
"I couldn't be more thrilled with the veteran team that we have in place," Weiss said. "After my many years of successfully publishing to niche markets and building durable publishing brands, I'm convinced that Crooked Lane's innovative model will grow to become a powerful new outlet for the many wonderful mystery and crime authors."