These Crooked Things

By Ellen Byerrum

THESE CROOKED THINGS

A playwright and a playboy detective chase a cast of shady characters down a crooked path, uncovering a snobby secret society, a long-ago disappearance, a very rich (and very dead) bad boy, and multiple potential killers.

It's November 1934 in New York City. Prohibition is over, but the Depression lingers like a bad hangover. Famous gangsters fight for headlines with local criminals, society-page sinners, and hit Broadway shows. Amid all the glitz, glamour and grit, a man lies dead on the floor of a swanky Upper East Side apartment, as his wounded pregnant wife hides in terror nearby.

Private detective Graydon Chase and his fianc e, playwright Esm de LaForet, are called by the family to keep scandal at bay and sweet-talk the Irish cops. But there's no keeping this crime quiet, as they tangle with too many killers with way too many motives. And what about Esm ? Does she really want the truth? Or justice? And a little mercy for those who survive? (And what about her play's opening night?)

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1949582159
• ISBN13: 9781949582154
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Lethal Black Dress Press
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"