Written in Secret

By Crystal Caudill

Description:

In the heart of nineteenth-century Cincinnati one woman holds the power to rewrite history.

What happens when fiction becomes reality? In the corruption-infested Queen City, danger lurks in every shadow, but Lydia Pelton refuses to stay silent. She writes under a pseudonym, E. A. Dupin, crafting crime novels to exact justice and right the wrongs she sees in society. When a serial killer decides to be the sword to her pen, Lydia is confronted with the consequences of her words. Four men are dead, and the city blames her.

With murders on the rise, Officer Abraham Hall's only lead is Lydia's fiction, and he is thrust into an investigation with the "Killer Queen of Romance." Despite his misgivings about the woman, he realizes that even with his reputation for catching elusive criminals, he needs her help. But his unexpected attraction to Lydia proves as difficult to manage as the woman herself.

As the mystery unfolds, Abraham and Lydia race to rewrite the ending, not only for Cincinnati's citizens, but for their own hearts too.

Book Takeaway:

My biggest hope is that they’ll walk away having read a story that excited and entertained them. On the “deeper” side of things, I hope readers will walk away knowing that God is still just and able even when there is injustice in the world. Sometimes, God will use injustice to change a person’s heart toward Him, and sometimes, we never get a reason or explanation. But we can act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Why the author wrote this book:

I’ve always enjoyed movies, television episodes, and novels where the concept of a book is brought to life. As a historical romantic suspense author, I was excited to toy with the idea of someone bringing a mystery author’s books to life for nefarious purposes. I’m also a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, and the vigilante character Casey Jones inspired the idea of including a villain with noble intentions executed in a very vile way.