Written in Secret by Crystal Caudill Takeover & Review Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Written in Secret by Crystal Caudill hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

 

Title: Written in Secret 

Series: The Art of Love and Danger #1 

Author: Crystal Caudill 

Publisher: Kregel Publications 

Release Date: March 11, 2025 

Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance 

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.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel Publications | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop

Also Available

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About the Author

Crystal Caudill is the Christy Award–winning author of “dangerously good romance,” including the Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age series. She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio.

Connect with Crystal by visiting crystalcaudill.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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My thoughts:

Written in Secret is a wonderful start to Crystal Caudill's The Art of Love & Danger series. It grabbed my attention right away and wouldn't let go. I loved the premise of this story. An author, Lydia Pelton, has been writing dime stories under the pseudonym of Dupin, because it wasn't acceptable for women in the 1800s to be writing crime stories. These stories are based off cases that have taken place in the Queen City (Cincinati, OH). Due to the corruption of the justice system there are some criminals who have gotten off without justice being served. So, Lydia has written their stories where they end up punished in the end. Unfortunately someone has been using her stories to bring revenge on these criminals. They are being killed the way the were in the books. 

Officer Abraham Hall is not a fan of dime novels and discovering that someone is using them in this nefarious way is just cementing his feelings against them. He is put on this case to discover the identity of Dupin and figure out who is killing these criminals. He's also not sure what to think of Lydia and finds himself drawn to her, but then repulsed when truth is revealed. I wasn't sure if there would be a way for them to get together, and for a while I wasn't sure if I wanted them to get together. Though the author did a great job with their relationship. 

There was plenty of mystery and suspense and danger along with the romance. Faith was important in the story. There was a huge reminder of letting God be the Sovereign judge and not taking matters into our own hands. I love that the characters prayed to God and listened for His voice in hard decisions. 

I loved this reminder, "Our words have power, Lydia, no matter if they are meant to be fictional or not. We must always be careful in what we say or write and be sure that it is God-glorifying and edifying to those around us."

The author did a great job keeping me on the edge of my seat and keeping me guessing on the identity of the killer. There were multiple suspects and inriguing twists. I missed some clues, but a bit before the killer was revealed, I was leaning toward that person. Except, there were more twists to keep me wondering until the actual reveal. 

I fell in love with these characters and became invested in this story. I highly recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Written in Secrets and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 12, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on March 19, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!