Written in Secret (Book 1)

"What a cracking start to a new series! I always enjoy sneaking a peek behind the curtain of a writer's life, and this tale of authorly misadventure between the Killer Queen of Romance and an upright police detective has something for everyone. Definitely worth diving into!"
--Carolyn Miller, best-selling author of the Regency Brides and Regency Wallflowers series

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.

"Danger, mystery, hidden identities, villains, heroes, and gallantry! Everything you would expect in a dime novel, but better!"
--Erica Vetsch, author of the Of Cloaks & Daggers series

Author: Crystal Caudill
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Published: 03/11/2025
Pages: 328
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.47h x 5.60w x 0.86d
ISBN: 9780825449079

About the Author
Caudill, Crystal: - 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, Crystal can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio. Find out more at crystalcaudill.com.