The Art of Love and Danger Book Two
WINNIE'S REVIEW
“Hiding your pain and thoughts doesn’t make you a stronger person. It makes life lonelier to walk through.”
Sung in the Shadows by talented author Crystal Caudill is a heart-tugging story filled with engaging main characters, despicable villains, and an assortment of other people ranging from cruel to kind and everywhere in between. Also included is Tristan, a demon of a cat with an attitude. The plot of the tale is very creative and attention-grabbing, and it kept me turning the pages.
Nora was the victim of a kidnapping as a child, and her parents changed their names and hid their identities to try to keep themselves safe from the villains. Nora’s mother is a renowned singer, Constanza Brisbane, and her paranoia has caused her to be confined to the Longview Asylum. As Nora visits her mother there, she meets Ezekiel Beaumont whose mother also resides at asylum. He works at an opera house, which is a forbidden place for Nora, so she intends to avoid him. I loved Ezekiel’s compassionate and caring personality, and his persistence in trying to help Nora.
“Maybe Jesus has paired us under the same yoke so we can share each other’s burdens as He guides us through this mess of life.”
As past collides with the present and Nora’s family is once again in danger, the intrigue, mystery, and intensity ramp up. The author does a wonderful job of interjecting some humor and lighter moments into the rather gritty and heart-wrenching subject matter. Themes of family, faith, and hope among the darkness give an inspirational tone to the story. The author handled the subject of mental illness realistically and compassionately.
This book is part of Caudill’s Art of Love and Danger series but can be read as a stand-alone book. I enjoyed seeing Nora’s friends, The Guardians, show up in this book and be a support for her.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Kregel Publications. All opinions are my own.
“Hiding your pain and thoughts doesn’t make you a stronger person. It makes life lonelier to walk through.”
Sung in the Shadows by talented author Crystal Caudill is a heart-tugging story filled with engaging main characters, despicable villains, and an assortment of other people ranging from cruel to kind and everywhere in between. Also included is Tristan, a demon of a cat with an attitude. The plot of the tale is very creative and attention-grabbing, and it kept me turning the pages.
Nora was the victim of a kidnapping as a child, and her parents changed their names and hid their identities to try to keep themselves safe from the villains. Nora’s mother is a renowned singer, Constanza Brisbane, and her paranoia has caused her to be confined to the Longview Asylum. As Nora visits her mother there, she meets Ezekiel Beaumont whose mother also resides at asylum. He works at an opera house, which is a forbidden place for Nora, so she intends to avoid him. I loved Ezekiel’s compassionate and caring personality, and his persistence in trying to help Nora.
“Maybe Jesus has paired us under the same yoke so we can share each other’s burdens as He guides us through this mess of life.”
As past collides with the present and Nora’s family is once again in danger, the intrigue, mystery, and intensity ramp up. The author does a wonderful job of interjecting some humor and lighter moments into the rather gritty and heart-wrenching subject matter. Themes of family, faith, and hope among the darkness give an inspirational tone to the story. The author handled the subject of mental illness realistically and compassionately.
This book is part of Caudill’s Art of Love and Danger series but can be read as a stand-alone book. I enjoyed seeing Nora’s friends, The Guardians, show up in this book and be a support for her.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Kregel Publications. All opinions are my own.
BackCover Blurb:
When past darkness prowls, will stepping into the light lead to a brighter future?
In nineteenth-century Cincinnati, fear keeps Nora Davis caged with secrets and lies. Her true identity as the daughter of a famous opera singer is too dangerous to reveal with her former captors still on the loose. But weekly singing lessons at Longview Asylum—her paranoid mother's permanent residence—light a flame in Nora, and it's one she can avoid fanning for only so long.
With his suicidal ma in the asylum, Ezekiel Beaumont's soul is weary, but Nora's presence at the asylum intrigues him. As a Pike's Opera House employee, Ezekiel thinks Nora might be cut out for the stage. He also begins to wonder if Nora's ma is really the famed Constanza Brisbane, who went missing mid-performance. He's determined to find out.
Though Ezekiel brings the performance world a little too close for comfort, Nora is drawn to his warm personality all the same. The two of them steadily grow closer, but then Nora begins to fear she's being watched, and her own paranoia blooms.
When past darkness prowls, will stepping into the light lead to a brighter future?
In nineteenth-century Cincinnati, fear keeps Nora Davis caged with secrets and lies. Her true identity as the daughter of a famous opera singer is too dangerous to reveal with her former captors still on the loose. But weekly singing lessons at Longview Asylum—her paranoid mother's permanent residence—light a flame in Nora, and it's one she can avoid fanning for only so long.
With his suicidal ma in the asylum, Ezekiel Beaumont's soul is weary, but Nora's presence at the asylum intrigues him. As a Pike's Opera House employee, Ezekiel thinks Nora might be cut out for the stage. He also begins to wonder if Nora's ma is really the famed Constanza Brisbane, who went missing mid-performance. He's determined to find out.
Though Ezekiel brings the performance world a little too close for comfort, Nora is drawn to his warm personality all the same. The two of them steadily grow closer, but then Nora begins to fear she's being watched, and her own paranoia blooms.
Kregel Publications, March, 2026
Available in digital ebook, paperback,
