Sung in the Shadows

By Crystal Caudill

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.

As the line between what's real and false grows fainter, will Ezekiel's and Nora's faith and love overcome?

"From the haunting halls of Longview Asylum to the dangerous secrets of Nora's past, Sung in the Shadows delivers a riveting blend of romance, mystery, and redemption." --Misty M. Beller, USA TODAY best-selling author of the Sisters of the Rockies series

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0825449103
• ISBN13: 9780825449109
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Kregel Publications
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Would you sing in the shadows?

I absolutely loved how this book draws you in from the get-go. The beauty of the opera meets the underbelly of a failing mental institution. The characters were beautifully written. I immediately was drawn in by Nora’s fear of following her mother’s mental health all while caring for her in the midst of her own grief and fears. Seeing how the transformation of one’s mind begins with Christ’s work in our hearts play out in a different way with each character in the midst of overwhelming odds was by far the best part of this story. The struggles of mental health may never fully go away but can be redeemed.

Share your burdens

What I love most about Sung in the Shadows is the strong thread of faith woven throughout the story. Nora and Ezekiel both wrestle with times of feeling heartbroken over each of their mothers' circumstances in the Longview Asylum, but they lean into what they know of God and encourage each other as they share each other's burdens. Nora's close friend group known as The Guardians, her mother's mysterious past, villains who mean her harm, several moments of humor including Tristan the cat who steals every scene he's in, and the budding friendship to romance between Nora and Ezekiel all worked together to make this book a page-turner that I couldn't put down! It's definitely a book that gave me all the feels - laughter, tears, worry, and hope.