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About The Book

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Book: Relinquishing the Agent        

Author: Lorri Dudley

Series: Agents of Espionage, Book 4

Genre:  Christian Historical Romance                                                                   

Release Date: April 8, 2025
 

Can love bloom between a woman living a lie and a man sworn to uncover the truth?

Bluestocking Rebecca Leah Prestcote would prefer to hide in a library, searching for a cure to her sister’s ailment, over participating in London’s Season. But when her wealthy cousin demands Rebecca attend a house party as her, Rebecca cannot refuse. Her cousin intends to win the affection of the Marquis of Wolston and Rebecca is, after all, a charity case. When the Marquis unexpectedly arrives at the wrong party, Rebecca must uphold the ruse, or be caught in her cousin’s lie.

 

Daniel Elmsley, Marquis of Wolston, cannot let another target escape, not if he plans to catch the band of body snatchers and prove his worth as a spy. But when people at Lady Coburn’s house party go missing, his mission escalates to stopping a murderer. When he intercepts a letter meant to blackmail Lady Prestcote, he begins to wonder if the beguiling beauty may be involved in the conspiracy.

 

Singled out for Lord Wolston’s affections, Rebecca must maintain her web of deception and evade the investigation of the captivating marquis even while he ensnares her heart.

About the Author

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Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household.

More from Lorri

Listed among the Regency underworld of housebreakers, Thames pirates, sneaks (pickpockets), Covent Garden nuns (prostitutes), vagrants, and ruffians are another class of evil-doers called resurrection men, also known as sack-‘em-up men or body snatchers. The dark industry of grave robbing blossomed in the early 1800s and was thrust into the public’s eye by the notorious Burke and Hare murders in 1831. While my story takes place earlier, in 1817, the laws and practices were already in place before Burke and his accomplice were arrested.

 

In the early 1800s, the academic field of anatomy and physiology started to break new ground with the invention of the stethoscope and the first open heart surgeries (not all successful). Many of these breakthroughs developed as a result of the dissection of human cadavers. Fresh bodies became a hot commodity, but by law, the only bodies legally designated for dissection were those of hung criminals. Demand outweighed the supply, and an underground market for grave robbing grew as academics handsomely paid resurrection men to dig up specimens. The fresher the body, the higher the earnings, which ultimately led to the ugly intent of murder.

 

Why would a Christian author want to write about a horrific topic like body snatching?

 

While my story doesn’t go into any gory details (I get woozy at the sight of blood), Rebecca and Daniel’s story allowed me to dive into the concept that we all have intrinsic worth. The victims of Burke and Hare were people society had forgotten—people who were expected to go unnoticed if they disappeared. But those victims were image bearers of God. Jesus proved their value by dying for them on the cross. They are not forgotten because God knit them together in their mother’s womb, knows every hair on their heads, and has carved their names into the palms of His hands.

 

Rebecca and Daniel’s love story, with mystery, espionage, and romance mixed in, demonstrates how God’s power is made perfect in weakness. While Lady Coburn’s excentric party guests and the victims of the villainous resurrection men exemplify that worth isn’t based on works, popularity, or lineage but on the sacrifice Jesus made for them.

 

Enjoy!

 

Click to watch Relinquishing the Agent’s book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4BwfvZiNLM

Devoted To Hope's Review of Relinquishing the Agent

Relinquishing the Agent plunges straight into a world tangled with deception, mistaken identity, and layered agendas—where secrets can cost lives and trust feels like a trap. And yet, in a house full of strangers, schemes, and shadows, one thing slices through the masquerade: the presence of a God who doesn’t need to guess who we are. He already knows—and still loves.

 

A woman forced to pretend.

A man trained to detect deception.

And a Savior who sees past both—straight to the soul.

 

It’s easy to admire a story with a clever, determined heroine who willingly walks into danger for someone she loves. It’s rare to find one where her deepest strength isn’t in what she can fake, but in what she’s finally willing to face. In this story, that moment of surrender doesn’t feel weak—it feels holy.

 

There’s sacred tension here. A borrowed identity. A growing attraction built on fragile ground. A mission wrapped in secrecy. This isn’t about pulling off the perfect lie—it’s about what happens when everything falls apart and grace is the only thing that can hold.

 

And woven into the danger—through the missing persons, the suspicions, the schemes—is the Gospel, subtly but unmistakably present. Not as a plot device, but as the bedrock underneath it all. The kind of truth that whispers through each scene: God didn’t design a world of suffering, but He made a way through it. Sin may have entered through disobedience, but Christ came to redeem—offering eternal hope in the face of death and meaning in the midst of brokenness.

 

That’s what pulsed through this story. A reminder that we’re not here to live in fear or pretend perfection. We’re here to live fully—because of Jesus. Even when it’s messy. Even when we’re exposed. Even when we’d rather hide.

 

The mystery kept me engaged. The banter? Sharp and bright. But what held me was the quiet transformation. Watching two people go from hidden to honest. From masked to seen. From striving to surrendered.

 

And when all the pieces fall into place, it’s not just the resolution of a plot—it’s the redemption of two people who realize the truth is safer than their best deception. That their worth isn’t up for negotiation. That in Christ, they are known completely—and loved.

 

You may be mistaken for someone you’re not. But in Christ, you are fully known—and still fully loved.

 

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher and Celebrate Lit Publicity Group. I am not required to write a positive review in any way or for any reason. My honest and unbiased opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on the writing style, the pacing, and the story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.

Giveaway!

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To celebrate her tour, Lorri is giving away
the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!

Click the link below to enter.


Be sure to comment on the blog stops
for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

Comments (4)

Antoinette M
Apr 30

I like the trailer!


Jcp
Apr 30

Sounds wonderful


Deborah D
Apr 29

How long did it take you to finish writing this novel?

Lorri Dudley
May 01
Replying to

Hi Deborah. On average it takes me about a year to write a book. Relinquishing the Agent was a bit of a challenge due to the historical medical research, but I still hit my publishers deadlines. The hardest part was figuring out what physicians didn't know back in 1817. Most believed that blood originated in the liver. Thanks so much for asking and for stopping by the tour. Blessings and happy reading!

Lorri

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