Darkest Before Dawn

Throughout the Night #1

by Cypher Lx

Photography student and Goth girl Elissa Greyfield, after suffering family tragedy and the unsolved disappearance of her sister, makes the life-changing decision to join the Philadelphia Police Department. Once she joins Homicide, she is paired with the detective who investigated her sister’s case, Sean Winters. They begin investigating a series of murders where the victims are exsanguinated and posed as angels in Philadelphia’s largest cemetery. Detective Greyfield and her partner discover that her sister’s disappearance may be related somehow. What she doesn’t know is that she is being watched. Things become more complicated when she begins dating the mysterious Michael Sheridan. Michael’s sister Sage seems to despise Elissa and Detective Winters does not approve of Elissa’s decision to begin seeing a stranger while a serial killer is on the loose. Due to her own self-destructive behavior, Detective Greyfield is thrown into a world that she is completely unprepared for, despite her interest in the darker side of life.Throughout the Night Series, Volume One

Genres: Paranormal

384 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2011

About the author

I am an author, alternative model, photographer, and artist from Pennsylvania. I graduated with a B.A. in Forensic Psychology and have worked in security and law enforcement for fifteen years. I love animals and rescue cats and dogs. Writing is a passion for me and I use real life experience to enhance my imaginative works. My hope is that people enjoy reading my books as much as I love writing them.

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Won this ARC from goodreads.I finally did finish this book. Did not enjoy it at all kept putting it aside to read something else.

[Maddux · Rating 4 out of 5]

So different than anything I've read lately. It held my attention to the very end. Well-written and well-thought out.

Give it a try!

[Breanna]

I won this book through Good reads give a ways. Elissa lost her parents in car crash and only has her sister left. Until one day when her sister Rachel goes missing and then Elissa does everything she can to try and figure out what happened to her sister. Elissa decided to join the Philadelphia Police Department. When she joins the homicide department she is teamed up with her partner Sean Winters. Who was also the one that interviewed Elissa for her sisters disappearance. Elissa is all about trying to find out what happened to her sister. She will only work, once in a while goes to her favorite club Nocturne and hangs out where her friends there and goes home. Until one day at the club she meets a guy named Michael. But she doesnt know that Michael has a job of following her around for years and that one day might have to end her life if his boss gives him the order. Elissa does not believe that her sister is dead because her body never showed up anywhere after she was kidnapped. But she doesn't know for sure. Until people that she knows starts showing up dead and posed in the cemetery as fallen angels. Her partner Sean and her are investigating the murders but there is no evidence on the bodies or at the scene. While she is at the crime scenes she always feels like someone is watching her from the distance. Sean told her that its probably just the other officers there that make her feel like that. Sean was the only one that believe in her and would work with her.

Elissa was having problems out of her ex boyfriend Wraith while she is at the club Nocturne. Michael waas there in the background and scared him off for the time being. She is so determined to find the killer of her sister Rachel and her friends that she will do anything to find the answer...including getting a text from her partner and meeting him in a building without backup. Once she gets into the building she is attacked and beaten to death. At the time she thought it was Michael that had attacked her. While she is out of it she can feel her bones being broken and reset and she has some wild dreams. When she finally is coming out of it she hears Michaels voice and maybe even Sage's. She believes that Michael is the one that has been ther serial killer and is torturing her. She tries everything she can to beg him to kill her or escape. Finally he has let his gaurd down enough that she does escape and is free for 3 hours before they find her again hiding in an alley confused by what she had just done. She attacked a guy that was threatening her and killed him. For Michael it was an easy clean up and she was willing to go back to the masion. Once there is finally find out the truth that MIchael saved her life and now that she is one of them. It took her a little bit to figure out that she was a vampire now. They started the training with Sage and how to control her anger. When Sage pulls out the necklace that Elissa had pulled from her attacker. Elissa loses control and takes off running for the door. Thankfully Michael and the other two guys that was going to train her caught her. They couldn't figure out what had happened until Elissa offers up the explaination. The reason she snapped was because she knew the necklace because had it made just for Wraith. She was learning the training quick and they were impressed at how well she was picking up what needs to be learned. She told them that she needed to be the one that took care of Wraith. Michael was a litle worried that it would go bad but she did what she was suppose to. Once they got back they had to have a meeting with "the boss". When they got to the meeting room in walks her sister Rachel and her boyfriend Ian. Elissa couldnt figure out what was going on but Ian was Michaels boos and is now also Elissa boss. Elissa was happy to be reunited with her sister again but wished that she would have known sooner then having to go through the pain that she went through. Once the meeting was over with she went to her own room and received a note from Carlton that said that there was no body at the cemetry.

When I won this book I didnt know it was series. And when I got the book in the mail I really hoped that it wasn't be that good so I didnt have to read the rest of the series. But in the begining I thought it was going that way but now I'm going to have to read the rest of the series. It was a well written book and I can't wait to read the rest of the books. I'm was glad to see that Elissa finally got some closer on what really happened to her sister.

[Ia Uaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkest Before Dawn, reviewed by Ia Uaro of http://www.sydneyssong.net/

Title: Darkest Before Dawn
Author: Cypher Lx
ISBN: 978-1460963791


There are so many things I want to say about this book. So, I'll make a list of WHAT I LIKE:

- The masterful writing
These days it's very rare that I can lose myself in whatever I read without analyzing the structure and noticing all kinds of errors. Reading DARKEST BEFORE DAWN however, I was allowed to fully focus on the story and enjoy myself.


- The deftly drawn characters
Goth girl with attitude Detective Elissa Greyfield--who is obsessed with dark clothes, frequents Goth club Nocturne, and decorates her room with pictures of cemeteries--joins the Homicide department of Philadelphia Police Department, where nobody can stand or understand her bitterness and strangeness, except the ever loyal and patient Detective Sean Winters, formerly the investigator of her sister's case. Sean knows what has shaped this girl, and their interaction is precious.
Enter mysterious newcomer Michael Sheridan, who brings suspicion in the protective Sean and rage in former Goth boyfriend Wraith. These characters, Michael and Wraith, are remarkable, but I really can't be a spoiler here.


- The deep mystery
The plot is meticulous. Elissa is the last surviving member of her family, after her sister disappears and is presumed to be brutally murdered. Four years on, as detectives she and Sean investigates a series of murders where the victims are exsanguinated and posed as angels in a cemetery by a psychopath who leaves notes of warning. But who is he warning? How much danger will Elissa's fearless search for her sister's bring? Why is someone shadowing her? And who is the mysterious Michael; is he the last gentleman on earth or is he too good to be true? And there are so much more to this book. Expect the unexpected.


- The author's knowledge
The details are amazing. No matter what topic or setting she's describing, without overdoing anything the author pays scrupulous attention to providing fascinating facts, teaching you either from her thorough researches or from her wealth of experience in the law enforcement and Goth culture.


- The uniqueness
This book is first of all a suspenseful mystery, something fans of Kay Hooper will enjoy, but there's nothing quite like this one. "Darkest Before Dawn" is massive--a wholesome and intriguing blend of deep mystery, murder suspense, psychological thriller, police action, Goth community, family drama, and paranormal adventure. Do not expect your normal fares of these genres though, because Cypher Lx will take you on a journey to where you know not.


- This is not good bye
I have mentioned the perfect balance of the book's structure. Everything is just at the right proportion. But I fell in love with the story and its characters and dreaded the approaching end. I didn't want it to end! And so I was glad when Cypher announced on the last page that a sequel should arrive soon. Yeay!



WHAT I DON'T LIKE: Nothing.


Perfectly balanced, cleverly written, and stylish, this one is a masterpiece by a talented author who excels in everything that she does.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the shit out of this book - most likely because it called out to the darker side in me. I have always been fascinated with the goth lifestyle and this book delves into it. It kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning, so I know I loved it. It's definitely a dark book, but in the most wonderful way... that's all I'm gonna say about it. This book also gave me 2 songs I love to death - Sinner in Me by Depeche Mode and The Boo by Wumpscut.

[soda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Finished it in only a couple of days. I didn't want to put it down and I was sad then I was finished reading it. Compelling and written from POVs from both sides of the suspense fence. Twists and evolved relationships make it all the more interesting.

[Brandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave it two stars simply because I finsihed it, but this was definately not a book I enjoyed very much.