The Dark Before Dawn by Laurie Stevens

Recently in a Sisters in Crime presentation held in a local library, I chanced upon Laurie Stevens who authors the Gabriel McRay series of psychological mysteries. “Dark before Dawn” is the first in the series. Her main character is male and broken by past events in his life. This story is told in multiple viewpoints.

This is done in the suspense genre, a sub-genre of the mystery/crime family. A suspense story has a strong and logical structure. This is so to be able to hold an inner and outer story. The outer is the series of events presented to the reader with the secondary inner story showing the conflict within.

Stevens has chosen to use the male viewpoint. She does a fair job. She must have spent time observing and trying to figure out what maleness is. Femaleness and maleness are not interchangeable in my opinion.

It is a bit choppy on transitions in places.

Stevens is writing in the genre of psychological suspense. Her characters are flawed not super heroes. That fact makes for an interesting story. You will get emotionally involved and start to root for the characters.

Every suspense story should have a crisis. The crisis here is enhanced by the psychological state of the main character as I have mentioned above. We are fighting the  monster within and the monster without.  It grips you and is hard to read just one chapter. You must find out wat happens next.

As required for suspense writing she starts with a crisis and intensifies the pressure on the main character. Her secondary characters: the psychiatrist, the girl friend, the boss, are well developed.  The viewpoints of the protagonist and the antagonist are given, heightening the suspense. This makes it a can’t put down type of a story.

 Stevens seems to have control.

As this is the first in a series it may seem to be heavy on the background of the situation, but most if not all first books in a series must provide the foundation on which the rest of the books will grow. I feel Stevens does a good job in this area.

I would recommend this series based on this one book. I plan to read through the series, so I am looking for a good long period of enjoyment.

Still she has done three in this series, so someone must be doing okay. And somehow, they are finding their way into libraries.

She used CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform to handle this book. I advise against self-publishing, As I see it, it is done by people who lack confidence in their skills. That may explain the gaps in transition and the flashbacks in strange places.

The copyright is 2011.