The Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare is book one in the Dark Artifices series. It takes place years after the Dark War, Which happens in the last book of the Mortal Instruments series City of Heavenly Fire .
This book centers on the Los Angeles institute and offers various perspectives from many of the characters. The main plot focuses on the murders of Emma Carstairs' parents. The Clave thought for years that the Carstairs were murdered by Sebastian Morgenstern during the Dark War. However, as we later found out, this is not the case. After the Dark War, the Clave put the Cold Peace in place. This law states that Faeries cannot go to the shadowhunters for help any longer and no shadowhunter can be caught doing business or even talking with a faerie. If you think this is harsh refer to the Shadowhunter motto: "The Law is hard but it is the Law." However, a series of murders leads the faeries right to the front door of the Los Angeles institute and they make a deal that the Blackthorn family cannot refuse. Soon the Shadowhunters find themselves working against time and the Clave itself to find the source of these horrific murders. They even discover that the murderer of Emma's parents might be connected to this frenzy.
Much like Clare's other books, this book is filled with intrigue, forbidden love and a healthy dose of betrayal. It was a little slow at first, but as the book neared its end, I couldn't put it down. I found myself relating more than i would have thought possible to the Blackthorn family and Emma. If you loved The Mortal Instruments Series, you're going to want to read Lady Midnight.
