After The Dark (Killer Instinct, #1) (Killer Instincts Novels, #1)

by Cynthia Eden

"In this gripping new series by New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden, a disgraced FBI profiler must save her reputation by stopping a sadistic killer she knows all too well."--Amazon.com

• ISBN10: 1683243633
• ISBN13: 9781683243632
• Publish Date: 28 July 2017 (first published 28 March 2017)
• Publish Status: Withdrawn
• Imprint: Center Point
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 391
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

After the Dark follows the events of The Gathering Dusk. Samantha no longer works for the FBI and has returned to her hometown in Alabama. The outcome of her last case turned out to be a humiliating experience. She failed to recognise that the serial killer they had been hunting was none other than her ex-lover. Samantha took this failure hard and sets and took it on herself to hunt him on her own while trying to figure out what made her fail to see what had been in front of her eyes.

Meanwhile, the killer is still on the loose and appears to be killing again. Needing her help, Blake came to Alabama to convince her to work with him to put an end to ex-lover’s reign of terror while hoping to pursue the attraction that burnt between them.

After the Dark took the reader on a journey filled with tension, suspense and non-stop action. Seeing Into the mind of the killer has always been one thing which fascinated the reader with stories featuring psychopaths, and in this regard, Eden did a splendid job. When Blake and Sam began their investigation, they discovered they are hunting not one but two killers. Despite knowing the identity of the killers, it did not detract from the tension as not knowing when they would make their next move and who would be their next victim made for some serious nerve-wracking moments. The main villain proved to be the scariest of all. His obsession with Sam made him unpredictable, which made more dangerous than his counterpart. Like most serial killer books, the reader has read, this was graphic and definitively not for the faint of heart.

Like most suspense books, the romance took a back seat to the danger and the investigation. However, the moments they spent together outside of the investigation sizzled and popped. Blake’s need to protect Samantha proved overbearing. His need to protect Samantha was understandable, but in his zeal to keep her safe, he ignored her abilities, which led to some missed opportunities.

Overall, the reader had a great time with this installment and is looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

[thebookdisciple]

Link to full review below! So freaking good!! Will hook you right away! See full review on The Book Disciple

[EBookObsessed]

Cynthia Eden has a great grasp on grabbing a reader’s interest from the first page. Her new love of thrillers and this new series proves that she can keep the buzz of excitement going from the first page to the last.

There is a prequel to this story which just came out and is free on most ebook retailers. Get The Gathering Dusk

This story focuses on FBI Profiler Samantha Dark. Samantha finds out the hard way that her friend and former lover was not the man she thought he was. It does have a bit of a Red Dragon feel at the beginning where Will takes some time before he figures out that Hannibal Lecter isn’t the swell guy he originally thought. Here, Samantha’s long-time friend and former lover Cameron Latham was more than just an impressively smart college professor. The fact that Samantha didn’t realize that her BFF was actually a serial killer calls into question Samantha’s ability to do her job.

But her partner, Blake Gamble isn’t about to let Samantha walk away. Not from the FBI and not from him. They might have had to keep their distance while working as partners but things are different now. Gamble uses a new serial killer as an excuse to track down Samantha to get her help but he might have inadvertently led the killer to Sam’s doorstep.

Women in Sam’s small town are being abducted but is there one killer or two? The suspense is high as Gamble and Sam reassemble their team and try to work out their relationship. Partners can’t have a romantic relationship but they are no longer partners so the rules are changed.

There is plenty of suspense and intrigue to keep you excited until the end as well as a passionate romance once Sam and Blake finally give in to their desires.

While it is not necessary to read the prequel to enjoy this story, comments are made about the prior case which would ruin the suspense so I would definitely recommend reading The Gathering Dusk first before starting After The Dark.