After the Dark [with bonus story 'The Gathering Dusk']

I'm reviewing Cynthia Eden's latest romantic suspense After the Dark (Killer Instinct Series, #1). When Samantha Dark, an FBI profiler , gets fired and kicked out the force she goes into hiding. Her ex-partner Blake Gamble now sees this as their chance to finally get together and goes to her, but there's a killer on the scene who's not letting her off so easily and Blake inadvertently puts her in mor
e danger - especially as the killer and Sam have a connection that even Blake cannot sever. Here are my thoughts:

^^ When a story begins with what should be the ending of Sam's life only a few pages in and I'm already thinking, 'how's she going to get out of this one?' I knew this was going to be one hell of an emotional, fast ride; full of show more ups and downs. It hooked me from the start and did not let go.

^^ Cynthia Eden has written a gripping fast-paced story I could not put down, which means I'm now going to have to go through her back list and add more titles to my ever growing to be read list!

^^ There are so many layers to this story, which makes it an exciting read. Sam's got a great, dark background, and with this you get a sense that profiling killers makes her almost as evil as them.

^^ The tension between Sam and Blake is steamy, and yet, there's also something to be said with Sam's connection to the killer, the control he has o
ver her, and how he hunts her down and draws her back into his games.

^^ I'm sure this must have been said a thousand times over, but as this author is new to me, I've got to say it; the relationship and mind games between Agent Dark and the villain Cameron Latham, reminded me of Clarice Starling's with Lecter when looking to apprehend Buffalo Bill. The only difference being the genre, that was horror thriller, and this is a romantic suspense. There's still plenty of blood and gore, it's just this author's voice is more light-hearted and keeps true to the romantic will-they-won't-they-get-together theme when it comes to Agent Dark and Agent Gamble's on and off relationship.

Overall: An enjoyable fast read, which took me totally by surprise. Like I said, I'm definitely going to go back and read more of Cynthia Eden's work. Superb.

I was given an ARC of this book via Netgalley. Thanks to Harlequin (US & Canada). show less

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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 show more 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.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading show less

After the Dark
4 Stars

Following a debacle that ended in the escape of a sadistic serial killer, FBI Profiler Samantha Dark finds returns home to Alabama at loose ends. When her former partner, Blake Gamble, arrives with troubling new details about the case, Sam is forced to confront her past. But can she overcome her demons, and will the man she loves accept her for who she is?

Series note:This is the first novel in Cynthia Eden's new Killer Instincts series. There is a prequel novella (Gathering Dusk), which provides an important introduction to the characters, as well as a Harlequin Intrigue (Abduction) set in the same world and portraying events mentioned in this book.

After the Dark has an intense and chilling serial killer plot, and show more Eden can always be relied upon to provide a suitably malevolent villain together with exciting action sequences.

Sam and Blake are both likable characters and their romance is satisfying overall. That said, their chemistry is not as tangible as some of Eden's other couples. Perhaps it is the fact that their relationship comes after a period of separation, but the heat and passion behind the words and love scenes is somewhat lacking. Moreover, Blake's overprotectiveness begins to chafe after a while, especially since Sam is a trained FBI agent and can take care of herself.

In sum, recommended for fans of serial killers and police procedurals as well as the TV show Criminal Minds. The rest of the series looks very promising. show less

I received this book for free in a Bookreporter.com Spring Preview contest so I felt obligated to read it and provide my review. I am not a fan of romance novels. This one was couched in an FBI killer chase. It had a lot of action but the dialogue was stilted and unnatural and the author found it necessary to make obvious points along the way which I found rather insulting to the reader's intelligence.

Romantic suspense novels are not really my thing, so I have to say I wasn't that thrilled with the book.

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

4.5*