FBI agent Samantha Dark has lost her job with the FBI. She was a profiler and her boss claims her profile was totally off on the last case. She is being blamed for the The FBI's failure on the case. She has retreated to her home town. Four months later her former partner tracks her down. He always thought Sam got a raw deal and now either the original killer has surfaced or there is a copy cat operating.

This book takes you into the mind of a twisted diabolical serial killer. He is obsessed with Samantha. Sams personal knowledge of the killer makes her the best person to track him down. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns. It is the 3rd book in the Killer Instinct series but it could stand on its own. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

AFTER THE DARK is a thrilling, intense ride from start to finish, with the perfect blend of suspense and romance. Samantha Dark, an FBI profiler is devastated when she is forced to leave the FBI. She and her former partner, Blake Gamble worked well together. They trusted each other, had each other’s backs and tried to ignore the sizzling chemistry between them.

Now that Samantha is no longer working for the FBI, and there is a serial killer after her, Blake wants to claim Samantha for himself. Samantha tries to hold back her feelings for Blake because she is sure if he discovers her secrets, he will not want anything to do with her. Blake is protective, loyal and totally committed to Samantha. He has to convince her nothing will ever change how he feels and Samantha has to learn she can trust Blake with her heart.

This is a fast paced, action packed thriller full of suspense and grisly crime scenes. As a profiler, Samantha is able to get into the killer’s head and she understands his motives, but the killer always seems to stay one step ahead of them. Samantha will do whatever it takes to stop the killer and Blake will do whatever it takes to keep Samantha safe. I liked Blake and Samantha. They each have flaws and vulnerabilities but when they are together, there is a lot of chemistry and passion sparking between them.

Good teaser for this series featuring Samantha Dark. You will become invested in following the characters.

5*

Cynthia Eden has one of the best voices in dark romantic suspense, and her latest Killer Instinct series echoes her superb Deadly series (one of the best, IMHO) to great effect. AFTER THE DARK is the first full-length novel in the Killer Instinct universe, after the prequel novella THE GATHERING DUSK (which sets the stage for AFTER THE DARK but is not a requirement for understanding and appreciating it) and the Harlequin Intrigue title ABDUCTION. Channeling her best novel to date (DEADLY FEAR), Ms. Eden crafts a realistic, emotionally compelling FBI profiler who knows and understands killers like none other in heroine Samantha Dark, a true-blue, sacrifice-everything-for-the-woman-he-loves Violent Crimes Special Agent in former partner-turned-lover Blake Gamble, and a chilling, depraved villain in urbane, academic psychopath Cameron Latham… all wrapped in a tautly-paced package of non-stop action, tension so hick you could cut it with a knife, and love scenes so hot they’ll scorch your eReader. Classic Cynthia Eden at her best. My only gripe with Ms. Eden’s romantic suspense work is that her tortured heroines, alpha heroes, and dark, twisted storylines are fundamentally the same… but her superb storytelling talents suck you into each tale and make it feel relatively fresh, even if you’ve read the same basic storyline before. Definitely looking forward to more from the Killer Instinct universe.

**ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha is a talented FBI profiler who takes her job very seriously. Her partner, Blake, is attracted to her but wants to remain professional so he keeps his distance until a serial killer comes after Samantha. Great romantic suspense novel!

Former profiler Samantha Dark was supposed to be the FBI’s secret weapon against crime. Only one massive mistake has Samantha out of a job and on the run from the public eye. Despite leaving town, Samantha’s past has caught up with her and a serial killer is out for blood. Only her former FBI partner Blake Gamble might be able to save her.

Verdict: This is the first book in a new series by Cynthia Eden. YAY! For the most part, I’ve enjoyed reading Eden’s romantic suspense novels and this one was no different. That being said, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Eden’s Lost series. To be fair, my not “absolutely in love” stance doesn’t have anything to do with Samantha or Blake, or even the writing. Everything was really well done. For me, it had more to do with the premise’s plausibility. When I read these types of books I want them to somewhat seem believable. In this case, I find it hard to believe that someone can run from a serial killer and investigate him at the same time. In my opinion, it just didn’t work for me. HOWEVER, like I said, everything else was really well done and worth picking up for a cozy afternoon of reading.

This is how you do serial killer/FBI thrillers. I was taken in from the beginning and didn't want to put the book down even when it was going to make me late for work!
The twists, turns and just brutal storytelling was everything. Great crafting and will be looking for more.

After the prequel, I was very excited to read this first full length book featuring former FBI agent Samantha Dark, and her most recent partner, FBI agent Blake Gamble.

A devastating case has driven Samantha into leaving the FBI and spending her time in a small Alabama town. Blake approaches her for assistance on a case. When Samantha very reluctantly lends assistance, it soon becomes clear that a killer is seeking her out.

Blake and Samantha are great characters, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship change and develop in this book. It had a good balance of romance and suspense, and I enjoyed the storyline.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This story did not engage me. It seemed pretty typical cat and mouse.

Truthfully, I find Cynthia Eden repetitive. She has three series similar to the beginning of this, and she recycles the same tropes, cliches, and storylines with just a tweak here and there. I feel like I'm re-reading the same book over and over. I can basically predict the scenes as they come. This one was a little different, as the introduction of the heroine's ex lover made things a tad bit unique but other than this small addition, the relationship with the hero and her co-workers, as well as others felt extremely familiar. This is not to say that Eden is not a great writer because you can tell she gives you 100 percent as much as she can. If this is your first Eden book, then this will be the perfect book for you, paced with fast-paced mysterious, romance and action. If this isn't your first book, then it'll feel ... well, average. I hope to see something different from Eden in the future.

I am loving this series. I have read all 3 books in 2 days. I love the characters

loved it. this author can write

This is typical of what I have come to expect from Cynthia Eden, well written story, very relatable characters and HOT sex. This book had it all, a very good read.

Full review to be published online in mid March.

AFTER THE DARK is the first full length novel in Cynthia Eden’s new “Killer Instinct” Romantic Suspense series. The prequel novella ‘The Gathering Dusk' set both the tone of the series, and of Samantha’s and Blake’s obvious chemistry. The story didn’t disappoint as it kicked the drama into high gear with betrayal, a relentless body count, and mind-bending psychoanalysis.

There’s always the hunter and the hunted in this kind of thriller; but Eden ups the ante here in this predatory relationship. This became a game of wits as it showed how personal the relationship really was between Samantha and Latham—with Blake as the unusual third party who often got in the way with his steady and admirable straight shooting behavior. There’s no straightforward whodunnit moment like most crime books; leaving the reader with the feeling that the deadly game could go either way.

AFTER THE DARK is a well written, enjoyable RS story; and leaves the reader excited and looking for more. The ”Killer Instinct” series looks to fill the void left when Eden stopped writing her excellent and captivating “Deadly” series.

If you loved her Deadly series you are going to love Killer Instinct series.

Cynthia Eden has a way to twist and turn readers as she pulls the readers into the dark minds of serial killers. The author keeps readers on their edge of their seats even when they already know the outcome of the story she keep the readers hooked to ever single word.
Cynthia Edens romantic suspense novels are always the hunter vs the hunted. The game of wits is what keeps mystery readers hook and romance reads love how the relationship between the leads with their combustible passion that consumes them while hunting down the killer(s)
Even though you can tell who is the murders who are the hero's in this story you wonder if at some point it might twist the other way and the hero becomes the killer. The dark mind of serial killers vs the dark mind of the true blue FBI agents who hunt them.

Eden paints are dark world that consumes the hero's but is able to pull the hero from dark to light in moments of passion, trust and enlightenment.

I have read many books by Cynthia Eden and not one has ever been disappointing. I love her books that keep me surprise until the very end of the story. After The Dark doesn't keep anything a secret. It is all laid out in every single perfect scene.
Advance Copy from Netgalley.

The stylistic hallmarks of Cynthia Eden never show up more clearly than in her romantic suspense thrillers: the unapologetically tense atmosphere, the brutality of the murders, the psychopathic killer(s) and the characters with their own baggage that hinder them from moving on properly. If it all sounds somewhat repetitive, it’s because it is to an extent, but Eden manages to make every crime story fresh despite the similarities of her the tortured heroines and alpha heroes who tend to populate the pages of these thrillers. In fact, I thought very much about the LOST series as I went through this book and saw how much this is already mirroring it.

But from the moment I read “The Gathering Dusk”, I was eager to see how Samantha’s and Blake’s very obvious chemistry was going to combust and “After the Dark” didn’t disappoint as it kicked the drama into high gear with betrayal, a relentless body count and mind-bending psychoanalysis. There’s always the hunter and the hunted, but Eden complicated this predatory relationship and I liked how this became a game of wits as it showed how personal the relationship really was between Samantha and Latham—with Blake as the unusual third party who got in the way with his steady and admirable straight shooting behaviour. There’s no straightforward whodunnit moment like most crime books, leaving you with the feeling that the game could be won either way—with fate playing a huge hand in it.

It all makes for good storytelling, really. I liked how the climax played out (the resolution was sort of expected) but most of all, I liked how this series is keeping me excited for the next book to come.

Samantha Dark was once one of the most respected and decorated profilers the FBI ever had, until the serial killer she was hunting turned out to be her own lover. Humiliated and disgraced, Samantha left the Bureau under a dark cloud and left D/C/ behind for small town Alabama. But now she’s been reluctantly been called back into the game when a familiar predator begins killing again. For Samantha to catch him, she’ll need the help of her former partner, Blake Gamble. Blake is only yo willing to help Samantha, he believes her dismissal from the Bureau was unfair and wants her back by his side as his partner….and more. Samantha, however, is understandably reluctant to trust any man again. This is a really exciting start to a new series, with a strong, conflicted female heroine