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After the Dark (The Killer Instinct Novels Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Cynthia Eden (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 770 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Killer Instinct

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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.

Former FBI agent Samantha Dark was one of the most respected profilers in the bureau, an expert on the twisted minds and dark hearts of the most depraved criminals. But when her own former lover turned out to be the serial killer she was hunting, Samantha's career was destroyed. Blamed for the FBI's failure on the complex case, Samantha left Washington, DC, for the quiet anonymity of Alabama.

Now an all-too-familiar killer is hunting once again. She can catch the cunning assassin, but that means putting her trust in her former partner, Blake Gamble. Ex-military, Blake is tough, protective, precise. With her entire life on the brink, she knows he wants her back in the FBI...and possibly more.

But someone else wants her, too. A threat is waiting in the dark, a killer who has set his sights on the ultimate trophy victim--Samantha.

Author's Note: Harlequin has included the novella, THE GATHERING DUSK--a prequel to AFTER THE DARK in the back of this book. THE GATHERING DUSK was written as a bonus for readers so that they could see what happened to the characters before the events of AFTER THE DARK.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A dynamic and fully vested cast of secondary characters keeps the suspense and intrigue flowing." --Smexy Books on AFTER THE DARK by Cynthia Eden

"Eden shines with this taut romantic thriller, which opens her Killer Instincts series." –Publishers Weekly on AFTER THE DARK

"After the Dark didn't disappoint as it kicked the drama into high gear with betrayal, a relentless body count and mind-bending psychoanalysis." –The Romance Reviews on AFTER THE DARK

"Suspenseful, sexy fare that keeps you turning pages until you reach the story's conclusion." –RT Book Reviews: on AFTER THE DARK

"After the Dark is an action-packed thrill-ride of a tale that starts with an exciting scene and keeps the tension going for the entire book." –Night Owl Reviews on AFTER THE DARK

From the Author

Books in the "Killer Instinct" series published by HQN:

THE GATHERING DUSK - Prequel novella
AFTER THE DARK - Book 1
BEFORE THE DAWN - Book 2
INTO THE NIGHT - Book 3

In addition, there are two Harlequin Intrigue novels that are set in the same Killer Instinct "world" for readers:

ABDUCTION - Available in February of 2017
HUNTED - Available in June of 2017

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01GZTYPN2
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HQN Books; Original edition (March 28, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 28, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1410 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 383 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #266,944 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,930 in Military Thrillers (Books)
- #3,511 in Serial Killer Thrillers
- #5,708 in Military Romance (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 770 ratings

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Cynthia Eden

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Cynthia Eden is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller.

Never miss a release from Cynthia Eden! Sign up for her newsletter at cynthiaeden.com/newsletter. You can also visit her Facebook page for her latest updates: facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage.

Cynthia writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred novels and novellas.

Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate.

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4.4 out of 5

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Cindy O

Lots of suspense and danger

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2017

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**Highly recommend reading THE GATHERING DUSK – the prequel novella before reading this book**

Lots of suspense and danger with a smart, cunning and evil killer who got away and is now playing a deadly cat and mouse game with the former FBI profiler he is obsessed with.

Samantha Dark's past helped make her one of the best FBI serial killer profilers. With her new partner Blake Gamble they work to find the Georgetown University serial killer. What no one expected – especially Samantha – was for the killer to be someone very close – as in her best friend and former lover. This devastated Sam and if that wasn't enough when he escapes after a confrontation, her boss decides to throw her under the bus and suspends her.

Months later Samantha is living in a small town in Alabama hiding from her past when Blake shows up telling her the killer is at it again. When Blake and Sam were partners the attraction between them was strong but neither crossed that line and Sam walked away from him without a word thinking it was for his own good. Sam always figured the killer would come back for her but there is something a little different about this latest killer.

What neither of them knows is that the killer is close and we the reader are let in on the surprise twist but that doesn't take away from the suspense – you are literally on the edge of your seat till the very end.

This is a great series that has the added bonus of having two Harlequin Intrigue novels connected to it..
THE GATHERING DUSK - Prequel novella
AFTER THE DARK - Book 1
BEFORE THE DAWN - Available in July of 2017
INTO THE NIGHT - Book 3

Harlequin Intrigue novels that are set in the same Killer Instinct "world"
ABDUCTION - Available now (set between the prequel and the 1st book)
HUNTED - Available in June of 2017 (features character thats in 1st book)

11 people found this helpful

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Daisy Knox

Good story

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2024

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Samantha is a disgraced former FBI profiler who was drummed out of the Bureau when she discovered her lover was the elusive serial killer she’d failed to stop. Her boss thought she was working with him and went after the wrong guy on purpose. She retreats to a solitary life on another coast, determined to start over, but he’s still out there and he’ll never let her go. Her only support is her adoptive father, the local chief of police, and her former partner, but he wants more than just to be partners again. This story was good and had a few twists but there were no surprises here and I found Samantha to be a little stiff. I enjoyed it overall through and did go on to read the rest of the series.

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2018

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Wow, what an amazing book that had me so absorbed from page one. Loved being on edge. I really ached for Samantha as she’s thrown out of the F.B.I. Her former boss is a jerk. Her partner Blake comes after her, he stillneeds her help, she’s the best profiler there is. But are they looking for a copycat killer, or is it the killer they thought it was? So many twists. I didn’t expect to cry, love feeling the characters emotions. The chemistry betweeen Samantha and Blake is off the charts. I highly recommend this book and I’m ready to read the next one. We get multiple points of view, a very happy ever after and no cliffhanger.

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Elizabeth E. Neal

Will Blake and Samantha finally get their chance?

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2017

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Samantha has darkness in her and it's served her well as an FBI profiler, allowing her to get into the minds of evil. During one such case, her ability helped her perfectly describe the killer, however, planted evidence led her and her partner, Blake, to the wrong guy. This resulted in Sam's suspension. That night, as she's figuratively drowning her sorrows, her friend, and former lover, Cameron, finds her and takes her to his place to watch over her. But he didn't plan ahead and Sam, after waking in the middle of the night, noticed his computer, and knowing his password, looked into what she saw and realized Cameron was the real killer. As they struggled, Sam was injured and Cameron escaped. Unfortunately, how and where she was found impacted people's view of her, one of those being her boss, and she found herself unemployed.

Four months later, Sam is enjoying herself, or trying to, at her haven, her home. But her former life isn't done with her yet, Blake isn't done with her yet. Blake and Sam have been attracted to one another since being paired up over a year ago. Sam tried to keep her distance due to secrets in her past, believing he would see her differently, and rightfully so. Plus, they were partners and that was against the rules. But now he's come to her with a case, one in which other agents believe Cameron is behind the killing and the message for Sam. Both Blake and Sam know it isn't Cameron, but he's determined to bring her back, knowing the victims, current and future, need her to help solve their cases.

The proximity between them again, without any limitations professionally, allows them to finally act on their intense attraction for one another. However, there is a killer out there and he is focused on Sam, and willing to do anything to make her pay for her part in his mentor's ruin. This person knew if anyone would lead him to Sam after his message was delivered, it would be Blake, and he was right. Now to just complete his mission of having some "fun" with Sam before making her pay the ultimate price.

“That I’m not who you want me to be.” - Sam
“You are exactly who I want you to be.” - Blake

Can Blake protect Sam? Will Blake's feelings for Sam put him in danger as well? Will they uncover the killer's identity and his connection to Cameron? What did happen the night Sam discovered Cameron's secret? Is he in hiding? Will he come after Sam, intent on finishing his experiments? Or will he have a different reason for wanting Sam, for wanting Blake out of the way? Will Sam return to the FBI? And, if she does, will it be in the same capacity? Or has her personal knowledge of a killer actually become a blessing in disguise in some way? Will Sam share all of herself, her history, with Blake? Can Blake prove to her that it doesn't change how he feels about her? Will Blake and Sam finally get the chance to fully explore their feelings for one another? Will they have a HEA?

One-click now and follow along as former partners work together to take down a killer, while taking a chance on forever.

**I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**

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Luli

Intensa y absorbente.

Reviewed in Spain on April 14, 2017

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**You can find this review in English below.**

Antes que nada aclaraciones:
Esta historia no estaría completa sin sus primeros capítulos: The Gathering Dusk. No creo que nadie en su sano juicio pueda llamar a The Gathering Dusk una historia de por si. Son los primero capítulos de After the Dark, sin ellos la historia estaría incompleta. Ya sé que soy un poco tiquismiquis con esto de las historias por fascículos, pero realmente considero una tomadura de pelo cortar 7 capítulos de una historia y llamarla tal.
Así que asegúrate de leer primero The Gathering Dusk o comprar la versión de After the Dark que incluye The Gathering Dusk.

Ahora sí empiezo con la reseña ;)

4.5 stars.

Este suspense romántico ha sido casi perfecto. Me quedo con media estrella porque no hemos podido disfrutar del "nacimiento" del romance. Este es otro de esos casos en los que la autora nos cuenta lo atraídos que se sienten los protagonistas pero no lo vemos ni lo sentimos. Si sólo me hubiese dejado ver el principio de esa atracción…hubiesen sido 5 estrellas.

Ha sido una lectura inquietante, entretenida y absorbente. No recuerdo haber leído últimamente ninguna en la que todos los personajes sean gente tan perturbadoramente inteligente y en la que nadie, nadie haga ninguna estupidez. Increíble pero cierto.

Samantha Dark es, probablemente, la mejor analista criminal del FBI. Pero el último caso en el que trabajó tuvo un giro inesperado al final y ella fue usada de cabeza de turco. Ahora intenta llevar una vida tranquila en su pueblo natal, pero una vez más, su pasado la persigue.

Blake Gamble es duro, honesto y ama su trabajo. Un héroe de verdad. Cumple las reglas a rajatabla pero sabe perfectamente cuáles son sus prioridades en la vida. Y su prioridad es mantener a salvo a Samantha cueste lo que cueste.

Y después está el malo. Un malo increíblemente descrito, con capas, multifacético, inteligente y aterradoramente realista.

Durante absolutamente toda la historia me he estado preguntando cómo iban a neutralizar a este malo. Ha sido una lucha muy igualada, la autora no ha permitido en ningún momento que la balanza se desequilibrase. Ha sido una persecución extenuante, sin fallos, con giros inesperados, intentado analizar una mente (la del asesino) que sabe cómo funciona el FBI y sobre todo conoce perfectamente a Samantha. Hasta el mismísimo final ha estado interesante. Y hasta el mismísimo final la lucha ha sido "encarnizada". De tú a tú. Me ha encantado. Eso sí, el nivel de violencia de esta historia supera la media de este género. Los asesinatos han sido atroces y algunas descripciones no son aptas para cardiacos. Pero no tengo más remedio que recomendarla.

***

First things first, a few clarifications:
This story would not be complete without its first chapters: The Gathering Dusk. I do not think anyone in their right mind should call The Gathering Dusk a story by itself. They are the first chapters of After the Dark, without them the story would be incomplete. I know I'm a bit persnickety about stories by fascicles, but I really consider it a bad joke to cut out 7 chapters of a story and call them such.
So make sure you read first The Gathering Dusk or buy the After the Dark version that includes The Gathering Dusk.

Now, I'll start with the review ;)

4.5 stars.

This romantic suspense has been almost perfect. I'm going to keep a half star because we have been denied the "beginning" of the romance. This is another of those cases in which the author tells us how attracted the protagonists feel about each other but we do not get see it or feel it. If only I could have seen the beginning of that attraction ... it would have been a 5 stars.

It has been a disturbing, entertaining and absorbing reading. I do not remember lately reading one in which all the characters were so disturbingly intelligent and in which nobody, absolutely nobody does a stupidity. It seems incredible but it's true.

Samantha Dark is probably the best FBI criminal profiler. But the last case she worked on had an unexpected twist at the end and she was used as a scapegoat. Now she tries to lead a quiet life in her hometown, but once again, her past pursues her.

Blake Gamble is tough, honest and loves his job. A real hero. He follows the rules to a T but he knows perfectly what his priorities are in life. And his priority is to keep Samantha safe at all costs.

And then there's the bad guy. A superb described, layered, multifaceted, intelligent and frighteningly realistic evil guy.

For quite the whole story I've been wondering how they were going to neutralize this bad guy. It has been a really even fight; the author has never allowed the balance to become unbalanced. It has been a strenuous pursuit, without errors, with unexpected twists, trying to analyze a mind (the murderer's) who knows how the FBI works and above all knows Samantha perfectly. It has been interesting from the beginning to the end. And until the very end the fight has been fierce. On the same level. I loved it. Of course, the level of violence in this story exceeds the average of this genre. The murders have been atrocious and some descriptions are not for the faint of the heart. But I have no choice but to recommend it.

It has been intense and gripping.

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Barry L.

Four Stars

Reviewed in Canada on April 19, 2017

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Yeah I like it, still reading it.....well written great characters, certainly a bit of a nail biter.

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After the Dark (The Killer Instinct Novels Book 1) Kindle Edition

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