Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of the first Zoe Bentley novel and Mike Omer as a an author.

Zoey Bentley is a forensic psychologist for the FBI and in this novel, “In the Darkness,” Zoe has to help hunt down a serial killer who is posting online videos of his victims. With the help of Tatum, her partner, they have to find the killer before the victim is found dead and a new video of someone else arises. At the same time, Zoe is battling her own demons and hardships from the previous novel.

I am a sucker for media in regards to forensic psychologists/behavior analysts, etc. Personally, I find it interesting how human behavior can be deciphered and broken down into plausible decisions that that person might make based off of those behaviors. However, this story didn’t go into as many specifics or to the depths that I felt was needed to make the story believable.

I found the perpetrator’s Modus Operandi (M.O.) interesting. I liked the suspense and I felt the high stakes, that Mike Omer accomplished in the writing. However, I felt the plot was very linear and there weren’t enough twists and turns to hold my attention throughout the story. Granted, I did not guess the correct killer, a fact I enjoyed, the reveal left me with some confusion. Which left me with an undesirable set of emotions when I put the book down after it’s conclusion.

On a positive note, a nice palette cleanser throughout the novel, was Tatum’s grandfather. He made such a nice comic relief in juxtaposition with the heavier topics.

It's been a minute since I read the first in this series, but it's easy to jump right back in.

Zoe is a consultant with the FBI. Tatum is an agent and mild profiler. Together, they tend to find those really ugly, nasty criminals that elude capture because they are maticulous, cautious and very good at hiding. This case was no different. The first the police see is a woman buried alive in a box. It's being broadcast - so the world can watch along as she screams and struggles and panics.

Once Zoe and Tatum arrive, they get right down to work. I loved following all the twists and turns because the crime was just awful but the work to find him was fascinating. The details are so well done, it's hard to piece them together until you have it all in front of you.

I liked that there is a continued story but it didn't fully take away from the current case. I like how the characters grew from this experience from start to finish and how much we got to know them as well. It took a minute to get going but then it was a race to see how this would all turn out. I liked it and can't wait to read the next one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

A pulse-pounding psychological thriller, In The Darkness, is about an online video of a girl clawing at the ceiling of her own grave.

Riveting and engrossing we see Zoe and her partner Tatum work as fast as they can to find the girl before it's too late. This is the kind of book that once you pick up you will not put down until the very end.

Eh not as good as the first one. There were a lot of things that I started to notice that bothered. Lot of chauvinist bullshit.

Wow, I really liked this one. The storyline was original and kept me gripped right the way through. I would definitely recommend this author.

In the Darkness is a great thriller. I really enjoyed it - especially the grand-father. Some parts seemed a bit disjointed though. Looking forward to the next one!

Sometimes detective mysteries and FBI thrillers tell the same story over and over with different names for their characters. This is not the case with "In The Darkness" by Mike Omer. I found this novel to be exciting and very well written and while I have read many good thrillers, I have not felt excitement when reading them and now I have become a real fan of Mike Omer!

The story mainly takes place in Texas and revolves around Zoe Bentley who works for the FBI as a profiler psychologist and Special Agent Tatum Gray also working in the BAU (Behaviour Assessment Unit). They are called into help in a case of a young woman who is buried alive and her abductor has downloaded this horrific scene to the internet to attract attention from viewers. Many people are not taking the live broadcast seriously and are claiming the disturbing video is a prank. The police department and the FBI must quickly assess the situation before it becomes too late to save the buried girl in the event that she really is a victim of a monster who is just getting started in making a name for himself.

This book was so well-written and had all the elements of suspense, mystery, drama, and excitement. I also enjoyed the fact that I didn't know the identity of the villain until the end of the book and I also just bought the first book in the series because this was such a great read for me. I loved this story and I highly recommend to other readers.
I have given this book 5 Exciting 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

I want to thank the publisher Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific novel!

A great sequel to this series! It was on the edge of my seat good from the very beginning. I have been looking forward to reading this for awhile. I can’t wait for...never mind...that’s a spoiler of what did or didn’t happen in this book. In this sequel they are looking for a serial killer along with the predator that has haunted her and her sister she they were small. Loved it! And can I just say I love the grandpa lol.

3.5
Maybe I'm comparing this book to the first one and that's why it fell shorter than necessary. I still very much like both MC's. I'll be reading the third book in the series as soon as its out.

I've always loved books on serial killers and this series feeds my fantasy like no other! I was mesmerized by A Killer's Mind - the first book in the Zoe Bentley series and compelled me into reading Into the Darkness. I found this book to be highly thrilling, dark and an addictive read.

An online video of a girl clawing at the ceiling of her own grave could be the worst thing FBI forensic psychologist Zoe Bentley has ever seen. Perhaps even more disturbing is the implication of the video’s title: “Experiment Number One.”
Zoe and her partner, Special Agent Tatum Gray, work as fast as they can to find the monster behind the shocking video, but soon another one shows up online, and another girl turns up dead. Meanwhile, a different murderer is on Zoe’s mind. Rod Glover has been tormenting her since childhood, and his latest attack is a threatening photo of himself with Zoe’s sister. As Glover’s threats creep toward action, Zoe’s torn between family and duty.
Zoe must think fast to prevent another murder. With her own family’s safety on the line, Zoe feels she’s never been in more danger. And while she’s always known her job could send her to an early grave, she always assumed she’d be dead first.

The characters in the book were really good and the plot was simply the best! With so many twists and turns, I could never foresee what was coming - this was a roller-coaster whodunnit that I simply couldn't put down! Zoe, no doubt is a hardworking and intelligent professional who does her best with every case she's handed. However, I felt that putting her in harm's way in this book too was unnecessary. I get it that she's the protagonist, but putting her in danger, just sounded too forced to me - Lightening never strikes the same place twice and all. I would definitely like to see more characters added to her team, their interactions and what makes each of them tick. All dialogues between Tatum and Marvin are excellent and always leave me laughing despite the menacing and somber tone of the book. I also love the exchanges and interacting between Zoe and her sister Andrea. I would really love to see their mother added to this mix and see where that takes them - a base that's already set in this book.

In all, I would recommend this series to anyone fascinated by criminal/forensic psychology and delving into minds of fictional serial killers. I'm no expert, so I do not know how accurate this book would be and do justice to the real forensic psychologists out there, but I did find this to be an entertaining and compelling read. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book in this series.

Thank you, NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer & Mike Omer for an arc!

The use of two storylines throughout the book is brilliant! Our BAU agents are working on capturing a serial killer who is burying his victims alive and streaming it live online. Then you have the continuing story of a killer who is pyscho stalking one of the agents. Mike Omer has given us some fantastic characters with many little quirks that make the story entertaining as well as thrilling. You'll chuckle on one page and gasp "on no" on the next. He has built their community with layers of tension and added just enough clues that you will look back in the story after ending to see where you missed the ONE clue that would have let you figure it out before the end of the book.

I love a good psychological thriller featuring FBI agents—and this one is excellent! Even though #inthedarkness is #2 in a series I didn’t feel that I was missing anything by not having read #1 (although I’m definitely going to get it!) The characters are realistic, the plot is tight and I was surprised at the end by who the serial killer was. The opened ended second plot line of another serial killer involved with the profiler lets us know there are more books to read with these wonderful characters. Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to discover this author and read this book.

A well written and interesting book!
Good plot with interesting characters and strong storyline.

I liked it from the start. It was dark, scary, (a woman videotaped being buried alive...)... serial killers to find... I was into it right away and kept turning the pages to find out what happens next.

ARC received through NetGalley. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes detective mysteries and FBI thrillers tell the same story over and over with different names for their characters. This is not the case with "In The Darkness" by Mike Omer. I found this novel to be exciting and very well written and while I have read many good thrillers, I have not felt excitement when reading them and now I have become a real fan of Mike Omer!I

The story mainly takes place in Texas and revolves around Zoe Bentley who works for the FBI as a profiler psychologist and Special Agent Tatum Gray also working in the BAU (Behaviour Assessment Unit). They are called into help in a case of a young woman who is buried alive and her abductor has downloaded this horrific scene to the internet to attract attention from viewers. Many people are not taking the live broadcast seriously and are claiming the disturbing video is a prank. The police department and the FBI must quickly assess the situation before it becomes too late to save the buried girl in the event that she really is a victim of a monster who is just getting started in making a name for himself.

This book was so well-written and had all the elements of suspense, mystery, drama, and excitement. I also enjoyed the fact that I didn't know the identity of the villain until the end of the book and I also just bought the first book in the series because this was such a great read for me. I loved this story and I highly recommend to other readers.
I have given this book 5 Exciting 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

I want to thank the publisher Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific novel!

The second book in the Zoe Bentley series picks up just as the first one finishes - they could both still be read without reading the other, but you'll gain a lot more context by reading both.

I'm so torn on this series. On the one hand, Mike Omer clearly cares about getting the details right - there's little bits where Zoe shines, or the psychological details are just perfect, and you can see the care that went into researching and making sure he was accurate. It's endearing, and it does a lot to make up for the clunkier moments, but they're still there. There's no "Strangling Undertaker" this time (good lord, that name was terrible), but it's not much better this time around. The name dropping of music artists continues, and the dialogue gets pretty clunky as well. It just doesn't quite sound like things people say - none of it is unreasonable if it were written correspondence, but it's just not words people use out loud.

However, though I'm sounding critical, the endearing qualities of this series continue to win me over enough that I know I'll be continuing the series. There's a lot here that improves on the first book, and I look forward to seeing it continue.

7/28/2019 - In the Darkness by Michael Omer – a Zoe Bentley Mystery – Thomas & Mercer (Amazon) 2019
Another great read from author Omer! I read his other Zoe Bentley mystery, “A Killer’s Mind” and I truly love this character. She is an FBI consultant who works out of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, assigned to various locales according to need. “In The Darkness” finds her dispatched to San Angelo, Texas in September 2016. This is a cautionary tale of the danger of misuse of social media.

The buried-alive video of a 19-year-old female is being broadcast as “Experiment number one,” which prompts Zoe’s superior officer, Christine Mancuso, to assign Zoe and FBI Agent Tatum Gray to San Angelo to assist the local authorities. Theirs is a well-matched yet prickly union. Each is very capable in their line of work, but their personalities are oil and water. Zoe is a bit mercurial and impatient, her mind always considering every angle of the current situation plus thinking ahead. Tatum on the other hand is thoughtful and respectful of others, thinking before he speaks.

Revolving around an aspiring serial killer, “In The Darkness” tells the story of a man who chooses his victims by combing social media, Instagram, etc., to learn where his victims are and when they will be returning home, where he pounces on them, drugs them, and they wake up in a wooden box under ground, their terror being livestreamed on the internet. In the meantime, Zoe’s childhood neighbor, Rod Glover, is stalking her younger sister Andrea back in Virginia. Gray’s grandfather, Marvin, stays at Zoe’s apartment with Andrea while the odd duo head to Texas.

Omer uses his sense of humor to lighten the mood of this grisly tale to keep it palatable for we “normal” people who cannot seem to get enough of thrillers! Marvin, an 80-something who lives with his grandson Agent Tatum Gray, brings along his pet fish and a big gun when he comes to protect Andrea. It is supposed to be an overnight assignment but it turns out to be longer, stretching into “Experiment number four.” Marvin’s foresight is a fortunate thing as it turns out. There is a lot of humor spread throughout the story including a police canine handler named Finkelstein who named his cadaver dog Shelley (as in Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein’s Monster).

I read this gripping tale in one sitting – even turned off my music while reading it because I did not want to be distracted. It gets 5 stars from me for being well written with lots of humor thrown in, enthralling storylines that are evenly paced and developed throughout, and although I was convinced at chapter 90 that I knew the identity of the killer, there was yet another revelation – I was wrong!

A very satisfying way to spend an afternoon or evening! Five stars in every aspect – plot, character development, dialogue, descriptive mood, locale and relationships, plus a red herring or two.

Omer has also written three books in the Glenmore Park Mysteries, which I have not read yet but have added to my To Read list.

I was given a galley of this title at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review was also posted on Amazon on 7/28/2019.

The follow-up in Mike Omer's new Zoe Bently Mysteries does NOT disappoint! Is it even possible to think that this is better than the first? This is a scary, high-adrenaline, claustrophobic read. Even though this is only my second book I have read by Omer, I can see him quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors. PLEASE come out with the next one quickly!!!

Thank you Netgalley for furnishing my copy of this book in return for my voluntary review.

The first book was good but this one is even better. Now we got the exposition out of the way, the author can really focus on the characters and the action. Zoe and Tatum travel to Texas to investigate a video showing a woman being buried alive. Is it a hoax? If it isn't, it may be the first of many, since it's called "Experiment number one." Zoe can really get into the mind of a killer but this time she is distracted by Rod Glover, the serial killer that she stopped when she was a teenager and who is now stalking Zoe's sister. When a new video comes out, Zoe will have to figure out a way to leave her personal baggage behind and find the murderer. There are plenty of suspects and red herrings. One of the twists was not exactly original but the plot still took unexpected turns. But, as important as the action is, the characters are the key. Zoe and Tatum have evolved personally and professionally, and their relationship with each other and their respective family members is dynamic and always changing. A solid plot makes for addictive reading. I can't wait for the next volume.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this arc.

A Killer's Mind -- the first Zoe Bentley story-- is somewhere in my kindle library, unread. So I read this second story anyways. It starts off predictably with a serial killer (to be) killing his 1st displayed victim in graphic detail.
Then the story switches over to Zoe's POV. It continues this flip/flop throughout the book. But each chapter is titled with date and location so it's easy to follow along. The pacing is fairly steady, but interrupted by a secondary story line concerning Zoe's sister and references back to Zoe's past. So I had several "Huh? What??" moments during this read.

I liked Marvin, Freckle and the fish. The rest of the characters? Not so much. I thought both protagonists, Zoe and Tatum's adolescent attitudes out of place given their positions. I thought Zoe's undisguised superiority with everyone, that is was unbelievable she was still walking around whole and unharmed. Her infantizing of her sister really floored me... I have 2 younger sisters who would GLADLY take turns tearing me apart if I even attempted to call them baby names.

While many others have enjoyed these stories, they just aren't for me.