Into the Darkest Corner

By: Elizabeth Haynes

Narrated by: David Thorpe, Karen Cass

Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

AMAZON BOOK OF THE YEAR 2011

WINNER OF AMAZON RISING STARS 2011

AMAZON EDITORS' CHOICE BEST CRIME NOVEL OF 2011

LONGLISTED FOR CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER 2011

Catherine has been enjoying the single life for long enough to know a good catch when she sees one. Gorgeous, charismatic, spontaneous – Lee seems almost too perfect to be true. And her friends clearly agree, as each in turn falls under his spell.

But there is a darker side to Lee. His erratic, controlling and sometimes frightening behaviour means that Catherine is increasingly isolated. Driven into the darkest corner of her world, and trusting no one, she plans a meticulous escape. Four years later, struggling to overcome her demons, Catherine dares to believe she might be safe from harm. Until one phone call changes everything.

This is an edgy and powerful first novel, utterly convincing in its portrayal of obsession, and a tour de force of suspense.

©2012 Elizabeth Haynes (P)2012 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

"Check the locks on your doors and windows and surrender to this obsessive thriller." (Karin Slaughter)

“This intense, gripping account of domestic violence and its aftermath is utterly unputdownable. A stunning debut.” (SJ Watson)

“From its uncompromising prologue - a young woman being bludgeoned to death in a ditch - Haynes's powerful account of domestic violence is disquieting, yet unsensationalist. This is a gripping book on a topic which can never be highlighted enough.” ( Guardian)

“A very impressive first novel. The pain and frustration of OCD is brilliantly evoked and I winced every time Cathy embarked on yet another ritual. The contrast between Cathy's two lives is cleverly drawn and the hesitancy in her new relationship is very believable. This is a fantastic personal read with plenty for a reading group to discuss.” ( NewBooks Magazine)

“Within ten minutes I couldn't put it down. I've always said that I would never be caught in an abusive relationship, as I'd be out of it at the first sign of a problem but after reading this book I realised that it really isn't that simple. There's a superb picture of the burdens of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). It's not enough to check once that the door is firmly locked. What if you didn't lock it properly? There's real dramatic tension in this book and when I got to the end the first thing that I did was to turn back to the beginning again.” ( The Bookbag)

“A tense and thought-provoking début novel with dark moments. Its portrayal of obsession is one that will send a shiver down your spine and you'll hope that you are never in that position. But don't look for a "pat" ending - it seems that things never end the way one hopes! This début novel by a police intelligence analyst is certainly well worth the read.” ( Shotsmag)

“Our South coast-based book group had been starved of a good book for a month or two, so it was with some excitement that we stumbled across the buzz on Twitter about Elizabeth Haynes' compelling debut novel Into the Darkest Corner. Thankfully starvation swiftly changed to gluttony when we got our hands on the book, as this is a compulsive thriller with sufficient twists and plot turns to keep the most action-avaricious of readers satisfied.” ( Bookgroup.info)

Excellent story.

If you could sum up Into the Darkest Corner in three words, what would they be?

The ending great.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Into the Darkest Corner?

Kathy's revenge.

Which character – as performed by David Thorpe and Karen Cass – was your favorite?

Kathy Baily.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When I found out Kathy was not the sick one. I guess I'll never forget the word, "Easter."

Good and Bad

The narrator Karen Cass was perfect, I liked how she didn't try to sound like a man when speaking those parts! The story was a good idea, well thought out. The thing that I didn't love was that it was all just a little bit drawn out. In comparison to the long building of the story, the climax was very short and slightly disappointing because of that. Overall, it was good although I don't think I would recommend it

DIFFICULT TO STOP LISTENING

What does David Thorpe and Karen Cass bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved Karen's accent....very well done and her voice was very animated.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The Lee character was very intense and frightening.

DIfferent Kind of Thriller

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best about this story is that it was different then your normal thrillers and it did keep you in suspense.

What about David Thorpe and Karen Cass ’s performance did you like?

Very good

Dark, Intense, and horribly realistic

This British novel swings back and forth between the past and present. Horribly attacked and left for dead, Catherine, or Cathy as she now prefers to go by, is extremely crippled by her past; barely coping with OCD and PTSD. Her attacker is in jail, but she is terrified that he will come for her again. By turns horrifying and sad, you come to understand just how a woman can be drawn into an abusive relationship. Top notch narration.

slow start but good in the end.

It took me awhile to get into this book, the timeline was initially confusing, I quit twice. I am glad I gave it a third chance. I really got into it and loved it.

Dark and Disturbing...

This is a very disturbing read (okay, listen). The title sums it up, it brings you to a dark corner where there is seemingly no escape. I prefer mysteries to thrillers but a well written thriller is almost as enjoyable as a good mystery. I just found this unrelentingly harrowing and wouldn't recommend it to my friends. This might be a spoiler but the story goes back and forth between the actual domestic violence and terrorism perpetrated against the main character by her lover and four years later, as she tries to regain her mental well being that he stole from her. Both of these situations are unenviable and as far as I'm concerned an exercise in how much depressive reading (listening) a person can take - I figure I could've taken about half of what is served up here. It still would've gotten to where it was eventually going and I would've been released from it's oppressiveness that much sooner.

Excellent book and narration

Suspense is not the normal genre I typically listen to, but I'm glad I gave this book a try. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to it jumping back and forward from the past to present day, but by then I was hooked and waiting to hear what was going to happen next. The narrator did a wonderful job!

Good

This is a story about an abusive relationship and the internal battle of getting out of it.

This was difficult to listen to at times, given the disgusting abusive things happening to the main character. Nevertheless, it is a story about becoming stronger and rising above it all to get freedom in the end.

The story gets told from differing time perspectives so while it may seem slightly confusing at times, it all fits together nicely in the end.

Inside the mind of an abused woman

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, I felt as if I was living her life and constantly wondering about everyone that came into her life. I felt her terror and waited in suspense with her ont he other side of her door.

What does David Thorpe and Karen Cass bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The personality behind the words, the life that was ripped from the woman can be heard instead of just read. And once some words are said, they can never be taken away. I felt her pain and understood her complications and truly could see how you could become the person she was.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I understood how broken a person could become after the worst things that could be done to another human were done to her, and knowing that you still have to play the game with your tormentor...so when he beat her and she had to comfort him afterwards...it hit home.