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)

Couldn't look away!

Any additional comments?

When you know something terrible is going to happen, you don't want to watch, but you just can't look away...I actually tried to stop listening to this one, but I had to go back and finish it. Great story, well read.

Kept me listening

Normally it takes me awhile to listen to a whole book since I listen in the car. This time I listened to it straight in the house because It was so good!

Totally absorbing and incredibly disturbing!

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

Chilling, disturbing, believable.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked how the author switched between past and present in order to explain the decline in Cathy and how she ultimately struggled to reclaim her life.

Any additional comments?

You'll never see OCD in the same way again.

Hold on to your seat! What a gripping story!

I LOVED LOVED LOVED the narration of this book! The accents are spot on & it was read with the PERFECT amount of tension, causing me to be horrified, nervous & excited all at the same time. I couldn't stop listening!

A good read but too drawn out

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

Up to a point. It starts out really well but then gets bogged down in interminable details.

Dark but couldn't stop listening

Not a PG13 read but a memorable book about the other side of life when everything isn't what it seems on the outside. Well written story.

Disturbingly Good!

The story grabs you from the beginning and never lets go. Intense and addicting from start to finish. Is Lee really so twisted and evil? Or is Cathy delusional and paranoid?
I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys good thriller. It will have you looking over your shoulder by the end.

Unfamiliar with some of terms

Sometimes the narrator was hard to understand. At first took awhile to follow the year changes

long read perfect for driving

This was a great book, alot going on hard to follow in the beginning until you realize it's the same person in two different years . I was disappointed at the end because you didnt know the progress of her OCD after she got married and Lee was imprisoned.

Not My Cup of Tea

I wanted very much to get into this book, and to follow all the hype, but...

While the topic and premise for the story are "spot on", I as a reader usually like to hear more from, and more about, the characters in terms of backstory, interests outside of the primary story arc, life trajectories, all in all just more context. But not TOO much - just a Goldilocks version. This book is the pared-down Baby Bear version, and reading "Darkest Corner" is like looking through a peephole into various aspects of relationship dysfunction and violence. I can't seem to get the whole picture, can't get any peripheral vision here.

Also, the story is carried almost exclusively by dialogue - perhaps would make a better play than novel - and as a personal preference I like more description of location and characterization; at least a sense of place to set the scenes and create a relatable ambience. Here in the "Darkest Corner" the characters seem flat, uninteresting in themselves and for the most part uninterested in themselves, and they are laid out only as game pieces in the advancement of an ominous situation. What can you do with a story with primary characters whose chief activity is hanging out in pubs?

This kind of situational story has good potential, especially the detailed snail's pace advancement of the plot lines, which makes for gripping intimacy and creates visceral reactions in the reader. Unfortunately, well, I have to say this came off as bare bones, just not enough.