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)

An interesting novel that just didn't grasp me

Would you try another book from Elizabeth Haynes and/or David Thorpe and Karen Cass ?

Elizabeth Haynes - maybe, but I'd need some good authority to make the trip again
David Thorpe - He brought about 4 minutes of dialogue to this book, and wasn't very interesting, so probably not.
Karen Cass - did a pretty solid job telling Catherine's story, so I wouldn't mind if she were to narrate another book, but I wouldn't go seek out everything she read.

What was most disappointing about Elizabeth Haynes’s story?

The characters. Haynes tells a solid psychological thriller, but her characterization was one-dimensional and weak. The characters didn't feel real. They were designed to move the plot forward. Cathy was the most fleshed out and that feels like only because we're with her the whole story.

Would you listen to another book narrated by David Thorpe and Karen Cass ?

As a duo, no. Cass carried the whole load and Thorpe narrated about 4 minutes of actual story. The story would have been better without Thrope.

Was Into the Darkest Corner worth the listening time?

Not for me. I think the writing is not as refined as it could be. It was jarring from the start with the time shifts. I think reading this would have done the book a better service. I understand this could be a tough listen for anyone uneasy with domestic violence, but the situations felt realistic, even if the characters didn't.

Any additional comments?

I want to talk about Lee and Sylvia. I will have spoilers in this area as well. Lee's a terrible person, no doubt about it, and he's pretty one-dimensional. He wants control, no matter what. He treats Cathy and later on Sylvia like property. From stalking them, to checking the mileage on their car to bugging their homes/phones. He wants complete control over their lives. We get one bit of insight near the end, and it puts into question, does Lee love Catherine in his own perverse way. I don't know. I think he might, but it's definitely not healthy. We don't get enough background on Lee as to why he is the way he is. Naomi couldn't be the only reason, and that's another weakness of the book. I know it's not about Lee, but more background is better in this case.

Great Story

I did not like the back and forth style of story telling, thats the only reason that I did not give this 5 stars. Very realistic and very well fleshed out.

Captivating!

Any additional comments?

Terrifying, amazing and heart-breaking. A window into a world I am so thankful is not my own.

The only thing I found a bit confusing was a very small part of the book where there is a court room scene and the narrator is a different person than the majority of the book and they say the person who is speaking, prior to what the character says.

Shocking story of domestic violence.

This is by far one of the more captivating audio books I've heard. The story was a bit hard to follow at the begining because it skips from past to present and uses Catherine as the main character's name in the past and Kathy in the future. It took me a few chapters before I realized that it was the same woman (because she is so different after the abuse). After I realized this, it was a fantastic book. It really showed how controlling abusive men can be and how the abuse can affect a woman's psychology. The main character becomes very OCD and also suffers from PTSD. I would certainly reccomend this book.

Hang in there!

Any additional comments?

Dark and twisted psychological thriller! You have to tough it out the first couple of chapters, and then the sublime madness begins! My favorite listen so far this year!!!

Good but not great!

A story of stalking, rape, physical and emotional abuse by Cathy's perfect boyfriend, Lee. It was written in such a way it made me wonder if she was nuts and delusional, fabricating the story from the beginning. The book started out slow to the point I was going to give up on it, but I retread the description and gave it another try and I'm glad I did. It was great but it was good.

Fascinating, couldn't put it down!

This wasn't a mystery at all, but I loved hearing this story. When it starts out I think the main character is quite mad or insane, after hearing the story slowly bit by bit....you realize why she is crazy and it all makes sense. I love stories that wrap up the ending in a pretty little bow and answer all my questions, which this story did. This story also makes me understand why some women might stay in a bad relationship and got me thinking about how many people are probably stuck in one. I really love this author and can't get enough!

Amazing!

It was a gritty look into domestic violence, but it showed the true strength a person can have when coming up against the ugly things life can throw at us.

A Horror story that I could not put down

Where does Into the Darkest Corner rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would go e this book 5 stars. Among some of the best out of more then 200.

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

There are too many memorable moments to count. U will feel yourself being pulled into Cathy's horror film life, and u won't be able to stop listening.

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

I had 2 start writing this review while only listening to about 75% so far. I just felt the need to do it while my feelings were so fresh. The parts that moved me most was Cathy's fear and bravery at the same time. I was moved by every blow, every terrible, cruel, sadistic, punishment inflicted on Cathy. I felt sorry for her.

Any additional comments?

This book is not for anyone who can not read about horrible, terrible, demonically, crazed abuse and the traumatic effects.

Scary dating

Having grown up in England, I found this book very realistic when it comes to the characters and interactions between them. This is a cautionary tale about dating and watching out for warning signs. It is easy to see how the main character got drawn into and trapped into the situation she found herself in, and at the same time she didn't act in a silly manner that would annoy the reader.
The story has a great pace and really makes you want to read on. The use of past/present chapters also adds to the interest as the past unfurls itself and the repercussions are evidenced in the present.
The ending was a little weak, but the rest of the story was very strong.
The narrator has a northern English accent and I found her good, but others may not like her accent.