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)

OK, but not the "thriller" I was expecting...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was ok. I listen while I work, so it was time well enough spent. But, it did not make me sit in my car because I could not turn it off like some books I've listened to.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The audible recording is in two parts. The story took almost all of part 1 to develop. In part two we start to get into the "thrilling" parts, but it never did build up as expecting. Part of the story was pretty predictable.

What three words best describe David Thorpe and Karen Cass ’s performance?

heavy accents, acceptable

Was Into the Darkest Corner worth the listening time?

I'm not sorry I purchased it, but it did not live up to the reviews I read.

Any additional comments?

The biggest challenge of the story was to convey the flip-flop between time frames of the story - It was partly told in the past and partly told in the present. I thought that perhaps some voice differentiation, or inflection may have helped to distinguish what was then and what was now. If you happen to miss the date in the intro to a section it could become confusing.

It wasn't the best, but was no where near the worst. It ended up being a pretty light read.

Psychopath Stalker

What a thrilling and spine-tingling ride! The narrator is perfect, expressing all the emotions, fears and resulting Obsessive Compulsive behaviors of Cathy as she tries to recover from the extreme, near death treatment she has suffered from her tormentor and stalker.

The story builds and little by little the full extent of the horror Cathy endured is teased out for the listener.

This story kept me wanting more every minute!

Storyline Is Amazing

I loved this book! Took effort to put the book down so I wouldnt finish reading it within 1 day. I read the physical book I got from the library and decided it was worth getting on Audible. Although, I wish I would have listened to the sample first because I don't PERSONALLY like the sound of narrotor's voice or the tone she uses, it's too light and airy for such a not-so-lighthearted storyline so it does not fit the character at all. I couldn't finish listening to this Audible Book because of that.

Amazing!!

I am an avid mystery/suspense listener. This book pulled me out of an audible slump. I’m exhausted because I stayed up way past my bedtime the past 3 nights to listen. Definitely worth the credit!

Could not stop listening.

Well written thriller. You start to question everything and everyone. Keeps you guessing until the end. The author did a great job jumping from past to present. Could have been confusing but was not. High hopes for more from this author.

Kept me interested!

This book was full of suspense. If you don’t like stories that jump in timelines (multiple years apart), then this book isn’t for you. It got a little confusing at times because of this, but overall, a very good book!

Crazy Crazy Crazy!!!!

What made the experience of listening to Into the Darkest Corner the most enjoyable?

I'm always able to get through a book faster using Audio.

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

yes, I knew knew what to expect with Lee. With friends like hers, who needs enemies??? Great twist!!

Have you listened to any of David Thorpe and Karen Cass ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I have not.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I have to take some mental breaks.

Any additional comments?

This book is intense. The back/forth from past to present got on my nerves initially but I got used to it mid way. The narrators was good and the male made me love Lee as much as I wanted to hate his charactre and the things he did. If you have a history of domestic violence (at any level), this book will definitely trigger some past emotions. I feel bad for people in this situation!

Engaging Book!

What did you love best about Into the Darkest Corner?

I really loved the flow of the story. It kept me hooked from the beginning to the end.

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

Hard to say, there were a lot.

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

They made the characters believable.

Way, way too long.

The actual plot of the story wasn’t necessary bad. Nothing much happen, no plot twist or suspense. The narration was good. But what ruin the book all together was that it dragged on and on with basically nothing happening. The whole story could have been told and concluded in a quarter of time. If it had then I would have maybe given it 3 stars instead of 1 star. I’d pass on this book unless you have a lot of time to waste listening to a good narrator read a below average story. My first time with this author and it will be my last.

Moving ...

What did you love best about Into the Darkest Corner?

I was very impressed by the author's ability to get inside the mind of the victim and give that voice credibility. This book was extremely authentic in the patterns that emerge in an abusive relationship.

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

I was riveted from the beginning; a normal girl, a normal life until the moment when everything changed.

Any additional comments?

Read this book, but do read the reviews and publisher's review. If this type of story is something that would offend of scare you - then simply don't read.