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)

Very suspenseful! Wonderful narrator!

The reviews that talk about the confusing nature of the back and forth in time are correct. But if you will just keep in mind that 2008 is current and 2004 is looking back you will be fine. And the confusion is well worth it. Stick with it for an hour and it won't be a problem after that. This was a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrator can make or break a book and this one is excellent. The suspense at times had me afraid to drive! Because of the back and forth in time, you know what is coming and you stay braced for it. Go for it - it is quite long and I still did not want it to end!

Wonderful Thriller!

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

I think both narrators were fantastic in describing their feelings when reading the book, it made it feel like they were actually there.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved how Cathy always kept true to herself and that she never was brainwashed by him.

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

I think just the way they connected in reading the novel was wonderful. I could tell that they really felt passionate about their characters.

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

Oh yes! It was very intriguing since the beginning.

Great Story

This was a great story with lots of twists and turns. The characters were very believable.

Best book I've listened to in a long time!

I loved this book! It was shocking and twisty. The narrators were perfect. I could feel her anxiety myself. Just brilliant.

INTO THE DARKEST CORNER

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

This is question should be tossed out!!!! How does one answer a question like this when they have listened/read over 250 books?

Who was your favorite character and why?

Stuart, he just had such a soothing personality.

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

The intensity, especially with her Mental illness of checking the doors, her fear etc...
Mr Thorpe is an excellent villain. He exudes EVIL 😈😈😈

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

When she realized she was going to take her life back, and stop being a victim!!!When she found the note from Sylvia.

Any additional comments?

Good book, seems like Ms Haynes did some research into the Mental health system. This book didn't disappoint!!! 😈😱😬😀

Fantastic

What did you love best about Into the Darkest Corner?

Speechless. A bit of therapy, reality, and everyday British living. Please write more.

Interesting story

The set-up of the beginning and end is strange, but the story as a whole wasn't bad. The woman narrator does her accents well.
The story went on longer than was necessary. It could have been about a third shorter and still delivered. The plot was good and there were times when I was unsure about exactly who the baddie was, but as i said, it was a bit drawn out.

Awesome!!! Loved this book!

This book had everything you could want in a thriller!
The reader was awesome, both were in fact. Five stars across the board! I we we had more books like this one out there to choose from!

OMG!

Loved it, if I can say that about a book that deals with such a depressing subject. Couldn't stop listening! It's about an abusive relationship and it's her first book, so it makes me wonder if she experienced something similar because it's hard to believe what it's like unless you've been through it. People who haven't experienced this type of thing think that you must be weak to stay in this type of relationship. So not true! Anyway, it was well-written and well-performed. And now I'm going to look for more of her books.

Loved it!

Would you listen to Into the Darkest Corner again? Why?

This was similar to Gone Girl which I loved it had a wonderful mix of suspense, intrigue, and romance.

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

Which scene was your favorite?

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

Any additional comments?