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)

OCD and Domestic Violence...

I was nearly halfway through this novel before my "real" interest was piqued. I think that the narrator's voice kept me listening for a while with only half an ear to what she was saying. I kept tuning in and out (waiting for some action to start) until I realized that a good portion of the story was being told in flashbacks. The story was constantly going back and forth in time. The flashbacks were done in a way that helped the listener understand and "expect" certain kinds of things to happen in the future. The story depicted the frustration, burdens and struggles of a woman with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) coupled with the pain and misery of domestic violence.

The prologue sets the stage of what's to come, even though the first few chapters were repetitious about a group of working girls going out after work and drinking themselves into a state of insensibility, then looking for someone to "shag," and then struggling to get to work the next morning. When the story really got going, there were sufficient drama and tension which helped to move the along, and motivated me to continue listening.

I was satisfied with the ending and remember thinking that the story had a rough start but ended well, and I liked it!

A well done disturbing novel.

I read some of the other reviews on here but was still surprised by this book. It was not at all what I expected. If I realized what it was about, I wouldn't have downloaded it. That being said, as disturbing as it is, I had a very hard time putting it down. The narration was excellent and it was a good story. If the "50 Shades of Grey" series is anything like this, I'm definitely going to skip it. If you enjoy book about spousal abuse this book is for you. Otherwise, I would skip it.

Couldn't wait to listen each day!

Interesting novel but difficult to listen to in some areas due to the violence. I've read some gruesome books but this was a situation all too real for some women. I enjoyed learning about OCD and the root cause in this particular case but the length was a bit long. In written form or audible, I think most will fast forward. Loved the characters and and the main narrator was fabulous. A couple of twists I enjoyed as well!

It was decent...

However maybe I was expecting more mystery, psychological thrill or twist. It wasn’t any of those. It read like an extended fictional diary that documents under stimulating day to day life with stereotypical ocd symptoms.

Great potential but way to slow paced

I accidentily listened to the second part first without realizing it; I found its concept interesting and some parts were quite intense but the filler was very slow and often rather repetitive. I also found the main character to be a bit of an idiot. Once I got to the end and the next section started to play I became aware of my mistake and did not feel any need to listen to the first half....it would not add a thing.

The performance was good but I just don't understand this story gets rated so highly. I was often bored.

Glad I stuck with it

This Book is probably much more enjoyable to be read than listened to. I got severe whiplash in the beginning of the book switching back-and-forth from the dates if I was multitasking or doing my make up I missed the 2003 / 2007 flip flop etc. Eventually I caught on and realize she was talking about two different situations men etc. And I listened for 2003/4 it was Lee 2007/8 it was Stuart But the book was great I felt like I was actually in the mind of an obsessive-compulsive person struggling with Posttraumatic stress disorder. Overall I loved it and the end was so chilling congrats

A gripping psyche rush!

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

Gripping Psyche Rush

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

The plot is revealed like two trains headed for a collision! You can see it coming, know it will happen, but can't scream.

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

I love the inflection & accents)

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

The moment Kathy decided to face her fears:)

Any additional comments?

In addition to being a page turner, it offered insight into abuse, OCD, and PTSD.

A spellbinding story

This is one of the most gripping books I've ever read. It took hold and never let go of my attention. A must have book in everyone's library. 😀😀😀😀

Starts very slow, but gets better

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

very slow to get into

Would you recommend Into the Darkest Corner to your friends? Why or why not?

there are better books out there

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

it did get better as the book went along

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

not sure

Intense-Suspense Fiilled!

Couldn't put this book down. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Great book!