Into the Darkest Corner

Product Information

This was one of those gripping reads where it’s painful to put it down. I was glued to my audio-book throughout a weekend, gasping at times in horror. The narration was excellent. Although most of it is from Karen Cass with her lovely English accent we do have David Thorpe’s wonderful performance as well (also an English accent). I have to thank the lovely Keertana for putting Into the Darkest Corner on my radar because I thoroughly enjoyed the thrilling ride!

I love cautionary tales. No, not the ones where the world is going to end because someone drives a car that only gets 36 miles to the gallon on the highway. I mean a real cautionary tale, the type where you bring the wrong person home with you after a night of pub-crawling, or you behave badly because you’re spending the night in a different area code, or you accept a ride across a bridge with a U.S. Senator. I hold one in my hand right now, and it’s called INTO THE DARKEST CORNER by Elizabeth Haynes. It’s a great, keep-you-up-all-night reading and thinking exploration of the dark side of relationships with the wrong person. 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? Haynes offers up one of the most effective uses of alternating past/present narratives that I've ever read. It's so... unsettling to see the character of Catherine as she was before and as she is now - it at first seems like you're reading the POVs of two different characters. But not only that, it's the development of Lee himself that is even worse.Perhaps the most horrifying thing about Into the Darkest Corner is how much it reminds me of what people are calling "intense" and "dark" New Adult romances. No exaggeration. Into the Darkest Corner was suspenseful, riveting, and disturbing. The story is unsettling because of how realistic it was. I’m sure something of what happened to Cathy has probably happened or is happening as I write this review. Four years ago Cathy fell for Lee who is equal parts good looking, intense, and charming. From that point on her life slowly turns into hell. I loved the character of Catherine Bailey, she was a very real character with real problems and I am sure so many people will sympathise with her and the delicate situation in which she finds herself. A very impressive first novel; it tells the story of Catherine who starts off as a lively, fun loving party girl until she meets Lee.” L. H. Healy (VINE VOICE)”This is an absolutely fantastic, gripping first novel from Elizabeth Haynes! I just could not put this one down and had to know what would happen next. Utterly compelling from start to finish.”

E tal como a Noite se sucede ao Dia, aquela Catherine alegre e jovial sucumbe, sendo substituída por uma Cathy Negra, envolta numa aura de traumas e medos paralisantes.

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Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival. I'll start by saying I was not impressed with the beginning. However I need only to look at my own actions to see how easily this could have been me. Being young, drinking and bar hopping, looking for love. How many young women do this, never expecting the worst could happen to them. This is a story of just how the worst does happen, and how one woman's life is forever altered. It is also a story of deep betrayal, and how betrayal can have it's own horrific consequences.

I just finished it a few days ago and reviewed it. I don't think it would be too much for anyone who likes psychological thrillers, and, as I said in my review, it's a "smart" thriller. I really felt as if Haynes did her research on this one. My definition of a good read? A book that you can't put down, that has you reading at all hours and one in which you deceive yourself with "just one more chapter" Another of my personal indicators of a good book is some twists and turns that you didn't see coming, this book fits all of my criteria.

Inspiration

This is a terrifying and very convincing portrayal of an abusive relationship and a woman who having being pushed to the limit is building a new life for herself and coming to terms with her past. Into the Darkest Corner’ is a real slow burn of a dark psychological thriller. Told in a dual timeline we switch between the past confident Catherine and the present terrified one as we gradually learn what has happened to her. This contrast between past and present is incredibly effective in showing the damage inflicted by domestic violence, gaslighting, and coercive control.⁣