Into the Darkest Corner

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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. Written in two parts, Into the Darkest Corner slowly unfolds the destructive relationship between Cathy and Lee. 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. While I think this book was really good, I couldn’t recommend it to anyone that might freak out or identify with Cathy too closely. The second half is where the thriller-esque moments appear and it’s definitely the best part of the book for me.

Haynes hardly gives the reader time to draw breath before locking in her two parallel and equally nerve-racking narratives. 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 not the sort of thing that I usually go for, psychological thrillers usually bore the hell out of me because they try too hard to be clever and turn the plot into a labyrinth.

She’s consumed by anxiety and worry years after but we get to read about her survival, her courage to take control of her life and her will to improve it.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. Cathy adheres to a strict routine of going to work and coming home with much of her free time spent checking and re-checking her apartment for breaches in security. Cathy has OCD but her OCD doesn’t do anything with checking windows, curtains and her flat door six times a day! And when he drags her into the “Staff Only” area and then stares at her through the security camera afterwards, creepy as hell!

She may have to check a lock six times but it’s what helps her push through, to make it from one moment to the next, even if those moments turn into hours, and she has to repeat the process three or four times to help her feel truly safe. If this book had been 300 pages it likely would of got at least 4 or maybe even 5 stars from me but at this length and with the amount of skimming I did 3 stars it is! 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. As many of you already know, thrillers are characterized and defined by the heightened emotions (suspense, anxiety, excitement, anticipation, etc) they elicit. It starts so gradually with what looks like a good relationship and even your friends are jealous of your luck and really, there might have been room for complaint about your behaviour and what was asked (well, demanded) didn't seem that unreasonable.The alternating chapters showing Catherine's life leading up to and after a specific event, unravel the story at an excellent pace and felt myself holding my breath in several places as it drew me right in.

I liked that the present day chapters showed her personal growth, and she even has a new friend and possible romance. I can understand why her steps were haunted by this man who claimed to love her but almost broke her in two, and when he finally got out of prison the novel became quite intense. And the one after, paranoid and scared out of her mind, seeing his face in every person that passed by her. It is an addictive, dark and disturbing psychological thriller that was keeping me on my nerves … Nothing is sugar-coated, everything is raw and hits you right in the gut. Lee is presented as everything a young woman could want: good-looking, sexy, sweet, romantic and great in bed.

I wouldn't normally read a book about domestic violence but saw great reviews for this book and thought I'd read it. At the time I was producing a quarterly report on violent crime and as part of this I read a lot of accounts of domestic abuse. Watching the main character's OCD moments was painful but seeing her gradually pick herself up and work towards a normal life was so pleasing. 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.