“But moving away made me realize that if anyone was going to be in control of my life, it had to be me. There was no alternative.”
– Wednesday 23 January 2008
Title: Into the Darkest Corner
Author: Elizabeth Haynes
Published By: Harper, January 2011
Reviewed By: Jessica B
Genre/Main Topics: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Abuse, OCD, Anxiety
Pages: 410, Paperback
Setting: London and Lancaster, England
Rating: 5/5 Stars
“Check the locks on your doors and windows, and surrender to this obsessive thriller.”
– Karin Slaughter
When I saw that quote on the front cover of the book, I subconsciously overlooked it. I rarely pay attention to the praise portion, as it is not a section that makes or breaks my decision to read a book. However, as I got deeper and deeper into the novel, I found myself doing exactly what the quote said. Every night I read before bed, after putting the book down for the night, I contemplated getting up to check the locks and doors. It was such a silly thought, but the author is able to get inside your head and stay there. The reader can feel Cathy’s pain as she goes through her everyday movements. I found myself becoming anxious with her. This is one of those rare books that stays with you, even after you turn the final page.
The back and forth technique from past to present coupled with short chapters, keeps the reader constantly turning the page. The author sprinkles small cliffhangers throughout the book, knowing the reader will have to make it through another section before returning back to that part of the story. My mind raced, especially in the latter half, as I waited for the book to reach its climax. I wouldn’t say there are necessarily major plot twists, as usually seen in thrillers. I would argue the book was just as intense and deserves the 5/5 rating. The ending fit. There were one or two small details I might have changed, but overall there was nothing major to critique. It leaves the reader thinking about why certain people do what they do.
This book contains graphic violence and abuse scenes, both physically and sexually. Lee psychologically torments Cathy on several occasions. The abusive situations grow in intensity as the book progresses. The reader knows something is off with the relationship and the author slowly builds the abuse into the novel. There was one scene that I became squeamish at, but I was able to read through the rest of the conflict. That being said, this book is not for everyone, so take caution if violent and abusive scenes make you uncomfortable.
“Again, I heard my mantra coming unwanted into my mind: This isn’t normal. This isn’t how normal people think.”
– Monday 12 November 2007
About the Book:
When young, pretty Catherine Bailey meets Lee Brightman, she can’t believe her luck. Gorgeous, charismatic Lee seems almost too perfect to be true. But what begins as flattering attention and spontaneous, passionate sex transforms into raging jealousy, and Catherine soon discovers that Lee’s good looks hide a dark, violent nature. Disturbed by his controlling behavior, she tries to break it off and is stunned when her friends don’t believe her. Isolated and driven into the darkest corner of her world, a desperate Catherine plans a meticulous escape.
Four years later, Lee is behind bars and Catherine—now Cathy—is trying to build a new life in a new city. The trauma of the past still haunts her. Then Stuart Richardson, her attractive new neighbor, moves in. Encouraging her to confront her fears, he sparks unexpected hope and the possibility of love and a normal life.
Until the day the phone rings . . .
About the Author:
Elizabeth Haynes is a police intelligence analyst, a civilian role that involves determining patters in offending and criminal behavior. She started writing fiction in 2006 with the annual challenge of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the encouragement of the creative writing courses at West Dean College. She lives in a village near Maidstone, Kent, with her husband and son. Into the Darkest Corneris her first novel.
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