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Into the Darkest Corner: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – August 27, 2013
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2012: Many times as I was reading Into the Darkest Corner, the refrain from that old R&B song kept replaying in my head: "It's a thin line between love and hate..." Apologies, as it'll now be stuck in yours for the next couple of days, but Elizabeth Haynes' highly suspenseful and cleverly crafted psychological thriller will haunt you for much longer. In it we find our obsessive-compulsive heroine, Catherine Bailey, checking and rechecking her door locks six times, eschewing red clothing, shopping only on certain days--clearly something horrible has happened, and Haynes masterfully teases out the disturbing details, which involve a Jekyll and Hyde boyfriend. As the story unfolds, it provides subtle insight into why, despite red flags and bruises, someone would stay in an abusive relationship, and it makes you root for Catherine all the more to overcome the psychological fallout. If you're a fan of cinematic showdowns, you won't be disappointed. But the quietly powerful moments in Haynes' narrative resonate even more, as she illustrates that one of the bravest things someone can do is lock the door behind her, maybe five or six times, and step out into an uncertain world again. --Erin Kodicek
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
“Harrowing.” (New York Times Book Review)
“A highly suspenseful and cleverly-crafted psychological thriller….Haynes masterfully teases out the disturbing details, which involve a Jekyll and Hyde boyfriend. If you’re a fan of cinematic showdowns you won’t be disappointed, but it’s also the quietly powerful moments in Haynes’s narrative that resonate.” (Erin Kodicek , Amazon.com)
“In this violent, gripping suspense novel, a woman with obsessive compulsive disorder lives in fear of her unstable, stalker ex-boyfriend.” (Wall Street Journal)
“A sexy psychological thriller…. Anyone looking for a suspenseful read this summer at the beach, pick up Into the Darkest Corner.” (John Searles , Weekend Today Show)
“Gripping psychological thriller. . . . Haynes puts the reader into Bailey’s mind and the result is a grim, dark and extremely difficult story. The feelings of isolation and helplessness ooze off the page. . . A compelling first novel.” (Associated Press)
“Check the locks on your doors and windows and surrender to this obsessive thriller.” (Karin Slaughter , author of Fallen)
“A chilling page-turner.” (Booklist)
“This intense, gripping account of domestic violence and its aftermath is utterly unputdownable. A stunning debut.” (S.J. Watson , author of Before I Go to Sleep)
“A harrowing psychological thriller….A terrifying and convincing portrayal of an abusive relationship and a damaged woman’s heroic attempts to recover from it.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
“A chilling, page-turning read, which charts domestic violence without flinching and portrays OCD with insight and compassion.” (Rosamund Lupton , author of Sister)
“A scary and superbly written debut thriller.” (Library Journal, starred review)
“Into the Darkest Corner is a gripping page-turner that will suck you in from the first scene and not let you go you until it reaches its stunning conclusion.” (Chevy Stevens , author of Never Knowing and Still Missing)
“Gripping.” (The Guardian)
“Fantastic.” (Newbooks Magazine)
“Chilling.” (The Book Case, 20 summer standouts)
“A tour de force début novel that is both creepily disturbing and yet beautifully rendered.” (Sam Millar , New York Journal of Books)
“Unforgettable.” (Kathleen Heady , Deadly Suspense magazine)
“Haynes is a master at building tension to unbearable heights, and her thorough and thoughtful exploration of the psychological fallout of abuse adds a unique layer to the story….Into the Darkest Corner is a terrifying thriller.” (BookPage)
“Gripping….A compelling first novel.” (Jeff Ayers , Associated Press)
“This mind-bending thriller will give you chills as you follow a young woman who is trying to escape her ex-boyfriend - and her own demons.” (Cosmopolitan)
“A gripping psychological thriller....A terrifying cautionary tale of modern relationships.” (Miami Herald)
“A highly suspenseful and cleverly-crafted psychological thriller….Haynes masterfully teases out the disturbing details, which involve a Jekyll and Hyde boyfriend. If you’re a fan of cinematic showdowns you won’t be disappointed, but it’s also the quietly powerful moments in Haynes’s narrative that resonate.” (E
“In this violent, gripping suspense novel, a woman with obsessive compulsive disorder lives in fear of her unstable, stalker ex-boyfriend.” (Wall Street Journal)
“A sexy psychological thriller…. Anyone looking for a suspenseful read this summer at the beach, pick up Into the Darkest Corner.” (J
“Gripping psychological thriller. . . . Haynes puts the reader into Bailey’s mind and the result is a grim, dark and extremely difficult story. The feelings of isolation and helplessness ooze off the page. . . A compelling first novel.” (Associated Press)
“Check the locks on your doors and windows and surrender to this obsessive thriller.” (K
“A chilling page-turner.” (Booklist)
“This intense, gripping account of domestic violence and its aftermath is utterly unputdownable. A stunning debut.” (S.J. W
“A harrowing psychological thriller….A terrifying and convincing portrayal of an abusive relationship and a damaged woman’s heroic attempts to recover from it.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
“A chilling, page-turning read, which charts domestic violence without flinching and portrays OCD with insight and compassion.” (R
“A scary and superbly written debut thriller.” (Library Journal, starred review)
“Into the Darkest Corner is a gripping page-turner that will suck you in from the first scene and not let you go you until it reaches its stunning conclusion.” (C
“Gripping.” (The Guardian)
“Fantastic.” (Newbooks Magazine)
“Chilling.” (The Book Case, 20 summer standouts)
“A tour de force début novel that is both creepily disturbing and yet beautifully rendered.” (S
“Unforgettable.” (K
“Haynes is a master at building tension to unbearable heights, and her thorough and thoughtful exploration of the psychological fallout of abuse adds a unique layer to the story….Into the Darkest Corner is a terrifying thriller.” (BookPage)
“Gripping….A compelling first novel.” (J
“This mind-bending thriller will give you chills as you follow a young woman who is trying to escape her ex-boyfriend - and her own demons.” (Cosmopolitan)
“A gripping psychological thriller....A terrifying cautionary tale of modern relationships.” (Miami Herald)
More About the Author
Elizabeth Haynes is a police intelligence analyst. 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 Corner is her first novel. Visit her website at www.elizabeth-haynes.com.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
244 of 255 people found the following review helpful
By
rgregg
VINE VOICE on May 1, 2012
Format: Hardcover
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This book by Elizabeth Haynes was Amazon's UK Best Book of the Year when it was published last year and has already sold film rights. It deserves to be a best seller in this country in July.
A quick no spoiler recap and a few warnings in this review.
The story begins with a transcript from a 2005 trial in the UK which the reader will be compelled to go back and read a number of times as they travel through this riveting story.
In 2007, Catherine Bailey is a woman inflicted with a severe case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She lives in fear of everything including but not limited to serious relationships. Then the story swiftly flashes back to late 2003 where Catherine is a normal business woman living a normal live but seeking to find the right man to fulfill her life.
Every few pages the story moves back and forth through these time phases as the writer fills in numerous gaps to explain how this normal woman became one who epitomizes OCD.
In each of these time frames, Catherine becomes involved with a man. These two men, one a mysterious man with hidden motives and one a doctor who takes a serious interest in her for various reasons are vital parts of this fascinating story. She has no parents so her female friends and a sympathetic police woman also become major elements of her life.
A few warnings. This is a story of violent physical and mental abuse. It incorporates rape and other methods of physical and sexual torture. In many other books these types of plot turns would simply be for sensationalism. In this incredible tale, these plot turns are vital and fundamental to the story that Haynes is telling.
This is a long book (about 400 pages) and at around page 250, I was thinking I had already learned more about OCD than I ever wanted to know.Read more ›
A quick no spoiler recap and a few warnings in this review.
The story begins with a transcript from a 2005 trial in the UK which the reader will be compelled to go back and read a number of times as they travel through this riveting story.
In 2007, Catherine Bailey is a woman inflicted with a severe case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She lives in fear of everything including but not limited to serious relationships. Then the story swiftly flashes back to late 2003 where Catherine is a normal business woman living a normal live but seeking to find the right man to fulfill her life.
Every few pages the story moves back and forth through these time phases as the writer fills in numerous gaps to explain how this normal woman became one who epitomizes OCD.
In each of these time frames, Catherine becomes involved with a man. These two men, one a mysterious man with hidden motives and one a doctor who takes a serious interest in her for various reasons are vital parts of this fascinating story. She has no parents so her female friends and a sympathetic police woman also become major elements of her life.
A few warnings. This is a story of violent physical and mental abuse. It incorporates rape and other methods of physical and sexual torture. In many other books these types of plot turns would simply be for sensationalism. In this incredible tale, these plot turns are vital and fundamental to the story that Haynes is telling.
This is a long book (about 400 pages) and at around page 250, I was thinking I had already learned more about OCD than I ever wanted to know.Read more ›
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97 of 104 people found the following review helpful
By
Amy Leemon
VINE VOICE on May 3, 2012
Format: Hardcover
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This book may be different from any book you'll read this year. It's harsh and gripping. It alternates chapters between two different time periods but with each one you feel you're on a roller coaster heading for disaster.
Catherine Bailey starts out as a happy, carefree young woman enjoying herself and her friends. But she meets the wrong man and slowly becomes a person who is terrorized and almost killed. The descriptions of OCD are gripping. Her fear jumps off the pages and the reader is carried along with it. Sometimes I had to put the book down to come back to my own safe reality.
This book is not for faint at heart but it is a very good book. And the ending leaves you thinking.
Catherine Bailey starts out as a happy, carefree young woman enjoying herself and her friends. But she meets the wrong man and slowly becomes a person who is terrorized and almost killed. The descriptions of OCD are gripping. Her fear jumps off the pages and the reader is carried along with it. Sometimes I had to put the book down to come back to my own safe reality.
This book is not for faint at heart but it is a very good book. And the ending leaves you thinking.
Thank you for your feedback.
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73 of 81 people found the following review helpful
By
Robin Landry
TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on May 5, 2012
Format: Hardcover
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In The Darkest Corner is a layered suspense novel that will scare you to death. What's so frightening about Darkest Corner is that it can and does happen to people every day. Who wouldn't be attractive to a drop-dead gorgeous man who's absolutely obsessed with you? Who isn't looking for the perfect mate, who cares where you are all the time? Who cares what you wear to the point of distraction? Who makes all your friends green with envy?
And what happens when that obsession turns frightening instead of flattering? Haynes has written an amazing debut novel that will keep her readers up far into the night as they try not to see similar behavior to Lee Brightman in their own mates. A character worthy of the plucky heroine, Cathy Bailey, Lee is the perfect date when she first meets him. Physically perfect right down to his clear blue eyes and golden blonde hair, Lee makes Cathy the envy of all of her friends. The relationship starts out perfect. Lee is the kind of man Cathy's been looking for all her life, until little things start to happen. Maybe the sex was a little rough one time, or maybe Lee is a little tiring about the red silk dress he's first seen Cathy in, insisting she wear it would be inappropriate to do so.
With the line between falling in love and obsession so thin, Cathy doubts herself when she starts to think that Lee might not be so perfect after all. When she tries to tell her friends, they brush her off, doubtless because they wish they had a man was perfect of their own.
While there are many books that follow the same sort of plotting, what sets Darkest Corner apart is Cathy's Obsessive Compulsion Disorder(OCD).Read more ›
And what happens when that obsession turns frightening instead of flattering? Haynes has written an amazing debut novel that will keep her readers up far into the night as they try not to see similar behavior to Lee Brightman in their own mates. A character worthy of the plucky heroine, Cathy Bailey, Lee is the perfect date when she first meets him. Physically perfect right down to his clear blue eyes and golden blonde hair, Lee makes Cathy the envy of all of her friends. The relationship starts out perfect. Lee is the kind of man Cathy's been looking for all her life, until little things start to happen. Maybe the sex was a little rough one time, or maybe Lee is a little tiring about the red silk dress he's first seen Cathy in, insisting she wear it would be inappropriate to do so.
With the line between falling in love and obsession so thin, Cathy doubts herself when she starts to think that Lee might not be so perfect after all. When she tries to tell her friends, they brush her off, doubtless because they wish they had a man was perfect of their own.
While there are many books that follow the same sort of plotting, what sets Darkest Corner apart is Cathy's Obsessive Compulsion Disorder(OCD).Read more ›
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88 of 100 people found the following review helpful
By
JLW
VINE VOICE on May 6, 2012
Format: Hardcover
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I know I am about to rack up on the "No, this was not helpful" review clicks, but I want to be honest. Here it goes.
I wasn't crazy about this book. Did it grip me, yes. Did I read it quickly and stay interested the whole time, yes. I just did not care for the heroine. She was just not that likable to me. She starts off a party girl who sleeps around and drinks so much that she admits that she doesn't remember a lot of it. Her parents have died, so I guess that is her reason for that behavior. It, unfortunately, made me just not care for her that much. All she does is party and sleep with people in the first part of the book. I have read about party girls before, but somehow they come off better than this heroine did. When the hero starts to fall for her, I kept wondering why. Even when she is somewhat better managing her OCD, I wondered why does he like her? Another issue that I had was her friends. NO ONE believes her. Are you kidding me? Not one friend feels the need to really look into her claims? That bothered me. The switching back and forth between times did bother me at first, but once I realized there was a pattern, it was no big deal.
As far as good things, the author does shine in some spots. I thought it was an interesting look at OCD and PTSD. The author did a fabulous job of describing how a person with these symptoms would live. You can feel the heroine's panic and need for the routines. The way the author explains the reasons behind all the little quirks helps to make you see how someone cold easily fall into an OCD tendency. The mystery itself was pretty good. I kept thinking about the movie "Sleeping With the Enemy" because they are somewhat similar. Again, the heroine was just more likable in that movie.
Don't get me wrong, this is a very compelling book. I wanted to keep reading, but I felt I could have enjoyed it even more.
I wasn't crazy about this book. Did it grip me, yes. Did I read it quickly and stay interested the whole time, yes. I just did not care for the heroine. She was just not that likable to me. She starts off a party girl who sleeps around and drinks so much that she admits that she doesn't remember a lot of it. Her parents have died, so I guess that is her reason for that behavior. It, unfortunately, made me just not care for her that much. All she does is party and sleep with people in the first part of the book. I have read about party girls before, but somehow they come off better than this heroine did. When the hero starts to fall for her, I kept wondering why. Even when she is somewhat better managing her OCD, I wondered why does he like her? Another issue that I had was her friends. NO ONE believes her. Are you kidding me? Not one friend feels the need to really look into her claims? That bothered me. The switching back and forth between times did bother me at first, but once I realized there was a pattern, it was no big deal.
As far as good things, the author does shine in some spots. I thought it was an interesting look at OCD and PTSD. The author did a fabulous job of describing how a person with these symptoms would live. You can feel the heroine's panic and need for the routines. The way the author explains the reasons behind all the little quirks helps to make you see how someone cold easily fall into an OCD tendency. The mystery itself was pretty good. I kept thinking about the movie "Sleeping With the Enemy" because they are somewhat similar. Again, the heroine was just more likable in that movie.
Don't get me wrong, this is a very compelling book. I wanted to keep reading, but I felt I could have enjoyed it even more.
Thank you for your feedback.
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