Into The Darkest Corner: A Novel

By Elizabeth Haynes

“Check the locks on your doors and windows and surrender to this obsessive thriller.” — Karin Slaughter

When young, pretty Catherine Bailey meets Lee Brightman, she can’t believe her luck. Gorgeous, charismatic and a bit mysterious, 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 dashing good looks hide a dark, violent nature.

Four years later, Lee is behind bars and Catherine—now Cathy—is trying to build a new life for herself. Trusting no one, she compulsively checks every lock of her apartment and varies her route home each day. Then an attractive new neighbour moves in. Encouraging her to confront her fears, he sparks unexpected hope and the possibility of a normal life. Until the day the phone rings.

Winner of Amazon UK’s Book of the Year Award and shortlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award and the People’s Book Prize, the mesmerizing, skillfully drawn and vividly cinematic Into the Darkest Corner is an ingeniously structured tour de force of suspense that marks the arrival of a major new talent.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jun 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781443413145

Elizabeth Haynes

Elizabeth Haynes is a former police intelligence analyst, a civilian role that involves determining patterns in offending and criminal behavior. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Darkest Corner, Dark Tide, Human Remains, and, most recently, Under a Silent Moon, the first installment of the Briarstone crime series.

Reviews for Into The Darkest Corner

[readerscandyb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Into the Darkest Corner was an intense read with a major creep factor. As I was reading I found myself looking over my shoulder and double checking the door locks. It was a scary story about a woman's knight in shining armor turning into her worst nightmare... She tries to escape him, but he is a cop and has more resources than expected.

Talk about a wild ride... I was shocked by this story and especially by Catherine's rotten friends! No wonder she was struggling with OCD. She was left alone, with no one in her corner. Her friends became her enemies. Life changed and everything she knew was thrown out the door. When Stuart comes into her life she begins to change for the better. It isn't an easy journey, but he puts a bit of light into her life.

It was such a gut wrenching read that left me on the edge of my seat. I felt the dark energy seeping off the pages and it affected me like no other book. It pulled me in and held me captive long after the last page.

My only complaint is... It did become slow at times because the book was so long. There were repetitive situations and overall it just had a slower paced plot. However, that didn't take away the fact that it is a must read!

I highly recommend!

[marykuhl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had a hard time getting into this book at first because it started with testimony from a trial and then back tracked a few years and then jumped forward, (the chapters are marked telling you the dates). Once I got the hang of it, this story had me sucked it. This was not a fast read for me by any means, but it was a very good story.

[jfurnee-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Obsessively readable.

[debs4jc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Creepy and mesmerizing, this suspenseful novel gives the reader a taste of the horrors of domestic abuse. In typical fashion the main character, Catherine, falls for a dashing and exciting lover--Lee. He is somewhat mysterious but at first that only adds to his charm. However he begins to do odd things like break into her apartment when she isn't there. The interesting thing about this novel is that at the same time as we are getting this backstory, we are also hearing from present day Catherine, who is suffering from the after effects of this relationship--the main one being that she has OCD and can barely leave her flat. She does have a job but has to check the apartment and her doors multiple times before she can leave and when she returns. I found the details about her OCD somewhat fascinating, however this part of the novel does get repetitive (that's kind of the point). Anyway, as the reader learns more and more about what a manipulative creep Lee is from the chapters set in the past, it also begins to become apparent that Lee is going to make a reappearance into Catherine's life in her present day. However, in the past she was alone and weak--in the present she gains an ally in in the form of a handsome new neighbor named Stuart. Stuart helps her get treatment for her OCD and believes in her ability to overcome her past. But will it be enough when Lee comes calling?This book truly had me on pins and needles as I wondered how it was all going to play out. Lee's ability to manipulate Catherine's friends was maddening and Catherine was definitely backed into a corner with few options. I did have a few quibbles, especially with how perfect Stuart and how conveniently he was placed into her life--that part did not come across as totally believable. I did appreciate how it ended, however. I recommend this on ror those times that you are in the mood for a book that will send shivers up your spine and keep you in suspense.

[kuroonehalf · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book starts so strong and manages to keep being really engaging till about the halfway mark, at which point it starts falling apart and becomes very ugly.

As is said in the synopsis, the book revolves around this protagonist woman who meets dream guy, then he turns abusive, and she tries to escape. This could have worked just fine, but there's many serious problems with the execution.

My main problem is that there are serious cases of idiot plot, where the situation could have been difused if the characters would have done the obvious things, or if they behaved like they were set up to, but that doesn't happen. Then to add insult to injury, this idiot plot results in roughly 1/5th of the book being very graphic descriptions of rape and torture, to attempt to prove a point that didn't need further proving. It becomes an extremely uncomfortable book with no solace in sight, as the characters are all one-dimensional and conveniently situationally irrational.

I still give it 2 stars for being mostly pretty easy to read, and the first half being alright, but it's a shame it lead to this mess.

[jkdavies · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

it was OK, but didn't really live up to the "dark and disturbing" "tour de force" blurb...
very similar to Nicci French's Killing me Softly, but with a more realistic central character in Catherine. I couldn't however believe in the handsome doctor Stuart upstairs, handily placed for when Lee is released from prison... it seemed an overly simplistic plotline to me and detracted from the story, wich should have been more chilling but ended up a little chick-lit...

[marcejewels · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From my blogThis is a chunkster read, 611 pages but what an intense thrill, I completed it in 4 days and I am a normal 1 book a week reader with most books at 400. This was completely an edge of your seat read.I loved the 3 year span, Chapters about 2004 with her boyfriend, being swept off her feet to the destructive controlling relationship vs 2007 now living in fear that he will find her and this time, be successful in killing her. Both time periods were gripping and effective to moving the story along.Cathy used to party hard with an amazing group of friends. This all changed once Lee came into her life. Everyone thought he was perfect, including Cathy at first. She tried to talk to best friends about the changes but wanting their own perfect boyfriend made them become overshadowed with really understanding. This sounds crazy but Elizabeth Haynes made it all so real and complicated.Cathy started a new life after escaping near death. I enjoyed learning more about OCD and PTSD, which she was diagnosed for as part of her escape mechanisms. Cathy became a new person, different personality in order to protect herself. Throughout this she met someone also which helped her confront her OCD. The repetition of her checking doors etc for her safety may seem to much for some readers, but I thought it hit home with the intensity of it.I thought the ending was brilliant. At times there was some gruesome abuse scenes but so effective, none for the shock factor. Controlling manipulative people can be so charming, it is truly amazing to see the destruction many were affected by. I loved the end, totally made you think and realise how strong Cathy really was to have survived and fought for her life and rights.I highly recommend, the repetition for me, created the intensity of the story but may put others off.

[usuallee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well-written thriller with an exciting & satisfying if slightly predictable denouement. It kept me turning pages. The depiction of domestic violence is harrowing & the author admirably doesn't pull any punches, but it is not for the faint of heart. The main character Cathy was very well done.

[toast.x2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is not a novel for everyone.

Was this novel suspenseful, difficult to put down, and overflowing with intrigue? Yes. Definitely.
Was it entirely too realistic regarding stalking, abuse, rape, abject terror causing crippling OCD? Yes, in my limited experience, i would say so.

A little social commentary: I held off on writing a review for a few weeks after reading ‘Into the Darkest Corner’. The violence was raw and I didn’t want to revisit it so soon. While the review was on hold however, I forgot the protagonist, the victim.. I barely remember her face, and during conversation i could eventually remember her name though i have lost it right now. I can however tell you pretty much anything about Lee, the antagonist, the rapist, the violent and obsessive boyfriend. Even in fiction the victim is mainly forgotten and the aggressor is spotlighted as noteworthy. Just a thought.

In short review, ‘Into the darkest corner’ details a woman both on the decline and during recovery. Both threads occur simultaneously via journal style chapters in varying years. The pendulum ticks from 2003 where she meets a bouncer and falls in love. It tocks back to 2007 where she is frightened to the point of paralysis spending hours in ritualistic process to help keep her false sense of safety intact.

I found the thriller aspect of the novel intense, and was anxious to get past the rough storyline, which was bound to be uncomfortable. Very enjoyable.

Though enjoyable, the ending did leave me a bit wanting. this was a shared opinion with others i know who read it. With so much build up, it felt rushed and rang a little untrue. This should not deter folks from reading it, but could leave you with a bit more of a ‘ho-hum’ feeling than you might prefer.

Not sure if this mediocre ending is an artifact if being a nanowrimo novel,’

[marlene9nl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is me being happy discovering this book!


Picked this up last night. I was reading a book about serial killers. it was good but for me a lot of repetition because I've read so many books about them. Then I checked my kindle and decided to look at this book. Well I started reading and was immediately engrossed in it. Could not put it down. Very interesting way to have 2 story lines about the same woman, in different time periods. I am even reading during the day! (Normally I only read when I go to bed) Very much liking it.
Oh and before I forget, as I said before,I am an avid true crime reader, but even I was a bit shocked at the way she wrote about a woman dying while her lover is standing there,waiting for her to die. Wow!

Update 2. Love love loving it! What a great read. Read about 83% and I do not want it to end.

Update 3: Finished it 2 days ago. 28-12-2012.

There are so many great reviews written about this book, I can't surpass that and do not want to.

What I can do is tell you how much I enjoyed it.(see my first 2 updates ;) )
It was good to really want to read not only while in bed,but during the day because I was so enthralled with this book. Does not happen often enough.

To sum it up. The suspense is very slowly build, but not annoyingly slow. I love the way Elizabeth Haynes writes and really enjoyed the way this book was told. (as I mentioned before, in 2 timelines but by the same person).
Why I am not giving it 5 stars is because of the end.You will find out yourself when you pick up this book. After reading it you really expect even more at the end.
I highly recommend it!

[kazevedo_53 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Terrifying and I couldn't put it down, but after I did, the questions started popping up. Many implausibilities led to a drop from four to 3.5 stars. Catherine's journey to take control of her OCD and her life was very well done. Excellent escapism as long as the reader can stand the awful violence visited upon women.

[blockbuster1994 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very psychologically draining story about a domestic violence survivor and her efforts to move forward with her life. Its like the tension slowly builds throughout the novel, a deep sense of foreboding as the point of view flips from when she was actually in the midst of the relationship to her present day situation. I could hardly stop listening (audiobook) until the final confrontation.

[philipjhunt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been reading books while holidaying at my daughter's house. It seems her book club likes women writers (fine with me), and more than one novel about women suffering abuse. I think I'll take a rest, and maybe more alcohol, after this one. Extremely well plotted and drawn out over 400+ pages, this is a thriller that maintains the tension right to the end. You almost know what's going to happen, and I worried that the nice characters might turn out bad. You can find out for yourself. In the end, the resolution is a bit Hollywood, but satisfactory if not original. I need to get my heartbeat back to normal now.

[mpho3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Deeply unsettling. I found myself wringing my hands a lot, waiting - like Catherine, the main protagonist - for some inevitable, terrifying calamity. The passages dealing with OCD, PTSD, and domestic violence all felt terribly real. (In fact I began feeling a little OCD myself). While I had a few issues with plausibility, overall, I felt fiercely committed to the story and the way it is told. The structure is very clever, with Haynes allowing for the simultaneous development of the Catherine of the past and the Cathy of present. This is not a genre to which I am typically drawn, but I'm glad I was brave enough to peek into the darkest corner.

[kappadeemom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved this debut thriller by Haynes. Catherine is a fun-loving party girl who meets a handsome man working the door at a popular bar. As she and her friends are swept away by this man, they don't see the darker side. Slowly he begins to control Catherine, eventually becoming abusive. This book made my skin crawl but it is a realistic picture of how someone can recover when faced with relentless abuse.

[carpe_librum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I finished reading this book (at 5am in the morning mind you), I immediately wanted to give it 51/2 stars, that's how good it is.Into the Darkest Corner is the debut novel from Elizabeth Haynes. She has worked in the UK as a Police Intelligence Analyst and is now an accomplished author with four books to her name.In this one, Catherine is the protagonist and the novel is divided into two perspectives: Catherine's life a few years ago, partying with friends and falling in love with a handsome man called Lee, and Catherine now, living in fear with severe OCD and trying to recover from an abusive relationship.It's hard to believe Into The Darkest Corner is a debut novel, it's expertly written and Haynes does a marvellous job creating tension and building up to the climax of revealing exactly what happened to Catherine.The steps Lee takes to subdue and control Catherine - and later to scare her - are incredibly clever and creepy, and I began to understand Catherine's obsession with checking doors, locks and windows. Her OCD is a great part of the book, and an aspect of the main character's personality I found thoroughly fascinating.With such an engaging plot, I was a little concerned that the ending might not be a satisfying one, but I needn't have worried. Haynes gives the reader an ending that lives up to the rest of the book, and one that had me spooked. It was brilliant!I recommend Into The Darkest Corner to all readers who enjoy a psychological thriller and a good scare. A warning though: you will be compelled to continue reading long after your 'bed-time' and may end up checking your locks more than once.

[judithrs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Into the Darkest Corner. Elizabeth Hayes. 2011. I really needed a quick read like this after finishing Woman in White and Father Elijah! It is romantic suspense at its best; I read it Saturday! Catherine Bailey barely escapes with her life from an abusive, jealous bully. After she escapes and recovers she moves to London, keeps a low profile and struggles with the OCD and the panic attacks she suffers as a result of the abuse she suffered from her ex-boyfriend. After 4 years she is still a lump of fear when she meets her new neighbor, Stuart. He is kind, steady, patient and empathic. And he is also a psychologist who convinces her to get help. Life begins to get better until the phone rings! Lots of suspense and easy to read if somewhat predictable. Be warned the book includes graphic descriptions of mental, physical, and sexual abuse.

[jenn88-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is written it two parts, telling a story of a woman slipping into her darkest corner.

Catherine's relationship with Lee is great until his true self begins to come out. He is controlling and abusive and thinks he is charming enough to manipulate the people around Catherine.

Four years later, Cathy is suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress, and trying to get her life back on track.

[tinasbookreviews · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Catherine meets Lee in 2003 at a local night club, shes young, happy and has been enjoying the wild side of single life, he's beautiful, fit and disturbingly alluring, the sparks between them can almost be ignited and soon the two are exclusive. The relationship escalates very quickly and the sexual intensity almost scares Catherine, but shes never met a man who has brought such passion and tenderness into her life and despite a few warning signs she dives into the relationship with everything she has. When the intensity of new love dies down a more obsessive reckless persona takes over the charming man Catherine first met. Lee seems to always be hiding something, his long trips for work, his shifting personality his dark intense behavior truly terrifies Catherine and his mental and physical abuse begs her to ask the question, how did I become this woman trapped in an abusive relationship? However Catherine is not just stuck in a domestic type situation, she is laying next to a serial killer sociopath, who will never let her go. A horrific incident though changes everything and Lee winds up going to prison. Catherine is left to pick the pieces of life and slowly try and rebuild the woman she once was.Four years later as Catherine is slowly beginning a new relationship with Stuart and working through the baggage Lee turned her into a small light is starting to shine through. Having been unable to trust anyone Catherine is finally at a point where her OCD and PTSD is manageable, with no friends and really no one to lean on, Stuart is the first person and only person she lets in. Happiness is attainable, its right there at the tips of her fingers, that is until Lee is released from prison early and decides his first phone call will be to Catherine and what follows is a goose chase of terror.From page one this book was hook, line and sinker. Its the fastest moving, well developed thriller I've read since Watson's Before I go to Sleep. The first 75 pages are a tad confusing as you discover how Haynes is building her story, but once I caught on to the flow and figured the present characters name things flew by smoothly. For me the hardest aspect about reading this book (outside of the obsessive murderous creep) was the inability to relate to main character Catherine. She was certainly a dynamic character who boldly walks the reader through Dark's frightening tale, but due to the way the story was told and the constant shifting between past present, Catherine was always a hard to follow combination of two characters, the before and the after.Her before character irritated me with her flippant attitude about sex and men, her nightly mission to be drunk and have sex with random strangers was a big turn off and easily you could blame her carefree personality for attracting a dangerous relationship into her life, however I think perhaps this was the authors intent, not so much the danger of casual sex but the carefree attitude so many people have about their own safety. The private information we so easily give away and the easiness of which a person can stalk, find and torment another by way of Internet, work or public places. In the after Catherine was 180 degrees different, going from the happy wild woman to the reclusive agoraphobia character we are left with. It was often sad to see what this man did to the vivacious character we meet in the beginning, but it also signified the importance of who we actually let into our life and who we really trust. Into the Darkest Corner could be summarized into one word: RIVETING. However I think a more fitting word would be terrifying and not in the sense of a slasher flick horror movie but real world horror, the type that makes you check the locks before bed and makes you think twice about that good looking guy next door.....or that hot man at the gym who always smiles. I think the Miami Herald worded it the best by saying this book was and I quote "A terrifying tale of modern relationships".Grow your nails out so you have something to bite on cause this tale is one you don't want to miss.

[yogiboo_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it! Couldn't put it down. Just great fast paced page turning amazing ness!

[lemurkat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A page-turning, far-too compulsive read. Some parts of this dark psychological thriller made me feel almost physically ill. The darkness of the past, however, is nicely counter-balanced with the sweeter nature of the prsent, but the shadows that have been cast across Cathy's life are deep and powerful. Is it really paranoia when someone truly is coming after you? Lee's insidious behaviour is spine-chilling, the indifferene of Cathy's friends even worse. The conclusion felt almost abrupt, but I really truly admire Cathy. What a survivor.

[sandraelaine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fast reading, keeps you turning page after page. A good physiologic thriller that keeps you on the edge till the end.

[lorettar-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

absolutely a fantastic read!! grabbed me from the first page and never let go. when I was finished I said to myself ........."WOW what a ride" A book that should be on everyone's "want to read" list.

[teeth_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a great psychological thriller! Catharine meets the man of her dreams untilthings start to go wrong and he begins to abuse her. All her friends turn against her and she plots to get away and he almost kills her. The story goes back and forth between the present and the past.

[senorag163 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was one of the best books that I have read in awhile. I think it was even better as an audio. The author gave us a great look at what a person with OCD lives through. It was a bit confusing at first due to it going back and forth from past to present but after about an hour or so it all fell into place. Definitely more of a psychological thriller than a mystery. HIghly recommended.

[dreamydress48 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Are you into personality types? I'm an INFJ, just in case you were wondering (you probably weren't, haha). My question to you is, do movie and book preferences say a lot about the person we are, our past, our fears? Too much psychology on the brain! I wish I could understand why I am drawn to movies and books like "Sleeping with the Enemy (which happens to be an amazing book, by the way) or "Enough", and more recently "Safe Haven." Women in abusive relationships who overcome their fears and get on with their lives are so precious to me! It proves that the human spirit is outstandingly resilient. This book appealed to me more so because Catherine, the protagonist, suffers from a pretty severe case of OCD. Her daily struggles to get out of the house, and make sure it's secure upon returning, highlight her need to control her environment, and the body's natural inclination to self-preserve. That being said, I didn't love this book. I wanted to so badly! In the end, it was a thrilling page turner, but I felt like the characters lacked real depth. It was also a little too graphic for me. I know! That never happens; I have steel nerves. But some of the scenes were just hard to read. I should also add that I was (and still am) that annoying kid who would interrupt a good anecdote to ask, "How'd you get there?" or "So the car came from the west and then struck your car? That's not possible." So it was hard to stop asking those questions while reading. Yes, it's fiction...but after you've read some amazing literary thrillers and mysteries, it's hard not to expect anything but the best. I may pick up Haynes next book, which will be published this spring. Maybe like a fine cheese, she gets better with age, or in this case—experience.

[anissaannalise-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I gave this 4 stars because once it really got going, it was quite good. Unfortunately, I felt it dragged a bit & I grew impatient midway through as Cathy's OCD was wearing on me. At times I honestly think scenarios were repeated in series of six just like Cathy favored. Perhaps this was done on purpose by the author or is par for the course when you go into a story knowing that something terrible happened & the main character is recovering from it, so I won't call it a failure. I must admit that I had to keep myself at it because I was intent on finding out the details of just what Lee did to Cathy that landed him in prison. I couldn't leave until that big moment & then when it's revealed, the timelines merge into one & the end in the present is fast coming.

Now to the characters & story. I liked Cathy but found her tiresome. I don't think that's bad as Cathy finds herself so. She had problems & it was very interesting to find out where the roots sprang from & took hold. I liked that it wasn't just the attack she endured that gave her reason to have these issues. I really liked Stuart & wanted more of him but as this story was in the first person POV through Cathy, there's only so much to get in, I suppose. I admit freely that the POV is not my favorite for such reasons. I did feel that the ending was super rushed with regard to Stuart. We never find out exactly what injuries he suffered in the final confrontation & then we zip forward to court where he's fine. After going day by day with Cathy's recitations of the past & present, it felt like very short shrift at the very end. More like tying up ends not a natural progression. I did like the resolutions, but felt that they were hurried along & I wanted a better pay off for having stayed through the deadly slow bits.

I thought Lee was done very well but I would have liked to know where his particular brand of crazy stemmed from. It was so specific & vicious. I was hoping for him to be deceased by the end but I have to admit that the ending given was certainly creepier. It was interesting to watch him as a character take over little by little & Cathy acquiesce & capitulate over & again until she was so far gone, she couldn't get out. Many times, I found myself wondering if she would have taken any of the signals given that he wasn't quite right (the following, the showing up inside her home unannounced, I don't care if he was making dinner, etc.) if he weren't so handsome, charming & solvent. I still don't understand why she seemed to need the validation of her friends to tell her it was okay to leave or break up. I know it stems from more than Cathy's relationship with Lee (going back possibly further than her parents deaths), but I found it quite curious. It was as though she never had much a sense of self & was just lost without the support of others to tell her her own mind. In the end though, I was very glad that little by little & then by a lot, she found herself & the strength to save herself & take back her life. Looking back, it may be my favorite thing about the book, watching that evolution.

And speaking of Cathy's friends, I didn't really feel they came across as such good friends to begin with. They were good for going out & had been since college but none of them ever seemed to be the BFF sort. I don't think they were bad "friends" to Cathy, especially as Cathy didn't strike me as so very into them either. They were young & self-centered, all of them, so I don't blame any of them for being so self-involved as to not have really been listening to what Cathy was trying (admittedly, poorly) to tell them. In the story, we're never given any indication that Cathy has any more than a surface knowledge of her friend's relationships, so if the situations were reversed, would she have been any better? I did like the way the bit with Sylvia played out & that was a good moment of growth & bonding between she & Cathy. As I can't even recall the names of the other friends, they obviously didn't make much of an impression on me, so that's all that needs to be said about them.

Overall, this was a good book. I wouldn't call it a beach or vacay read as the subject matter is a bit heavy & nothing close to fun. Still, I would read another by this author & would recommend it.

[4everfanatical · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was OK.

It was supposed to be a thriller, but I didn't find it very thrilling.

The first half of the book was just masses of description of Catherine's OCD and how she met Lee. It really didn't start getting thrilling until the last 100 pages when you then found out what had happened to her, and that Lee was coming back to get her.

I found the pace frustrating but the brilliant ending did make up for it. I was just sorry it took me so long to get to the end of the book.

[jilly66 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At times very hard to read.

[swachowska-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

read it in literally one day, keeps you on the edge of your seat!