Review of Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Welcome to Thriller Thursday!

Into the Darkest Corner
by Elizabeth Haynes
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Available at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Visit Elizabeth at her Website
Facebook
TwitterGoodreads


Hello Everyone and Welcome to our first book review and our first Thriller Thursday!

Today I'll be reviewing Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes.

Synopsis:
Catherine Bailey has been enjoying the single life long enough to know a catch when she sees one. Gorgeous, charismatic and spontaneous, Lee seems almost too perfect to be true. And her friends clearly agree, as each in turn falls under his spell.

But what begins as flattering attentiveness and passionate sex turns into raging jealousy, and Catherine soon learns there is a darker side to Lee. His increasingly erratic, controlling behavior becomes frightening, but no one believes her when she shares her fears. Increasingly 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—compulsively checks the locks and doors in her apartment, trusting no one. But when an attractive upstairs neighbor, Stuart, comes into her life, Cathy dares to hope that happiness and love may still be possible . . . until she receives a phone call informing her of Lee’s impending release. Soon after, Cathy thinks she catches a glimpse of the former best friend who testified against her in the trial; she begins to return home to find objects subtly rearranged in her apartment, one of Lee’s old tricks. Convinced she is back in her former lover’s sights, Cathy prepares to wrestle with the demons of her past for the last time.

Utterly convincing in its portrayal of obsession, Into the Darkest Corner is an ingeniously structured and plotted tour de force of suspense that marks the arrival of a major new talent.

The Café Review:
I have to say that when I first started reading this book, I was quite sure I wasn't going to like it. The story starts out somewhat abruptly and confusingly with a portion of a trial transcript that details the testimony of Lee Brightman regarding his relationship with Catherine Bailey, in which you get some tantalizing hints that the gorgeous and charismatic Mr. Brightman might not be telling the entire truth. Now here I'll admit that, even though this part was a little confusing, it was still compelling, and I was drawn in despite myself. Also, as I got deeper into the story, I would have to stop and go back to re-read this portion again. 

So then, after the transcript, the story jumps to a graphic murder scene from the past (once again something I went back to) followed by another scene that jumps once more to the present and it continues that way throughout the book. This type of narrative is unusual and takes a bit of getting used to, but once you settle into the flow, the story grabs you by the collar and yanks you into a dark world of domestic violence, paranoia and heroic survival. It will also give you an up close and personal viewpoint of the causes, symptoms and treatment of OCD and PTSD, all of which are painfully (almost to the point of ad nauseam) illustrated throughout the book by one-time party girl turned obsessive-compulsive woman Catherine Bailey.

In my opinion, this book does not read like a debut novel. Regardless of the rather (ever-so-slightly) predictable ending, it's a well written, riveting, psychological thriller which, once you get past the first few pages, you won't be able to put down. And since Elizabeth Haynes is a police intelligence analyst, her deft weaving of technical knowledge has helped craft Into the Darkest Corner into an absolutely read-worthy book. 

 A Must Read!