Into the Darkest Corner: A Novel - Softcover

Haynes, Elizabeth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062197266 ISBN 13: 9780062197269

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks, 2013

Synopsis

Before I Go to Sleep meets Sleeping with the Enemy in this sexy and suspenseful psychological debut thriller that is absolutely unputdownable--exploring romantic obsession, the darker side of female friendships, and the line between love and violence--named Amazon UK’s Best Book of the Year, and already praised by Karin Slaughter, S.J. Watson, Rosamund Lupton, and Chevy Stevens.

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 behaviour 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 neighbour, 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 Darkestcorner is an ingeniously structured and plotted tour de force of suspense that marks the arrival of a major new talent.

About this title

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

From the Back Cover:

When young, pretty Catherine Bailey meets Lee Brightman, she can't believeher luck. Gorgeous, charismatic, and a bit mysterious, Lee seems almost tooperfect to be true.

But what begins as flattering attention and spontaneous, passionate sextransforms into raging jealousy, and Catherine soon discovers that Lee's dazzlingblue eyes and blond good looks hide a dark, violent nature. Disturbedby his increasingly erratic, controlling behavior, she tries to break it off; turningto her friends for support, she's stunned to find they don't believe her. Increasinglyisolated and driven into the darkest corner of her world, a desperateCatherine plans a meticulous escape.

Four years later, Lee is behind bars and Catherine—now Cathy—is tryingto build a new life in a new city. Though her body has healed, the trauma ofthe past still haunts her. Then Stuart Richardson, her attractive new neighbor,moves in. Encouraging her to confront her fears, he sparks unexpected hopeand the possibility of love and a normal life.

Until the day the phone rings . . .

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0062197266
• ISBN 13: 9780062197269
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432