3.75 stars.

I keep going back and forth about what I want to give this one... so pros and cons.

Pros:
- This book SERIOUSLY had me anxious all the time and that kept me flipping the pages. Obviously not a good feeling, but a show of great writing and story telling!
- I absolutely loved the past / present layout of this book. In other books it’s often disorienting and hard to follow, but these chapters were short enough that it was easy to keep straight here.
- I also had a soft spot for Stuart.
- That ending! Me oh my, what a terrifying position to be in.

Cons:
- THOSE FRIENDS, JEEEEEEEEEPERS. Maybe I’m naive, but I can’t imagine anyone has such a large group of friends that are so shitty that no one believes them when they claim abuse. Every one of them was a total piece of shit.
- Cathy is also not that likable... it’s frustrating to watch her constantly be rude to Stuart. I understand her distrust, but some of it feels uncalled for.
- The whooooole book is spent building up to the climax, then the climax is over in half a chapter. I was underimpressed and this is the main thing that is impacting how many stars to give.

Overall, I found this to be a really great read and actually would read it again. Definitely recommend!

This book was so gripping. It had me from the start. I loved Cathy and Stuart. I was so worried that Stuart would become a second Lee and I’m so glad he didn’t turn out to be like that. I learned to much about OCD and so grateful to this book for showing me a glimpse into that condition. It was so sad to think that Cathy’s friends would not believe her and such a relief when Sam does. Great story. I can’t imagine anyone going through that type of experience and having the terror of knowing that their abuser was released from jail.

Wow! Very dark and harrowing, 'Into the Darkest Corner' combines two narratives together - Cathy and her destructive and dangerous relationship with Lee, alongside an account of her new relationship with Stuart and her struggle to cope with the past. Of course, the past is always difficult to forget if it just won't leave you alone.

It's a highly disturbing account of obsession and abuse of every kind - uncomfortable reading that at the same time opens your eyes to the fact that scenes similar to those in the book do actually play out in reality. Hard hitting with an ending that does not disappoint.

Bloody brilliant. A must read from beginning to end. A gifted author with a wonderful skill.

I really tried to get into it! It had a great story line, it was just way too long and hard to stay focused on. Took me longer than normal to finish, to be honest I couldn't wait for it to be over. At first I was confused how it was constantly switching between past and present, instead of doing one following the other, but it made it interesting to see where Cathy was coming from to where she was at now. Definitely thrilling, a bit sad.. but was a good real overall. I wish it kept my attention more.

This was a page turner but somewhat predictable. Although good for a beach read. I enjoyed the current to flashback format that permeated the book.

Esté libro te mantiene en suspenso todo el tiempo, se va intercalando entre el pasado cuando comenzó todo y el presente. La autora realmente te hace sentir la ansiedad, paranoia, el estrés pos traumático, y su OCD que sufre Cathy. Lee un psicopata en toda su extensión, bien logrado. La carta final digna de él. Aunque al final siento que le falto algo, un tanto abrupto. Aunque por la tensión en que te mantiene todo el libro le dejo las 5 estrellas.

Reading this definitely reinforced the idea that men who are possessive are not sexy. They don't control you because they love you. They do because they like to be in control. (Nevertheless, it seemed to be the trope NA was going for).

Review originally published at Love Literature Art and Reason

Into the Darkest Corner was absolutely spectacular! It was recommended to me by a friend who also enjoys a good screwed up contemporary mystery and it was definitely as good as she promised it would be.

I devoured the book in just over a day, as I couldn’t put it down for anything. Cathy’s story captured my interest immediately as the story flashed from the early 2000s to the late 2000s and there was a drastic difference in who Cathy was. The book opened with a court transcript during the case, so I knew that something terrible was going to happen regarding the handsome and mysterious man Cathy met. In the present, Cathy suffered from sever OCD, panic attacks, and generally didn’t venture out much except to go to work.

This book was so twisted and suspenseful. Lee was a complete psychopath, but he didn’t start out that way. Slowly, Cathy lost her position of power in the relationship and lost her ability to choose anything. He controlled everything, but in a way that didn’t seem like it when she tried to explain it to other people. Before she knew it, he had everyone she knew wrapped around his finger and she was the crazy one.

In the present, Cathy had a neighbor move into the flat above her. She liked that he remembered to lock the front door to the home because it was the number one thing she was most worried about and checked multiple times. They eventually formed a friendship and he ended up trying to help her work through her issues and referred her to leading OCD and PTSD doctors.

I was completely absorbed in this book. It was so screwed up and terrifying, it makes the characters in Gone Girl seem mostly sane (mostly, not completely). I loved how the book kept flashing back and forth because I didn’t know if it would come together, how it would end, and what would end up happening to Lee.

I highly recommend the book if you’re a fan of any kind of contemporary suspense like that of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, etc. It was well written and engaging. I’m surprised it’s not more popular!

Stomach churning in its tension level, but really good.