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A review by lauraborkpower
Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes
4.0
This is a solid, tense thriller from Elizabeth Haynes.
Haynes gives us alternating first-person accounts from Cathy Bailey on two sides of a horrifying domestic attack from her boyfriend, Lee. One side of the story begins in 2003, when Cathy first meets Lee and they begin to date. It becomes increasingly tense and violent and ends with Lee beating Cathy within an inch of her life and leaving her for dead.
The other side of the narrative takes up Cathy's story about three years later: Lee has been in prison, Cathy has moved to London to disappear, and she has been dealing with the mental trauma--PTSD and OCD--of surviving such an attack.
What Haynes does so beautifully is give us pieces from the "past" of Cathy's story, as it move forward in time and the reader is more and more terrified along with our protagonist, alternated with pieces from the "present" of Cathy's story, as she works on the skills to help her cope with the past and feel more in control. As the reader is on the edge of her seat leading up to the "past" climax, the current Cathy is getting better and better, which turns out to be necessary for Lee's final attack.
The story isn't so much about an abusive man as it is about a strong woman who is abandoned by her friends but continues to trust people and get the help she needs. It is a book written by a woman and never makes Cathy out to be pathetic for staying with Lee; she is never an idiot, nor is she unbelievable. She is a normal, smart, independent woman; she could be any of us, and that's what makes it even scarier.
On a side note, I love Karen Cass as the narrator and will make a point to listen to more books read by her. She does a variety of male and female characters, English and Scottish, from different regions, and they're all distinct and well done.
Haynes gives us alternating first-person accounts from Cathy Bailey on two sides of a horrifying domestic attack from her boyfriend, Lee. One side of the story begins in 2003, when Cathy first meets Lee and they begin to date. It becomes increasingly tense and violent and ends with Lee beating Cathy within an inch of her life and leaving her for dead.
The other side of the narrative takes up Cathy's story about three years later: Lee has been in prison, Cathy has moved to London to disappear, and she has been dealing with the mental trauma--PTSD and OCD--of surviving such an attack.
What Haynes does so beautifully is give us pieces from the "past" of Cathy's story, as it move forward in time and the reader is more and more terrified along with our protagonist, alternated with pieces from the "present" of Cathy's story, as she works on the skills to help her cope with the past and feel more in control. As the reader is on the edge of her seat leading up to the "past" climax, the current Cathy is getting better and better, which turns out to be necessary for Lee's final attack.
The story isn't so much about an abusive man as it is about a strong woman who is abandoned by her friends but continues to trust people and get the help she needs. It is a book written by a woman and never makes Cathy out to be pathetic for staying with Lee; she is never an idiot, nor is she unbelievable. She is a normal, smart, independent woman; she could be any of us, and that's what makes it even scarier.
On a side note, I love Karen Cass as the narrator and will make a point to listen to more books read by her. She does a variety of male and female characters, English and Scottish, from different regions, and they're all distinct and well done.