INTO THE DARKEST CORNER

Welcome to the world of Catherine, a fun loving, lively party girl.  All this changes when she meets Lee.  Lee is handsome, charming and everything that a girl like Catherine could wish for in a man and a relationship. 

But Lee is not all that he makes out to be.  He is controlling, manipulative and dangerous to boot.  When the relationship reaches an appalling climax, Catherine attempts to make a new life for herself. Despite Lee being in jail she remains in fear of him and it is not until years later that an incident occurs which is life-altering for Catherine.

Told from Catherine’s point of view it spans two time periods - that of 2003/2004 and 2007/2008.  At first this can seem rather annoying but as one continues to read it is not something that is off-putting.  In fact it is a brilliant plot ploy that the author uses to excellent effect.

Into the Darkest Corner is a novel that will have you flinching at the anguish and aggravation that is the result of obsessive compulsive disorder.  This is certainly not a subject matter that should be taken lightly and Haynes goes to some length to highlight the trauma that accompanies this anxiety disorder.

A tense and thought provoking debut novel with dark moments.  Its portrayal of obsession is one that will send a shiver down your spine and hope that you are never in that position.  But don’t look for a “pat” ending, it seems that things never end the way one hopes!

This debut novel by a Police Intelligence Analyst is certainly well worth the read!