Into the Darkest Corner ~ Review

Title: Into the Darkest Corner
Author: Elizabeth Haynes
Source: My friend Chrissy

Goodreads Summary:

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.

My thoughts:

I started reading this book at 11 at night, and I read straight to 2 am. Then of course I could not fall asleep, I was so creeped out!  It gave me the heebie-jeebies big time.

This book is written from Catherine's point of view, but each chapter flip-flops in time.  One chapter is Catherine fours years earlier, the next is Catherine (Cathy) in the present day.  Present day Catherine struggles with her OCD; as you read more of earlier Catherine, you learn why she feels compelled to do what she does.  You see what seems to be a good relationship at first go very, very wrong.  

I think the scariest part of this book is the fact that Cathy feels she can't trust herself.  It is like that old movie Gaslight, the self doubt and and being driven crazy; the things that were done to her echo into her present day, and she is never sure that what is happening really is happening.  It could be or it could not be, it could just be a manifestation of her thoughts and fears.  You are wondering along with Cathy, never knowing what is really happening.  

This book kept me guessing, and I love that in a book! If you like psychological thrillers, this is a must read!