A Light in the Darkest Corner

A Light in the Darkest Corner

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Now 4 years later, Cathy is living in a new town, with a new job, but she is still haunted by Lee and his brutal attacks. She has isolated hers When Catherine Bailey meets the charismatic and handsome Lee, she just knows she's found a winner. She has isolated herself and spends hours a day compulsively checking over her home. Finally Cathy has hope again, she is feeling better and her friendship with Stuart seems to be growing into something more. Until she gets a phone that changes everything.

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Lee is being release from jail. He was going to come for me, it was only a question of time. Overall, this was a great suspenseful, thriller. Catherine's story is told through past and present POVs. Most of the story felt like an authentic portrayal of obsession and domestic abuse. View all 35 comments. Feb 19, Brenda - Traveling Sister rated it really liked it. I am not sure if this would have been one I would've chosen for myself.

I am really glad I took Norma's recommendation and read this one. I found The Darkest Corner to be a dark, disturbing, and interesting book. The story is told in alternating chapters switching timelines with the before when once lively, fun loving and party girl Catherine meets handsome, charming and mysterious Lee and we follow their relationship as it I read Into The Darkest Corner on a recommendation from my sister Norma.

The story is told in alternating chapters switching timelines with the before when once lively, fun loving and party girl Catherine meets handsome, charming and mysterious Lee and we follow their relationship as it declines into violence and the after, where we see Catherine is now struggling with OCD and PTSD giving us a good sense of the burdens of both. That made this an interesting read for me. The contrast between the two timelines is cleverly pulled together leaving me feeling very satisfied with the ending. I recommend to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller but with caution as there is some violence.

View all 30 comments. The protagonist, Cathy, is a walking cliche of a victim of domestic violence, all beautifully wan and glamour-girly, and nothing about her is worth rooting for. She's unsympathetic and dreadfully dull she spends the majority of her pre-abuse time partying and flirting and nothing else, re spoilers ahead This novel of "suspense" has gotten rave reviews all across the web, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why.

She's unsympathetic and dreadfully dull she spends the majority of her pre-abuse time partying and flirting and nothing else, really -- she's about as interesting as a pretty block of cheese.

The abuser is a character lifted from Law and Order: SVU, a moody, sexy, macho type with a perverted streak. Oh, and he's in undercover law enforcement -- another cliche -- so that the "heroine" conveniently finds herself unable to escape. The secondary characters are also unbelievably drawn. There are the protagonist's so-called friends who are so charmed by the handsome sociopath that they would not believe their FRIEND at all what kind of friends are these exactly?

Then there's Stuart, the new love interest, and another convenient setup a psychologist, who also doesn't seem to believe Cathy's fears, excusing them as a part of her OCD behavior. The only character who sides with Cathy, genuinely so, is a policewoman who doesn't appear until nearly the END of the novel. Yet another rushed convenience. I was primarily disappointed with the novel because the author is, supposedly, a police intelligence analyst.

One would think she'd have an idea how to recreate a believable novel about domestic abuse rather than a Lifetime Movie of the week wannabe. View all 14 comments. My definition of a good read?

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

A book that you can't put down, that has you reading at all hours and one in which you deceive yourself with "just one more chapter" Another of my personal indicators of a good book is some twists and turns that you didn't see coming, this book fits all of my criteria. This book is not for the faint hearted and without putting in spoilers I will just say that some scenes in this book are violent and graphic, possibly triggering for some, if it had been a movie I My definition of a good read? This book is not for the faint hearted and without putting in spoilers I will just say that some scenes in this book are violent and graphic, possibly triggering for some, if it had been a movie I would have been closing my eyes at certain points, but the book is so much more than just that.

Brilliant plot, interesting character development, thrilling suspenseful moments, unexpected turns, a fantastic read especially if you are up for an all night book journey, just you and the book. View all 10 comments. I met Elizabeth Haynes at a book talk a couple of years ago now and she seemed liked a really nice person.

She was so friendly and signed my copy of this book. It contrast her novel is not nice. This is not the sort of thing that I usually go for, psychological thrillers usually bore the hell out of me because they try too hard to be clever and turn the plot into a labyrinth. Haynes keeps it simple, and simple works I met Elizabeth Haynes at a book talk a couple of years ago now and she seemed liked a really nice person. Haynes keeps it simple, and simple works really well here.

She splits the novel into two perspectives four years apart, a before and after if you like. They are told side by side and it took me a while to realise that they were both the same character. She is completely ruined and has to work so hard to pick herself up and carry on with her life. Simple tasks like socialising and locking her front door become dominated by anxiety and paranoia. She has an obsessive security check routine she has to carry out every time she leaves the house.

And in terms of creating a character with a real life mental disorder, this was done fantastically well. How does she get there? This isn't how normal people think. Fuck off, world- what the hell is normal anyway? As such, he is ridiculously possessive, violent and completely toxic.

Though before his true personality began to surface, Catherine fell in love with his more charming aspects.

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He seduced her, and she was putty in his strong hands. He appeared to be the perfect man, but appearances are always deceptive. The thing that really drove the story forward for me was my eagerness to see exactly what caused the destruction of Catherine, turning her into a shadow of herself. And the shift was believable and cleverly written. I can understand why her steps were haunted by this man who claimed to love her but almost broke her in two, and when he finally got out of prison the novel became quite intense.

I read it all rather quickly, though I think it would have been better if Catherine was a more compelling character to begin with. She had a rather flat personality before she was chained up in a basement and as such all the quirkiness was only born because of torment. So this was a decent read, and I enjoyed something a bit different to my usual fare though I am in no rush to ever read anything by her again. View all 4 comments. Aug 29, Phrynne rated it really liked it Shelves: I am not sure why I took so long to get around to this book since I knew it was getting really good ratings from friends whose reading tastes I trust!

Anyway I eventually picked it up on Monday evening and finished it on Tuesday. It was worth waiting for! This is a psychological thriller of the best kind, one where you know something awful is waiting just around the corner and you need to keep on turning those pages until you find out what happens. Watching the main character's OCD moments was pa I am not sure why I took so long to get around to this book since I knew it was getting really good ratings from friends whose reading tastes I trust!

Watching the main character's OCD moments was painful but seeing her gradually pick herself up and work towards a normal life was so pleasing. And waiting for the threat to return was nerve wracking! The book is very well written and is remarkably a debut novel.

I enjoyed the way Cathy's story was told in alternate chapters between the past and the present and I also felt all the characters were well developed and played their roles appropriately. Highly recommended if you like to be a bit scared. View all 16 comments. Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes is one of the most spine chilling and riveting novels ive read in a long time. The story centres on Catherine set in the past and the present 4 years apart. In the past Catherine is a fun loving party person who lives in the moment.

After going out to one pub she meets a handsome doorman called Lee who she falls for. Intitially there relationship is very sexual and very casual but over time that changes. Catherine soon feels loved and valued by Lee but Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes is one of the most spine chilling and riveting novels ive read in a long time. Catherine soon feels loved and valued by Lee but overtime the relationship becomes suffocating for her as he first mentally then pysically changes her into the person she is 4 years later.

Four years later and Lee is behind bars and Catherine in a new location is a shadow of her former self with her time with him having a terribe effect on her. Catherine in effect is trying to hide away suffering from ocd wich shows itself with her constantly checking the locks in her flat the curtains and her front door. Apart from her work Catherine never goes out but despite this things start to pick up for her after she meets Stuart a nice man upstairs from her.

With Stuart's help Catherine slowly works on overcoming her anxiaty. This progress will be tested though when she is informed by phone of the worst news imaginable, something that has the ability to set her back and bring back the horrors of the not so distant past. A word of warning right from the start this is not the sought of book for the sentive or faint hearted.

Right from the opening passege we are presented with a brutal murder of a women described is such detail the likes ive not read since Kill Me Once. But if you are not put of by that than you will be rewarded with what is a fabulous read. The book for one was for me the most real in terms of storyline and characters ive read. I just wanted to hug Catherine and be there for her and in truth didnt even care for the plot wich was equally first class with Lee being the perfect villan. Haynes did a brillaint job of building Lee up from what seems a charming loving man into what he really was, manipulative, controlling and violent.

At no stage did i find the story unbelievable and found myself constantly frightened for Catherine. While i new something was going to happen towards the end i was shocked on how it all panned out. At times i almost felt i didnt want to read it but i just coudnt stop for what despite the violence and the pysicological effects i found to be a beautiful read. If you have ever wondered why women in many cases cannot just walk away from a violent relationship then Into the Darkest Corner will give you a great insight into answering that.

View all 24 comments. This is a story of a very abusive relationship and the chilling effects it has on Catherine. Lee is controlling, abusive and thinks he is smart enough to get away with it; but can he? Written in two parts, Into the Darkest Corner slowly unfolds the destructive relationship between Cathy and Lee. It also includes the story four years after, showing the damage done to Cathy which has left her isolated, suffering from OCD and post traumatic stress.

The two different time periods are written in a slightly different format showing the chilling tale of a woman slowly slipping into her darkest corner, then showing her trying to recover from all the damage. I really enjoyed this book. I had real pleasure reading something so dark; not often do you find a book so disturbing and yet so enjoyable to read. This is not a light book and definitely not for overly emotional or the faint of heart. Original review appeared on my blog; http: View all 7 comments. Oct 20, Nazanin rated it really liked it Shelves: It was really well-written and characters were perfect.

Even she checks them for hours! Some times she counts steps. She listens to sounds very carefully. She scared of crowded places. She was like a normal person with friends… So what happened three years ago that made her to be like this and be at running all the time!?! I loved it and hope you enjoy it, too! View all 33 comments. An exceptionally good psychological thriller that kept me on edge for most of the book. Written with alternating past and present threads, it relates how Cathy, a carefree single party girl fell in love with the handsome Lee, undercover policeman, and how he gradually took over control of her life and every movement.

Obsessed with her and constantly watching her, he becomes abusive and turns her into a fearful wreck. Four years later while Lee has been in jail for nearly killing her, Cathy suffe An exceptionally good psychological thriller that kept me on edge for most of the book.

Four years later while Lee has been in jail for nearly killing her, Cathy suffering from PTSD and OCD, is trying to rebuild her life but jumps at shadows and trusts no one. When she finds out Lee is about to be released, her anxiety levels ramp up even further. This is such an accomplished debut novel, quite gritty and confronting, it is very tense and a real page turner.

Badly written, unbelievable characters and events and full of gratuitous sex and violence Can't understand why it got so many 5 star reviews on Amazon - just awful,. Feb 09, Debbie "DJ" rated it really liked it Shelves: In , Julio found himself in prison again facing the same false charges as before but this time with a wife, two small children and mounting debts. Instead of succumbing to bitterness, Julio realized God had brought him to a new mission field.

Putting aside agonizing questions about his future and the welfare of his family, he began to share Christ's love with the most despised and rejected of all society, working to transform a nation from the bottom up by bringing God's light to some of the darkest places on earth. Kindle Edition , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about A Light in the Darkest Corner , please sign up.

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Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Lee Ann rated it really liked it Dec 22, Athena Salinas marked it as to-read Dec 23, Valerie marked it as to-read Jan 03, The manager of the funeral home that is their base cover in the middle of nowhere USA is all fluttery and hot for one man in particular and it turns out he feels the same. So we get some steamy romance.

This had massive potential but nothing was making me want to keep reading. I just stopped caring. Maybe I've missed something amazing but looking at reviews I'm not sure. I'm uber busy with books to read and review and after the will to give it more time left I threw in the towel. Disappointed as the start promised me so much.

The whole super elite terrorist unite just went nowhere and plot lines landed heavy and clunky without pace behind them.

Even the tension between our two lovebirds could have been turned up a notch or two. Something was missing from this book. You may have better luck with this one than me. I'll give it 2. This book needed much more pace, less long-winded detailed pages about irrelevant things and something super big happening in the middle.

In my opinion anyway.

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I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and totally unbiased. View all 3 comments. The romance between Tess and Deacon was good and steamy, but it was a bit boring. The enemy that the gravediggers were going against was also somewhat uninteresting. I loved the plot and idea of this series, but this story wasn't a home run for me. I've read the beginning to the next book in the series, and I am willing to give this another shot. Deacon and his team are stationed at the mortuary as a cover for their real ass 3.

Deacon and his team are stationed at the mortuary as a cover for their real assignment, tracking terrorists and thwarting their plans. The team is multi-national and highly covert. The Darkest Corner was entertaining and fun. A copy was kindly provided by Pocket Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. If you like snappy dialogue, you will enjoy this book, the first in Liliana Hart's Gravedigger series. The chatter between the heroine, Tess Sherman, and literally everyone else in the book, including best friend Miller, hottie love interest Deacon Tucker, the local sheriff, the intimidating Russian granny and Tess's own internal arguments are sharp and quick and mildly amusing.

Too bad all of the voices sound the same. You might think this is a paranormal book, but you'd be wrong. The elite "pr If you like snappy dialogue, you will enjoy this book, the first in Liliana Hart's Gravedigger series. The elite "protectors" back from the dead work for a covert organization that works to save the world. However, the first three-fourths of the book is way more focused on the quirks of mortician Tess and the way she tip-toes through her life in small town Texas, amid gossipy townsfolk, her gambling addict mother and her no-nonsense grandma. Lately, it seems Tess has given the townsfolk a lot to gossip about with the recent addition of a team of hunks who are new employees at the nearly dying funeral home.

Plus, she was seen riding on the back of a motorcycle with one of them. Actually, while the gossiping is heavy-handed, it is consistent and kind of amusing. Plus, it is a perfect chance to show off that snappy dialogue. In between all the tattling and the hot kisses between Deacon and Tess, the story stumbles a bit. Massive info dumps dissolve into long paragraphs where nothing happens. I could have used some of the snappy dialogue to relate the backstory. Instead, internal musings are the preferred method, and I did the dreaded thing, I skimmed.

In the beginning of the book, I was confused. It felt more like I was dropped into the second or third book of a series. It takes quite a while to get the gist of what is actually going on. Plus, I didn't much like the lack of ambition or intelligence demonstrated by Tess at the beginning. How could she be in her position of running the funeral home and not question FIVE guys hanging around doing nothing? However, the second Tess and Deacon appeared on the page together, the entire narrative got a jolt of adrenaline.

As a couple, they spark. Eventually, I grew to like Tess more, and it helped seeing her through Deacon's eyes. This was definitely a book I warmed up to as I read along. In addition, the rest of the Gravedigger team seem set up to have their own stories. I think I would like to see what they encounter next. I am one confused individual when it comes to The Darkest Corner. The beginning was extremely tough going and there were times that I didn't want to continue. But this book grew on me. Which is quite surprising in itself. The Gravediggers are those who fight terrorism on home soil.

A funeral home in Last Stop, Texas. Tess is a native Last Stopian. She lives in a quirky town with quirky characters. The main focus is on the characters and the plot seemed glossed over. I was sure if the author was aiming more for romance than for the suspense.

I find it hard to decide. But probably the former. Deacon was betrayed by his country because his moral compass kicked in for one of his missions. He died only to be reborn again. To become a Gravedigger for a ghost organization. Approached by one Eve Winter. Eve Winter deserves a bullet and quite frankly I don't care where as long as she is gone.

But hey not my choice. They have had chemistry from the start but they never acted on it. But the time has come. Tess liked to taunt and be sassy. Funny in parts and it did pick up. There are parts I liked and parts I didn't. Overall I enjoyed this read. It's different to what I usually read. Hart's writing style is solid although her tendency to go on for pages of world building and inner monologue was tiring so going to be honest hear I skimmed in parts. The prologue is completely unnecessary IMO. What happened to the little girl? Might be trivial for some but not for me.

I am intrigued enough by the series to see how it continues. Review can be found http: View all 10 comments. The concept of this story sounded really good, but the execution was extremely boring. The prologue was a great start, but then nothing. The pacing was just way too slow and I felt like I spent most of my reading time looking for something interesting to happen. The story just seemed to meander and not get anywhere. I did read some sections towards the end, but by then it was simply to find out how the plot ended. I neve The concept of this story sounded really good, but the execution was extremely boring.

I never could get pulled into the story. There was a lot of time spent on little things that didn't really add to the plot. There was way too much talk about how hot the guys were, or Tess's mother's issues or a number of side tidbits that didn't add to the plot. Some of the dialogue seemed to be rather corny and was a bit of an eye roller.

The convenience of the "shadow workers" was just too convenient. Nothing needed to be explained - it just happened which left the plot feeling fake. I wasn't too enchanted with the female lead character, Tess. I've grown very tired of the "she doesn't know how beautiful she is" trope. It's been way overused.

And since all the guys thought she was hot and they wouldn't mind sleeping with her - I really couldn't buy into it. Plus her talking to herself like a doddering old aunt was just irritating. And it takes 2 years before she gets a clue about what is going on and for her and Deacon to have a conversation?

None of it worked for me. Originally I had a hold placed at the library for the next two books in the series, but I removed the holds and I will just cut my lost reading time to just this one book. View all 5 comments. Aug 05, Stewart Tame rated it really liked it Shelves: I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I mention that just in case anyone suspects that I would give good reviews in exchange for free books. Because my reviews are so influential that publishers and publicists gladly send me freebies because they know what a word from me can do for their sales.

Honestly, has that state of affairs ever been true for anyone? Anyway, I suppose I should review the book at hand. Tess Sherman runs the only funeral home in the little town of Last Stop, I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Tess Sherman runs the only funeral home in the little town of Last Stop, Texas. She's good at her job, but longs for more in her life. Little does she know that the other funeral home employees are all top secret, anti terrorist commandos for an organization so underground that even the US government is on a need-to-know basis This is a gloriously ludicrous premise.

It's basically an excuse to surround Tess with an international--each is from a different country, you see--crew of hunky men. Although there are thriller elements, this is, at heart, a romance. I don't think it's giving too much away to say that Tess winds up pairing off with one of them. No spoilers, but it's telegraphed pretty early on. And does she wind up having the most toe-curlingly awesome sex of her life?

What do you think? There is a thriller plot. Terrorists are planning some large scale mayhem and Tess turns out to have the key bit of information necessary to crack their code. And, while I may play up the more outrageous elements of this book, it's actually pretty good. Forget the implausibilities; just put yourself in its hands and enjoy it for the gloriously pulpy, romantic romp that it is.

Honestly, this book reminded me most of an anime series that my wife adores: Knight Hunters originally Weiss Kreuz in Japan. In it, a team of gorgeous men are flower shop owners by day, deadly assassins by night. The fact that she's managed to combine this premise with a reverse harem show is sheer genius on the part of Liliana Hart.

This is looking to be a fine and fun series. May 22, Jean rated it really liked it. Wow, I really liked this book and it was just the change-up I needed. There is a covert agency of men from special ops from all over the country who have been created to fight domestic terrorism. Unfortunately, they must "die" before being able to become a part of this force, therefore giving up their past lives, family, and friends.

They are known as the "Gravedig Wow, I really liked this book and it was just the change-up I needed. They are known as the "Gravediggers". Be careful what you wish for Tess!! This little town had a myriad of characters with personalities to match, and I loved that. The typical beauty salon with small town gossip, the local sheriff, the mother with a gambling problem, the eccentric grandmother, and of course, most of the gossip surrounded the hot men of the Last Stop Funeral Home.

Where did they come from? What did they do with all their time? Who would get one of them into the sack first and win the pool? Just know, there is also a romance involved here, and it heats up quickly, as does the sex! Great beginning to a series and I just really loved the whole concept. These guys each have their own story and heartbreak and I'm looking forward to learning about each of them.

In this book, we get Deacon's story, and damn, I just fell for him! What he went through is "my typical nightmare"!!!!!!! Jun 02, Under the Covers Book Blog rated it liked it. This new band of undercover ops agents has risen from the dead literally , to fight terrorism. There are six men to this elite group whom in their previous life worked in the military or sort.

They all had to die, or so everyone thought, buried, and dug up to live this covert life. Their new base is a funeral home in a small town in Texas. A perfect front for what they do. But not too perfect when the lady in charge of the funeral home finds out what and who they really are. The concept of The G This new band of undercover ops agents has risen from the dead literally , to fight terrorism.

I enjoyed reading about these men but some parts of the book not so much. Deacon, the first of The Gravediggers is the hero for this book. He fits the bill of Bourne. Very smart, sexy, dangerous, yet super sweet. And that is my favorite part of the book. Despite his vow not to commit due to his job, he is willing to take a chance with Tess, the mortician. She is innocent in most ways but also adventurous at heart. Of course, it takes Deacon for her to realize it.

The crew finds her entertaining and their reaction to her baking was hilarious.

Into the Darkest Corner

I agree with them. I thought Tess was funny, though very plain Jane, she has spunk. Her issues with her mom were relatable in some ways but I thought she lacked backbone when it comes to standing up to her. I hated that she let her mom take advantage of her more than once. Deacon and Tess had serious steam. There was this bike scene that is thoroughly ingrained in my head.

Unfortunately, the romance was not as strong as I would like and the same goes for the suspense part of the story. Despite my personal expectations, I think The Darkest Corner is a fun light read. Fans of The MacKenzie Family series would enjoy this book. Subscribe to our blog by email! May 24, Mandi Schreiner rated it liked it Shelves: For some reason I had it in my head that this was going to be a paranormal romance.

I even continued that assumption for the first few chapters of this book. I thought Deacon was somehow brought back from the dead in a supernatural way, and his boss, the elusive Eve Winters was some sort of supernatural being. I finally realized while there is some super secret serum that can make it look like the heroes die in this series, they don't really die. The heroes in this series are ex- For some reason I had it in my head that this was going to be a paranormal romance. They go on extremely classified missions, ridding the world of terrorists.

This book features Deacon as our hero. A former CIA agent, he was Eve's first recruit years ago. Waking up from the dead is a real bitch, and not being able to have any contact with anyone from your former life can be devastating. But Deacon commits himself to this team of black-ops men and to fighting terrorism. As the years go by, Eve recruits more men and they all move in together in a funeral home run by a woman named Tess. They chose a funeral home because they can bring "dead" bodies there without much suspicion.

Tess loves running this funeral home and working as a mortician.

She sometimes feels like she should leave this small town and see what else the world has to offer, but for the most part she is content. When a new owner takes over Eve and hires a bunch of huge men to work with her, Tess is confused. Living in such a small town, they don't have that many deaths a month. But these guys keep the yard clean, and help her with the heavy lifting, so she doesn't question it too much. Tess and Deacon have been making googly eyes at each other for some time, and as the book progresses, their attraction grows. Tess starts to get even more suspicious as to why these guys really work at the funeral home, and secretly, these guys are trying to stop an attack with a deadly gas.

This book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a cutesy small town romance, or a gritty black-ops book. It didn't work trying to do both. The small town romance comes across well. Tess's mother is a little a lot zany and added some darker humor into the book. The local beauty shop is full of old ladies and gossip. Much time is spent in the town and learning about Tess's life and the people she knows. Had Tess and Deacon's romance unfolded in this small town and he had a different profession, I think I would have liked this book a lot more.

On the other hand we have Deacon and his team of agents. All alpha, with attitude and swagger. Did I mention attitudes? The suspense and danger and everything surrounding Eve and her team and the danger just didn't work for me.

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