Into the Darkest Corner: A Novel

Before you dive into this book, heed my warning: there are some heavy themes that need to be acknowledged. I’m not entirely sure if the book includes official trigger warnings, but let me break it down for you: we’re talking stalking, domestic abuse, murder, and mental health struggles that run deep throughout the story. Honestly, reading this book felt like watching a Lifetime movie unfold on the page. Picture this: glamorous party girl Cathy crosses paths with the irresistibly charming macho man, Lee. It all seems way too perfect, right? Well, spoiler alert—Lee turns out to be the living definition of a psychopath. The opening really hooked me in with a gripping court transcript. I’m a sucker for those courtroom dramas! However, about 20% in, things started to lose their grip on me. Cathy’s obsessive “checks” felt a bit repetitive, and I initially attributed her behavior to anxiety or some unresolved mental health issue. Yet, I was intrigued to learn what had shaped her into this anxious version of herself. In her carefree days, Cathy had no expectations; she was the life of the party, always out late, living it up with friends by her side—just as wild as she was. A word of caution: you’ll need to pay close attention to the timeline shifts between Cathy’s life before and after the abuse, as they can trip you up if you’re not fully engaged. As the story unfolds, you see Cathy grappling with OCD and PTSD from the trauma inflicted by Lee. What really struck me was how utterly alone she was—none of her friends believed her when she needed them the most, and the fact that they chose to side with Lee? I still can’t wrap my head around that. Then there’s Stuart, who acts like he’s got her back, but ultimately ends up facing the consequences of his disbelief. Overall, the book was a decent read, though it was littered with mundane details and characters that I can’t quite recall right now. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers similar to Lifetime movies, you might just find this one worth picking up; it’s geared specifically for that crowd—and maybe not much beyond.

I didn't know what the subject matter would be when I started and was surprised to find it was only a small amount of thriller and a large amount of...something else (an applicable genre is escaping me at this time). For what it was dealing with (control/abuse/rape), I wanted more.

There were moments where I was annoyed. Yes, I understand that to "get" her OCD, the repetitiveness was necessary. The problem was that I "got" it about 50 pages prior. There were also moments where I was appalled and disgusted and angry. These were the good moments because they were appropriate responses to what was happening, which means the author did her job. My stars are for these parts of the book. The lack of stars reflects the thriller part, which I found to be on the verge of Lifetime movie cheesy. It seems to be a familiar path for most thrillers I stumble upon. I love them up until the moment they really "pick up the pace" because it takes away the authenticity for me.

Probably more of a 3.5 but rounding down to 3 Stars.

Claire's choice