Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes
Catherine knows what she is doing is irrational, but she can’t stop. She has to check her house before leaving every day and if her routine is disturbed she can be an hour, or two, or three, late for work. Everything has to be just so. Catherine has OCD and only after talking with her new neighbor is she considering getting help. Her compulsions all came about because of a former relationship. She was in an abusive relationship with Lee, who tried to kill her the last time they were together. He is in jail, but she knows he will be released soon.
I can’t reveal much more because the author does such a great job releasing information bit by bit to really build the story and the horror of what Catherine has gone through. Told in alternating chapters of her past with Lee and her present we learn what Catherine has survived and marvel at how this broken woman is still able to function at all. Besides being a great psychological thriller this book is also an empathetic look at OCD, its causes and treatments, and how difficult it is to overcome. You’ll find yourself really liking this woman and cheering for her every step of the way.
Why haven’t more people discovered this book?! If you enjoyed Gone Girl or Before I Go to Sleep you need to read this one. The villains in these books have nothing on Lee.
