Why I chose to read The Darkest Corner.
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Intriguing Premise
I found the idea of a secret group made of the most elite of the world’s fighting forces fascinating. What increased my interest was the fact this group of men were considered dead to everyone and as a result was unable to return to their original lives without risking those they love.

The leader of this elite unit, Deacon Tucker, is a former CIA operative. He is the first recruit of this shadowy organisation. His mission is to save the world or die trying, and as long as he does not fall in love all will be well. Falling in love would lead to one thing, certain death. However, Tess Sherman will have him breaking this rule.

Tess is a mortician, who is responsible for the operation of the funeral home in Last Stop, Texas. The funeral home also happens to be the headquarters for the Gravediggers. She has no idea that such an organisation existed. The only thing she was aware of was that she had five hot and sexy men working for her, one of whom she was attracted to.


What I enjoyed.

The Prologue: The story started out on an adrenaline high. It was intense, and I was eager to discover how it would tie into the rest of the story.

The Characters: I found the characters interesting. Some were on the quirky side and some unlikeable. The main characters Tess and Deacon brought out the best in each other. I enjoyed their banter which was at times hilarious, sexy and sweet. I liked how the author went into detail about the characters allowing to me to understand what made them tick.
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The Romance: I thought the romance was well done. I liked that the connection between Tessa and Deacon was not one of insta-lust. Deacon feelings for Tess grew over a span of two years. He never made a move as he was not sure that his feelings were reciprocated. However, the moment he realised that there was a possibility that Tess felt the same way he was determined to be with her regardless of the dangers involved.

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The author provided detailed information into the operations of The Gravediggers and their purpose which I appreciated, seeing that this was the first book in the series. I got insight into Tess’s role in the set-up and how she would eventually become a part of the operations.

The issues I had.

Pacing: The pacing was painfully slow to the point where I found myself losing interest in the story. I pushed myself to complete it, hoping that it would eventually pick up. It was not until around 50% into the story that it was revealed how the prologue tied into the story it was at this point that things began to take shape. However, it was not until about 70% into the story that pace picked up. By then I had lost interest in the operations. In regards to the prologue, it would have been good to know what happened to the characters that had been mentioned.

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Suspense: The story was classified as a romantic suspense, but it never delivered in that area. At no time in the story did I feel like I was on the edge of my seat.

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Based on the rule which prohibits members of the unit from falling in love which I expected there to be conflict regarding the romance between Tess and Deacon. However, things were tied up too neatly for my liking.
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Verdict
I went into this story with high expectations and ended up being disappointed. It was not a bad read, but personally, I thought it could have been better.

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Really enjoyable! Full review on release day!

4.5 stars

Because of the time of year, and my love of Halloween and all things scary, I have been more in the mood to read suspense/thriller books than anything else. While trying to find a good one on Amazon, I came across this gem on the top 100 best seller Kindle list. It was getting some great reviews, and a few of my Goodreads friends had enjoyed it, so I decided to give it a try.

What a fantastic thriller. It really had me creeped out at times, and I admit had me a little jumpy while I was reading it late at night. I love when I find a good suspense that can scare me like that. This book is definitely intense and captivating.

The thing about suspense/mystery novels is that it's hard to do a proper review of them without giving any of the goods away. I prefer to go into these books completely blind, having only read the synopsis. If I have even the smallest part of the story ruined for me, it ruins my entire experience. I LOVE the element of surprise and try to avoid spoilers at all costs.

That being said, I don't want to give away anything about this book. The best part of reading it was the constant suspense and the not knowing who you could trust and believe. I couldn't read it fast enough, and I admit the length of the book is the only issue I had. I loved it, but felt like sometimes things were drawn out a little too much and the book could have been shorter. I was dying to get to the end and see how everything played out, and I'm the most impatient person in the world.

A wonderful thriller for those of you that enjoy this genre. I plan to look for more books by this author in the future!

Into the Darkest Corner is a wholly believable dark thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I could not bring myself to put it down at times. The psychological elements rung absolutely true to me as a reader and the OCD elements truly helped shape Catherine as a character. I found myself cringing at the thought of Lee reappearing and having Catherine's mental torment become real once more. The suspense was exceptionally well built-up and I found myself not wanting the novel to end, but at the same time Catherine became rather real to me and I wanted her to have a HEA.

I knew it was locked, but I had to check nevertheless. As I checked it, six times, one-two-three-four-five-six, I told myself it was locked. I locked it last night. I remember locking it. I remember checking it. I remember checking it for fucking hours. Even so, it might not be locked, I might have made a mistake. What if I’d unlocked it again, without realizing? What if something went wrong with the checking, and I wasn’t paying attention.Loc3393

After a while, my breathing calm, back to normal, I wondered if I should go upstairs and knock on his door. I found myself having the conversation in my head: Oh, hello. Did you knock? I was in the shower . . . No, that wouldn’t do it—how would I have known it was him? Again, I heard my mantra coming unwanted into my mind: This isn’t normal. This isn’t how normal people think. Fuck off, world—what the hell is normal anyway? Loc560

The relationship between Catherine and Lee, while never feeling wholly right to me (either because I knew what was to come or because I just don't like Lee's type even without the psychotic behavior, I can't say) was a good examination of how slowly a relationship can become something from a crime show. While the behaviors in the beginning were not terribly likable, they were not glaring signs pointing to an end that will likely see Catherine dead. So he has a secretive job? Odd but there could very well be a good explanation. He disappears for days...again, could be that job. There were just so many elements of Lee's behavior that could be explained by something on the straight and narrow that Catherine continually dismisses her gut feelings. And if anything can be taken from this tale it is that a woman should trust her gut.

It was heartbreaking to watch how Lee was also able to manipulate not only Catherine but those around her, leaving her completely alone and easier prey.

“With Lee. I’m just—sometimes I’m just a bit scared.”

At last she stopped what she was doing. “Why are you scared? You’re not scared of Lee, surely—he’s wonderful. Are you scared of losing him, somehow?”

I paused while I tried to find the right words. “He’s not always wonderful.”

“You been having fights?”

“Sort of, I guess. I don’t know—I’ve been tired, he’s been working a lot. When I do see him it always seems to be on his terms, and he doesn’t like me going out without him anymore.”

Sylvia sighed. “To be fair, though, honey, he’s kind of got a point. Look at the way you were—the way we all were—when he met you. You were going out every night you could with the sole intention of flirting. No wonder he’s nervous about letting you out.”

I didn’t say anything, so she went on, “You’re in a relationship now, hon. It’s a whole different ball game.” Her voice softened a little. “Lee’s a good man, Catherine. Don’t forget some of the complete shits you’ve been out with. I’m sure he’s just being protective of you. And not only is he totally fucking gorgeous, but he loves you, he really does. Everyone said that, after the dinner party. He’s so obviously completely and totally in love with you. That’s what we’re all waiting for. I wish I had that. I wish I had what you have.”

“I know.” I was trying not to let her hear my tears. Loc3308

Both major characters in the book (aside from Lee), Catherine and Stuart, were immensely likable. I think this made Catherine's tale all the harder to swallow, especially as it does happen to women all around the world, in some way everyday. Stuart was a calming, non-pushy presence for Catherine, one she severely needed. However, I do think that Stuart “happening” to be a psychologist was a bit too convenient seeing as he moved into the apartment upstairs, but I was more than happy to overlook this seeing as how well the plot was laid out otherwise.

“Do you know what the worst thing was?” I said at last, into his shoulder. “It wasn’t sitting in there, in that room, waiting for him to come back and kill me. It wasn’t being hit, it wasn’t the pain, it wasn’t even being raped. It was that afterward nobody, not even my best friend, believed me.” I sat back then, looked out at the river, a barge going slowly past, downstream. “I need you to believe me, Stuart. I need that more than I’ve ever needed anything in my whole life.” Loc4237

Overall the story was rather realistic, however, there were moments that I found difficult to accept. For instance, Catherine is attempting to overcome all of her fears and at times feels claustrophobic in dealing with them. One such instance found her deciding to be brash and investigate what sounded like someone breaking into the apartment downstairs. She then essentially makes her way to the apartment and so on and so forth. This seemed completely unlikely and just plain idiotic, even for someone without OCD and major fears.

But I found the flaws in this novel to be minimal and the overall journey engrossing. This is by far one of my favorite suspense novels and I will definitely partake in the author's writing in the future.

Couldn't be better! I love this book