The Poison Tree

Jun 07, 2011 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-claiming-to-be-just-like-secr

hmm...

so i am giving this four stars because

1)there is no option for three-and-a-half
2)it was kind of the perfect book to suit my mood in the day-and-a-half it took me to read it
3)in the spectrum of "books that claim to be just like secret history" this one takes home high marks.

but really - it's just a fast-paced crime thriller and is not likely to stay with me for any real amount of time.

it gets points for having the central character named karen. and having her be a genius of languages. but...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, 4-stars, read-in-2013

Naive Karen. Hedonistic Biba. Respsonsible Rex. One long hot summer. Two dead bodies. A life time of secrets.

The Poison Tree is narrated by Karen, both in the past and present. A decade earlier, she’s sensibly coming to the end of her degree when she meets the exotic Biba and her brother Rex. Mesmerised by Biba, Karen is seduced into a bohemian summer of love, drugs and parties in an old crumbling mansion. Feeling free for the first time in her life, she embraces her new experiences, becoming e...more

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May 14, 2011 Misha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, gothic, mystery-suspense-thriller, favorites-2011, similar-to-the-secret-history

Following The Secret History, there has been an avalanche of books claiming to be like it or inspired by it. My attention was first drawn to The Poison Tree, after I read a review comparing it to The Secret History. My interest was immediately piqued because The Secret History, as some of you may know, is one of my all-time favorites.

Though many elements of the book are reminiscent of The Secret History, The Poison Tree manages to hold its own. It's mesmerizing, unsettling and shocking. It's def...more Following The Secret History, there has been an avalanche of books claiming to be like it or inspired by it. My attention was first drawn to The Poison Tree, after I read a review comparing it to The Secret History. My interest was immediately piqued because The Secret History, as some of you may know, is one of my all-time favorites.

Though many elements of the book are reminiscent of The Secret History, The Poison Tree manages to hold its own. It's mesmerizing, unsettling and shocking. It's definitely going to be on my "Best of 2011" list at the end of the year.

In 1997, Karen Clarke was what we call a "good girl". She had good grades and always did what her parents expected her to. All this changed when she met the charismatic Biba - stunning, carefree and so filled with life. Unlike Karen, Biba had a lifestyle that was glamorous and exciting. It made Karen's life look dull. What followed was that Karen was instantly and irresistibly drawn to Biba. Rex, Biba's brother, was exactly the opposite of her - overprotective and a worrier. Though he and his sister looked so alike, he almost disappeared next to his enigmatic sister. When Karen moved in with Biba and Rex in their home, she anticipated an adventure filled summer. Initially, it started off that way, but all that changed as the events of that summer turned out to have a life-changing impact. What Karen mistook for Biba's perfect story-book life was not so after all; Rex and Biba had a painful past. As Karen found out more about them, the more she became embroiled in a tangled web of secrets.

Ten years later, Karen is living a life of paranoia. She is constantly on the edge, sensing danger everywhere. She lives with her daughter, Alice, whom she is fiercely protective of. Rex, Alice's father has been recently released from the prison after he was arrested for murder ten years ago. Karen and Rex desperately want a chance of living a "normal" life, which they were denied before. What Rex doesn't know is that Karen has secrets which she can't even reveal to him. She is scared and trying her best to protect Alice and Rex from all harm. She's afraid that anything can happen any time, afraid that her past will come to haunt her again. Karen might be constantly worried about what might happen, but she knows that she will do anything to protect Rex and Alice.

As the story moves back and forth between 1997 and ten years later, more of the story is revealed and more edge-of-the-seat it gets. My heart was racing with every page I turned; I was almost as afraid as Karen of what was about to come. Tension increases with each chapter, as we get to know the events of the summer of 1997 which shaped Rex and Karen's present. The unexpected twists kept me glued to the book and sleep completely evaded me. We know that Rex went to prison for murder. What we don't know is whose murder it was. As questions after questions kept piling up in my head, I had to resist the urge to read the ending.

None of the characters are perfect - every one of them is deeply flawed. Still, I felt for Karen and Rex. I cannot imagine living your whole life in fear, for what what you did when you were so young and naive. Karen , in some ways, reminded me of myself. She always does the right thing, the "careful" thing. Yet somewhere inside, she's yearning for an exciting life. Biba is a character who will grab your attention - she mesmerizes and disturbed me at the same time. Her reckless, selfish and dramatic nature causes trouble and chaos. Despite that, Rex and Karen would do anything for her. By the end of the book, she almost seems inhuman to me and her selfishness is beyond shocking.

The best thing about The Poison Tree is the atmosphere that the author has created. Throughout the book, there's a feeling of impending danger, something dark lurking in the background. I was constantly worried about what I might find out and at the same time, I could not wait to see what happens next. To say that the ending was unexpected will be an understatement. I NEVER saw it coming. I didn't think what happened was possible to happen. My heart was pounding all the while I was reading the ending.

The Poison Tree is one of the best psychological thrillers that I've read recently. The characters and the ending continued to haunt me long after I had finished reading the book. The morbid atmosphere of paranoia and fear that the author has created is definitely praiseworthy.

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Feb 07, 2011 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense

This book did not succeed for me, on several levels. Primarily I just didn't get the fascination the narrator, Karen, felt for the Capel siblings, Biba and Rex. Biba seemed spoiled and self-absorbed and Rex was jobless, wimpy, and ineffective at his self-appointed task of being Biba's caretaker. Their so-called Bohemian lifestyle was pretty tame by my child-of-the-70s's standards. There was drinking and a little pot-smoking, a couple hits of ectasy and a few lines of cocaine--hardly the drug-cra...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Jennifer Williams rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 07, 2011 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense-thriller

This terrific psychological thriller with many twists and turns is set in England and will be on my best of 2011 list. There are times when you want to smack some of the characters along side the head and ask "What are you thinking?" but this kept my interest right up to the twist at the end.

I'm looking forward to the author's next book due in Febrarury 2012, and be forewarned that the British title is THE SICK ROSE but the US release will be titled THE DARK ROSE.

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Dec 23, 2012 Melanie Garrett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SPOILER possibility...proceed with caution...

I enjoyed this, and will certainly look for others by this author. As well as a story that carries you along, the writing is generously peppered with interesting observations and compelling description.

I've read other reviewer which comparing it to The Secret History, yet feeling let down when it fails to measure up as a campus novel. Not too sure where this could have arisen from, but it feels a bit unfair to me. I saw no signs that the author was at...more SPOILER possibility...proceed with caution...

I enjoyed this, and will certainly look for others by this author. As well as a story that carries you along, the writing is generously peppered with interesting observations and compelling description.

I've read other reviewer which comparing it to The Secret History, yet feeling let down when it fails to measure up as a campus novel. Not too sure where this could have arisen from, but it feels a bit unfair to me. I saw no signs that the author was attempting to retrace Donna Tartt's steps. This felt much more Barbara Vine to me, which is also excellent company to be in. The fact that the central characters happen to be students when the back-story begins is neither here nor there. They could just have easily been working in offices and/or theatres and events could have unfolded in much the same way.

So if you're after a campus novel, then this really isn't it. But if, like me, you've a soft spot for novels which are more squarely in that Vinesque territory, where a character with a secret past tries to gain greater insight into her role in terrible events from many years ago, and the way in which these events are suddenly a new threat to the life she's built from the ashes, then the Poison Tree does what it says on the tin.

There is also an ITV version, which, while also interesting in many ways, did not, in my view, really capture the most interesting elements of this novel. I had bought the book before seeing the TV version, so I then read it to compare the two. But if I hadn't already bought the book before seeing the TV version, I wouldn't have bothered, and this would have been a shame. The telly version stuck to the plot, and certainly tightened elements of it to make it into a far greater tragedy, yet simply did not have the time/space to fully mine the richness of the tragic love triangle(s) present in the novel.

However, there were things I personally found preposterous in the telly version (to give one example, without wishing to add spoilers, I will just say the NHS was actually already heavily computerised by '97). I was delighted to see that convincing groundwork had indeed been laid for these problems in the novel, and so they needn't have been in the TV version at all, had it not been for the need to fit something slightly more complex around ad breaks.

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Dec 19, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book because my friend Katie gave it 5 stars and we almost always like the same books. For that, I'm really grateful to both Katie and GoodReads because I loved this book.

I'm a voracious consumer of mysteries and suspense. I'll basically read anything that contains clues. So I read a LOT of trashy mystery and suspense novels. Because of that, when I come across a suspense novel where the writing is actually really good, and the characters are well drawn, and the story keeps me guessi...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While The Poison Tree is a slow paced, character driven novel, there are a few plot twists that genuinely surprised me.

The Poison Tree focuses on Karen in the present day and flashes back to her past to explain the present. You see, Karen has just reunited with Rex after his 10 year prison stay, and along with their daughter, Alice, they are trying to become a family. The reader quickly figures out that Rex was in prison for murder, and the ensuing flashbacks are going to explain the who, why, a...more While The Poison Tree is a slow paced, character driven novel, there are a few plot twists that genuinely surprised me.

The Poison Tree focuses on Karen in the present day and flashes back to her past to explain the present. You see, Karen has just reunited with Rex after his 10 year prison stay, and along with their daughter, Alice, they are trying to become a family. The reader quickly figures out that Rex was in prison for murder, and the ensuing flashbacks are going to explain the who, why, and how that we so desperately want to know.

It takes a long time to get there, and fortunately I REALLY wanted to know what he did or I could have given up. You really have to like character studies because most of this novel is exploring the characters as their true personalities are revealed. Along with Rex and Karen, Rex's sister, Biba, plays an important role. Karen is graduating from university and she speaks several languages. Biba needs someone to help her with some German, so she and Karen become friends. Biba is unlike any friend Karen has ever had. She's wild, smokes, drinks, and does drugs. Her brother, Rex, has tried to take care of her since both their parents have been out of the picture for many years.

They live in their family house, and have several interesting roommates. Eventually Rex and Karen begin a romantic relationship and Karen moves in the house with him and Biba. I really can't explain the sense of impending doom as we very slowly watch these characters grow and change. For much of the novel, nothing ever happens, save for the day-to-day partying, conversations, and travels of the three main characters. But more and more secrets are revealed as we go along. Other characters enter and leave as we journey, but when I try to think of an episode worth mentioning, I can't. It's all very atmospheric and difficult to describe in a few paragraphs.

The blurb calls this a "psychological thriller." I get the psychological part -- as we go along we realize that some of these characters have serious psychological problems. But nothing about this novel is what I would call "thrilling." Maybe a bit of suspense, but that's not the same as a thriller.

I loved the last section of The Poison Tree after the murderous episode. I was stunned to find out what really happened -- and then stunned again...and again. I'm glad there were surprises, because I really would have felt I wasted my time if I had been able to figure out what happened early in the novel. But I didn't, and at the end I was glad I had persevered. And I readily admit I'm more of a plot person than a character person, so others might enjoy every moment of The Poison Tree depending on your tastes. It is interestingly written and the audio is superbly narrated by Jennifer Ikeda.

The Poison Tree takes place in London, and the narrator speaks with a delightful British accent. Her voices for each character are somewhat similar, but I was never confused while listening. She reads pretty fast which I prefer. Her accent made me think that Biba's name was "Beeber" which I found really amusing.

The Poison Tree is an adult novel, and only the most mature teens would find this one interesting. There is, as I said, drug use and drinking, but no explicit sex scenes. These characters are college aged, so those who enjoy the "New Adult" genre would potentially enjoy The Poison Tree.(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Ikebukuro rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

C'est un premier roman que je vous propose de découvrir à travers ce titre. J'ai eu du mal à faire mon billet car au départ je ne savais pas trop quoi en penser, ça m'arrive quelquefois, et j'ai eu besoin d'un peu de temps pour "digérer" l'histoire et pouvoir en parler. Ce sont deux époques qui se rencontrent au fil des chapitres à travers les yeux de Karen, principale protagoniste et témoin de l'histoire. Karen est une brillante étudiante en langues, elle vit en colocation, elle a un petit ami...more C'est un premier roman que je vous propose de découvrir à travers ce titre. J'ai eu du mal à faire mon billet car au départ je ne savais pas trop quoi en penser, ça m'arrive quelquefois, et j'ai eu besoin d'un peu de temps pour "digérer" l'histoire et pouvoir en parler. Ce sont deux époques qui se rencontrent au fil des chapitres à travers les yeux de Karen, principale protagoniste et témoin de l'histoire. Karen est une brillante étudiante en langues, elle vit en colocation, elle a un petit ami et est une fille sérieuse qui ne sait pas encore trop quoi faire de sa vie. Au détour d'un couloir à l'université elle va rencontrer Biba, qui est tout de contraire de Karen, émancipée, artiste, bohème, elle vit avec son frère Rex dans une immense maison héritée de ses parents, tous deux sont orphelins, livrés à eux-mêmes et mènent une vie bien loin de la vie rangée de Karen. Rien ne les destinait à se rencontrer et pourtant elles ne vont pas tarder à devenir amies.
Biba et son frère ne tardent pas à exercer une vraie fascination sur Karen, leur mode de vie, leur liberté apparente, le coté fantasque et artiste de Biba… au point que Karen va définitivement aller s'installer dans cette maison au cours de l'été. On s'aperçoit très vite qu'un certain malaise ne tarde pas à s'installer et que tout n'est pas si rose… le lien qui unit Biba à son frère est particulièrement ambigu, pas dans un sens incestueux mais on sent que le poids d'un secret les unit et pèse sur leur relation.
J'ai bien aimé ce premier roman, même si j'ai trouvé certaines situations un peu clichés, les deux ados livrés à eux-mêmes, la drogue, l'alcool, le voisin qui râle contre le bruit et les mauvaises fréquentations…. J'ai trouvé cette part de l'histoire pas très intéressante, par contre j'ai beaucoup aimé l'intrigue quand on sent que la situation commence à leur échapper, que quelque chose se met à clocher et que tout peut basculer… Comme si l'if, commençait à distiller son poison petit à petit. Karen s'aperçoit que Biba lui a menti, quelle n'est pas la personne altruiste qu'elle croyait connaître, qu'elle est d'un égoïsme sans borne vis-à-vis des gens qui l'entourent… jusqu'à ce que le drame survienne et bouleverse la vie de tous à jamais.
Plus que l'intrigue, ce sont les personnages que j'ai aimés, tous malgré leurs failles et leurs défauts sont attachants, agaçants, pathétiques, drôles… simplement humains. L'écriture est simple, sans fioriture inutile, Erin Kelly va à l'essentiel avec des mots justes, son livre a les défauts et les qualités d'un premier livre, des longueurs par moment, un sentiment de "déjà vu" parfois mais aussi une certaine fraicheur que personnellement j'ai beaucoup aimé. (less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Judith rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At the very beginning of this book, the reader learns that Karen is picking up her husband, Rex, who just served a 10-year term for murder. In the car with her is their daughter, Alice. The story unfolds with alternating chapters: present day and the summer ten years ago when the murder took place. Present day: Karen and Rex attempting to adjust to their new life and problems such as pesky journalists, Rex' s learning about the modern world outside and trying to find work, living in a small hous...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Della Blair rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read this book twice since I bought it in 2011 and I've thoroughly enjoyed it each time, probably more the second time. The plot works between two timelines: 1997 and 2007 and the relationships the protagonist, Karen, made in that idyllic summer of '97 when she met the bohemian Biba and her brother Rex and lived in their crumbling house on the outskirts of Queens Wood, North London. It promises to be a summer of new experiences and freedoms, the kind of which the strait-laced Karen had deni...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Anne-Marie van den Bosch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Een psychologische thriller waarbij de drie hoofdpersonages een intensieve onderlinge band hebben, een ieder met zijn eigen motieven die goed uitgewerkt worden. Vanaf de eerste bladzijde is het verhaal opgebouwd uit vele flashbacks naar 10 jaar geleden, waarin een zekere dreiging aanwezig is, er wordt ook duidelijk aangegeven dat er doden zullen vallen. Maar veelal ben je bezig deze drie mensen en hun relatie en achtergronden een zomer lang te leren kennen, met altijd die waarschuwing in je acht...more

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Aug 21, 2011 C.E. Trueman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In The Poison Tree, Erin Kelly creates an assortment of compelling and convincing characters.

A year into her university degree, studious linguist Karen Clarke, the sensible and conservative narrator of the story, finds herself drawn into the chaotic and bohemian world of vivacious but self centred wannabe actress Biba Capel and her over protective brother Rex who live on their own in a ramshackle house in London following abandonment by their famous photographer father and the resulting suicide...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Yamma rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 18, 2011 Connie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Well written and intelligently thought out but not as dark and exciting as advertised.

While the book wasn't excellent is was very good and engaging, many people who have reviewed it negatively are failing to comment on the strong character development that occurs during the book.

Biba is first starts out as glamorous and alluring while Karen is boring and naive and Rex is slightly dorky and annoying.... By the final chapter all the characters have grown into different people then how they began....more

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Jun 14, 2011 Vegantrav rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I seriously hope that Erin Kelly, the author of The Poison Tree, is not one of those writers who read the reviews of their books here at Goodreads (as I know some writers do) because I really did not like this book at all. I feel as if I have been robbed of the opportunity to read good novels by wasting my time reading this dreck.

The Poison Tree is promoted as a brilliant, mysterious thriller. It is not.

It is an excercise in emotionally overwrought tedium and long-winded ridiculousness. It attem...more I seriously hope that Erin Kelly, the author of The Poison Tree, is not one of those writers who read the reviews of their books here at Goodreads (as I know some writers do) because I really did not like this book at all. I feel as if I have been robbed of the opportunity to read good novels by wasting my time reading this dreck.

The Poison Tree is promoted as a brilliant, mysterious thriller. It is not.

It is an excercise in emotionally overwrought tedium and long-winded ridiculousness. It attempts to build more and more tension (and does so rather poorly) as the novel advances, but the atmosphere of forbidding and fear with which the author tries infuse her story is extremely weak, and the mystery that she does ever so very, very, very slowly elaborate is really not that mysterious at all and is dull--just dull, pure and simple. Several times I resolved to simply stop reading The Poison Tree, but then I would re-read the reviews on the back cover and be inspired with a hope that the plot would soon take off, and I would at last find myself in the midst of a compelling mystery. Alas, that never happened.

The secrets that the narrator, Karen, keeps, which she refers to often but without revealing their nature until near the end of the novel, lead the reader to believe that Karen is hiding some grave, serious sins. She is not: her secrets are actually things that she has done which are very praiseworthy and not even remotely bad; she also keeps us in the dark with a secret about her lover, Rex, which is also a secret that shows, basically, what a great guy Rex is instead of being some deep, dark, wicked secret about him.

Karen, moreover, is one of the most socially inept, completely naive characters that I have ever encountered in literature. For example, Karen portrays herself as being, until she meets Rex and Rex's sister, Biba, a rarther quiet, shy person who has few really close friends. Upon meeting Rex and Biba, Karen immediately attaches herself to them and begins to act as if she has known them for years and, in fact, moves in with them within a matter of only a week or so of knowing them. And Karen is gravely hurt at the smallest slight and utterly thrilled at the subtlest praise from Biba, and after meeting Rex and Biba's friends--Nina, Tris, Jo--only a few times, Karen speaks of them as if she has known them for years and is very close friends with all of them and deeply concerned about every aspect of their lives. She barely knows these people and interacts with them for no more than a few days (with Rex and Biba's friends) or a few months (with Rex and Biba), yet she seems to think that they are all best friends and deeply concerned with each other and each other's lives. The immediate intimacy and tight-knit friendships that form among these characters in almost no time at all is not remotely realistic: it is so ludicrous that it borders on the incredible even for a work of fiction.

The prologue to the novel sets a frightening tone that promises dark secrets, possibly even murder, and revenge as the heroine and narrator, Karen, flees from a grave danger. This tone ends with the prologue as the rest of the novel, until the very last few pages of the last chapter, proceeds in torpid fashion, challenging even the most charitable of readers to stay awake and to finish this exercise in boring drivel.

****SPOILER ALERT****

The only redeeming value in this novel is the climax. Here at last, Biba, an awful, horribly unbelievably selfish, shallow character gets her proverbial just desserts when Karen actually does something that we readers can finally cheer: Karen murders Biba. Finally, Karen, you have a real dark secret that you need to keep. (less)

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May 02, 2011 Kathy Hiester rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Poison tree is well-written, psychological thriller, one that just cries out to be read and discussed. Although I found it a bit disconcerting with early chapters switching between two time periods, it is really essential in the storyline. This ploy simply increases the building suspense as the story unfolds.

An unusual storyline from the voice of the protagonist, Karen Clarke, a young normal girl who just happens to be fluent in several languages, and throw her suddenly into a completely di...more The Poison tree is well-written, psychological thriller, one that just cries out to be read and discussed. Although I found it a bit disconcerting with early chapters switching between two time periods, it is really essential in the storyline. This ploy simply increases the building suspense as the story unfolds.

An unusual storyline from the voice of the protagonist, Karen Clarke, a young normal girl who just happens to be fluent in several languages, and throw her suddenly into a completely different culture and what is she to do? She meets the most eccentric person she can. Her meeting with Biba opens a whole new world to her, one she is not only introduced to, but embraces wholeheartedly. In 1990s London, the beautiful and bubbly Biba lives her life fully and dramatically, essentially the actress she wants to be. When she meets Karen, she brings her to her house, which is a domicile of many characters, some of whom live there with Biba and her brother Rex. Soon Karen is a constant visitor.

The book begins near the end, and then switches back to this carefree and exciting life, time and time again. We learn of old secrets that have a distinct effect on the brother and sister, and later newer secrets come between them. Karen can not tell her story alone without telling the story of Rex and Biba. Their lives and stories are tangled as one. These three are the main characters, but there are more roles to be played by lesser players. Still, they are all bigger than life and all play their parts boldly. The story unfolds between this wild beginning, fraught with suspense and lies, racing toward an unknown and unexpected tragedy. Clues and portents are sprinkled between these carefree days of one summer, building and building to an excruciating level. Murder, prison, life, loss, all wrapped up in one great read. Descriptive, alluring, and definitely atmospheric, characteristics run the range from innocence and trust to parties, drugs, drama, sex and lies. This is an extraordinary start to what I believe will be the first of many great reads from this author.

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Apr 11, 2011 Blair rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller-etc, read-on-kindle, secret-history-esque, past-and-present

The Poison Tree had been on my Amazon wishlist for months, and this sunny weekend I finally decided to treat myself to it. I was happy to find that, true to my expectations, it was hugely readable, so much that I'd finished it within 24 hours of my purchase. The book is divided up into two stories, flipping back and forth between the long, hot summer of 1997 and the present day. Both are narrated by Karen; in the 1997 story, she is a naive 20-year-old and, having recently finished her degree, be...more The Poison Tree had been on my Amazon wishlist for months, and this sunny weekend I finally decided to treat myself to it. I was happy to find that, true to my expectations, it was hugely readable, so much that I'd finished it within 24 hours of my purchase. The book is divided up into two stories, flipping back and forth between the long, hot summer of 1997 and the present day. Both are narrated by Karen; in the 1997 story, she is a naive 20-year-old and, having recently finished her degree, becomes entangled with the decadent, overdramatic Biba Capel and her older, more reserved brother Rex. In the present-day plotline, we find Karen in her early thirties, living in a small country village with her nine-year-old daughter Alice, and adjusting to a new life with Rex, who has just been released from a long stint in prison (this isn't a spoiler, we learn it very early on). The rest of the book brings the two strands together, exploring exactly what happened in that fateful summer to lead to Rex's incarceration and Karen's paranoia - which, it quickly becomes clear, now dominates her life.

The 1997 sections of the book, I absolutely loved. The atmosphere of this cloying, dreamlike summer is conjured with such flair; Karen's passion for Biba and Rex's lifestyle, how she falls in love with the two siblings and their romantic, ramshackle house, her transition from straight-laced student to companion of the hedonistic Biba and the feelings of power, release and abandon this gives her. The whole thing seems desperately romantic and utterly enchanting; I could easily appreciate how thoroughly Karen was drawn into the Capels' world because, as a reader, I was consumed by it too. Even when I put the book down, images of chaotic house parties, Highgate streets and sweltering summer days were so vividly imprinted on my mind I felt like I'd been there. I'm sure anyone of my generation will appreciate the way in which Kelly accurately portrays a time not long past and yet suffuses it with great nostalgia. I loved Karen, too; she's very believable and the narrative really gets under the character's skin. She's a self-confessed unremarkable girl who's had a sheltered existence, cosseted by a trio of vacuous friends and an equally boring boyfriend throughout university, and her revelatory entrance into a life where she no longer feels 'invisible' is wonderfully evoked. While there are some slightly irritating inconsistencies and mistakes (such as when Karen is given her first ecstasy tablet, has a wonderful time partying all night and then has absolutely no comedown?!), the overall effect is so arresting that small errors don't really dent its power.

The present-day story is, however, much weaker. It has all the hallmarks of those chick-lit-cum-thriller books that seem to be so popular these days - told in present tense, there's a first-person female narrator, secrets involving a crime/murder, usually a child or family involved somewhere, the woman will do ANYTHING TO PROTECT HER FAMILY, etc. I don't really like this genre and found the style a turn-off; I think present tense is quite difficult to pull off effectively and, while I can understand that it made sense to differentiate the past from the present in this way, it didn't work for me. I can also understand why Karen's character was different, having been altered as a result of all she'd experienced, but I'm afraid I found this version of her quite dull. Whenever one of the present-day segments popped up I found myself comparatively bored, desperate to get back to the past; they seemed like unwanted interruptions in an otherwise flawless narrative. They didn't ring entirely true, either - I wasn't convinced that after so much time in prison, Rex would move straight into Karen's home and start playing happy families with a daughter he'd only previously encountered through short visits every few months. Crucially, I also disliked the ending. Where I had related to the younger Karen so much, I found the older version's final actions impossible to sympathise with.

For me, this is a book of two halves - one half I consider worthy of five stars, the other is more like three (no prizes for guessing which is which), hence the overall rating of four. I hope that if Erin Kelly writes anything else, she draws on the original, fascinating portrayal of human relationships and new experiences demonstrated in the past segments of this novel, rather than the much more pedestrian and uninteresting (if perhaps more likely to shift units...) thriller element represented by the present segments. (less)

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Feb 15, 2011 Jeanette Stingley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Poison Tree is one of the best debut novels I have read in the past couple of years. Author Erin Kelly has really set the bar high for herself. In this novel we explore the world of laid back, free spirited college kids whose lives get turned upside down.

The book actually begins near the end of the story, then switches back to this carefree and exciting life, time and time again. Normally, I do not like books that switch each chapter back and forth between present and past because it can be...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Alix marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Reviewed by Maureen Corrigan
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, January 10, 2011

"The Poison Tree" is graced with a distinctly druggy power. Kelly burrows deep into Karen's young life and vividly dramatizes the anxiety of an isolated first-generation college student who's out of her league in terms of looks and polish. When Biba appears and offers a mishmash of a family for Karen to join, the euphoria of belonging sweeps all caution out to sea.

Slowly, the awareness that all is not right with R...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Joe Murray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Erin Kelly’s impressive debut novel, The Poison Tree, tells the tale of seemingly prim and straight-A language student Karen Clarke who has just finished her final year at university in London. Unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend for another girl and abandoned by so-called friends, she is feeling isolated and betrayed. Up till now, Karen’s life has been uncomplicated and risk-free, but that’s all about to change dramatically. By chance she meets the exotic, free spirited Biba Capel, a bohemi...more Erin Kelly’s impressive debut novel, The Poison Tree, tells the tale of seemingly prim and straight-A language student Karen Clarke who has just finished her final year at university in London. Unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend for another girl and abandoned by so-called friends, she is feeling isolated and betrayed. Up till now, Karen’s life has been uncomplicated and risk-free, but that’s all about to change dramatically. By chance she meets the exotic, free spirited Biba Capel, a bohemian orphan and actress. Biba lives in a crumbling old mansion in Highgate, London, with her enigmatic and somewhat creepy brother, Rex, and a host of other dodgy if somewhat colorful characters. She also just happens to be looking for someone with knowledge of German to help her with an upcoming play, and Karen fits the bill perfectly. Using her newfound freedom as an opportunity to extend herself beyond her comfortable friendship group, impressionable Karen is drawn into the siblings’ chaotic lifestyle of hedonism, and moves into their crumbling mansion. Shortly afterward she begins a relationship with Rex, believing she has discovered a heavenly Utopia in this world of sex, alcohol, drugs, and mystery. Unfortunately, she is totally oblivious to the family secrets—suicides and other unhealthy events—and it’s not too long before something dreadful happens resulting in death. Heaven suddenly and violently becomes hell, and Karen’s life will change irrevocably, possibly for the worse. Told skillfully in Karen’s perspective between the past and the present, this intelligent psychological thriller begins when Karen and her nine-year-old daughter, Alice, pick up Rex who has just completed a ten-year term in prison for murder. When events from her past come back, threatening to destroy the life it has taken Karen years to build, she knows she must do whatever it takes to protect that life. Whose murder was Rex charged with? And more importantly, was he actually guilty of the crime? This is only one of the many intriguing hooks Kelly masterfully uses to capture the reader from the very start. Kelly’s descriptive prowess of depicting London’s 1990s and in particular the Highgate area, is evocative and skillfully constructed, and while some readers may find the juxtaposition of past and present narration slightly disconcerting, others will probably find that it actually increases the suspense and page-turning lure. Hints and decoys are used sparingly and rarely interfere with the flow of the storytelling. Apart from the three main players, there is also a grand and motley crew of memorable characters assembled, some endearing and others borderline despicable. Disturbingly foreboding, The Poison Tree is an atmospheric crime novel delivering edgy and unpredictable heart-stopping twists and turns we never see coming until we are punched in the gut. A refreshingly new and original voice in thriller writing, Kelly’s a name to watch for in the future.(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 adrienna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to give it 3.5 stars, but since I flew through the second half, rounding up seems appropriate. It's essentially a mystery where pieces are revealed as the book goes on. There are some twists - some more obvious than others - and they were enough to keep me going.

There are three main characters: Karen and siblings Rex and Biba. The siblings used to be wealthy, and they are bizarrely close (what's up with entertainment always portraying rich siblings as *too* close?). Their childhood was...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Sarah Schultz rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I kept reading bc it had that annoying structure where you know from the beginning that a murder has been committed, but you don't know who did it or who was murdered, so I kept reading bc I wanted to know....but that is a bummer of a technique unless the ending is REALLY GOOD. It wasn't. It feels like a sneaky literary trick. The characters had promise, but not enough. So many good books to read, I suggest skipping this one (I'll tell you the ending if you need to know...).

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Aug 04, 2011 marg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While the overall quality of this novel ranges more in the 3-3.5 zone, I couldn't put it down and therefore bump it up to four.
TPT reminded me, sort of, of The Secret History and other works like it - literary murder quasi mysteries where the essence of the story is not so much whodunnit as why and what the consequences were.
TPT, aside from the obvious connection to the Blake poem, calls to mind (well, my mind at least) other works such as The Great Gatsby and Les Miserables (as well as this Fr...more While the overall quality of this novel ranges more in the 3-3.5 zone, I couldn't put it down and therefore bump it up to four.
TPT reminded me, sort of, of The Secret History and other works like it - literary murder quasi mysteries where the essence of the story is not so much whodunnit as why and what the consequences were.
TPT, aside from the obvious connection to the Blake poem, calls to mind (well, my mind at least) other works such as The Great Gatsby and Les Miserables (as well as this French film I saw once called I've Loved You So Long). The premise is a back and forth slowly unfolding and often surprising tale of a life changing summer for Karen Clarke, a brainy and quiet student who always finds herself the wallflower when she meets Biba, the stupidly named charismatic yet deeply selfish tragic girl under whose spell Karen falls, as well as Biba's older brother and their artsy Bohemian life, and present day, ten years later, when brother Rex is being released from prison for a double murder and working his way back into a normal life with Karen and daughter Alice.
The Les Mis part was how Kelly touched upon the struggles of an ex con who has ostensibly paid his debt to society to actually make a new life for himself (all he wants is to work an honest living for his family yet no one will ever hire him), and the French film was how something as black and white as murder takes on a whole new dimension as the pieces come together (which is also where the Gatsby part comes in but I'll leave that alone).
Biba's colorful amazingness was sort of lost on me - she was so narcissistic and not someone I would ever want to be friends with, but that might be my contrary response to a character I am supposed to fall in love with, or at least understand why someone would. I also think we have all been there at some point, being willing to give, and forgive, someone in ways we don't for others because of the magic they seem to possess.
Also at times the story was over the top - but it was also gripping and so I got over that.
The back and forth of alternating chapters was at times inconsistent which was a little confusing, but overall it was compelling and did not feel gimmicky like, say, Sarah's Key.
Karen as a narrator was detached enough to tell the story well but in some ways too distant - yet this also suited her somewhat stoic personality - and though I wondered a bit about her relationship with Rex, and some things felt a little too convenient, I ultimately really enjoyed reading this and recommend it.(less)

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Jun 16, 2012 ms.pointy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: new

This is one of those books where everything in the first half is all portentous foreshadowing--the characters living out the consequences of some unimaginable past horror only hinted at in passing (but set in, you know, the bohemian London world of a second-tier university of the late 90s; it was a terrible time before cell phones). This narrative style totally can work (e.g., The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, although I can't stomach any of her other work), but, in the end, with such a limi...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Larry Hoffer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Language student Karen Clarke has a stable life, if not a particularly exciting one. She lives in a luxurious off-campus apartment with three friends, they play a lot of tennis, socialize with their boyfriends, and follow a fairly organized pattern. Just before her last year of college ends, Karen meets Biba Capel, a flamboyant aspiring actress, who quickly fascinates and draws Karen into her world. Karen moves into the dilapidated mansion Biba shares with her older brother, Rex, and any number...more Language student Karen Clarke has a stable life, if not a particularly exciting one. She lives in a luxurious off-campus apartment with three friends, they play a lot of tennis, socialize with their boyfriends, and follow a fairly organized pattern. Just before her last year of college ends, Karen meets Biba Capel, a flamboyant aspiring actress, who quickly fascinates and draws Karen into her world. Karen moves into the dilapidated mansion Biba shares with her older brother, Rex, and any number of random friends. It is a world of excess, of drugs, alcohol, and late-night parties, and Karen cannot get enough of it. But the summer of paradise Karen dreams of doesn't quite pan out as she hopes. She begins a relationship with Rex but still longs for the exotic life Biba has, and she realizes that both Capel siblings have more issues than she imagined.

One night, things go horribly awry, and Karen flees from her idyllic life back to reality. Ten years later, Karen and nine-year-old Alice pick Rex up from prison after his sentence for murder has ended. But some old ghosts resurface, ones that Karen is determined to keep hidden—no matter what the cost. Nothing will get between her and her family.

The Poison Tree is enjoyable and a quick read. While Erin Kelly doesn't necessarily tread any new territory, she knows how to tell a compelling story, and you can easily see how someone as level-headed and intelligent as Karen could get drawn into the chaotic, dramatic lives of Biba and Rex. My only criticism of the book is I didn't feel it gave much depth to the present-day relationship and interactions between Karen and Rex. While I understand the bulk of the book needed to be spent on telling the story from start to finish, since the book interspersed past and present, I would have liked a little more exploration of the state of Karen and Rex's relationship, given her fears of it all coming undone. That being said, if you enjoy mysteries, this is one that draws out its suspense in a satisfying way. (less)

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Mar 02, 2011 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Erin Kelly's Poison Tree is publicized as a "tight psychological thriller". I'd drop the word thriller as this denotes to me a more fast paced tempo than is the case here. I'd read it alone for its in depth psychological character study. Erin Kelly gets this just right. Beginning at the end, the story flashes backwards and forwards in a space of ten years, rapidly and without warning, and yet it is easy to follow. I quickly became engrossed with the three main characters, Karen, Biba and Rex. I...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was fascinated by this story from beginning to end. The story jumps back and forth between the present and the past, but Ms. Kelly's style makes it easy to keep up...most of the time. Admittedly, there were moments where I would read the opening of a paragraph two or three times before I felt comfortable in the time frame the characters were in, but part of that had to do with being unfamiliar with London. The periods are separated by not only by time, but by location, and a familiarity with t...more

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Jan 18, 2011 Lolly LKH rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Eh. I enjoyed a few chapters. Karen meets Biba and is enthralled by her life, and falls too for her strange brother Rex. Drugs, parties, characters, rambling old house and suicidal tendencies. We know disaster will strike soon as foreshadowed throughout the novel in flashbacks. I had a hard time with Rex, because I couldn't decide what the writer wanted him to be, damaged and neurotic or mature and sensitive? Biba was your typical beautiful wild child much overplayed in literature. Karen was mor...more

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