The Poison Tree

by Linda Lehmann Masek

In 1718, on the storm-ravaged Carolina coast, Cristabel Lamonte, a young daughter of a plantation owner, is kidnapped by the infamous pirate Blackbeard. Throughout her abduction and thereafter she keeps a diary of this traumatic event, including the location of his buried treasure. Nearly three hundred years later, the diary is discovered in a pile of donated books by Josephine Sharpe, a bookstore owner in Nag's Head, North Carolina. Jo is fascinated with the diary, especially the clues apparently leading to the legendary treasure. Immediately she decides to do some research into the diary's facts and see if she can follow the pirate's trail. She proceeds accompanied by friend and foe alike, plus the bookstore cat, Marlowe. What starts off as an innocent quest for information turns into a string of murders in the small towns along the Outer Banks, causing Jo to fear for her own safety. When her soon-to-be ex-husband gets involved things become more and more complicated--even deadly. However, she can't let Cristabel's fate go unrevenged, and vows to stop the killer and find the treasure at all costs.

185 pages, Hardcover

First published October 16, 2012

Reviews

[Samantha Chu · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was really not worth my time. the only reason i even finished it was because of my sheer willpower and stubbornness to not dnf. the author crammed in so many pointless details about random street names and highways and places in north carolina—none of which meant anything to me since i’m not from there. the ending was painfully cliché and felt completely rushed especially considering how slow and dragged out the beginning was. and i seriously cannot get over the fact that the author kept saying the characters “pulled themselves erect” as a way to say they stood up straight—it made me want to rip my hair out. i just happened to find this book at my local library one day and thought it sounded interesting, but i ended up so disappointed. it felt like one of those books you’re forced to read in school. just terrible.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book. The ending seemed rushed and lacking important steps to reach the conclusion. I wish more of the plot focused on Blackbeard or the diary instead of the internal conflict of "I want a divorce and now I don't because he's not a murderer."

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Linda Lehmann Masek's "The Poison Tree" is a fun mystery. The prologue reads a little like a romance novel, as it describes the captivity of Cristabel Lamonte, a young Carolina girl in the 1700's, as she awakens on a pirate ship. This sets the scene for the rest of the novel: a modern mystery surrounding the legend of Blackbeard the pirate, his sunken boat, and his lost treasure.
The story takes place in the Outer Banks, Nags Head and Cape Hattaras area of North Carolina. Visitors to that area will appreciate the details of landmarks depicted in the novel. The protagonist, Josephine Sharp, is a bookstore owner who comes into possession of Cristabel's diary. The diary entries lead Jo to believe that the secret to the location of Blackbeard's lost treasure is to be found in the pages.
Jo teams up with a researcher at the local aquarium to gather facts on the Blackbeard legend. Her research leads to diving the wreck of "The Queen Anne's Revenge", and then to a string of murders, which cause Jo to fear for her own safety.
You'll have to read the book to find out if Jo solves the murders and finds Blackbeard's treasure.

[Gloria Mccracken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a cheap Kindle special. A little predictable.