The Hanging Tree in Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie

Dec 18, 2019 Miranda Reads rated it it was amazing

Shelves: received-to-review

Just finished my 2020 Book-Year in Review BookTube Video - Click the link to see my recs!

The Written Review

4.5 stars

"They say the tree is haunted."
"I'm not afraid of ghosts."

At the base of an old tree sits Arielle and...Chad (much to her parent's dismay). (She's convinced her parents are wrong, the rest of the jury is out).

Unbeknownst to the possible-lovers, the old tree is actually...the hanging tree. The very same from decades ago, where many have lost their lives.

And in the ...more

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Aug 07, 2015 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Well I'm officially on a Cash kick. This is the second book of his I've finished in two days. I think it's starting to become a problem. Well there are worse addictions. And thankfully he has a large library of books to keep me busy. At this rate I'll have read all his books by next week. Then I'll be miserable and bugging him to write something new. Like I said, this could become a problem.
Okay, how was that for a tangent? I'm good at those. Anyway, The Hanging Tree. Where do I start? Well, I' ...more

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Sep 23, 2017 Sam (Rescue Dog Mom, Writer, Hugger) rated it it was amazing

This story is about magic, witchcraft, and the afterlife. It is well=written, smartly crafted, and ends in a surprising, yet satisfying conclusion.

Reading this book gave me the chills, made me laugh at times, and also made me want to slap one of the characters... repeatedly. I found this story quite interesting and entertaining. I enjoy reading about magic and witchcraft and look forward to reading more from this author.

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Oct 22, 2013 M.M. Hudson rated it it was amazing

In a break from his full size novels, Michael Phillip Cash has done it again with a new novella that he has just released this week. The short story called, The Hanging Tree is everything you would expect from a thriller writer. Intrigue, mystery, ghostly presence, it's all there.

The story begins to unfolds in present time with two young teens, Arielle and Chad, who are making out under an old tree dubbed, "the hanging tree". Chad is pushing Arielle in a direction that she may not want to go and ...more

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Nov 13, 2013 Grady rated it it was amazing

Michael Phillip Cash remains on the top of the heap

Some author's rather early on find their niche in the literary output - a sector of interest that appeals to a given audience but also allows a writer to grow into his skin - much like the output of John Grisham, Scott Turow, Michael Ondaatje, Patricia Highsmith who focus on a theme and explore it in many ways.

Michael Phillip Cash seems to be consistent in his choice of themes: his prior `Brood X - A Firsthand Account of the Cicada Invasion' and Michael Phillip Cash remains on the top of the heap

Some author's rather early on find their niche in the literary output - a sector of interest that appeals to a given audience but also allows a writer to grow into his skin - much like the output of John Grisham, Scott Turow, Michael Ondaatje, Patricia Highsmith who focus on a theme and explore it in many ways.

Michael Phillip Cash seems to be consistent in his choice of themes: his prior `Brood X - A Firsthand Account of the Cicada Invasion' and `Stillwell - A Haunting on Long Island' embrace the fantasy cum horror cum `strange beasties in the night' ideas. And so it is with his most recent novel, `The Hanging Tree'. Not to be slotted into the `ghost stories' range, Cash instead takes living characters and makes the imprint of past lives or possible alien influences inform his characters without resorting to Hollywoodesque tampering. His novels unfold with a propulsive energy that makes reading them in one sitting sting enough that the reader will want to return to see how the clues laid in the open escaped notice.

The Hanging Tree begins innocently enough as a spot for a love tryst but almost form page one our would be lovers Arielle and Chad are interrupted by three generations of spirits who introduce family issues, rebellion, sexuality, hypocrisy, deceit, prejudice, and finally acceptance, all the while disturbing the progress of the love between our main characters. Young minds, young emotions shaped by secrets of the past that alter the manner in which choices are made.

Cash divides his chapters with the stories of these spirits, each speaking in the language of their time. He knows just how much of the `thee/thou' dialogue to insert without becoming precious, and the fact that he uses vey contemporary slang for Chad and Arielle show the river of linguistic changes through the years quite well.

Polished, involving, challenging, and engrossing, The Hanging Tree may be a brief novella but it has staying power.

Grady Harp ...more

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Nov 14, 2013 Gayle Pace rated it it was amazing

REVIEW

I am quite hooked on Mr. Cash's books, Brood X and Stillwell . Now he's done it again. THE HANGING TREE is his first Novella. You just know after reading the other two books that this is going to be another great read. It was different than the other two but it was still holding you from the moment you opened the book until the very end. I didn't expect anything else from Mr. Cash except a gripping thriller. The story takes place on Long Island, that is known for hauntings and legends.

Two ...more

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Dec 09, 2013 Melanie Adkins rated it it was amazing

In Oyster Bay there is a huge old tree known as the hanging tree. Many haunted this old tree and welcomed new people when they came to the other side. From 1649 to 2013 strange occurrences happened near this tree. Some say it's bewitched. Some say it's just a legend. You decide.

Eerie, mind blowing and terrific, this book is one to read! It's written in such a style you'll learn all about the tree and it's "family". I found each story to be sad and tragic, but couldn't understand why these peopl ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 Julie Gerber rated it it was amazing

I bought this last night and read it in about two hours. It's definitely a page turner and I didn't want it to end. I am a fan of Michael's and I loved this novella as much as his previous two novels, Brood X and Stillwell. It has all the elements needed for a great story. It has wonderfully written characters, a clever plot and a few twists and turns that make the ending a surprise. I loved it and I am looking forward to his next book. This is the perfect story for Halloween. ...more

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Jan 04, 2015 Wanda Maynard rated it it was amazing

This unearthly true-to-life tale from the past is a masterpiece filled with ghostly horror that will intrigue the reader, and give the reasoning behind each unfortunate action that chained these ghostly figures to this location.
“The Hanging Tree,” by Michael Phillip Cash is a hard to forget story about a black tabby cat named, Remedy, an old woman named, Goody Bennett, Peter, Martin and Arthur. But our story opens in the Summer of 2013 with Arielle leaning against an old dejected-looking, mys ...more

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Jun 16, 2015 Pat Byrnes rated it it was amazing

The souls of a cursed family are tied to a tree, The Hanging Tree, is another masterful tale from the mind of Michael Phillip Cash. When people didn’t understand the power of healing a couple of hundred years ago, they declared these women as witches. The witch cursed her accuser’s family, for they also had their own skeletons in the closet. Through the generations, descendants were added to the tree. They didn’t know why they were attached to the tree, but the witch knew.

Fast forward to present ...more

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Jun 03, 2018 Dale Lehman rated it liked it

Shelves: f-sf

Michael Phillip Cash is a prolific indie author who knows how to spin a good tale. In the novella The Hanging Tree, he presents a ghost story that is in some ways similar to his subsequent novel Flip Flop, although the two have very different premises. The story opens with a pair of teenagers, Arielle and Chad, not quite making out beneath an ancient tree. Chad, of course, wants Arielle to go all the way, but predictably, she's not ready. Their story would be pretty pedestrian if it weren't for ...more

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