Debut Author Erin Kelly brings her Poison Tree to the 'Wick

Fans of Tana French rejoice! No, she doesn’t have a new novel out yet, but debut author Erin Kelly will most assuredly captivate fans of French’s fluid prose and suspenseful plots. The Poison Tree is a winding road of intrigue and psychological drama. Kelly’s prose unfolds brilliantly, smoothly interweaving past and present as the narrator, Karen, tells of her mystifying, obsessive relationship with the Capel siblings and the murder which took place one hot, drug-filled summer.



This book is mesmerizing in that the reader is never quite sure who in this shady cast of characters was murdered until the very end of the novel. Told in the first person, the narrative is filled with secrets and lies with the narrator successfully manipulating the reader with red herrings and partial truths. The story journeys through the events of that summer, occasionally flicking into the a present 10 years on where Karen is raising a daughter and Rex Capel has been released from prison, having served ten years for manslaughter. Kelly successfully draws on those past events to create a tense present for Karen and Rex, as everything Karen holds dear is placed on a knife-edged balance, teetering out of her carefully held control.

A thoroughly enjoyable psychological suspense, well written, with a twist of an ending sure to jolt readers from any sense of complacency, The Poison Tree is a must read for any lover of the genre.

And because I’m a shameless promoter of Warwick’s events, Erin will be speaking and signing here at Warwick’s on Wednesday, January 19th at 7:30pm. As part of a new debut author program we will not only be serving refreshments, but will also offer a 20% discount off the price of The Poison Tree (that night only).

-Heather