The poison tree book read 1113 reviews from the worlds largest community for readers from an incredible new voice in psychological suspense a novel . The poison tree a novel erin kelly penguin jan 6 2011 fiction 352 pages 33 reviews from an incredible new voice in psychological suspense a novel about the secrets that remain after a final bohemian summer of excess turns deadly. The poison tree first published in 1986 tells of a battered wife two horribly abused teenagers and a brutal bully the father who could not control his temper this is the story of the two children who having survived years of abuse finally kill him. Successful journalist erin kelly has electrified readers and critics alike with her debut novel the poison tree in this scintillating work karen and her daughter alice have established a safe happy life free from the madness of karens past but when karens former lover rex is released from prison her old associations intrude upon the present and threaten everything she holds dear. The poison tree may 19 2010 the poison tree is her first novel 377gindd ii 19 05 2010 150159 page 3 erin kelly the poison tree 377gindd iii 19 05 2010 150159 the poison tree the gears and plunge blindly into the passing place i calculate is just to my right the driver of the black car coming in the opposite