The Poison Tree [Paperback]

'A dark, poetic, gripping, totally brilliant Brideshead Revisited for the 21st century' (The Times )

'A terrific suspense debut, reminiscent of another British woman's auspicious bow: Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. The shadows gather until the ending looms like a threatening figure. This one gets the writer's ultimate bit of praise: I wish I had written it.' (Stephen King )

'(An) excellent debut psychological thriller, reminiscent of early Barbara Vine.'

(Daily Mail Books of the Year )

'Brilliant! THE POISON TREE grabs you with the first sentence and doesn't let go--even after the last page; this is the sort of thriller that stays with you for a long, long time. Compelling and lyrically stylish, THE POISON TREE is a true winner!' (Jeffery Deaver )

'An unusually good debut psychological thriller from an author . . . whose plotting, characterisation, fluent writing and dark humour should ensure her a successful career' (Daily Mail )

'The dark world of psychological thrillers has a bright new voice . . . [a] twisted, brooding, creepy debut' (Daily Mirror )

'A very English take on the foibles and failings of humanity permeates THE POISON TREE, a remarkable debut by Erin Kelly.' (Peter Millar, The Times )

'Will appeal to fans of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Donna Tartt's The Secret History . . . a rich and satisfying pleasure.' (USA Today )

'Terrific . . . a compelling creeper that intelligently invokes the conventions of the Gothic and plays within the doom-laden confines of the voice-over. More please, Ms. Kelly! Quickly!' (Washington Post )

'A finely written debut novel' (Mail on Sunday )

'An author with an eye for the truly creepy.'

(Independent on Sunday, Books of the Year )

'The writing is elegant, atmospheric and sophisticated.'

(Sophie Hannah )

'[An] intriguing and well-written mystery.'

(Washington Times )

'Ingeniously plotted and masterfully told, THE POISON TREE is an outstanding debut from Erin Kelly. A spellbinding tale of murder, guilt, and obsession, it will hold readers in suspense from the first sentence until the final shocking twist.' (Stefanie Pintoff )

'A tense, twisting thriller . . . Atmospheric and gripping, it will keep you guessing to the end' (Cosmopolitan )

'In her compelling debut, Erin Kelly evokes the brooding atmosphere of Rebecca, in a contemporary and completely convincing novel of tangled family desires.' (Sara Paretsky )

'Tense and menacing right from page one, filled with foreboding and a terrible sense of the inevitable. . . I expect the author to go far.' (Bookseller )

'A shadowy, impeccably told tale of passion, friendship and murder.' (Marie Claire )

'Tense to the end' (Woman and Home )

'A psychological thriller that will give you chills' (Red )

'A wonderfully tense and foreboding thriller that is at the same time a clever, considered study of desire and a good old-fashioned page-turner' (Psychologies )

'Weaving tangled webs, this is a gripping psychological thriller with believable characters and a fine sense of time and place. It will keep you intrigued from the menacing prologue to the defiant ending.' (Choice )

'THE POISON TREE has a nicely claustrophobic cape wrapped round it . . . the novel's a clever tease, the pay-off more than worth it.' (Time Out )

'With forensic attention to detail, this mystery is all-consumingly addictive.' (Easy Living )

'An enjoyable excursion into territory first colonised by Barbara Vine.' (Literary Review )

'Gripping . . . you won't put it down.' (Look )

'Meticulous and evocative detail does not hold up the impetus of the narrative . . . a most absorbing read.' (www.shotsmag.co.uk )

'I suggest you grab a coffee, silent the phone and get comfy as you're not going to want to put this book done. It's that good . . . A creative, tense, gripping debut novel, and a must read.' (www.bookrabbit.com )

'Kelly blends Gothic tropes with those of the crime novel, and her deployment of a rambling old house as the scene of Karen's gradual immersion in an inotoxicatingly different world, combined with the literary flourishes of her prose, is reminiscent of Tana French. A writer with a keen eye for descriptive detail, Kelly neatly fleshes out her setting and characters . . . THE POISON TREE is a rewarding and enjoyable experience.' (The Irish Times )

'Terrific' (Judy Finnigan )

'[An] extraordinary debut novel.' (Richard Madeley )

'A beautifully crafted, evocative psychological thriller ... A dark, poetic, gripping, totally brilliant Brideshead Revisited for the 21st century' -- The Times 'An unusually good debut psychological thriller from an author who instinctively knows how to tell a suspense story (think early Barbara Vine) and whose plotting, characterisation, fluent writing and dark humour should ensure her a successful career' -- Daily Mail 'A wonderfully tense and foreboding thriller that is at the same time a clever, considered study of desire and a good old-fashioned page-turner' -- Psychologies 'A shadowy, impeccably told tale of passion, friendship and murder' -- Marie Claire 'With forensic attention to detail, this mystery is all-consumingly addictive' -- Easy Living 'A brilliant new voice in crime fiction ... Kelly expertly builds up the suspense ... Extremely accomplished - Kelly creates an atmosphere as claustrophobic as a summer commute, which permeates the narrative and keeps the reader hooked.' -- Stylist 'The dark world of psychological thrillers has a bright new voice ... [a] twisted, brooding, creepy debut' -- Daily Mirror 'Erin Kelly's gravely elegant style masks an arch talent for misdirection that allows her to spring several satisfyingly long-fused surprises' -- Daily Telegraph 'A finely written debut novel' -- Mail on Sunday 'A tense, twisting thriller ... Atmospheric and gripping, it will keep you guessing to the end' -- Cosmopolitan 'A psychological thriller that will give you chills' -- Red 'A gripping debut, this thriller has a creeping sense of unease' -- Bella 'This taut psychological thriller from new author Erin Kelly has unexpected twists and turns until the very last page' -- Now 'THE POISON TREE has a nicely claustrophobic cape wrapped round it ... the novel's a clever tease, the pay-off more than worth it' -- Time Out 'A really great read' -- Good Housekeeping 'Tense to the end' -- Woman & Home 'Gripping ... you won't put it down' -- Look 'An enjoyable excursion into territory first colonised by Barbara Vine' -- Literary Review 'I loved it ... really spooky' -- Alexandra Heminsley, BBC 6 Music 'Terrifically vivid, beautifully written' -- www.crimesquad.com 'Weaving tangled webs, this is a gripping psychological thriller with believable characters and a fine sense of time and place. It will keep you intrigued from the menacing prologue to the defiant ending.' -- Choice 'Meticulous and evocative detail does not hold up the impetus of the narrative ... a most absorbing read' -- www.shotsmag.co.uk 'I suggest you grab a coffee, silent the phone and get comfy as you're not going to want to put this book done. It's that good ... A creative, tense, gripping debut novel, and a must read.' -- www.bookrabbit.com 'In her compelling debut, Erin Kelly evokes the brooding atmosphere of Rebecca, in a contemporary and completely convincing novel of tangled family desires.' -- Sara Paretsky 'The writing is elegant, atmospheric and sophisticated.' -- Sophie Hannah 'Tense and menacing right from page one, filled with foreboding and a terrible sense of the inevitable. Kelly builds a feeling of claustrophobia and of seemingly ordinary people driven to do extraordinary things. It's a gripping psychological thrill ... and I expect the author to go far.' -- Bookseller --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.