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Poison Tree
In the wake of a failed marriage and a misguided love affair, feisty academic Terry Williams moves to Oxford to resume her abandoned doctorate in detective fiction. Looking forward to a sleepy university town, Terry is dismayed to find that her new home was previously the scene of a savage sexual murder, and all too soon Terry finds the past returning to invade the present with horrific consequences.
Terry begins to uncover the dark secrets hidden behind this quiet idyllic life--a famous neighbor involved in a bizarre sexual scandal, a star college athlete with stormy, violent passions, and a hidden cache of ardent, almost pornographic letters all suggest a mystery more brutal and elusive than any tackled by the fictional detectives she studies.
And still, a killer walks the streets of Oxford, protected by the night, empowered by violence, and determined to exact a bloody revenge for a crime of passion.
Terry begins to uncover the dark secrets hidden behind this quiet idyllic life--a famous neighbor involved in a bizarre sexual scandal, a star college athlete with stormy, violent passions, and a hidden cache of ardent, almost pornographic letters all suggest a mystery more brutal and elusive than any tackled by the fictional detectives she studies.
And still, a killer walks the streets of Oxford, protected by the night, empowered by violence, and determined to exact a bloody revenge for a crime of passion.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
5 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Tony Strong
16 books117 followersTony Strong also writes under the pseudonym J.P. Delaney.
Tony Strong was born in 1962 in Uganda, though his parents came back to the UK when he was six weeks old. He read English at Oxford under the playwright and poet Francis Warner and then went on to work as an advertising copywriter at Ogilvy and Mather, an agency which had already bred writers such as Salman Rushdie and Fay Weldon.
Tony Strong has made more than thirty television commercials, including the celebrated BUPA 'You’re Amazing, We Want You To Stay That Way ' campaign, and the American Express campaign. He has won a BAFTA for a campaign aimed at reducing solvent abuse - one of the very few drug abuse campaigns that have ever been shown to have a measurable effect. Tony Strong was recently poached by Abbot Mead Vickers, whose main account is British Telecom. He has published four novels: THE POISON TREE, THE DEATH PIT, THE DECOY and TELL ME LIES. THE DECOY has been bought for film by Twentieth Century Fox for Arnold Kopelson. TELL ME LIES was recently adapted by Granada Television into a series entitled LIE TO ME.
He has also written under several pseudonyms, including Anthony Capella.
Tony Strong was born in 1962 in Uganda, though his parents came back to the UK when he was six weeks old. He read English at Oxford under the playwright and poet Francis Warner and then went on to work as an advertising copywriter at Ogilvy and Mather, an agency which had already bred writers such as Salman Rushdie and Fay Weldon.
Tony Strong has made more than thirty television commercials, including the celebrated BUPA 'You’re Amazing, We Want You To Stay That Way ' campaign, and the American Express campaign. He has won a BAFTA for a campaign aimed at reducing solvent abuse - one of the very few drug abuse campaigns that have ever been shown to have a measurable effect. Tony Strong was recently poached by Abbot Mead Vickers, whose main account is British Telecom. He has published four novels: THE POISON TREE, THE DEATH PIT, THE DECOY and TELL ME LIES. THE DECOY has been bought for film by Twentieth Century Fox for Arnold Kopelson. TELL ME LIES was recently adapted by Granada Television into a series entitled LIE TO ME.
He has also written under several pseudonyms, including Anthony Capella.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 18, 2015
Basically I threw this book out into the garbage as soon as I finished. I didn't want it on a shelf in my house to even give anyone else a chance to accidentally pick it up and read this garbage. The ending was anti-climatic and absolutely none of the characters were likeable. The third chapter had my face contorted in disgust but I kept going, hoping there was a point. I was wrong. Oh well. I got it for $4 at the half priced book store and I'm amazed it even costs that much.
March 8, 2012
I'm not sure whether to give this book a one star rating or a five star rating, as I'm quite literally of two minds about it. I checked this book out from the library by mistake; I intended to get the Erin Kelly novel of the same title and didn't realize my error until I got back on Goodreads and checked my 'to read' list. I read it anyway, and am simultaneously glad I did and desperately wishing there were some way to disinfect my mind to remove what I have read. The short version? this book is NC-17 to say the least--if sex in peculiar permutations bothers you, don't read this book. (Just as a test: did the movie The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and Her Lover make you squeamish? Then don't read this book. Trust me.) The slightly more analytical version: it's either a brilliant skewering of perceptions of gender roles and societal treatment of victims of sexual crimes combined with a sendup of academic infighting OR a prurient attempt at titillating an unsuspecting audience with lurid descriptions suitable only for the kind of gents' magazines that get sold wrapped in plain brown wrappers. Your choice.
The book begins as our protagonist, Terry Williams, returns to Oxford in order to complete her degree after her (heterosexual) marriage has failed and her (homosexual) relationship with photographer Mo has not culminated in anything worth continuing. She is offered a part time lecturer's position to support herself while finishing her degree, both of which involve an analysis of detective fiction. Unwittingly, she purchases a house in which a gruesome murder recently took place--one of the tenants, an Oxford student, was murdered recently. She begins by merely inquiring about the event but is sucked into her own investigation of the crime, despite the fact that the police have investigated the crime already and closed the case due to a combination of the only plausible suspects having cast iron alibis and Oxford pressuring them to hush things up.
Nothing is quite as it seems in this book. I finished it at one frenzied read, which is a compliment. I'm not quite sure who'd like this book, which is a minus.
The book begins as our protagonist, Terry Williams, returns to Oxford in order to complete her degree after her (heterosexual) marriage has failed and her (homosexual) relationship with photographer Mo has not culminated in anything worth continuing. She is offered a part time lecturer's position to support herself while finishing her degree, both of which involve an analysis of detective fiction. Unwittingly, she purchases a house in which a gruesome murder recently took place--one of the tenants, an Oxford student, was murdered recently. She begins by merely inquiring about the event but is sucked into her own investigation of the crime, despite the fact that the police have investigated the crime already and closed the case due to a combination of the only plausible suspects having cast iron alibis and Oxford pressuring them to hush things up.
Nothing is quite as it seems in this book. I finished it at one frenzied read, which is a compliment. I'm not quite sure who'd like this book, which is a minus.
June 9, 2011
Three hundred and fifty-five pages later, I feel like a need a long, long shower to get out of the muck. This is neither a fun nor a satisfying read. I like my mysteries finished at the end, tied up with a bow, and I don't feel any completion from the book, just like I wasted several hours of my time.
Read
November 29, 2016I did not enjoy this novel, though the story was compelling enough for me to finish. The MC was loathesome (and, frankly, an idiot), nor could I abide the passages to do with animal cruelty that last example of which I skimmed and felt was rather unnecessary.
On the whole the writing and plotting were fine, but it was not one I'd recommend to anyone.
On the whole the writing and plotting were fine, but it was not one I'd recommend to anyone.
August 10, 2017
So everything about Terry bothered me. She was not even one of these character you love to hate. You just hated her from start to finish. She was not a character you could sympathize with she was just a nosy cow with this enormous chip on her shoulder. She had this real hate for men just because the were men and fought just to prove she was strong independent woman. Which all well and good but there was nothing else to her. I could see where the author was going with the character as a vehicle for male dogma in the academic world but in the end he just created this very polarizing character. I did enjoy all the critical analysis of murder mysteries but even that was overshadowed by the cat hate.
July 14, 2019
Hoppala. Hier versucht jemand auf recht plumpe Weise, seinem ziemlich erbärmlichen Kriminalroman durch Pornographie und Sadismus ein wenig mehr Gehör zu verschaffen. Schade, denn die Ausgangslage war durchaus vielversprechend. Hatte mich auf eine Ermittlerin gefreut, die sich in ihren Studien (wie ich) mit Kriminalliteratur beschäftigt. Die lausige Edition mit vielen Rechtschreibfehlern und eine Übersetzung, der man die Übersetzung an allen Ecken anmerkt, erhöhen das Lesevergnügen auch nicht gerade.
Das ist bisher das einzige Buch in diesem Jahr, das bei mir auf direktem Wege in die Altpapiertonne wandert. Deckel auf, Buch rein und tschüss.
Das ist bisher das einzige Buch in diesem Jahr, das bei mir auf direktem Wege in die Altpapiertonne wandert. Deckel auf, Buch rein und tschüss.
August 8, 2025
Zunächst… ich habe dieses Buch auf dem Bücherflohmarkt zwischen den Thriller/Krimis entdeckt und ich hatte mir nicht vorab Rezension angesehen. Ich habe lediglich anhand des kreativen bzw. außergewöhnlichen Titels (der Text auf dem Buchrücken war auch i.O) mitgenommen.
By the way ich bin absolute Katzenliebhaberin…
Das ich das Buch noch so gut mit 1 Stern bewerte, ist genauso merkwürdig wie dieses Buch.
Mein Zwischenstand nach ein paar Seiten, den ich hier mitteilte, spiegelt eig auch die Bewertung des Buches wieder.. es ist pervers, bizarr, sadistisch und auch der Schreibstil aus der Erzählerperspektive fand ich schrecklich.
Die Story selber war gut und vielversprechend, aber ständig dieser Porno und dieses Geschwaffel über Lyrik und Prosa…🤢 dann noch Tierquälerei und einige Rechtschreibfehler..👎🏼
Das Ende war sinnlos und grausam, wie der Anfang.
Im Endeffekt, wenn man am Anfang aufmerksam gelesen hat, wusste man wer der Psycho Mörder ist🤡
By the way ich bin absolute Katzenliebhaberin…
Das ich das Buch noch so gut mit 1 Stern bewerte, ist genauso merkwürdig wie dieses Buch.
Mein Zwischenstand nach ein paar Seiten, den ich hier mitteilte, spiegelt eig auch die Bewertung des Buches wieder.. es ist pervers, bizarr, sadistisch und auch der Schreibstil aus der Erzählerperspektive fand ich schrecklich.
Die Story selber war gut und vielversprechend, aber ständig dieser Porno und dieses Geschwaffel über Lyrik und Prosa…🤢 dann noch Tierquälerei und einige Rechtschreibfehler..👎🏼
Das Ende war sinnlos und grausam, wie der Anfang.
Im Endeffekt, wenn man am Anfang aufmerksam gelesen hat, wusste man wer der Psycho Mörder ist🤡
July 31, 2012
I got halfway through this book before I quit it. It disgusted me so much I stowed it away in a corner of my bookshelf and never looked at it again.
I really enjoyed the first few chapters, but then it just lost most of its fascinating aspects. The author just did not get the plot moving, instead putting in what felt like morbid fillers. The author seems to have a fascination with torture and rape.The book just kept going on and on about them, and animal cruelty, among other disgusting things. By this time it lost all of its mystery and horror. It was just disturbing and rambling.
I really enjoyed the first few chapters, but then it just lost most of its fascinating aspects. The author just did not get the plot moving, instead putting in what felt like morbid fillers. The author seems to have a fascination with torture and rape.The book just kept going on and on about them, and animal cruelty, among other disgusting things. By this time it lost all of its mystery and horror. It was just disturbing and rambling.
October 11, 2014
not smart enough, i predicted who the killer was quiet early which killed my curiosity to finish the book but i finished it anyways hoping that i might be wrong about the who the killer was and i will have one of those shocking stuck in your mind for weeks kind of ending but nope it was simply a weird book. The elements of the story just didn't go together. am disappointed.
August 29, 2012
Certainly opened my eyes on a few things! Author did quite abit of research on the different genre's of writing techniques even though it eas essentially abiut a murder. Weird unexpected ending but an easy read although will not read again
June 26, 2014
What's with all the needless animal killing and torture? Someone is not a fan of cats...
November 19, 2023
Two stars given because I love the work Tony Strong has completed under his pseudonym J.P. Delaney. I pushed through this book, having faith in his writing and his other work.
However, in the end, I was relieved when I finally turned the last page. To put it simply - I loathe this book, and I will explain why:
Firstly, there is senseless animal cruelty. I don't understand the reason or purpose.
Secondly, there is so much pornographic writing that I felt that Strong secretly wanted to write this genre. I am no prude by far, but I really did grow tired of the graphic details.
Thirdly, this being Strong's first novel, I was fooled into believing I was reading his dissertation and not a mystery novel. The main character goes on and on and on about this topic. I grew impatient and bored.
Finally, there were so many useless characters in this book, that ultimately offered little to the story. It was like a bad game of Cluedo - Colonial Mustard in the smoking room, Miss Scarlett in the Oxford hall etc.
I am so disappointed and also have an understanding of why Tony Strong moved to a pseudonym for a fresh start.
However, in the end, I was relieved when I finally turned the last page. To put it simply - I loathe this book, and I will explain why:
Firstly, there is senseless animal cruelty. I don't understand the reason or purpose.
Secondly, there is so much pornographic writing that I felt that Strong secretly wanted to write this genre. I am no prude by far, but I really did grow tired of the graphic details.
Thirdly, this being Strong's first novel, I was fooled into believing I was reading his dissertation and not a mystery novel. The main character goes on and on and on about this topic. I grew impatient and bored.
Finally, there were so many useless characters in this book, that ultimately offered little to the story. It was like a bad game of Cluedo - Colonial Mustard in the smoking room, Miss Scarlett in the Oxford hall etc.
I am so disappointed and also have an understanding of why Tony Strong moved to a pseudonym for a fresh start.
October 25, 2023
Finished. I sort of figured out the whodunit mystery before the end. But I did not approve of the epilogue. It didn't really wrap up like an epilogue normally does. It explained 1 part but then just had a scene that was not valid to any of it. It was just for shock value I believe. 3 stars out of 5. Story had good plot behind it, just so-so pacing and some unnecessary points. I wasn't shocked or embarrassed by any of it, I just thought it wasn't pertinent to the story.
May 11, 2023
I found this book to be very long winded. Too much filler for my taste. Also the ending was so disturbing, I don't see the point of him killing those four kittens. Will not read another book by this author.
August 19, 2019
Just awful
April 21, 2022
Read this when it came out in the nineties and enjoyed it so I thought I would give it another go. Wish I hadn't, it hasn't stood the test of time. The misogyny and homophobia made me sick 😫
July 1, 2023
Мега тъпня с претенции.
October 8, 2012
I really don't know what to say about this novel. It was...odd. There were parts the definitely made me want to take a shower.
On the surface, it's about a serial rapist/killer of men - because the murderer marks these men with lipstick and because the first victim was brutally sodomized, the assumption of many is that the killer is homosexual. The protagonist, a specialist in the detective novel and a recent lesbian herself, begins to delve deeper into the mystery - determined it's the creepy Romantics-obsessed lothario next door. I won't spoil it by giving away the ending if there's anyone who wants to read it.
I just don't know. It's a strange little book.
On the surface, it's about a serial rapist/killer of men - because the murderer marks these men with lipstick and because the first victim was brutally sodomized, the assumption of many is that the killer is homosexual. The protagonist, a specialist in the detective novel and a recent lesbian herself, begins to delve deeper into the mystery - determined it's the creepy Romantics-obsessed lothario next door. I won't spoil it by giving away the ending if there's anyone who wants to read it.
I just don't know. It's a strange little book.
December 20, 2010
The Poison Tree is an alright novel. Parts are a bit confusing to a reader, but the general overtones are great. The first half is a much easier read than the second half - the second half, particularly after the first 200 pages, feels as though the author rushed to get the book done until the final couple of chapters. The ending is great and only mildly forseeable... but while it would be an awesome ending for a film adaptation, it doesn't really flow well with the rest of the book - though it does leave an impression.
February 17, 2011
Slow and disturbing (in a bad way).
December 12, 2011
Wish I could give 3.5! Enjoyable read, worth the ending.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews