| Title | : | A Poison Tree (Time, Blood and Karma, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published April 30, 2014 |
And so is murder.
Fans of Braddock will finally learn the sequence of events that drove him into exile in Asia, while for new readers, ‘A Poison Tree’ is the perfect introduction to the ‘Time, Blood and Karma’ series.
A Poison Tree (Time, Blood and Karma, #3) Reviews
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Though I loved the first two books in the Time, Blood and Karma series, The Poison Tree took the saga to a whole different level. In this flashback to 1999 we discover a much different David Braddock, a man who adores his wife and tolerates his role in the family business, a far cry from the jaded, womanizing detective-slash therapist in books one and two. Not only is the writing flawless, it moves the characters along with greater depth of emotion and compassion, deftly revealing facets of their personalities as they interact with one another against an undercurrent of menace that in time will pull them under. Individual plotlines are carefully layered to give surprisingly rich insights into the complexities of the human heart. It is truly a first-class piece of fiction. Bravo, Mr. Dolan! I hope there will be more to come!
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A Poison Tree (Time, Blood and Karma, #3) by John Dolan simply blew me away with the author's wonderful characters and detailed descriptions of family in England leading up to the end of 1999. This book is full of suspicion, Dolan Hitchcock-style - tragedy, Dolan Shakespeare-style - drama, mystery, Dolan Patricia Highsmith-style. The author takes a mundane marriage and shoots a million amps through it, strapped to an electric chair.
I particularly enjoyed the opening scene so reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train that sets an underlying tone of deceit, paranoia, mistrust and murder. And this is where we meet sardonic detective David Braddock before he ever thought of becoming sardonic detective David Braddock. Here he is a happily married family man with a boring mundane life as a car salesman.
But David's life rapidly unwinds and is far from boring from the moment he meets deranged businessman Jim Fosse who offers him a rather unusual marriage get out clause. The author uses humour to great effect to balance the tragedy and misery interspersed throughout this great mystery novel.
Yet again John Dolan has reached new heights of literary excellence and FIVE AWESOME STARS seems not enough. Very highly recommended to all fans of mystery thrillers that do not come too quickly to the boil but rather simmer satisfyingly until cooked. -
*** THE SERIES KEEPS GETTING BETTER ***
A Poison Tree, the third book in the Time, Blood and Karma series for author John Dolan is actually a prequel. It tells the story of how the main character, David Braddock came to be in Thailand.
It is also my favourite of the three books so far. I know I’m giving away a lot here. It’s akin to choosing a favourite child—you’re not supposed to do it, but …
Everyone Burns kicked off the series and captivated me based on a strong protagonist in an exotic land. Hungry Ghosts continued the trend with more shenanigans and provided further insight into David Braddock’s mind.
In A Poison Tree, the setting has moved from Thailand to England. We are taken back in time (1999 – 2001) to where David Braddock grew up, got married, and led a ‘normal’ life before something happened to him, causing him to flee to Southeast Asia. That something is revealed in this book. The tale is fascinating, twisted, and unpredictable.
The intricate story of David and his wife Claire drew me in from the start. It was a complex relationship of secrets and lies, but in the end, it was a love story. I’m a sucker for a love story. I challenge anyone not to be when it’s written with poignant detail, yet never spirals into over-sentimentality. If you don’t feel your throat clenching or your heart sinking while reading some of the passages, I’d suggest checking to make sure you still have a pulse.
With colourful characters and a criminal element dished out in subtle narrative, A Poison Tree is an angst-filled journey guided by cunning misdirection. For lovers of mystery and thriller novels, there is plenty of intrigue and moments of “I DID NOT see that coming.” What’s more, the atmospheric pace counterpoints perfectly with noir-ish undertones.
Even though each of Mr. Dolan’s books stands on its own, I loved reading them in the order he wrote them. He drew me in so cleverly with his first two books, and A Poison Tree answered the outstanding questions.
What a joy to discover a series that only keeps getting better. -
5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to the fresh and beautiful words of John Dolan May 4, 2014
By Billy Ray Chitwood
Format:Kindle Edition
John Dolan's literary genius is constantly evident in "A Poison Tree," his third installment of the 'Time, Blood, and Karma Series'. Ultimately, there are to be seven books in the series, each book standing alone but tracking our anti-hero, Englishman David Braddock, and his amusing, dangerous, and sad adventures. If you have read "Everyone Burns", Book 1, and "Hungry Ghosts", Book 2, you will have experienced the delightful and masterful way Mr. Dolan handles his craft...my bet is you will be a fan for life.
Books 1 and 2 take place primarily on the Thai island of Samui and Bangkok and deal most absorbingly with murder and mayhem, as David Braddock rather stoically attends to the business at hand. In Book 3, "A Poison Tree," we will come to know how and why David left England for Thailand. Mr. Dolan's magical penning begins most compellingly and dramatically in Chapter 1, and continues through forty-odd chapters weaving his captivating prose with colorful, unforgettable characters, English mores, and some of life's devastating events which ultimately betray Braddock's sane and sensible nobility. No spoilers here, but I can say without fear of contradiction that the ending will have you gasping for air. "A Poison Tree" is truly a 5-Star read.
If you are a first-time John Dolan reader, welcome to his fresh and beautiful world of words, at times humorous, at times poetic in the penning, at times emotional and somber, and always deliciously entertaining. When one speaks of writing purity, that person must surely have Mr. Dolan in mind.
In 2015 his fans will be treated to Book 4 in the 'Time, Blood and Karma Series' - "Running On Emptiness."
I'm first in line... -
"A Poison Tree" by John Dolan is a prequel to his David Braddock detective series, `Time, Blood and Karma." This novel is set in the UK, before Braddock moves to Asia. It begins at the turn of the millennium and a cinematic reference to `Strangers on a Train' kicks off the novel on its complex and well plotted course.
The rather amusing character Jim proposes not so jokingly to his friend David that they kill each other's wives. David declines as he claims to be happy in his marriage, but this is not entirely true. The light-hearted, yet serious conversation establishes perfectly the well-pitched tone of the novel: often hilarious and sometimes sentimental.
Adultery, unhappiness and betrayal shape some of the relationships in the novel as much as love and kindness surprise in others. Separate narratives tell the story with focus on several characters of the story, allowing multiple perspectives and creating a stimulating and engaging plot flow.
Planned murder and contract killers make up the crime part of the story while an escort and a sexy vicar are amongst the softer and funnier moments.
The characters are colourful but also have great inner conflicts, making this a far cry from a mindless comedy. Plenty of witticisms and clever cinematic references round this well-crafted novel.
Hugely enjoyable. -
Another great read in the Time, Blood and Karma Series.
Author John Dolan does it again! Hooked right from the start! Another intriguing tale however, there were once again passages that brought a smile to my face. The book is full of conspiracy, deceit, love, betrayal, and tragedy. A young David Braddock meets Anna, and then falls in love with her sister, Claire. Life moves on and he hires detective, Mr Cumberbatch to do some investigations into some personal concerns. But what’s worse, why would he want to meet the psychopath, Jim Fosse, let alone do a deal with him? This story twists and turns in the true Dolan style. Yet, another great story that gives the reader the backdrop to the books, ‘Everyone Burns and Hungry Ghosts’. A must read series! -
John Dolan takes us back in time to 1999 to extensively cover events that he had previously alluded to in Everyone Burns & Hungry Ghosts. Although the setting is far from exotic (Leicester vs Thailand) the storyline certainly doesn't disappoint.
This book contains all the action, suspense, salaciousness, humor, wisdom, intrigue and excitement that we've come across so far. It's just as much of a page-turner as the two previous books.
Now that we know about David Braddock's past, we'll be able to enjoy (hopefully very soon) more of his escapades around SE Asia from a more knowledgeable perspective. -
Very well written. Intricate plot.
Humor blended with tragedy, served with deep insight. -
A Poison Tree (Time, Blood and Karma Series) by John Dolan. You can’t escape you past even if you move to Thailand
I have had the pleasure of reading all of John Dolan’s books in his series ‘Time, Blood, and Karma’ (up to now) about a very singular detective/therapist David Braddock, who lives in Thailand, is witty, deadpan, a pocket philosopher, fascinated by Buddhism, and with an intriguing back story.
When I read the first novel ‘Everyone Burns’ I wanted to know more about the main character, who is the conscience and narrator of the book, and through whose eyes we see the action. The more the story advanced, the more I wondered how reliable a narrator he was, and how many things he wasn’t telling us about himself.
I loved ‘Hungry Ghosts’ where the story further develops, the incidents get much closer home, and the interconnectedness of everything and everybody becomes clearer and clearer. The author leaves a big hook hanging at the end of the book but then…
He publishes ‘A Poison Tree’. The title is taken from a quote by William Blake and it is very appropriate. Because instead of following the story, Mr Dolan goes back to give us the background to his character David Braddock. We meet him in 1999 —when everybody was concerned about the possibility that the New Year might bring the end of the world —in England, Leicester of all places. His novel is hardly a recommendation to visit Leicester. See this description of the location of David’s office (he’s managing his father’s car dealership):
‘Behold ye the land of cheap exhausts, tyre-changing ramps, blackened welding shops, and undercapitalised garages mutating slowly into car washes.’
Unfortunately he could be describing a large number of places.
David is the witty character we get to know and love later, but he appears more vulnerable and very troubled. Although his troubles are not quite in the same league as those he encounters as a detective, he is not a lucky man. He meets a very shady character, Jim Fosse, who starts talking about the perfect murder and quotes Hitchcock’s ‘Strangers in a Train’ scenario. He wants rid of his wife and thinks that swapping crimes might be the way forward. David dismisses it as he is happy with his wife Claire…or is he? His sister-in-law and old friend, Anna has a disastrous marriage, her husband is having an affair, and at some point it seems as if everybody is having an affair, even Claire. We later discover that things are not as they seem, but unfortunately it is too late by then.
Although the major voice in this novel is again David’s, and by his own confession, he is trying to write everything that happened, as an exercise in exorcism (although not quite), there are other characters we hear too, Jim Fosse (although a nasty man and a psychopath, I must confess he is very entertaining and devious. Hear him: ‘I don’t have any friends. I don’t need them. Friends are an unnecessary burden. I only have accomplices.’), Adele, a Scottish woman, now living in Leicester, who makes her living working in a shop and prostituting herself, who is an observer but somehow involved with many of the main players, Claire (David’s wife), Anna…They all have secrets, they all live a lie, but nearly all of them survive to tell the tale. And to carry on with other stories.
‘A Poison Tree’ (reflecting on the nature of desire David concludes that it is ‘a poison tree’) closes the circle taking us to the point when David decides to leave the UK (‘I will be glad to be off this shabby little island. It’s so fucking pleased with itself. I’ve been here too long.) and is going first to Bali but then moving to Thailand, making use of the money his wonderful Aunt Jean (I’d love to hear more of her story) leaves him in her will, encouraging him to live. He mentions becoming a detective and going back to using what he’s learned about therapies.
And so there we are. Now I see many things and I understand a bit better. ‘A Poison Tree’ can be read independently without any knowledge of the other two, as it sets up the scene. Having read the other two novels I could not help but keep having ‘ahhhh!’ moments and sharing in the anxiety, worries and sadness of the characters. I enjoyed getting to know David’s family better and getting to grips with the relationship with his wife and his guilt. This novel is far less exotic and not as fast paced as the rest of the series, but it is much more reflective and insidious, built like a complicated puzzle where pieces eventually fit in but not as you thought, and it is suffused by a sense of dread, melancholy and regret. Not all prequels are good but this is one of the excellent ones. I think it was a good choice to publish the novels in this order. It feels as if the author is giving us some space to breathe and feeding us information that might help us fully understand and enjoy what’s yet to come. And I very much suspect it will be a very bumpy ride. -
A Poison Tree is John Dolan’s third book in his ‘Time, Blood and Karma’ series and is, in a word, fantastic. I make every effort to not overuse superlatives since they lose their effect and can actually dampen the impact of reviews like these. “Oh, come on, B.R.,” I can hear you say. “Fantastic? Really? I bet you say that to all the books with pretty covers.”
So at the risk of dampening this review like a wet, cold mist over Leicester, I repeat; A Poison Tree is fantastic.
I’ve been looking forward to discovering what David Braddock, Dolan’s burned out, anti-hero, private investigator protagonist has been up to since the end of Hungry Ghosts, the second book in the series that, until now, had been set in Thailand. But Dolan, as he is so capable of doing, threw all of us a curve by taking us back in a time to England, 1999. Set against the backdrop of the approaching Millennium, A Poison Tree serves as a prequel to Everyone Burns, the first book in the series. And through the skillful use and mix of alternating character points of view and first and third person narrative, Dolan reveals the sequence of events that drove Braddock to his Asian exile. The book opens with an homage to ‘noir’ storytelling with Braddock and an acquaintance, Jim Fosse, (readers will remember him from Dolan’s short story, Jim Fosse’s Expense Claim) drinking heavily in a local pub. And the opening line sets up the book and hooks us right from the start:
“I’m thinking of killing my wife.”
The stable of characters is fully-fleshed with a world-weariness that sit perfectly, but rest uneasy, within the book’s setting. The Millennium milestone provides great foundational context as Dolan’s themes of ennui, uncertainty, and human frailty, so skillfully woven into the narrative and characters’ interplay, emerge in a (Warning-Superlative Alert) magnificent fashion. The nagging sores of everyday life in the late 20th century have rarely been this exposed, or this well treated.
Dolan’s skills as a writer continue to evolve and he stays true to what seems to be one of his primary objectives: Never use lengthy descriptive phrases when one word will do. I can almost see him, pen in hand, redlining and scratching his head for the perfect word. His attention to this level of detail demonstrates a dedicated commitment to quality writing and respect for his readers. This level of dedication helps separate him from other authors and it’s another trait of his I greatly admire. Here’s a short sample from Braddock’s reflection on desire that rises out of an interaction that has a profound impact on him and the story:
**
Desire is a chameleon.
He blends into the brickwork and the rocks of those lanes and pathways down which we walk. He lurks like a highwayman at the crossroads of our lives, waiting to rob us of our reason.
And he does so for sport.
He lies on the rooftops of our imagination, armed with a high-powered rifle.
Desire is a tireless hunter.
**
This is just small example of what awaits readers. Get your copy today. You’ll be glad you did. And you’ll be thanking John Dolan profusely from the comfort of page one.
A Poison Treeends as Braddock is just beginning his Asian exile. I have no idea where Book #4 will begin; Dolan could simply pick up where this one ends or he could decide to return to the point where Hungry Ghosts let off. Regardless, it won’t matter. One could simply ask Mr. Dolan how his Monday went and, three months later, he could hand you a book describing it that would keep you turning the pages, provide you with tons of entertainment, and teach you something in the process.
He’s that _______ good! (Insert your own superlative) -
Having read the first two in the Time, Blood and Karma series, I was well aware of Braddock's troubled past and so I was very much looking forward to discovering the details involved. A Poison Tree takes us back to 1999 in lovely(or not so)Leicester, England, and grants us a window on the events leading to Braddock's departure for the Far East. As with the first two, the writing is superb and one cannot help but appreciate Mr. Dolan's command of the English language. In addition to being filled with intrigue, the plot contains a good deal of philosophical offerings as well as Dolan's trademark humor.
"A copy of Madame Bovary was open on my desk. Like most of my reading it had been recommended to me by my sister-in-law, Anna. Years before she had taken it upon herself to give me a literary education, and to my surprise I had become a voracious consumer of Russian and European novels, philosophical works and, God help me, poetry. If my former rugby-playing friends had been aware of my guilty weakness for books, they would without doubt have felt inclined to squeeze my privates in the scrum by way of warning. At least my PA was diplomatic enough not to mention it when she found this sort of material concealed among my paperwork. It must be like finding your boss is downloading porn. Only worse." - David Braddock, A Poison Tree
The above passage is one of several gems at which I chuckled throughout what is, often times, a poignant tale. I can readily identify with how undesirable reading can be in certain circles.
At any rate, I loved this book and truly could not pry the Kindle from my hand whenever I delved into it. I habitually read several books at once and generally will hop back and forth between them without any sense of urgency for completion. Every now and then one comes along which will force me to lay all the others aside and actually stay focused, and this was certainly in that group. There is mystery, humor, and insight about life which I believe all can relate to contained within. One wouldn't have to have read the first two in order to follow this plot but after reading any of Mr. Dolan's work it becomes difficult to not crave more.
*waits impatiently for book #4* -
David Braddock has a happy home life and a successful business he enjoys running. When he runs into occasional acquaintance Jim Fosse in a bar, things begin to change. Jim makes him a surprising offer: kill my wife and I'll kill yours. David has no reason to kill his wife and is appalled at the offer. But then his life begins to slowly fall apart both at home and at work. Perhaps Jim Fosse's suggestion wasn't as outlandish as it first appeared?
As his life spirals out of any of his control, David struggles to come to terms with the reality of his situation. But what is real and what is just a figment of his imagination, grown from a malicious poisonous seed?
This is a fantastic read, if at times pretty bleak. It shows how what appears on the surface to be a stable lifestyle is only held up by the slimmest of supports and these can easily be removed. Throughout all of the main plot following David's fall, some of it from external factors, some of it very much of his own making, there are several twists which take the story in a new directions, some of which are like emotional hammer blows, others are reveals that are obvious in hindsight.
Despite the dark tone of the story Dolan's light touch keeps things moving along preventing the flow from getting anywhere near being described as 'harrowing'. Characters and dialogue are very well handled and there is a natural pace that draws the reader on, even if they are unsure if they want to find out what happens next.
An interesting read and a recommended one for anyone who appreciates realistic characters and plotting. -
"Death has a way of clearing your calendar."
A Poison Tree, book three in Time, Blood and Karma series by John Dolan is a rapturous read. Powerful, emotional and with great depth. The writing style invites you right in and it's an intriguing escape into an entirely different life. The storyline keeps you guessing and there is comedy that makes the dark parts anything but dull and melancholy. Yet the ongoing hypocrisy is almost too much!
Writing doesn't get much better than this. There were some lines I had to save so I could not forget them. The ongoing sarcasm is enthralling while the story that takes you back in time, before the first book has my curiosity spiked.
This is a series that is easy to go from one book to the other. Hard to put down and throughly mesmerizing.
Quote ~
"Looking back, that was the first time in my life I was truly afraid. Not of commitment, or of responsibility, or disappointment. I had known worries, the insecurities of childhood, and the strange, sometimes neurotic concerns of the teenage years. I had known sadness and loneliness of one that loses his mother to the unfathomable brutality of death. But this was my first experience of adult helplessness. For in that instant of love I knew both the strength and the weakness that apprehension draws from the human heart." -
I'm genuinely surprised to say that A Poison Tree is my favorite book in the Time, Blood and Karma series (so far). Not because I didn't think it would be good, but because I'd become attached to anti-ish hero David Braddock's life in Thailand. His life in an exotic locale as a private eye with a very sexy and complicated love life. I didn't particularly want to be brought back to his home in England or even to meet his wife - the one whose mysterious death he alludes to so often in the other books. I was wrong. What I found so compelling about this story was that I was introduced to a very different David Braddock. This David isn't as world weary or self-confident. He chafes under the thumb of his father's business empire, he's uncertain of the people around him, and he's happier. For all of its misunderstandings, conundrums and petty betrayals, family life actually suits David Braddock very well, and the loss of that structure is what informs the David of the previous books - Future David. Thailand David. The David that gains independence and a swagger at a horrible price.
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The prequel to the Blood, Love, and Karma series is exceptional. I should not be surprised, the author has proven himself to be beyond talented. This story shows the extent of that talent. Written third (this book has been released after the first two books in the series...) that means he either had all this backstory clearly developed in his mind, or he is a mastermind. He created a story that not only answered the questions brought to light in the books, but also seamlessly set up the plots of the series.
I am even more torn over the broken, David Braddock. He has a reason... the simple things we say, chance encounters, and rash actions can change life in an instant. How a tragic death can kill more than just one person.
This is a seamless story and journey of a charismatic and broken man... and now I cannot wait for the next in the series. -
A Poison Tree is quite different from Everyone Burns and Hungry Ghosts, for all that it also centers around the life and times of one David Braddock. While the first two books follow his adventures as a widower, ex-pat, film-noir-worthy anti-hero in Thailand, this third novel returns to Braddock's married life, a decade before, in England.
(Strong hint: go grab John's twisted, grimly funny short story Jim Fosse's Expense Claim prior to the read. It's a savory little amuse bouche before this main course.)
Opening with an unexpected and shocking proposition, John Dolan builds a simmering, quietly compelling thriller, tangling the lives of a car showroom manager, his wife, his sister-in-law, a prostitute, a vicar, and a psychopath. When the crisis comes, all is not as it seems. Suspicion, passion, infidelity, and murder, all doled out with Mr. Dolan's trademark wit and intelligent prose. -
Having recently discovered John Dolan I am now an ardent fan. A Poison Tree is the third book in the Time, Blood and Karma series, though I have yet to read the first two. As a standalone novel it holds up well and has a lot to offer.
The idea of introducing the back story by way of a prequel to the series is clever. It gives the author scope to delve more deeply into the psyche of the characters in a way that wouldn’t have been possible had he fed the back story into the first two books of the series, as well as explaining why David Braddock ended up in Koh Samui and resolving a lot of unanswered questions.
The complex relationships between David Braddock and his friends and family lend mystery and intrigue to this unusual gritty tale and reveal the characters’ motivations. With its strong spiritual theme and reflective passages it makes for thought-provoking reading, some of it quite poignant. A dark humour is at work throughout the book and the build-up of psychological suspense keeps the reader engaged and constantly on edge.
Dolan’s work is rich in literary reference and he has an excellent command of the English language. I particularly liked his passages on the nature of desire...
Desire is a chameleon
He blends into the brickwork and the rocks of those lanes and pathways down which we walk. He lurks like a highwayman, at the crossroads of our lives, waiting to rob us of our reason.
Desire is a tireless hunter
He plants seeds of mephitic longing in our minds; seeds that germinate, take root and put out branches of madness to infect and torment us.
He is a poison tree.
I’m itching to see where life leads David Braddock and find out if his path crosses with that of the enigmatic Jim Fosse - Nefarious characters never fail to intrigue me! A Poison Tree has certainly inspired me to read the first two books in the series and gets a resounding thumbs-up from me. -
An absorbing page turner
This is a very well plotted psychological family mystery/drama with twists and turns that kept me turning the pages into the early hours. The opening had me immediately hooked, when a seemingly innocuous business lunch with a new acquaintance turned into an unsettling request: “You kill my wife – and I'll kill yours.” Author John Dolan uses themes that are familiar to us all, such as infidelity, misunderstandings, secrets, unresolved grief, guilt and finding comfort in the wrong things, and deftly weaves them into this clever, multi-layered plot. The characterisation is superb, with all the main players somehow connected to another, even if it's not obvious. Later on, the way those connections are revealed is nicely done. Some of the characters didn't quite have a happy ever after resolution, leaving me eager to know more. Just as in life, we don't know what lies ahead.
Towards the end of the book I began to wonder: is David (the first person narrator) being honest with the reader? Have I picked up on little clues left by the author, or has his excellent writing conjured up that thought in me? Will David reveal a different side of himself when he takes up his planned new life in Thailand? The story ending is gripping and satisfying, with plenty to make me want to read the next book. I enjoyed this story immensely and will look out for more by author John Dolan. A highly recommended read for fans of psychological dramas. -
‘A Poison Tree’ is book 3 in the ‘Time, Blood and Karma series and provides the back story to the first two books, ‘Everyone Burns (Bk1) and ‘Hungry Ghosts’ (Bk2). It is exceptionally clever picking up the echo of a theme that nothing in life is random, that everything in the cosmos has connectivity especially in the life of David Braddock, PI. Just in the same way Buddhism leads to enlightenment it explains how David (and many of the other characters) got to where the series begins on the island of Samui.
As Buddha says, “Everything we do has consequences”. This is a story of where those consequences lead the characters and have impacted on the story so far. For me the spiritual theme throughout was thought provoking in this poignant and intuitive back story. It woke a few of my hungry ghosts, some of them quite painful, but had me hanging on every wonderful word.
‘Time can move quickly when it loses its memory, or when there are no new memories to create. Reality’s vulture flies down and picks at the bones of our dreams.’
I would defy anyone not to be moved by this book, to have memories evoked from the dark recesses of the mind, to be played out once again – even places we may not wish to go. What a wonderful read and exceptional writer John Dolan is.
A clever and quite often brilliant, back story to the series -
"I'm thinking of killing my wife..." An absurd proclamation takes a stranger turn as David Braddock leaves his acquaintance, Jim Fosse behind after an evening at the local pub.
Those bizarre words play round in David's head as his idyllic life hits a rocky patch. His career in the family business is dominated by his strong-willed father. His relationship with his revered wife may be tarnished with betrayal. As things unravel around him, memories consume him and the choices he made taunt him. Braddock is not alone. The lives of his family members and acquaintances are filled with troubling situations as well. His thoughts wander back to the haunting conversation with Fosse--will he choose a dark path to ease his angst?
Author Dolan weaves an intriguing tale of relationships and the complexities and choices they bring. Some run away, others choose violence, a few run into another's arms, and then there are those who prefer to ignore the drama that surrounds them, remaining oblivious. What path would you choose? Would you be prepared for the outcome? Put this book on your TBR, a highly recommended read! -
A rather heavier book than what I had anticipated knowing a little about the series it belongs to. There's quite a bit of introspection and soul searching here interwoven with some crime stories. The blend comes out as a little weird, plus the introspective sections tend to ramble and to get kind of patronising.
PersonallyI preferred the previous book (A Red Mist) but this was decent enough a read. -
Very well written. Intricate plot.
Humor blended with tragedy, served with deep insight. -
A Poison Tree is the third book in John Dolan’s Time, Blood and Karma trilogy, but the novel properly sits at the front of the queue. Dolan describes the antecedents of the anguish protagonist David Braddock displays in earlier books (Everyone Burns and Hungry Ghosts) which take place in Thailand in the years following A Poison Tree. There’s lots of soul-searching in Dolan’s books, all if thoughtful and credible, but not why I read this genre. A Poison Tree features rather more introspection than its predecessors, but strong story lines and well-developed characters more than compensate. At it’s core, it’s a multiple murder mystery combined with a family tragedy with a few doses of infidelity thrown in. I now appreciate how Braddock came to be the mess he is once he opens his detective agency in Ko Samui. Fans of both character studies and thrillers will find plenty of hooks in Time, Blood and Karma. Ideally, start with A Poison Tree, then Everyone Burns and Hungry Ghosts.
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Good book
You people should just read this novel yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourselves and I really enjoyed reading this novel very much so.Shelley Ma -
A Poison Tree is a prequel to John Dolan’s previous two suspense/detective novels. A prequel is supposed to clear up all the earlier questions. In A Poison Tree, John Dolan introduces a half dozen new characters that will surely appear in future novels of the series (I have a couple of favorites. I look forward to encountering them again). He also performs the daredevil feat of creating a prequel that leaves more questions than answers. This, of course, assures that his readers will be eager to read his fourth outing, Running on Emptiness (due in 2015). Clever man, that Dolan.
Digression: I’ve decided to go public with the book reviewer’s dirty little secret: sometimes a book review is just a book review, but sometimes it is an opportunity for the reviewer to show off. The following paragraph was written after reading only 4 pages of A Poison Tree. I debated leaving it out, but I’m a bit of an exhibitionist. Let this be a lesson to you.
Three pages into A Poison Tree, I read the word “uxoricide”. Surely this was a harbinger of lagniappes to come. I rushed for my Tilley hat. I knew that my imminent immersion in Mr. Dolan’s smart-alecky tintinnabulacious perspicuity, like a diaphanous angiosperm in a fugacious rain, would best coruscate for me while in a galericulate state. Now get off your fat lassitude, and retrieve your OED. I’ll wait.
Now back to the actual review. Yes, this book contains words such as wastrel, refulgent and mephitic, and enough abstruse allusions to keep me happy. But along the way, a curious thing happened to Mr. Dolan. He has to date fathered 3 works of fiction. With this 3rd child, he seems to be taking the responsibility of parenthood more seriously. He is less the smarty-pants and more the literary philosopher who plumbs the depths of the human soul. If you dig beneath the surface of a smart-aleck, you will often find a deeply serious temperament well suited to elucidating the human condition. Mr. Dolan proves my point. His earlier books made me feel a lot of different emotions, but they did not make me cry. This one did (don’t misinterpret me. I felt all of the other emotions triggered by good suspense, but there is also a depth in A Poison Tree that resonated with me).
As to the suspense component, A Poison Tree has more twists and turns than San Francisco’s Lombard Street. A good suspense writer throws surprises at the reader. A great suspense writer hurls them at the reader like a 98 mph fastball. Warning: wear a protective helmet while reading A Poison Tree.
I tend to eschew plot summary in my reviews. That is well covered by other reviewers. I will only mention that the main character, David Braddock, is as deeply developed a fictional protagonist as I have ever encountered in modern suspense fiction. Learning about Braddock, little by little, makes the series worthwhile, even if he were not surrounded by great suspense plots, which he is.
The last time you and I spoke, dear reader, about Mr. Dolan was in Oct. of 2013, at which point I was bemoaning the fact that I would have to wait for the 3rd novel in the series. I now realize that one cannot demand great story writing on schedule. A Poison Tree was well worth the wait. I expect nothing less than greatness from Mr. Dolan, and I would urge him to take as long as he needs to complete Running on Emptiness. -
‘A Poison Tree’ is billed as the third book of the ‘Time, Blood and Karma’ series yet, in a sense, it’s also both the fourth and the second. That may sound odd to any reader who’s not read John Dolan’s previous works, so I’ll explain my reasoning. The author’s first tale, a short humorous romp featuring Jim Fosse and an interchange of communication over an expense claim that ends in a highly unexpected fashion, introduces the reader to a strong character whose presence is a driving force in this novel. Fosse possesses the despicable intelligence of the psychopath and is a master puppeteer who manipulates people and situations at whim. Here his spider web lands the protagonist, David Braddock in his third outing, in an almost untenable position. So in that sense the Fosse-centric book becomes part of the series, making this the fourth.
Then there’s the foundation stone that cements Braddock’s current existence in Thailand, which is the essence of this novel. It’s almost as if the author had a need to explain the why’s and how’s of his protagonist’s Asian sojourn through this peek into his backstory, before continuing with the chronicle of Braddock’s life in future novels. Chronologically, this novel takes place before Braddock leaves the UK for Samui Island and the more exotic adventures related in the ‘Everyone Burns’ and ‘Hungry Ghosts’ novels. That would make this book the second in the series.
Irrelevant mathematics aside, author John Dolan’s tale of infidelity and frustration is an intricate interweaving of relationships that seems to become more complicated with every new chapter as the reader discover matters are never quite what they seem. As usual with Dolan’s work, the characters are exceptionally solid, realistic and well-drawn and the scene-setting provides a credible backdrop for the events that unfold. The author expertly manages the reader’s emotional reaction through exemplary prose, so be prepared to laugh a few times, grin a lot more, and feel the contrasting emotion of deep sadness as some secrets are revealed and others kept.
Overall this novel is far more than an explanation of David Braddock’s presence in Thailand; it adds further dimension to the already complex character that Dolan had birthed and sets the stage for future episodes in the protagonist’s life. I have only one request of the author: please bring back Jim Fosse in a future tale: he’s a modern Moriarty, the villain whose deeds we love to hate whilst simultaneously admiring his cunning guile.
Despite this book being the second, third or fourth in a series, it can be read as a stand-alone with ease. I would thoroughly recommend it to all lovers of exceptional fiction. Looking forward to the next from this author. -
From the Amazon blurb: “You kill my wife and I’ll kill yours.” You must admit, as a proposition, it has an alluring symmetry to it.
It is 1999, and as the Millennium approaches, old certainties wither. For family man, David Braddock, his hitherto predictable world is undergoing a slow collapse. The people closest to him seem suddenly different. As desires and aspirations tangle around each other like parasite stems, betrayal is in the air.
And so is murder.
Fans of Braddock will finally learn the sequence of events that drove him into exile in Asia, while for new readers, A Poison Tree is the perfect introduction to the Time, Blood and Karma series.
My review: What a ride! After reading Everyone Burns and Hungry Ghosts I have to confess to wondering what brought our intrepid hero to the tropical paradise of Thailand. From the opening line, “I’m thinking of killing my wife,” said Jim. “Can we talk about that for a while?”, I suspected I’d never be able to put this book down. I was right.
Dolan has woven a tapestry that is so intricate, so compelling, that I couldn’t quite divorce myself from the story even when I was sleeping. I’m serious! Last night, in my dream, I was telling a friend about A Poison Tree!
As with every story, there are ‘good’ characters and ‘bad’ characters. I even found myself caring about the worst of them, nearly as much as the best of them. They are so well developed, and the story is so well told, that the characters came to life for me. I lived the tale.
Now that I’m finished reading, the events in the other two books make a lot more sense. In fact, I’m thinking of re-reading them now that I’m armed with fresh knowledge.
John Dolan is a story-teller of the first water and I very strongly recommend that you pick up all his books and get ready for some astonishingly good reading.
About the author: "Makes a living by travelling, talking a lot and sometimes writing stuff down. Galericulate author, polymath and occasional smarty-pants."
John Dolan hails from a small town in the North-East of England. Before turning to writing, his career encompassed law and finance. He has run businesses in Europe, South and Central America, Africa and Asia. He and his wife Fiona currently divide their time between Thailand and the UK.
His mystery novel 'Everyone Burns' is the first book in the 'Time, Blood and Karma' series.
Other books by John Dolan, Everyone Burns, Hungry Ghosts, and Jim Fosse’s Expense Claim can be found at Amazon. -
This is the fourth book I have read by John Dolan, and I absolutely love the way he meshes the first book "Jim Fosse's Expense Claim",in to this series of books. He has melded the two stories together so very cleverly.
It is also technically the third volume in the series "Time, Blood and Karma" The books follow David Braddock, a complicated and troubled individual that has relocated to Thailand to work as a counsellor and private investigator. The Poison Tree tells of David's life prior to this move. Of the time when he lived and worked in a dim, damp and dismal Leicester, offering an extreme contrast to his exotic lifestyle in Thailand.
Where do I start? This is the best so far, the wordmanship John utilises is amazing, leaving me a very jealous author. His use of words and descriptions of characters and relationships is superb.
This book is instrumental in bringing enlightenment to the reader by way of fleshing out the bones of the characters,that are portrayed in the previous books. This is in addition to a more in depth analysis of the character Jim Fosse. This is a prequel of sorts, and allows the reader to consider the characters from the first two volumes in more depth, giving us a detailed analysis of each individual. Explaining more fully why certain characters act the way that they do.
This book has plenty of light and shade, taking me from sad and emotional individual, to giggling at the irreverent behaviour of Auntie Jean that David Braddock visits.
Once again I am compelled to give this a utterly well deserved five stars. I can't wait to read what adventures David gets up to in the next book in the series. I am certain once again John will provide David with tumultuous events and relationships to keep us reading avidly -
First off I was prepared to not like this book (especially with Jim Fosse's name invoked at the outset) - I thought that the series didn't need a prequel. I was of the mind that this story, if it needed to be told at all, would have been better served by slowly introducing it by bits into future installments. I may have been right; I may have been wrong - it makes no difference as this ain't really that book anyway.
Oh the events are there all right and so those that needed a back story as a foundational basis for the series should be more than happy; but somewhere in there the book became less of a linear narrative of "how did it all begin" and evolved into a very touching meditation on anicca and even anatta.
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Upajjhatthana Sutta
(
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipita...)
"There are these five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained. Which five?
"'I am subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging.' This is the first fact that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained.
"'I am subject to illness, have not gone beyond illness.' ...
"'I am subject to death, have not gone beyond death.' ...
"'I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me.' ...
"'I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir.' ...
"These are the five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained.
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Mettā
Now back to those mean streets..........
