Review: Hugely enjoyable
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 3, 2014
"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.