EasterBlack-owned or founded brands at TargetGroceryClothing, Shoes & AccessoriesBabyHomeFurnitureKitchen & DiningOutdoor Living & GardenToysElectronicsVideo GamesMovies, Music & BooksSports & OutdoorsBeautyPersonal CareHealthPetsHousehold EssentialsArts, Crafts & SewingSchool & Office SuppliesParty SuppliesLuggageGift IdeasGift CardsClearanceTarget New ArrivalsTarget Finds#TargetStyleTop DealsTarget Circle DealsWeekly AdShop Order PickupShop Same Day DeliveryRegistryRedCardTarget CircleFind Stores

Sponsored

The Poison Tree - by Alan Prendergast (Paperback)

The Poison Tree - by  Alan Prendergast (Paperback) - image 1 of 1
The Poison Tree - by  Alan Prendergast (Paperback) - image 1 of 1
$16.92 sale price when purchased online
$25.99 list price
Target Online store #3991

About this item

Highlights

  • Edgar Award Finalist: The shocking account of a Wyoming father who terrorized his family for years--until his children plotted a deadly solution.
  • About the Author: Alan Prendergast is an award-winning journalist and author.
  • 326 Pages
  • True Crime, Murder

Description



About the Book



Originally published in 1986 by Putnam's under the title The poison tree: a true story of family violence and revenge.



Book Synopsis



Edgar Award Finalist: The shocking account of a Wyoming father who terrorized his family for years--until his children plotted a deadly solution.

One cold November night, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, fifteen-year-old Richard Jahnke Jr., ROTC leader and former Boy Scout, waited for his parents to return from celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the night they met. When his father got out of the car, the boy blasted him through the heart with a twelve-gauge pump-action shotgun. Richard's seventeen-year-old sister, Deborah, was sitting on the living room couch with a high-powered rifle--just in case her brother missed.

Hours later the Jahnke kids were behind bars. Days later they made headlines. So did the truth about the house of horrors on Cowpoke Road.

Was it cold-blooded murder? Or self-defense?

Richard Jahnke Sr., special agent for the IRS, gun collector, and avid reader of Soldier of Fortune, had been subjecting his wife, Maria, and both children to harrowing abuse--physical, psychological, and sexual--for years. Deborah and her brother conspired to finally put a stop to it themselves. But their fate was in the hands of a prejudiced and inept judicial system, and only public outcry could save them.

Written with the full and revealing cooperation of the Jahnkes, this finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime is "the ultimate family nightmare, played out in the heartland of America. . . . From the night of the murder through both trials, convictions and both youngsters' eventual release . . . it's gripping reading" (Chicago Tribune).



Review Quotes




"Riveting . . . Prendergast's book is the true item--thoughtful, moving and exhaustively researched." --Rocky Mountain News

"The most chilling of all crimes." --Newsweek

"An objective, affecting account of the case . . . A searing, convincing indictment." --Publishers Weekly

"[A] thorough account . . . A story of a brutal father who drove his son to murder and of the failure of the community to respond to cries for help." --Library Journal

"Grippingly well told." --Kirkus Reviews



About the Author



Alan Prendergast is an award-winning journalist and author. His stories have appeared in a wide range of magazines and anthologies, including the true crime collection Seven Sins (2012), The Best American Crime Reporting 2008, and The Best American Sports Writing 2009. He has also written for Rolling Stone, Outside, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Men's Journal, and other national publications, and is the author of The Poison Tree (1986), a book about child abuse and parricide that was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime.
Dimensions (Overall): 8.0 Inches (H) x 5.25 Inches (W) x .84 Inches (D)
Weight: .95 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Sub-Genre: Murder
Genre: True Crime
Number of Pages: 326
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
Theme: General
Format: Paperback
Author: Alan Prendergast
Language: English
Street Date: January 30, 2018
TCIN: 90187742
UPC: 9781504049511
Item Number (DPCI): 247-34-8590
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 0.84 inches length x 5.25 inches width x 8 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.95 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: United States Minor Outlying Islands, American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO, Guam (see also separate entry under GU)

Return details

This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.

Get top deals, latest trends, and more.

Privacy policy

Footer

About Us

About TargetCareersNews & BlogTarget BrandsBullseye ShopSustainability & GovernancePress CenterAdvertise with UsInvestorsAffiliates & PartnersSuppliersTargetPlus

Help

Target HelpReturnsTrack OrdersRecallsContact UsFeedbackAccessibilitySecurity & FraudTeam Member Services

Stores

Find a StoreClinicPharmacyOpticalMore In-Store Services

Services

Target Circle™Target Circle™ CardTarget Circle 360™Target AppRegistrySame Day DeliveryOrder PickupDrive UpFree 2-Day ShippingShipping & DeliveryMore Services
PinterestFacebookInstagramXYoutubeTiktokTermsCA Supply ChainPrivacyCA Privacy RightsYour Privacy ChoicesInterest Based AdsHealth Privacy Policy