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The Fatal Tree
London, the 1720s. Welcome to 'Romeville', the underworld of that great city. The financial crash caused by the South Sea Bubble sees the rise of Jonathan Wild, self-styled 'Thief-taker General' who purports to keep the peace while brutally controlling organised crime. Only two people truly defy him: Jack Sheppard, apprentice turned house-breaker, and his lover, the notorious whore and pickpocket Edgworth Bess.
From the condemned cell at Newgate, Bess gives her account of how she and Jack formed the most famous criminal partnership of their age: a tale of lost innocence and harsh survival, passion and danger, bold exploits and spectacular gaol-breaks - and of the price they paid for rousing the mob of Romeville against its corrupt master.
Bess dictates her narrative to Billy Archer, a Grub Street hack and aspiring poet who has rubbed shoulders with Defoe and Swift. But he also inhabits that other underworld of 'molly-houses' and 'unnameable sin', and has his own story of subterfuge, treachery and doomed romance to deliver. As the gallows casts its grim shadow, who will live to escape the Fatal Tree?
By the acclaimed author of THE LONG FIRM, this is a tour de force; inventive, atmospheric and rich in the street slang of the era. Drawing on real figures and a true history of crime, punishment and rough justice, it tells a heartbreaking story of love and betrayal.
From the condemned cell at Newgate, Bess gives her account of how she and Jack formed the most famous criminal partnership of their age: a tale of lost innocence and harsh survival, passion and danger, bold exploits and spectacular gaol-breaks - and of the price they paid for rousing the mob of Romeville against its corrupt master.
Bess dictates her narrative to Billy Archer, a Grub Street hack and aspiring poet who has rubbed shoulders with Defoe and Swift. But he also inhabits that other underworld of 'molly-houses' and 'unnameable sin', and has his own story of subterfuge, treachery and doomed romance to deliver. As the gallows casts its grim shadow, who will live to escape the Fatal Tree?
By the acclaimed author of THE LONG FIRM, this is a tour de force; inventive, atmospheric and rich in the street slang of the era. Drawing on real figures and a true history of crime, punishment and rough justice, it tells a heartbreaking story of love and betrayal.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published February 23, 2017
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500 people want to read
About the author
Jake Arnott
16 books116 followersJake Arnott is a British novelist, author of The Long Firm and four other novels. In 2005 Arnott was ranked one of Britain's 100 most influential gay and lesbian people. When he was included in a list of the fifty most influential gay men in Britain in 2001, it was declared that he was widely regarded as one of Britain's most promising novelists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
March 8, 2017
If you are looking for something different to read, this might very well be the book for you. Written in the vernacular of the seedy criminal underbelly of Romeville, it is a rip roaring historical yarn of an 18th century London and characters that were real. This is a well researched and richly textured world brought alive by the vivid language, for which you might need the glossary at the end although the meaning of most words is self evident. This is a story of what it takes to survive if you are poor, where the slightest misdemeanor can bring the fatal tree closer. It has elements that resonate with our world today, such as the South Sea Bubble and the financial crash which makes the lives on those on the lower rungs of life more tenuous and harsh whilst protecting those responsible. The crash also gives rise to the crime boss, Jonathan Wild, the self styled Thief-Taker General, a man who brutally controls organised crime, playing people off against each other and holding their lives in his hands. Bess is Wild's lover.
Edgworth Bess, aka Elizabeth Lyon, is waiting to be hanged on the eponymous fatal tree. She tells her story to Billy Archer, a molly, grub street hack, poet, with a colourful backstory of his own that on occasion connects with Bess. His writing on the Thief-Taker General raises Wild's profile immensely. Her story from innocent to whore and pickpocket in the Hundreds of Drury life is relayed without sentiment whilst peppered with the importance of close relationships such as the one with Punk Alice. The awkward beginning of her relationship with the stammering Jack Sheppard has an underlying sweetness that cements their future, personal and criminal. Poll's observation of Jack, that he looks like he was born to hang, is prescient in charting how it brings him and Bess closer to the fatal tree. Bess and Jack are the only people to take on the constricting stranglehold Jonathan Wild has on people.
This an atmospheric story of ambition, doomed love, loss, betrayal and relationships bought to life in a compelling and gripping narrative. The language lends it an authenticity that places it in its time, with the criminal and poor communities of London, and lends credence to the characters. This is historical fiction that captures the interest of the reader easily. A great story. Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
Edgworth Bess, aka Elizabeth Lyon, is waiting to be hanged on the eponymous fatal tree. She tells her story to Billy Archer, a molly, grub street hack, poet, with a colourful backstory of his own that on occasion connects with Bess. His writing on the Thief-Taker General raises Wild's profile immensely. Her story from innocent to whore and pickpocket in the Hundreds of Drury life is relayed without sentiment whilst peppered with the importance of close relationships such as the one with Punk Alice. The awkward beginning of her relationship with the stammering Jack Sheppard has an underlying sweetness that cements their future, personal and criminal. Poll's observation of Jack, that he looks like he was born to hang, is prescient in charting how it brings him and Bess closer to the fatal tree. Bess and Jack are the only people to take on the constricting stranglehold Jonathan Wild has on people.
This an atmospheric story of ambition, doomed love, loss, betrayal and relationships bought to life in a compelling and gripping narrative. The language lends it an authenticity that places it in its time, with the criminal and poor communities of London, and lends credence to the characters. This is historical fiction that captures the interest of the reader easily. A great story. Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
March 21, 2017
Well, that was an underwhelming load of nothing! Jake Arnott takes us back to early 18th century England where we follow the uninteresting lives of Edgworth Bess, a prostitute and thief, and her man Jack Sheppard, a thief, two star-crossed ragamuffins destined for the gallows - or are they…?
It’d have been nice if there was a story here! Bess wanders about the grotty underside of London until she meets Jack and then the pair of them aimlessly wander about London together. They occasionally bust out of the crappy jails they had back then. You get an idea of the underworld structure. That’s it. There’s also a boring subplot about a gay writer, the upshot of which is that gay dudes were persecuted back in the day. Woah, you mean like how they’ve always been historically? Fascinating… dammit, my eyes rolled out of my head again!
I appreciate the enormous effort Arnott’s put into writing the book with authentic 18th century lingo, the effect of which is like reading A Clockwork Orange where you’re baffled at first but gradually pick up the words’ meanings; still, I’d have much preferred a story and/or a point worth reading. As it is, The Fatal Tree is fatally boring and forgettable. Disappointing too as Arnott’s last novel, The House of Rumour, was superb - I recommend reading that one instead of this tedious tosh!
It’d have been nice if there was a story here! Bess wanders about the grotty underside of London until she meets Jack and then the pair of them aimlessly wander about London together. They occasionally bust out of the crappy jails they had back then. You get an idea of the underworld structure. That’s it. There’s also a boring subplot about a gay writer, the upshot of which is that gay dudes were persecuted back in the day. Woah, you mean like how they’ve always been historically? Fascinating… dammit, my eyes rolled out of my head again!
I appreciate the enormous effort Arnott’s put into writing the book with authentic 18th century lingo, the effect of which is like reading A Clockwork Orange where you’re baffled at first but gradually pick up the words’ meanings; still, I’d have much preferred a story and/or a point worth reading. As it is, The Fatal Tree is fatally boring and forgettable. Disappointing too as Arnott’s last novel, The House of Rumour, was superb - I recommend reading that one instead of this tedious tosh!
March 13, 2017
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
Flash, trulls, mollies and trib - a fascinating, authentic romp through the seedier side of historic London.
I recently read an interview with Jake Arnott in Writing Magazine, so was particularly keen to read this book, especially as I have a natural obsession with all things related to London!
The book narrates the tale of Elizabeth Lyon, later the notorious 'Edgeware Bess', intertwined with the story of Billy Archer, a writer and secret homosexual. Throughout the book, we're introduced to a whole host of colourful characters, such as the nasty Johnathan Wild (thief-taker general), Blueskin and Punk Alice.
Where this book excels is its gorgeous use of 'flash' - language used by prostitutes and criminals at the time. Even though the book is heavy with words such as 'widd', 'patter', 'gentry-mort' and 'trull', Arnott manages to use the language in a way that's not at all confusing, and it enriches the reading experience hugely - it really makes you feel immersed in this sordid (yet rather fun) world.
Likewise, the characterisation is spot-on - and in particular, Edgeware Bess's slow descent from serving girl to the notorious scourge of London, is fantastically well depicted (I won't spoil what happens at the end...)
The start of the book was absolutely exhilarating, and I was completely engrossed - I tore through the first 30% at a rapid rate. After then, the pace felt it slowed quite noticeably, which made me less immersed in it all, but don't get me wrong, it was still enjoyable (just not quite so exhilarating). My other criticism is that the two narratives were, at times, slightly confusing - though both narrative voices were strong, well realised and compelling.
Overall, a really fun, fascinating, well-researched read - definitely a thumbs up from me.
Flash, trulls, mollies and trib - a fascinating, authentic romp through the seedier side of historic London.
I recently read an interview with Jake Arnott in Writing Magazine, so was particularly keen to read this book, especially as I have a natural obsession with all things related to London!
The book narrates the tale of Elizabeth Lyon, later the notorious 'Edgeware Bess', intertwined with the story of Billy Archer, a writer and secret homosexual. Throughout the book, we're introduced to a whole host of colourful characters, such as the nasty Johnathan Wild (thief-taker general), Blueskin and Punk Alice.
Where this book excels is its gorgeous use of 'flash' - language used by prostitutes and criminals at the time. Even though the book is heavy with words such as 'widd', 'patter', 'gentry-mort' and 'trull', Arnott manages to use the language in a way that's not at all confusing, and it enriches the reading experience hugely - it really makes you feel immersed in this sordid (yet rather fun) world.
Likewise, the characterisation is spot-on - and in particular, Edgeware Bess's slow descent from serving girl to the notorious scourge of London, is fantastically well depicted (I won't spoil what happens at the end...)
The start of the book was absolutely exhilarating, and I was completely engrossed - I tore through the first 30% at a rapid rate. After then, the pace felt it slowed quite noticeably, which made me less immersed in it all, but don't get me wrong, it was still enjoyable (just not quite so exhilarating). My other criticism is that the two narratives were, at times, slightly confusing - though both narrative voices were strong, well realised and compelling.
Overall, a really fun, fascinating, well-researched read - definitely a thumbs up from me.
July 8, 2017
Absolutely loved this tale of prostitute and thief, 'Edgworth Bess' and criminal house-breaker, Jack Sheppard in the flash world of Romeville, London and their escapades closely followed by self-styled Thief Taker General, Jonathan Wild . It's written in authentic 18th century slang (with a glossary!) which made it all the more colourful and despite their ruthless, desperate lives you can't help but root for them.
November 17, 2016
Flat or Flash?
It is London (Romeville) in the 1720s. The underworld classes (canting-crew) are regimented and controlled (bitched) by Jonathan Wild, self-styled ‘Thief-Taker General’. His story and that of his rival, the serial gaol breaker, Jack Sheppard, is told in authentic St Giles Greek by Elizabeth Lyon, alias Edgeworth Bess, Sheppard’s lover, and erstwhile jade (prostitute). Bess would like to escape to Daisyville (the countryside) and become flat (respectable), but she and Sheppard seem more likely to be scragged or marinated (hanged or transported)because of their flash (criminal) activities.
The story is a good one, not least because of the similarities with modern times, fraudulent bankers of the South Sea Bubble escaping scot free from their deceptions while common people suffer, but also because of the total immersion into the language and milieu of the times. The use of the criminals’ own language has its contemporary parallels too. I did find, however, my patience wore thin, as I constantly referred to the glossary to understand the ‘Flash’ language of the canting crew. This use of language is interesting, even courageous, but it is not exciting, and it slows the narrative up, at least until the reader becomes habituated to it.
As a novel, this is a sly experiment, which invites both admiration and exasperation for its research and its sustained association of period and language, but do not commit to it unless you are prepared to learn a whole new mode of speech.
It is London (Romeville) in the 1720s. The underworld classes (canting-crew) are regimented and controlled (bitched) by Jonathan Wild, self-styled ‘Thief-Taker General’. His story and that of his rival, the serial gaol breaker, Jack Sheppard, is told in authentic St Giles Greek by Elizabeth Lyon, alias Edgeworth Bess, Sheppard’s lover, and erstwhile jade (prostitute). Bess would like to escape to Daisyville (the countryside) and become flat (respectable), but she and Sheppard seem more likely to be scragged or marinated (hanged or transported)because of their flash (criminal) activities.
The story is a good one, not least because of the similarities with modern times, fraudulent bankers of the South Sea Bubble escaping scot free from their deceptions while common people suffer, but also because of the total immersion into the language and milieu of the times. The use of the criminals’ own language has its contemporary parallels too. I did find, however, my patience wore thin, as I constantly referred to the glossary to understand the ‘Flash’ language of the canting crew. This use of language is interesting, even courageous, but it is not exciting, and it slows the narrative up, at least until the reader becomes habituated to it.
As a novel, this is a sly experiment, which invites both admiration and exasperation for its research and its sustained association of period and language, but do not commit to it unless you are prepared to learn a whole new mode of speech.
February 16, 2017
As always this review on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher through bookbridgr.
The Fatal Tree is set in the 18th century, the 1720’s to be precise and tells the story of Elizabeth Lyon, cast out from her job as a serving girl by her employer, Elizabeth arrives in London without the means to make a legitimate living or even survive. Just after her arrival Elizabeth is befriended by Punk Alice, a jade and Elizabeth soon turns to a life of vice herself as a means of earning a living.
Her occupation brings her to the attention of the prig-napper (thief-taker) Jonathan Wild and also that of Jack Sheppard a prig (criminal) and thus, throughout the tale their stories play out as their lives intertwine against the backdrop of the insalubrious London cityscape.
You know both me and this blog by now and suffice to say know that I steer away from spoiling the story for you, simply put The Fatal Tree finds Elizabeth Lyon awaiting trial and her fate in jail and through a reporter she tells us her life and the version of the events that put her in there, recounting how Elizabeth Lyon transformed into the notorious Edgeworth Bess the jade/buttock-and-file (prostitute and a prostitute who picks pockets) and criminal.
Interspersed with the chronicle of Edgeworth Bess through letters at the start of each chapter to his publisher Applebee is the narrative of William Archer, the grub street scribbler who is the reporter that Bess is reciting her story to and though only linked minimally, their stories do slighty overlap.
Archer’s own account isn’t of the criminal nature likes Bess’s and delves into the hidden LGBTQ society of the time and the taboo and unlawful act of sodomy.
The story told in The Fatal Tree really is fascinating. I’m a fantasy fan and as such it’s not my usual type of book by a longshot. However, something about it pulled me in, beguiling me (it’s nice to read different genres at times) and after reading the first few pages and questioning if it was actually a book for me or not I ended up thoroughly enjoying my time with The Fatal Tree and foray into the world of historical fiction.
One thing I need to mention is the ‘flash/cant’ used all through the book by the various canting crews (criminals). The flash is the language of the criminals and to those who are uninitiated with it, I feel that some could at times find it quite confusing in trying to decipher the words and their true meanings (Arnott does provide an in-depth and comprehensive glossary at the back of the book though that will fully aid you should you have any issues) and the flash itself is easily accessible after you’ve derived the meaning from the aforementioned glossary.
I personally didn’t have a problem with the language used and I have fantasy to thank for that. Having read both the books in Douglas Hulick’s excellent Tales of the Kin series (Among Thieves and Sworn in Steel) I was proficient enough in the flash to easily get by with the vernacular found in The Fatal Tree. The main protagonist in the Tales of the Kin series is Drothe, he is a Nose (informant) for the Kin (criminals) and in the series the flash/cant is often used to give the criminal underworld a valid vibe so that when bene lightmans (good day) was used in The Fatal Tree, I already knew the meaning and that my fine gentry-coves and gentry-morts is how fantasy helped me to understand the flash.
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher through bookbridgr.
The Fatal Tree is set in the 18th century, the 1720’s to be precise and tells the story of Elizabeth Lyon, cast out from her job as a serving girl by her employer, Elizabeth arrives in London without the means to make a legitimate living or even survive. Just after her arrival Elizabeth is befriended by Punk Alice, a jade and Elizabeth soon turns to a life of vice herself as a means of earning a living.
Her occupation brings her to the attention of the prig-napper (thief-taker) Jonathan Wild and also that of Jack Sheppard a prig (criminal) and thus, throughout the tale their stories play out as their lives intertwine against the backdrop of the insalubrious London cityscape.
You know both me and this blog by now and suffice to say know that I steer away from spoiling the story for you, simply put The Fatal Tree finds Elizabeth Lyon awaiting trial and her fate in jail and through a reporter she tells us her life and the version of the events that put her in there, recounting how Elizabeth Lyon transformed into the notorious Edgeworth Bess the jade/buttock-and-file (prostitute and a prostitute who picks pockets) and criminal.
Interspersed with the chronicle of Edgeworth Bess through letters at the start of each chapter to his publisher Applebee is the narrative of William Archer, the grub street scribbler who is the reporter that Bess is reciting her story to and though only linked minimally, their stories do slighty overlap.
Archer’s own account isn’t of the criminal nature likes Bess’s and delves into the hidden LGBTQ society of the time and the taboo and unlawful act of sodomy.
The story told in The Fatal Tree really is fascinating. I’m a fantasy fan and as such it’s not my usual type of book by a longshot. However, something about it pulled me in, beguiling me (it’s nice to read different genres at times) and after reading the first few pages and questioning if it was actually a book for me or not I ended up thoroughly enjoying my time with The Fatal Tree and foray into the world of historical fiction.
One thing I need to mention is the ‘flash/cant’ used all through the book by the various canting crews (criminals). The flash is the language of the criminals and to those who are uninitiated with it, I feel that some could at times find it quite confusing in trying to decipher the words and their true meanings (Arnott does provide an in-depth and comprehensive glossary at the back of the book though that will fully aid you should you have any issues) and the flash itself is easily accessible after you’ve derived the meaning from the aforementioned glossary.
I personally didn’t have a problem with the language used and I have fantasy to thank for that. Having read both the books in Douglas Hulick’s excellent Tales of the Kin series (Among Thieves and Sworn in Steel) I was proficient enough in the flash to easily get by with the vernacular found in The Fatal Tree. The main protagonist in the Tales of the Kin series is Drothe, he is a Nose (informant) for the Kin (criminals) and in the series the flash/cant is often used to give the criminal underworld a valid vibe so that when bene lightmans (good day) was used in The Fatal Tree, I already knew the meaning and that my fine gentry-coves and gentry-morts is how fantasy helped me to understand the flash.
November 2, 2016
This isn't a fast paced page turner but it is good reading. I liked attention to detail of the story and how you felt transported to the time it was set in. There is a glossary of which I found quite helpful in deciphering the more obscure words used in the book. The book has both gay and lesbian themes in it although they are not the mainstay of the story. There was also good use of characters from those times who really existed such as John Gay who composed the famous "Beggars Opera" Jack Sheppard, Edgware Bess, Jonathon Wild (to name but a few)
Elizabeth Lyons (Edgware Bess) started out in the story as a respectable young girl who is seduced by her mistress's son and when found out she is thrown out of the house and makes her way to London. Once there she quickly turns to vice as she is befriended by a prostitute called Punk Alice. Bess soon becomes acquainted with the thief taker Jonathon Wild, who pretty much runs the underbelly of the city. Through a series of events Bess and Jack Sheppard become a couple and marry. They both plan robberies and Jack is something of an escape artist, breaking out of prison several times. The fatal tree is beckoning them all, especially as crimes could be quite minor and still warrant the sentence of death. The squalor, the degradation and the corruption of the city are reproduced in an authentic way that holds the interest while reading about it.
Elizabeth Lyons (Edgware Bess) started out in the story as a respectable young girl who is seduced by her mistress's son and when found out she is thrown out of the house and makes her way to London. Once there she quickly turns to vice as she is befriended by a prostitute called Punk Alice. Bess soon becomes acquainted with the thief taker Jonathon Wild, who pretty much runs the underbelly of the city. Through a series of events Bess and Jack Sheppard become a couple and marry. They both plan robberies and Jack is something of an escape artist, breaking out of prison several times. The fatal tree is beckoning them all, especially as crimes could be quite minor and still warrant the sentence of death. The squalor, the degradation and the corruption of the city are reproduced in an authentic way that holds the interest while reading about it.
December 8, 2017
The shock value at the beginning gets you hooked.
There is plenty of trashy, brothel, slum talk to set the scene. The glossary lingo is hilarious.
The story covers a few petty criminals and describes the inner workings of organised crime. The stories are amusing but wear off after a while.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read something original and authentic and who has a sense of humour about trash talk.
There is plenty of trashy, brothel, slum talk to set the scene. The glossary lingo is hilarious.
The story covers a few petty criminals and describes the inner workings of organised crime. The stories are amusing but wear off after a while.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read something original and authentic and who has a sense of humour about trash talk.
September 6, 2018
I found Jake Arnott’s retelling of the fairly familiar story of the 1720s London criminal underworld featuring Jack Shepherd, Edgworth Bess and Jonathan Wild somewhat underwhelming. The only thing he adds to these much told stories is the use of authentic criminal slang of the time which is interesting at first but eventually becomes limiting. The shifts between the two narrators and the wide cast of characters give the book plenty of atmosphere and a strong sense of period but what it lacks is any real narrative thrust.
November 25, 2022
3.5 stars
Arnott brings the seedy underbelly of eighteenth-century London to life in a masterful way in the Fatal Tree. The story is a retelling of The Beggar's Opera, but manages to put its own twist on the tale. Though I was familiar with the source material and as such can't guarantee this, I think this novel will also work very well for anyone who doesn't know the first thing about The Beggar's Opera, which is never a mean feat for a retelling/reworking.
I also loved the queerness of this novel, per usual.
Arnott brings the seedy underbelly of eighteenth-century London to life in a masterful way in the Fatal Tree. The story is a retelling of The Beggar's Opera, but manages to put its own twist on the tale. Though I was familiar with the source material and as such can't guarantee this, I think this novel will also work very well for anyone who doesn't know the first thing about The Beggar's Opera, which is never a mean feat for a retelling/reworking.
I also loved the queerness of this novel, per usual.
February 24, 2017
I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
You need to take care if you visit Romeville, especially if you're a chub. Believe the patter from one of the canting-crew - cove or mort - and you may find you're just a cull. Watch out especially in darkmans. Maybe you're best staying in Daisyville after all...
This book transports the reader to the heart of 18th century London, the town of posture-molls and lully-prigs, a great roistering stink of a place fueled by gin where the flat and flash worlds coexist and everyone has secrets.
It's the story of Elizabeth Lyon, "Edgeworth Bess" and her lover, accomplice, betrayer, Jack Sheppard. Lyon is ruined by her master's daughter and cast off to make her living in the "academies" and "vaulting-schools" of the Hundred of Drury: Sheppard is a bored apprentice who takes to burglary and jailbreaking like a native. Lyon and Sheppard were real people: William Archer, aspiring journalist in Grub Street by day and client of Mother Clap's molly-house by night, was not but stands for a class of gay men condemned by the harsh (injustice) of the time. (Arnott names some of them in a postscript. Gabriel Lawrence. William Griffin. Thomas Wright.) The Triple Tree awaits, and many will dance the Tyburn jig by the end of this tale.
The whole scene is presided over by Jonathan Wild, thief-taker ("prig-napper") and thief-master, whose own fate is bound up with those of Lyon, Sheppard and Archer. He, also, was real: after his fall, Defoe wrote his life story.
Arnott packs an extraordinary amount into a relatively short book. There's the vigour and bite of a London ("Romeville") where everyone is, seemingly, on the make, not only the sharks in Exchange Alley who drive the South Sea Bubble or Wild himself but also a Lord Chancellor who's embezzling from the Treasury and escapes with a fine. The rich may get off with a light sentence but the poor receive no mercy (isn't that always true?) He also shows us the quest, among the coves and the morts, for instant fame, in a world where the scribes of Grub Street (former Grape Street, former Grope-c**t Lane) can tell a tale of jailbreak, ruin and repentence and gather enormous crowds to witness that final journey along what's now Oxford Street to the Tree.
At one point a young girl in jail confesses to Lyons that she wants to be like her, Like Edgeworth Bess: she wants fame and respect. She wants to be a celebrity. Three hundred years ago, there is a new, instant means to earn this, and plenty are up for it - as we realise from the very form of the novel, which is the entwined confessions of Lyon and Archer.
Never less than vivid, this was at times a slow read (I had to keep looking up the flash-talk in Arnott's helpful glossary, and perhaps at times it is a little rich in Lyons' sections of the story) but it really grew on me. Behind the swagger and bravado there is a deeper story here - a story of love and of heartbreak, of people meeting, falling for each other - parted. A sad story. (Isn't that always true?)
Through it all, some truths emerge, I think - about ambition, about corruption, above all about that great Wen, both devourer and playground of the young, London, whose character doesn't change, even if overlain for a time by the hypocrisy of a Wild or a Society for the Reformation of Manners. Bulldoze or bomb the streets, pour the concrete, the place remains a flash-ken and long may it be so.
A unique reading experience, not to be missed.
You need to take care if you visit Romeville, especially if you're a chub. Believe the patter from one of the canting-crew - cove or mort - and you may find you're just a cull. Watch out especially in darkmans. Maybe you're best staying in Daisyville after all...
This book transports the reader to the heart of 18th century London, the town of posture-molls and lully-prigs, a great roistering stink of a place fueled by gin where the flat and flash worlds coexist and everyone has secrets.
It's the story of Elizabeth Lyon, "Edgeworth Bess" and her lover, accomplice, betrayer, Jack Sheppard. Lyon is ruined by her master's daughter and cast off to make her living in the "academies" and "vaulting-schools" of the Hundred of Drury: Sheppard is a bored apprentice who takes to burglary and jailbreaking like a native. Lyon and Sheppard were real people: William Archer, aspiring journalist in Grub Street by day and client of Mother Clap's molly-house by night, was not but stands for a class of gay men condemned by the harsh (injustice) of the time. (Arnott names some of them in a postscript. Gabriel Lawrence. William Griffin. Thomas Wright.) The Triple Tree awaits, and many will dance the Tyburn jig by the end of this tale.
The whole scene is presided over by Jonathan Wild, thief-taker ("prig-napper") and thief-master, whose own fate is bound up with those of Lyon, Sheppard and Archer. He, also, was real: after his fall, Defoe wrote his life story.
Arnott packs an extraordinary amount into a relatively short book. There's the vigour and bite of a London ("Romeville") where everyone is, seemingly, on the make, not only the sharks in Exchange Alley who drive the South Sea Bubble or Wild himself but also a Lord Chancellor who's embezzling from the Treasury and escapes with a fine. The rich may get off with a light sentence but the poor receive no mercy (isn't that always true?) He also shows us the quest, among the coves and the morts, for instant fame, in a world where the scribes of Grub Street (former Grape Street, former Grope-c**t Lane) can tell a tale of jailbreak, ruin and repentence and gather enormous crowds to witness that final journey along what's now Oxford Street to the Tree.
At one point a young girl in jail confesses to Lyons that she wants to be like her, Like Edgeworth Bess: she wants fame and respect. She wants to be a celebrity. Three hundred years ago, there is a new, instant means to earn this, and plenty are up for it - as we realise from the very form of the novel, which is the entwined confessions of Lyon and Archer.
Never less than vivid, this was at times a slow read (I had to keep looking up the flash-talk in Arnott's helpful glossary, and perhaps at times it is a little rich in Lyons' sections of the story) but it really grew on me. Behind the swagger and bravado there is a deeper story here - a story of love and of heartbreak, of people meeting, falling for each other - parted. A sad story. (Isn't that always true?)
Through it all, some truths emerge, I think - about ambition, about corruption, above all about that great Wen, both devourer and playground of the young, London, whose character doesn't change, even if overlain for a time by the hypocrisy of a Wild or a Society for the Reformation of Manners. Bulldoze or bomb the streets, pour the concrete, the place remains a flash-ken and long may it be so.
A unique reading experience, not to be missed.
July 15, 2023
Once I got used to the vernacular used by the flash citizens in the novel, it was quite an enjoyable read. I liked how the characters were unpredictable; I felt I could not trust any of them enough to root for them. This kept me engaged and reflected the era of the 1700’s as a dark and dirty time. The book challenges theories of justices and religion in regards to what makes a good or bad person. It also tackles issues of class and society. It is written from the perspectives of both Edgeworth Bess and William Archer, two powerful characters that draw emotion through their storytelling.
March 26, 2017
A rollicking tale of whores, thieves and hangings. The life of Bess Lyon heads straight towards Tyburn and the hanging tree, the cast of characters around her including gentry,authors,criminals and her husband Jack Sheppard.
Arnott has created a colourful London, stinking of gin and vice. The language used brings it to life but also makes it a slow read if you can't get your head round it. Sadly it got too slow towards the end for me and lost some of its interest.
Arnott has created a colourful London, stinking of gin and vice. The language used brings it to life but also makes it a slow read if you can't get your head round it. Sadly it got too slow towards the end for me and lost some of its interest.
September 24, 2016
A vivid, vibrant tale of eighteenth-century prostitutes, thief-takers, Grub Street scribblers and violence - with the shadow of Tyburn hanging over the story.
This is well-researched - indeed, so steeped in the narratives of the C18th underworld that anyone familiar with either the original sources or the literature of the period (Moll Flanders, Roxana, Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, Jonathan Wild, The Beggar's Opera) may well find the story excessively familiar, even unsurprising.
Despite that, to Arnott's credit, this remains an engaging read with a vibrant cast of characters. The tale is inflected with a modern concern for the marginalised whether through categories of class, gender or sexuality which, arguably, weren't constructed in the same way in the past. Overall, a romp of a read with some serious points to make too - hugely enjoyable.
This is well-researched - indeed, so steeped in the narratives of the C18th underworld that anyone familiar with either the original sources or the literature of the period (Moll Flanders, Roxana, Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, Jonathan Wild, The Beggar's Opera) may well find the story excessively familiar, even unsurprising.
Despite that, to Arnott's credit, this remains an engaging read with a vibrant cast of characters. The tale is inflected with a modern concern for the marginalised whether through categories of class, gender or sexuality which, arguably, weren't constructed in the same way in the past. Overall, a romp of a read with some serious points to make too - hugely enjoyable.
May 16, 2017
The key to the book’s failure, is the (mis)use of eighteenth-century slang, which sinks the book utterly. It is like the novel was written in standard English but then translated into cant by a computer programme.
The reason for this is that the author doesn’t seem to realise that people use slang in their own ways and even those who use great swathes of slang do not choose the slang term at every single opportunity. Just because a person has a slang word for ‘eyes’ or ‘stairs’ doesn’t mean they only use those words every single time they want to describe eyes or stairs. In this book ‘eyes’ are always ‘glaziers’, ‘stairs’ are always ‘prancers’, ‘tea’ is always ‘prattle-broth’ and a bad feeling (whether it’s morning sickness or grief) is always ‘crank’.
We simply don’t get the opportunity to enjoy the romance of Bess and Jack, thrill to Jack’s prison escapes or feel hatred to Jonathan Wild because the whole thing is mired in the gloop of canting verbiage. It becomes a tremendous slog.
Which is to say nothing of it's plot, a patchwork quilt of better books stitched together. The thefts come thick, fast and obvious in the beginning; we start by lifting from ‘Moll Flanders’, proceed into the first picture in a ‘Harlot’s Progress’ and continue into ‘Fanny Hill’ - and so we continue, with barely a scene or moment that hasn’t been borrowed from some other book.
The reason for this is that the author doesn’t seem to realise that people use slang in their own ways and even those who use great swathes of slang do not choose the slang term at every single opportunity. Just because a person has a slang word for ‘eyes’ or ‘stairs’ doesn’t mean they only use those words every single time they want to describe eyes or stairs. In this book ‘eyes’ are always ‘glaziers’, ‘stairs’ are always ‘prancers’, ‘tea’ is always ‘prattle-broth’ and a bad feeling (whether it’s morning sickness or grief) is always ‘crank’.
We simply don’t get the opportunity to enjoy the romance of Bess and Jack, thrill to Jack’s prison escapes or feel hatred to Jonathan Wild because the whole thing is mired in the gloop of canting verbiage. It becomes a tremendous slog.
Which is to say nothing of it's plot, a patchwork quilt of better books stitched together. The thefts come thick, fast and obvious in the beginning; we start by lifting from ‘Moll Flanders’, proceed into the first picture in a ‘Harlot’s Progress’ and continue into ‘Fanny Hill’ - and so we continue, with barely a scene or moment that hasn’t been borrowed from some other book.
August 6, 2024
This has been on my TBR the longest as I bought it as a bit of a random read it at a second bookshop “ The Last Bookshop in Jericho”.
This was an unexpected read as I loved reading about the criminal underworld of 16th century London. I wish that there was a map as I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of taverns and brothels.I loved the fact that it was drawing on real events and was based on the real “ Edgworth Bess.” I liked Bess a lot as she was gritty and sometimes cruel in order to survive.
However, I think that there was a lot missing from her story as I was slightly annoyed by the random inserts from “ Billy” her author. This wasn’t because of his character or plot as much as the fact that there wasn’t a clear sign post when his chapters inserted. He was also a side character and only seemed to come into his own at the end - in fact he is barely mentioned on the blurb.
Most of all, the writing which at first was funny became intolerable from the use of old English slang which often made it hard to read and often put me off picking it up again. I think that this would also put other readers off and is not the “ linguistic marvel”, that it is sometimes reviewed as which is a shame as it had a very good narrative.
This was an unexpected read as I loved reading about the criminal underworld of 16th century London. I wish that there was a map as I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of taverns and brothels.I loved the fact that it was drawing on real events and was based on the real “ Edgworth Bess.” I liked Bess a lot as she was gritty and sometimes cruel in order to survive.
However, I think that there was a lot missing from her story as I was slightly annoyed by the random inserts from “ Billy” her author. This wasn’t because of his character or plot as much as the fact that there wasn’t a clear sign post when his chapters inserted. He was also a side character and only seemed to come into his own at the end - in fact he is barely mentioned on the blurb.
Most of all, the writing which at first was funny became intolerable from the use of old English slang which often made it hard to read and often put me off picking it up again. I think that this would also put other readers off and is not the “ linguistic marvel”, that it is sometimes reviewed as which is a shame as it had a very good narrative.
November 3, 2019
I shan’t stay mum-chance. Indeed, I will patter bene about this book but I won't babble and blow the wide.
Ok enough of trying to master the flash canting language that so much of this novel is in. Having finished it and loved it, I downloaded the Daniel Defoe account on which the novel is partly based: The History of the Remarkable Life of John Sheppard. Jake Arnott brings vibrantly to life the main characters of Defoe’s historical account: Edgeworth Bess, Jack Sheppard, Blueskin and the infamous Prig-napper, Jonathan Wild.
When I first started reading it, I was a little put off by the heavy use of canting dialect which involved referring to the incomplete glossary at the end frequently. I've read enough of Jake Arnott’s other books to know it was worth perseverance. Within a short time, I settled into the rhythm of it and its liberal usage really helped to transport me to 18th Century London. Arnott’s's clear knowledge of the topography of 1700s London was a joy and now when I wander through those streets and alleys, the story rushes back and I try to imagine Bess and Jack going about their exploits.
I was totally invested in the main characters very early in the book, even though I could guess their fates. I was very sad to reach the last page. This is historical fiction at its best and I’m very glad the author chose to take us further back into London’s villainous past in this book.
Ok enough of trying to master the flash canting language that so much of this novel is in. Having finished it and loved it, I downloaded the Daniel Defoe account on which the novel is partly based: The History of the Remarkable Life of John Sheppard. Jake Arnott brings vibrantly to life the main characters of Defoe’s historical account: Edgeworth Bess, Jack Sheppard, Blueskin and the infamous Prig-napper, Jonathan Wild.
When I first started reading it, I was a little put off by the heavy use of canting dialect which involved referring to the incomplete glossary at the end frequently. I've read enough of Jake Arnott’s other books to know it was worth perseverance. Within a short time, I settled into the rhythm of it and its liberal usage really helped to transport me to 18th Century London. Arnott’s's clear knowledge of the topography of 1700s London was a joy and now when I wander through those streets and alleys, the story rushes back and I try to imagine Bess and Jack going about their exploits.
I was totally invested in the main characters very early in the book, even though I could guess their fates. I was very sad to reach the last page. This is historical fiction at its best and I’m very glad the author chose to take us further back into London’s villainous past in this book.
June 25, 2025
I really wanted to like this book. I love the idea of it. But the characters weren’t developed enough where I cared about them, and it took quite a while to get used to the cant language. Even with the glossary it was a bit of a slog. As a result I never felt I was invested in the lives and actions of the people. The various points of view added to my alienation because it wasn’t always clear who was narrating.
Based on the lives of real London criminals in the first quarter of the 1700s, this is a sad tale of the horrors of poverty. The poor are unfairly punished far more than the rich who steal with impunity. The hatred against homosexuals has always existed. (At least now, in some societies, in some countries, it’s not as stigmatized or criminalized.)
This is a fascinating look at the criminal culture of the early 18th C. There was little work that paid well; nutrition, housing, and health were terrible; and the availability of cheap gin and laudanum served to dull the misery a bit. Anyone unlucky enough to be born poor or to wind up in debtor’s prison struggled just to stay alive. Arnott’s tale details the lives of those mired in poverty. His research has resulted in an excellent portrayal of the city and its destitution.
The story has great potential and the background provides depth, but the characters don’t give the novel necessary life.
Based on the lives of real London criminals in the first quarter of the 1700s, this is a sad tale of the horrors of poverty. The poor are unfairly punished far more than the rich who steal with impunity. The hatred against homosexuals has always existed. (At least now, in some societies, in some countries, it’s not as stigmatized or criminalized.)
This is a fascinating look at the criminal culture of the early 18th C. There was little work that paid well; nutrition, housing, and health were terrible; and the availability of cheap gin and laudanum served to dull the misery a bit. Anyone unlucky enough to be born poor or to wind up in debtor’s prison struggled just to stay alive. Arnott’s tale details the lives of those mired in poverty. His research has resulted in an excellent portrayal of the city and its destitution.
The story has great potential and the background provides depth, but the characters don’t give the novel necessary life.
December 21, 2022
I had a lot of fun with this one! I appreciated that Arnott doesn’t feel the need to explain every bit of 18th-century criminal slang, and instead gives you just enough context clues to figure the words out for yourself. (There is actually a glossary at the back of the book, but it isn’t 100% necessary). This makes you feel a lot more involved in the 1720s London underworld he’s laying out, as you’re learning bits and pieces along with Bess when she starts out there.
By the end of it, you’ll breeze through interactions like this without a second thought:
‘He was pot-valiant that darkmans.’
‘Yes, and doesn’t that make coves patter gospel?’
I also enjoyed that this was a piece of historical (mostly-)fiction that acknowledged the existence of PoC and LGBTQ people in 18th century London. There’s a good bit of detail about “molly-houses”, along with an apparently bisexual main character, and a handful of intriguing supporting characters from different walks of life. There could have been more from the point of view of PoC in England at this time, but Arnott at least provided as a backdrop a society whose racism is in equal measures extreme and flippant.
Really engaging and I loved the grimy underbelly of pre-Industrial London as a setting. 4/5
By the end of it, you’ll breeze through interactions like this without a second thought:
‘He was pot-valiant that darkmans.’
‘Yes, and doesn’t that make coves patter gospel?’
I also enjoyed that this was a piece of historical (mostly-)fiction that acknowledged the existence of PoC and LGBTQ people in 18th century London. There’s a good bit of detail about “molly-houses”, along with an apparently bisexual main character, and a handful of intriguing supporting characters from different walks of life. There could have been more from the point of view of PoC in England at this time, but Arnott at least provided as a backdrop a society whose racism is in equal measures extreme and flippant.
Really engaging and I loved the grimy underbelly of pre-Industrial London as a setting. 4/5
April 12, 2025
The Fatal Tree is set in London in the 1720s. The tale is told by William Archer from Newgate. William has the narrative from Edgeware Bess about her life as a whore and her marriage to Jack Sheppard.
I normally love any tale like this. I enjoy reading about London, and especially about the whores, pickpockets and how the poor lived. I didn't actually realise at first that this tale is about real people which then made the book more appealing.
I was enjoying the book at first but became very frustrated. Purely because of the street slang. Some of it I could make sense of but not all. There is a glossary in the back of the book but reading this on Kindle I found it niggling to get to it.
The descriptions of London made the book seem real and gave a good sense of place and time. The characters were fascinating and it never amazes how people lived their lives to survive.
I don't like giving up on books but the street slang made the read very frustrating and I did start to lose interest. The language perhaps did give the tale a bit more authenticity but its not always needed. For now the book remains unfinished.
Thank you to the publishers via Netgalley for the chance to have a go at this book.
I normally love any tale like this. I enjoy reading about London, and especially about the whores, pickpockets and how the poor lived. I didn't actually realise at first that this tale is about real people which then made the book more appealing.
I was enjoying the book at first but became very frustrated. Purely because of the street slang. Some of it I could make sense of but not all. There is a glossary in the back of the book but reading this on Kindle I found it niggling to get to it.
The descriptions of London made the book seem real and gave a good sense of place and time. The characters were fascinating and it never amazes how people lived their lives to survive.
I don't like giving up on books but the street slang made the read very frustrating and I did start to lose interest. The language perhaps did give the tale a bit more authenticity but its not always needed. For now the book remains unfinished.
Thank you to the publishers via Netgalley for the chance to have a go at this book.
July 22, 2019
This was one of those books you pick up and put down after a few pages because you don't think it's going to work for you. In this instance the language/dialect was an immediate challenge and then the development of a narrator telling the story of the character you thought was the narrator, who is himself embedded in the story, creates the sense that it is a device needed to tell the story of a dead person who would have been unable to tell their story. While that is neatly explained by the apparent custom of the condemned giving pre-execution interviews for a fee to cover their funereal expense, it requires the narrator to be both the journalist chronicling the story and for him to be the subject of another story that includes the content of the former. It is a little complicated, but the story itself a relatively straightforward tragedy that touches on petty crime, prostitution, and the love that dare not speak its name. It came as no surprise, after reading the book, to discover the author is a 'molly'. Very well written and researched and worth persevering with.
May 7, 2017
There’s a terrific story at the heart of The Fatal Tree, a (fictionalised) tale of Edgeworth Bess, her life and times, friends and enemies. It could have been a real page turner, but the plot is so deeply buried beneath a massive weight of Atmosphere and Authenticity, it constantly struggles to pull free, and the characters never get a chance to strut their stuff either. The language is enormously dense - clearly Jake Arnott has made an heroic effort to make this tale as authentic as possible. The street slang is claimed to be - and I’m absolutely sure it is - exactly as it would have been spoken in London in the 1720s (necessitating a lengthy glossary at the back of the book) but it makes for a stolid and difficult read, not easy at all, quite the epic struggle. The language may be perfect in its historical accuracy, but it does not add to the enjoyment of the story and I struggled to engage with any of it.
March 23, 2018
Set in 1726 and told through a series of letters by an anonymous writer, it follows the story of Elizabeth Lyon, or Edgworth Beth which she is later to be known by and the path that leads her to be cast onto the streets of the wicked city and her survival.
I did enjoy this book; it was easy enough to read once you get the hang of the language. For the first half of the book I did keep having to skip to the index to read the definition of the word so I could put the sentence into context.
The story follows Edgworth Beth's life through Romeville and her meeting Jack Sheppherd; the man who lays Romeville at her feet. There are not only the stories of Beth and Jack told throughout but also of 2 / 3 other characters that do all intertwine with one another and fit well together.
I understand why this has been labelled as a poignant book due to the ending.
I would say give it a read if you don't mind historical fiction and want something easy to read that doesn't take too much focus.
I did enjoy this book; it was easy enough to read once you get the hang of the language. For the first half of the book I did keep having to skip to the index to read the definition of the word so I could put the sentence into context.
The story follows Edgworth Beth's life through Romeville and her meeting Jack Sheppherd; the man who lays Romeville at her feet. There are not only the stories of Beth and Jack told throughout but also of 2 / 3 other characters that do all intertwine with one another and fit well together.
I understand why this has been labelled as a poignant book due to the ending.
I would say give it a read if you don't mind historical fiction and want something easy to read that doesn't take too much focus.
July 17, 2018
I really wanted to like this book, it seemed to contain all the elements for me but alas, I was very disappointed. I found the story was flimsy and repetitive. The constant, for the first third of the book at least, having to consult the back glossary to translate the slang every other paragraph really began to grate and spoil the story from the the beginning and may well have been the reason that I did not connect with the characters at all. The story, to an extent, is a well-trodden one and has been realised a lot better in other books.
The language becomes familiar after a while, but frankly, I thought it over-used and found it cringe-worthy in places. You had paragraphs almost written entirely in this 'St Giles' Greek' only for the next paragraphs to be written in standard English. A few scatterings of eighteenth-century cant with footnote explanation would have been far better for both reader and story.
The language becomes familiar after a while, but frankly, I thought it over-used and found it cringe-worthy in places. You had paragraphs almost written entirely in this 'St Giles' Greek' only for the next paragraphs to be written in standard English. A few scatterings of eighteenth-century cant with footnote explanation would have been far better for both reader and story.
June 8, 2021
Sorry, I tried, I really did. I picked this book up on three separate occasions, but each time I just found all the *flash* language too much like hard work. It results in turgid prose that is too dense to wade through. In the end I decided that life is too short to persist with books you're not enjoying and move on to one you are.
Also, and I think this may be even more problematical, once you strip the text of its *flash* language, what you're left with is mostly tell with hardly any show. Which is probably why, in the end, I had to give up on this.
Also, and I think this may be even more problematical, once you strip the text of its *flash* language, what you're left with is mostly tell with hardly any show. Which is probably why, in the end, I had to give up on this.
July 3, 2018
As a lover of all things history (especially to do with historical crime), I really enjoyed this book. Bess was a likeable (for all her faults) character and the Thief-taker General makes a good villain. The only small drawback would be the slang - I enjoyed it and it gave Bess that little bit more voice, but it could also get in the way at times as I had to flip to the back to find the translations.
All in all, I loved this book and will probably reread it in the not so distant future.
All in all, I loved this book and will probably reread it in the not so distant future.
July 26, 2018
I did enjoy this book a lot but I’m quite picky on Goodreads and it’s not quite a four star book. The ‘flash’ language somehow seem to try too hard and the unravelling of the Thief-Master wasn’t really the spectacle it was billed as being. It was interesting how he worked in the story of the ‘author’ at the same time as Bess’ although I can imagine Mr Arnott considering the ending a massive twist, and it didn’t quite have that kind of punch for me. The story did engage me though.
December 19, 2020
I don't read much of it but I'm a sucker for fiction set in early 18th century London. As you'd expect from Jake Arnott the milieu of the protagonists is the demimonde of thieves, prostitues and gay men inhabiting some of the less salubrious quarters of London. Or as the novel has it the prigs, jades and mollies. And therein lies the key to how much you might enjoy this book. In many ways it's a relatively lightweight romp but linguistically it does not wear its research lightly; there's a glossary that runs to several pages and its contents are present in every paragraph. In short how much you enjoy it will depend on how much you believe way the world is described to us by the characters. Personally while I wasn't necessarily convinced by the historical authenticity of the language I enjoyed the way that the mainly alien vocabulary transported me to that time and place. Of course, this is an issue with all historical fiction. It has to feel right to readers who mostly won't have the knowledge to judge how correct it is. And feeling right won't necessarily be the same as being authentic. So it did its job for me but I can see why many readers seem to have found the language a barrier to enjoyment.
February 2, 2021
It's a hard book to read with the slang taking a while to get used to. The tale is interesting the author makes no effort to softened the realities of the age. Death, sickness and what the poor had to do to survive all mixed together to show a harsh work of survival. I can't say I enjoyed it really, but it was a well-written book with lots of research to back up the tale and the characters were well rounded.
January 25, 2025
This book is a real stick with it for an absolute treat. The use of 1700s slang can be really difficult to get used to in the first few chapters. Especially as there are a lot of Jacks as well. However the book really finds it feet in the last 2/3rds. This is also where the counter narrative really picks up pace and intrigue. The twist at the end is quite gut wrenching and you don't see it coming. The 1700s is not written about as much and this book makes you realise that's a real shame.
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