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The Wicked Boy
Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction 2017The gripping, fascinating account of a shocking murder case that sent late Victorian Britain into a frenzy, by the number one bestselling, multi-award-winning author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher'Her research is needle-sharp and her period detail richly atmospheric, but what is most heartening about this truly remarkable book is the story of real-life redemption that it brings to light' John Carey, Sunday TimesEarly in the morning of Monday 8 July 1895, thirteen-year-old Robert Coombes and his twelve-year-old brother Nattie set out from their small, yellow brick terraced house in east London to watch a cricket match at Lord's. Their father had gone to sea the previous Friday, leaving the boys and their mother at home for the summer. Over the next ten days Robert and Nattie spent extravagantly, pawning family valuables to fund trips to the theatre and the seaside. During this time nobody saw or heard from their mother, though the boys told neighbours she was visiting relatives. As the sun beat down on the Coombes house, an awful smell began to emanate from the building. When the police were finally called to investigate, what they found in one of the bedrooms sent the press into a frenzy of horror and alarm, and Robert and Nattie were swept up in a criminal trial that echoed the outrageous plots of the 'penny dreadful' novels that Robert loved to read. In The Wicked Boy, Kate Summerscale has uncovered a fascinating true story of murder and morality – it is not just a meticulous examination of a shocking Victorian case, but also a compelling account of its aftermath, and of man's capacity to overcome the past.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2016
About the author
Kate Summerscale
10 books554 followersKate Summerscale (born in 1965) is an English writer and journalist.
She won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction in 2008 with The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House and won a Somerset Maugham Award in 1998 (and was shortlisted for the 1997 Whitbread Awards for biography) for the bestselling The Queen of Whale Cay, about Joe Carstairs, "fastest woman on water."
As a journalist, she worked for The Independent and The Daily Telegraph and her articles have appeared in The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph. She stumbled on the story for The Suspicions of Mr Whicher in an 1890s anthology of unsolved crime stories and became so fascinated that she left her post as literary editor of The Daily Telegraph to pursue her investigations. She spent a year researching the book and another year writing it.
She has also judged various literary competitions including the Booker Prize in 2001.
She won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction in 2008 with The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House and won a Somerset Maugham Award in 1998 (and was shortlisted for the 1997 Whitbread Awards for biography) for the bestselling The Queen of Whale Cay, about Joe Carstairs, "fastest woman on water."
As a journalist, she worked for The Independent and The Daily Telegraph and her articles have appeared in The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph. She stumbled on the story for The Suspicions of Mr Whicher in an 1890s anthology of unsolved crime stories and became so fascinated that she left her post as literary editor of The Daily Telegraph to pursue her investigations. She spent a year researching the book and another year writing it.
She has also judged various literary competitions including the Booker Prize in 2001.
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November 29, 2023
This true crime book is about Robert Coombes, who killed his mother when he was thirteen years old. If Robert had been hung his story would have ended there, but Robert was spared, and went on to become a respected member of society. If you're a person who prefers minimal information before reading a book, this review will contain spoilers.
SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
On July 8, 1895 Robert Coombes (13 years old) and his brother Nathaniel (12 years old), of Plaistow, East London, made sure to tell a neighbor that their mother (Emily Coombes) had gone to Liverpool to see about an inheritance.
Robert Coombes (right) and Nathaniel Coombes as young boys
Sketch of Emily Coombes
The boys' seafaring father (Robert Sr.) was away from home, and over the next few days the lads attended cricket matches, went to the theatre, and generally enjoyed themselves.
Lord's Cricket Ground, London
After spending most of their money Robert and Nattie recruited a family friend named John Fox, a slow but good-natured soul, to come stay with them until their mother returned. Fox helped the boys pawn two watches and a mandolin, and the threesome used the money for food and recreation. At home, the trio played cricket in the yard and cards in the house and slept in the downstairs parlor.....though there were two bedrooms upstairs.
The Coombes house in Plaistow, East London
When the boys' finances ran low once again, Robert wrote his father for money, and visited and wrote to his father's employers in London - cajoling and fibbing to get cash.
Robert's letter to his father
Clever Robert even sent a well-worded letter to the newspaper, requesting loans and promising interest.
On July 15, Robert and Nattie's Aunt Emily dropped by to see her sister-in-law, and was told she'd gone to Liverpool. Aunt Emily was VERY surprised, since she hadn't heard a word about this trip. Then on July 18 the milkman noticed a horrific stench coming from the Coombes' house, sent word to Aunt Emily, and the jig was up.
Aunt Emily and her friend Mary Jane Burrage barged into the fetid house and found Robert and Nattie's mother dead in her bed, her body crawling with maggots.
Aunt Emily and her friend Mary Jane Burrage find the body of Emily Coombes
Robert immediately confessed to killing his mother. He said he'd stabbed his mother because she was a violent woman who'd beat Nattie for stealing food.
Sketch of Robert stabbing his mother
Robert confesses to killing his mother
Nattie was apparently in the habit of sneaking extra food from the kitchen, which infuriated his mother, who was said to be 'excitable' (possibly mentally ill).
Robert, Nattie and John Fox were arrested for murder. Summerscale describes the questioning of the suspects, and their arraignments and trials, in detail.....with specifics from public records, newspaper reports, and trial transcripts.
Robert (right) and Nattie are arraigned on murder charges
Newspapers sensationalize the crime
John Fox, a simple naif who knew nothing about the crime, was exonerated; Nattie, who may have instigated the murder, was freed to testify against his brother; and Robert was convicted.
Thirteen-year-old Robert was found guilty but insane, and was sent to Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum for an indeterminate period. Robert's crime became a worldwide sensation and everyone had an opinion about why he did it. The London newspapers speculated endlessly, most of them disdaining the fact that Robert 'got off easy.'
- Some people speculated that Robert's love of penny dreadfuls - inexpensive publications with stories about detectives, criminals, and adventurers - inspired the crime.
Example of a penny dreadful
- Some experts postulated that Robert was a throwback to less civilized humans, and that he exhibited "stigmata of physical and therefore mental degeneracy." Such signs were supposedly bulging skulls, sloping foreheads, and shifty eyes, none of which Robert - who was described as a handsome boy - exhibited.
Some newspapers depicted Robert as a degenerate with a misshapen head
- Some people suggested that Robert's education (he was a bright student who finished the 8th grade) had made him more savage, accentuated the degenerative process, and "provided him with weapons, as it were, to sharpen the claws of the littler tiger."
Robert did well in his board school, which went up to the 8th grade
- Some people thought the crime resulted from urbanization. They suggested that Robert was "one of a new breed of urban lunatic, a quick-witted degenerate who had replaced the grinning and harmless imbeciles that sunned themselves in the towns and villages of an older England."
Some people attributed Robert's crime to urbanization
- There was even a suggestion that Robert's deprived environment had played a part in the murder. The idea was that boys in affluent surroundings could play cowboys and Indians, pretend to dig for treasure, etc., and thus exercise their imaginations in a positive way. But in Plaistow, the crowded dingy streets wreaking with illness and pollution might have driven Robert "not just to imagine, but to enact his drama."
East London was rife with illness and pollution
Whatever motivated the crime, Robert went to Broadmoor asylum.
Entrance to Broadmoor Asylum
Being a child, Robert was housed in Block 2, with the more affluent, better educated criminals. The inmates in Block 2 got decent food; daily exercise; and small gardens to grow their own fruits and vegetables. They could wear their own clothes, play croquet, read books and periodicals, write letters, and play card games. Robert learned to play chess and billiards, and some fellow inmates taught him to play the violin, piano, and cornet.
Robert was housed in Block 2 at Broadmoor Asylum
In time Robert played the cornet in the asylum brass band; became a decent batsman and bowler for the asylum cricket team; and was given a job in the asylum tailor shop, sewing uniforms for the guards and clothes for the inmates. As a working patient Robert got an extra meal every day and earned a few shillings to buy things like tea, tobacco, and seeds for his garden.
Summerscale includes extensive information about Broadmoor, including descriptions of the facility, the superintendents, the inmates, the activities, how the institution was run, and so on. All this adds a fascinating picture of the asylum and its criminal residents.
Looking back it's impossible to know whether Robert was really insane, but in 1912, after being institutionalized for nearly two decades, 30-year-old Robert was granted conditional release. Robert was given into the care of the Salvation Army in Essex, where he worked in the tailor shop, attended religious services, and became a productive member of society.
Salvation Army compound in Essex
By early 1914 Robert got permission to move to Australia, where he worked as a clerk until World War I broke out in August 1914. Robert immediately volunteered for the army, which gave him the chance to partake in voyages like those he'd read about in his penny dreadfuls.
In the service Robert played in his battalion's military band and became a stretcher bearer - a soldier who provided first aid to wounded soldiers and bore them away for treatment.
Robert played the cornet in his battalion's military band
Robert became a stretcher bearer in World War 1
Robert's battalion fought at Gallipoli in Turkey, and he and his fellow stretcher bearers carried their loads down steep hills covered with loose stones while they dodged bullets and shells. After handing over their wounded at the beach, the stretcher bearers climbed back up and did it again and again.
Battle of Gallipoli in World War 1
Robert and his stretcher bearer partner worked with great courage as "all around them men cursed and screamed, crazed by thirst or pain or terror." Robert was also a stretcher bearer at the Somme and bandmaster for his regiment during the fighting at Flanders. Thus, Robert was present at several major battles of the war.
Robert was recommended for a Military Medal for his service at Gallipoli, and when his battalion returned to Australia, the soldiers received a warm welcome - with flowers and cigarettes, a joy ride through town, and a buffet with tea.
Robert was recommended for a Military Medal
After the war Robert settled down to a quiet life in rural Australia, where he grew and sold vegetables.
After World War 1, Robert Coombes settled in Australia
Robert also became the guardian of an abused boy named Harry Mulville when Harry's father was arrested for assaulting him. Years after Robert died, Mulville showed his appreciation by purchasing a headstone for Robert's grave. While researching her book, Summercale interviewed nonagenarian Harry Mulville, and was rewarded with many personal anecdotes.
Robert Coombe's headstone in Australia
In the end one can't help but feel that Robert, who could have been hanged for killing his mother, partially redeemed himself by living an honorable life and saving lives in the war.
Robert's story alone would have made a good book, but Summerscale adds interest by including the social, political, and economic ambiance of turn-of-the century Britain; summaries of penny dreadful stories; scientific theories about Robert's condition; details of Robert Sr.'s seafaring life; a brief look at England's justice system; descriptions of World War I battles; anecdotes about Nattie's military and civilian service as a ship' stoker; tales about Robert Coombe and Harry Mulville's life in Australia; and more. It's clear Summerscale did voluminous research for the book, and used it well.
Excellent story. Highly recommended to fans of true crime and historical non-fiction.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
May 1, 2016
In 1895 Robert Coombes (aged 13) stabbed his mother to death and calmly went on living in the house with his brother Nathaniel (12) having days out at the cricket and living on money stolen from his mother. His father was away at sea and Robert told nosy neighbours that his mother had gone to Liverpool to visit a sick relative. Eventually, some 10 days later a nasty smell led a suspicious aunt to discover the body and Robert freely confessed to the murder.
This little gem of a book is not so much about the trial and scandal that followed in the Victorian press but more about the young murderer at the centre of the story. The author has carried out meticulous research about the life and times of Robert and his family as well as the trial that ensued. Although we never really fond out why Robert killed his mother, her beatings of his younger brother and Robert's love of reading 'penny dreadfuls' (comics full of stories of adventure and daring deeds) were heavily implicated. Luckily for Robert he was judged to be insane and sentenced to Broadmoor where he spent the next 17 years being a model patient, joining the cricket team, playing chess by correspondence, learning to play the cornet, piano and violin and joining the brass band. He also worked in the tailor's shop where he learnt to make clothing for the inmates. Again there is meticulous research and details about the nature of Broadmoor, the various Superintendents and other inmates in Robert's section and the treatment of mental illness at the time.
For me as an Australian, one of the unexpected delights of this book was the account of what happened next to Robert, the so called 'wicked boy'. After some time at a Salvation Army Farm, Robert travelled to Australia, where he later volunteered to serve with the Australian Army and was one of only 7000 men to serve for the whole of WWI. He won medals for his bravery and service as a stretcher bearer at Gallipoli and later as a hygiene officer at the Somme. After the war, he settled on the NSW coast near Coffs Harbour, where the author travelled to meet people who had known him and uncovered yet another remarkable story about this man who started off life so badly as a boy. This was a fascinating account not only of the treatment of a child murderer in Victorian times, but the capacity of such a child to be rehabilitated and go on to lead a worthy life.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Bloomsbury Publishing for an e-copy of the book to read and review
This little gem of a book is not so much about the trial and scandal that followed in the Victorian press but more about the young murderer at the centre of the story. The author has carried out meticulous research about the life and times of Robert and his family as well as the trial that ensued. Although we never really fond out why Robert killed his mother, her beatings of his younger brother and Robert's love of reading 'penny dreadfuls' (comics full of stories of adventure and daring deeds) were heavily implicated. Luckily for Robert he was judged to be insane and sentenced to Broadmoor where he spent the next 17 years being a model patient, joining the cricket team, playing chess by correspondence, learning to play the cornet, piano and violin and joining the brass band. He also worked in the tailor's shop where he learnt to make clothing for the inmates. Again there is meticulous research and details about the nature of Broadmoor, the various Superintendents and other inmates in Robert's section and the treatment of mental illness at the time.
For me as an Australian, one of the unexpected delights of this book was the account of what happened next to Robert, the so called 'wicked boy'. After some time at a Salvation Army Farm, Robert travelled to Australia, where he later volunteered to serve with the Australian Army and was one of only 7000 men to serve for the whole of WWI. He won medals for his bravery and service as a stretcher bearer at Gallipoli and later as a hygiene officer at the Somme. After the war, he settled on the NSW coast near Coffs Harbour, where the author travelled to meet people who had known him and uncovered yet another remarkable story about this man who started off life so badly as a boy. This was a fascinating account not only of the treatment of a child murderer in Victorian times, but the capacity of such a child to be rehabilitated and go on to lead a worthy life.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Bloomsbury Publishing for an e-copy of the book to read and review
June 7, 2016
Summer 1895. In the working-class East End of London, Robert Coombes has stabbed his mother. Robert,14 years old, claims that his mother Emily beat his younger brother Mattie for stealing food.
Emily has been stabbed to death in her upstairs bedroom but Robert creates a web of lies and deceptions to account for Emily's absence. Robert's seafaring father, away for long periods of time, is unaware of the crime. With the help of a dim witted guardian, the boys manage to live the good life visiting cricket matches and the theater by pawning family items while Emily's body is decomposing.
After 10 days, Emily's sister no longer believes she is visiting family in Liverpool and demands access to the Coombes residence. Greeted by a putrefying stench, Emily's maggot eaten corpse is discovered.
A trial at the Old Bailey ensues and Robert is found guilty of matricide. Neither the prosecution nor defense can determine a motive for the murder. Robert appears to be insane and is sent to the Broadmoor asylum. The humane treatment he receives there enables him to learn tailoring, gardening, and above all, human kindness which changes the trajectory of his life.
Kudos to Kate Summerscale for enlightening us about Victorian forensics and the diagnoses of insanity in late Victorian-era London. Could reading "penny dreadfuls" have caused the crime? Since Emily Coomes had outbursts of excitability would her progeny be even more mentally unbalanced? Summerscale thoroughly researched this true crime Victorian mystery. A masterful book I absolutely recommend!
Notes
Thank you Penguin Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Wicked Boy".
Emily has been stabbed to death in her upstairs bedroom but Robert creates a web of lies and deceptions to account for Emily's absence. Robert's seafaring father, away for long periods of time, is unaware of the crime. With the help of a dim witted guardian, the boys manage to live the good life visiting cricket matches and the theater by pawning family items while Emily's body is decomposing.
After 10 days, Emily's sister no longer believes she is visiting family in Liverpool and demands access to the Coombes residence. Greeted by a putrefying stench, Emily's maggot eaten corpse is discovered.
A trial at the Old Bailey ensues and Robert is found guilty of matricide. Neither the prosecution nor defense can determine a motive for the murder. Robert appears to be insane and is sent to the Broadmoor asylum. The humane treatment he receives there enables him to learn tailoring, gardening, and above all, human kindness which changes the trajectory of his life.
Kudos to Kate Summerscale for enlightening us about Victorian forensics and the diagnoses of insanity in late Victorian-era London. Could reading "penny dreadfuls" have caused the crime? Since Emily Coomes had outbursts of excitability would her progeny be even more mentally unbalanced? Summerscale thoroughly researched this true crime Victorian mystery. A masterful book I absolutely recommend!
Notes
Thank you Penguin Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Wicked Boy".
April 21, 2016
I really enjoyed Kate Summerscale’s previous books, so I was pleased to get the chance to review her latest, “The Wicked Boy.” Subtitled, “The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer,” much of the book took place in Plaistow (coincidentally, the place I lived as a child) and so this book resonated even more with me as I knew all the places mentioned.
This begins on a hot July day in 1895. Two brothers, Robert Coombes (13) and his brother, Nathaniel ‘Nattie’ (12) are home with their mother. Their father, a ship steward, is on his way across the Atlantic going to New York. It appears to neighbours, and relatives, that things are not well at the family home. Robert and Nattie seem to be spending a lot of money and there is no sign of their mother, Emily. The boys involve a friend of their fathers, John Fox, to pawn some items in the house but, eventually, a terrible smell leads to investigation and the body of their mother is discovered, murdered, in her bedroom.
Gradually, we discover what happened before this gruesome discovery and then the trial as it unfolds. Robert is the ‘Wicked Boy’ of the title and much of the blame for his crime is, initially, blamed on the ‘Penny Dreadfuls’ he loved to read. These trashy, cheap adventure stories were the computer games of their day – blamed for all sorts of delinquent behaviour. What was interesting to me, though, was how progressively Robert was actually treated once he had been tried. Although there was no real way of separating child criminals from adults, it was obvious that once he was in the system, there were attempts to rehabilitate and care for him.
This is also an account of Robert Coombe’s life after the murder and of what happened to him. It is an interesting read and also – despite the subject matter – an uplifting one. The author scatters the book with fascinating glimpses of other crimes and criminals, that occurred at around the same time and tells the story of psychiatry and how those with mental illness were treated. If you enjoyed Summerscale’s earlier books, or enjoy historical true crime, then you will probably also find this a good read. Lastly, I received a copy of the book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
This begins on a hot July day in 1895. Two brothers, Robert Coombes (13) and his brother, Nathaniel ‘Nattie’ (12) are home with their mother. Their father, a ship steward, is on his way across the Atlantic going to New York. It appears to neighbours, and relatives, that things are not well at the family home. Robert and Nattie seem to be spending a lot of money and there is no sign of their mother, Emily. The boys involve a friend of their fathers, John Fox, to pawn some items in the house but, eventually, a terrible smell leads to investigation and the body of their mother is discovered, murdered, in her bedroom.
Gradually, we discover what happened before this gruesome discovery and then the trial as it unfolds. Robert is the ‘Wicked Boy’ of the title and much of the blame for his crime is, initially, blamed on the ‘Penny Dreadfuls’ he loved to read. These trashy, cheap adventure stories were the computer games of their day – blamed for all sorts of delinquent behaviour. What was interesting to me, though, was how progressively Robert was actually treated once he had been tried. Although there was no real way of separating child criminals from adults, it was obvious that once he was in the system, there were attempts to rehabilitate and care for him.
This is also an account of Robert Coombe’s life after the murder and of what happened to him. It is an interesting read and also – despite the subject matter – an uplifting one. The author scatters the book with fascinating glimpses of other crimes and criminals, that occurred at around the same time and tells the story of psychiatry and how those with mental illness were treated. If you enjoyed Summerscale’s earlier books, or enjoy historical true crime, then you will probably also find this a good read. Lastly, I received a copy of the book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
January 7, 2017
Nice little nonfiction book. It's main point deals with the sentencing of a boy of 13 for the murder of his mother , this is a real case. The first half of the book deals with all intricacies of the case, the before, the middle and the trial. The other half of the book deals with the after for both of the brothers (the main characters are 2 brothers, only one is sentenced) and how their lives affected everyone around them. The reason I gave the book 3 stars is because while this book is well researched and nicely written, it lacks purpose , I thought originally this would be a book that advocated for children's rights and their being abused during Victorian times , this was not the case, then I thought this could be a book where psychopathy was discussed or at least criminal intent, this was also not the case. This book isolates the case it discussed and doesn't seem to want to do more than that. There is a bit amount of overload of information and meticulous research into the background of each of every minor character introduced as the trial goes on, in a book without purpose these biographies seem to be just filling . This book aspires to nothing but just to be about the case it presents, and judging from that singular perspective it succeeds.
May 17, 2016
In East London in the summer of 1895 13-year-old Robert Coombes murdered his mother. His guilt was never in question, and he never denied the charges when the death was eventually discovered. For ten days after the murder, his mother's body lay rotting in the summer heat in an upstairs bedroom, whilst Robert, his younger brother Nattie and a simple-minded colleague of his father's whom Robert conned into taking care of the boys in their mother's 'absence', went to watch cricket at Lord's, to the seaside, coffee shops and the park, played cards and other games. Family members soon grew suspicious, and the crime was eventually uncovered. To say more of the events that took place would spoil readers' enjoyment, no doubt, so I will refrain, and simply say that only the first half of this book concerns the murder and Robert's trial.
Child murderers are always of interest - the dichotomy between such an abhorrent act and the perceived 'innocence' of childhood, no doubt - and a young boy who kills his mother and then acts with such cool unconcern in the aftermath all the more so. Yet I found this book disappointing, for all that. I've read and thoroughly enjoyed both of Kate Summerscale's previous books, 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' and 'Mrs Robinson's Disgrace', but this one seems to lack depth in comparison. It felt very cursory, degenerating on many pages to little more than a 'he said/they said/he said' recitation of the trial records. At no point did I ever feel enthralled in the tale and none of the personalities involved ever felt more than potted characters on the page.
Perhaps that was because there was no 'whodunnit' aspect to the case; perhaps because the trial lawyers never sought to determine Robert's motive; perhaps because there is no extant record of Robert's thoughts, impulses or feelings after the trial or throughout his subsequent life - whatever the reason, Robert himself remained very much a cipher in these pages, impossible to understand or empathise with. As I said, at no point reading this book did I ever feel that there was any depth to the words on the page - it read as very much a 'this happened and then that happened and then he said this and she said that', and quite frankly I got bored. It took me less than a day to read this book, not because I was unable to put it down, but because it was such a light, cursory read it took no time at all to rattle through. I can only hope Kate Summerscale's next book reflects 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' or 'Mrs Robinson's Disgrace', and not this one.
Child murderers are always of interest - the dichotomy between such an abhorrent act and the perceived 'innocence' of childhood, no doubt - and a young boy who kills his mother and then acts with such cool unconcern in the aftermath all the more so. Yet I found this book disappointing, for all that. I've read and thoroughly enjoyed both of Kate Summerscale's previous books, 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' and 'Mrs Robinson's Disgrace', but this one seems to lack depth in comparison. It felt very cursory, degenerating on many pages to little more than a 'he said/they said/he said' recitation of the trial records. At no point did I ever feel enthralled in the tale and none of the personalities involved ever felt more than potted characters on the page.
Perhaps that was because there was no 'whodunnit' aspect to the case; perhaps because the trial lawyers never sought to determine Robert's motive; perhaps because there is no extant record of Robert's thoughts, impulses or feelings after the trial or throughout his subsequent life - whatever the reason, Robert himself remained very much a cipher in these pages, impossible to understand or empathise with. As I said, at no point reading this book did I ever feel that there was any depth to the words on the page - it read as very much a 'this happened and then that happened and then he said this and she said that', and quite frankly I got bored. It took me less than a day to read this book, not because I was unable to put it down, but because it was such a light, cursory read it took no time at all to rattle through. I can only hope Kate Summerscale's next book reflects 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' or 'Mrs Robinson's Disgrace', and not this one.
September 8, 2017
Not as good as her earlier true-life Victorian murder mystery, The Suspicions of Mr.Whicher, but quite compelling.
September 9, 2018
A fascinating true account of thirteen year old Robert Coombes who murdered he’s mother in the summer of 1895.
The book follows he’s trial subsequent life after these events.
I practically liked how Summerscale transports the reader to that period in history, as for 10 days prior to the discovery of the body Robert and younger brother Nattie went on a spending spree.
Everything from the pre-decimal currency to the boys trip to Lords for the cricket is well explained.
I felt like I’d learnt a lot about the Victorian justice system too.
The book follows he’s trial subsequent life after these events.
I practically liked how Summerscale transports the reader to that period in history, as for 10 days prior to the discovery of the body Robert and younger brother Nattie went on a spending spree.
Everything from the pre-decimal currency to the boys trip to Lords for the cricket is well explained.
I felt like I’d learnt a lot about the Victorian justice system too.
September 23, 2016
Thought it would be in the same vein as In Cold Blood or Compulsion. But it was more of an historical and judicial essay. Too much cold facts and dates and too little emotional implication.
June 15, 2016
Boys will be boys...
For ten days in the summer of July 1895, two boys spent their time roaming round coffee shops and attending cricket matches, and telling anyone who asked that their mother had gone to visit relatives in Liverpool. They slept downstairs in the back parlour of their house, with a family friend who had come at their request to look after them. Meantime, an unpleasant smell was beginning to seep from the house, becoming so bad eventually that the neighbours complained to the boys' aunt. When she forced her way into the house, she discovered the badly decomposed body of the boys' mother, and immediately young Robert Coombes admitted to having stabbed her to death.
This is a chilling but fascinating true crime story from the end of the Victorian era. Robert Coombes was thirteen at the time of the murder and his brother Nattie was twelve. The idea of the matricide itself horrified contemporary society enough, but it was the cool behaviour of the boys over the following ten days that made the crime seem even more shocking. Evidence showed that the murder was planned – Robert had bought the knife specially a few days earlier, and he later claimed that he and Nattie had arranged a signal for when the deed should be done.
The first part of the book concentrates on the crime and the trial procedures and Summerscale covers these with her usual excellent attention to detail. Because they felt that their case against Robert would be stronger if his brother gave evidence, the prosecution were keen to have the charges against Nattie dropped, since at that time defendants were not allowed to tell their story in court. In the early proceedings, Robert had no lawyer or other representation and was expected to cross-examine witnesses by himself. The boys' father was a steward on board a transatlantic cattle vessel, and wasn't even aware of the murder till after the first hearings had taken place.
Although this all sounds horrific to our modern ideas of justice, especially for children, there seems little doubt that Robert was indeed guilty, and some of the court officers did their best to make the process as easy for him as they could within the system. The boys were held in an adult jail during the trial process, but had individual cells – a luxury they would be unlikely to get today. The boys' extended family did show up for the hearings, so Nattie at least had some adult support.
The defence quickly decided to try for an insanity ruling, which meant that they actually preferred for there not to be a rational motive, while the prosecution felt Robert's guilt was so obvious they didn't need one. The result of this is that no-one ever really asked why Robert did it, and so the motivation remains unclear. Summerscale suggests on the basis of some fairly circumstantial evidence that the mother may have been cruel to the boys in her husband's absence – there is a suggestion that she too suffered from “excitability” and extreme mood swings, and may have beaten the boys badly, but this is largely speculation.
In this first section, Summerscale also widens her discussion out to look at the society and living conditions of the time. Robert's family was working class, but not grindingly poor – his father had a decent income, and the boys got a good education. However, at that time, there was much debate as to whether educating the poor was a good thing, especially since the ability to read allowed boys access to the “penny dreadfuls” of the time, which many considered to have a bad influence on impressionable young minds. Robert had a collection of such pamphlets, and the press made much of this. The crime took place in Plaistow in Essex, an industrial area within the range of the heavily polluted atmosphere of London. There was also much debate at that time about the general poor health of the urban poor, while the acceptance of the theory of evolution brought with it a belief in the possibility of its opposite, degeneration. It all reminded me of the “bad boy” culture that Andrew Levy discussed so thoroughly in his book about Twain's young hero, Huck Finn's America.
The second half of the book tells the story of what happened to Robert after his conviction. Summerscale is asking, and answering, the question of whether someone who has done such a dreadful thing can go on to lead a normal, even worthwhile life. Robert spent several years in Broadmoor, the hospital for the criminally insane, where again because of his youth he was in fact treated more kindly than we might expect. This whole section is fascinating in what it tells us about the treatment of those judged criminally insane. In fact, from time to time there were complaints that the treatment was too kind – that people were faking insanity to avoid the much harder regime in normal prisons.
This is not the end of Robert's story, though. Following his eventual release from Broadmoor, Summerscale follows his trail through the rest of his life, uncovering some interesting and unexpected details about how he turned out. So often true crime stories from the Victorian era end with a conviction and capital punishment. This one, being somewhat later and also because it concerned a child, is intriguing because we are able to see the aftermath. At the point of conviction Robert would undoubtedly have been seen as some kind of monster, but Summerscale lets us see whether the rest of his life confirmed that or allowed him to find some kind of redemption. Immaculately researched, well written and presented, this is easily the equal of Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, and personally, having worked with boys of that age with troubled and often criminal histories, I found this one even more interesting. Highly recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Penguin Group.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
For ten days in the summer of July 1895, two boys spent their time roaming round coffee shops and attending cricket matches, and telling anyone who asked that their mother had gone to visit relatives in Liverpool. They slept downstairs in the back parlour of their house, with a family friend who had come at their request to look after them. Meantime, an unpleasant smell was beginning to seep from the house, becoming so bad eventually that the neighbours complained to the boys' aunt. When she forced her way into the house, she discovered the badly decomposed body of the boys' mother, and immediately young Robert Coombes admitted to having stabbed her to death.
This is a chilling but fascinating true crime story from the end of the Victorian era. Robert Coombes was thirteen at the time of the murder and his brother Nattie was twelve. The idea of the matricide itself horrified contemporary society enough, but it was the cool behaviour of the boys over the following ten days that made the crime seem even more shocking. Evidence showed that the murder was planned – Robert had bought the knife specially a few days earlier, and he later claimed that he and Nattie had arranged a signal for when the deed should be done.
The first part of the book concentrates on the crime and the trial procedures and Summerscale covers these with her usual excellent attention to detail. Because they felt that their case against Robert would be stronger if his brother gave evidence, the prosecution were keen to have the charges against Nattie dropped, since at that time defendants were not allowed to tell their story in court. In the early proceedings, Robert had no lawyer or other representation and was expected to cross-examine witnesses by himself. The boys' father was a steward on board a transatlantic cattle vessel, and wasn't even aware of the murder till after the first hearings had taken place.
Although this all sounds horrific to our modern ideas of justice, especially for children, there seems little doubt that Robert was indeed guilty, and some of the court officers did their best to make the process as easy for him as they could within the system. The boys were held in an adult jail during the trial process, but had individual cells – a luxury they would be unlikely to get today. The boys' extended family did show up for the hearings, so Nattie at least had some adult support.
The defence quickly decided to try for an insanity ruling, which meant that they actually preferred for there not to be a rational motive, while the prosecution felt Robert's guilt was so obvious they didn't need one. The result of this is that no-one ever really asked why Robert did it, and so the motivation remains unclear. Summerscale suggests on the basis of some fairly circumstantial evidence that the mother may have been cruel to the boys in her husband's absence – there is a suggestion that she too suffered from “excitability” and extreme mood swings, and may have beaten the boys badly, but this is largely speculation.
In this first section, Summerscale also widens her discussion out to look at the society and living conditions of the time. Robert's family was working class, but not grindingly poor – his father had a decent income, and the boys got a good education. However, at that time, there was much debate as to whether educating the poor was a good thing, especially since the ability to read allowed boys access to the “penny dreadfuls” of the time, which many considered to have a bad influence on impressionable young minds. Robert had a collection of such pamphlets, and the press made much of this. The crime took place in Plaistow in Essex, an industrial area within the range of the heavily polluted atmosphere of London. There was also much debate at that time about the general poor health of the urban poor, while the acceptance of the theory of evolution brought with it a belief in the possibility of its opposite, degeneration. It all reminded me of the “bad boy” culture that Andrew Levy discussed so thoroughly in his book about Twain's young hero, Huck Finn's America.
The second half of the book tells the story of what happened to Robert after his conviction. Summerscale is asking, and answering, the question of whether someone who has done such a dreadful thing can go on to lead a normal, even worthwhile life. Robert spent several years in Broadmoor, the hospital for the criminally insane, where again because of his youth he was in fact treated more kindly than we might expect. This whole section is fascinating in what it tells us about the treatment of those judged criminally insane. In fact, from time to time there were complaints that the treatment was too kind – that people were faking insanity to avoid the much harder regime in normal prisons.
This is not the end of Robert's story, though. Following his eventual release from Broadmoor, Summerscale follows his trail through the rest of his life, uncovering some interesting and unexpected details about how he turned out. So often true crime stories from the Victorian era end with a conviction and capital punishment. This one, being somewhat later and also because it concerned a child, is intriguing because we are able to see the aftermath. At the point of conviction Robert would undoubtedly have been seen as some kind of monster, but Summerscale lets us see whether the rest of his life confirmed that or allowed him to find some kind of redemption. Immaculately researched, well written and presented, this is easily the equal of Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, and personally, having worked with boys of that age with troubled and often criminal histories, I found this one even more interesting. Highly recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Penguin Group.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
January 11, 2018
This story chronicles the life of Robert Coombes from his 13th year and his involvement in the murder of his mother. It's well researched, interesting to read and touches on some interesting concepts of psychology and behavior that were just beginning to be documented/researched in the 1890s. It all comes together for an engaging read.
However, I never got to really know these characters and the concepts touched upon were just that....touched upon. The connection between the concept and this particular case is often nebulous. I came away without a clear reason for this child to kill his mother. There are a couple of hints at what may have been the cause but they didn't seem drastic enough to cause a killing and never do we hear Robert's words on the matter. It may be that he never spoke them but that makes the case more curious yet.
The asylum was interesting. It was like a well-run hotel. Surprising.
An interesting read and one I'm glad I picked up yet not one of true connectivity.
Note of interest:
1. In 1895, the "penny dreadfuls" were considered as dangerous to a young minds as violent video games are for young minds today. Both have the ability to turn young people into killers because they cannot distinguish between real life killings and book/game killings. (things don't change much over the generations, it seems)
2. James Joyce was born in the same year as Robert Coombes, also read penny dreadfuls & enjoyed liked them.....at least he wrote a story (An Encounter) stating so.
However, I never got to really know these characters and the concepts touched upon were just that....touched upon. The connection between the concept and this particular case is often nebulous. I came away without a clear reason for this child to kill his mother. There are a couple of hints at what may have been the cause but they didn't seem drastic enough to cause a killing and never do we hear Robert's words on the matter. It may be that he never spoke them but that makes the case more curious yet.
The asylum was interesting. It was like a well-run hotel. Surprising.
An interesting read and one I'm glad I picked up yet not one of true connectivity.
Note of interest:
1. In 1895, the "penny dreadfuls" were considered as dangerous to a young minds as violent video games are for young minds today. Both have the ability to turn young people into killers because they cannot distinguish between real life killings and book/game killings. (things don't change much over the generations, it seems)
2. James Joyce was born in the same year as Robert Coombes, also read penny dreadfuls & enjoyed liked them.....at least he wrote a story (An Encounter) stating so.
February 19, 2019
A shocking story of a child who commited a horrific crime, his life in prison, and an unlikely journey to redemption.
August 30, 2019
Listened to the audiobook via BorrowBox!
3.5 stars!
I listened to this in a single day on a whim and it was... chilling as heck. The pacing was very slow, however, the thriller/historical aspect was there in strong waves. The real-life story of a Victorian child murderer who murdered his Mum in London in 1895. He's only 13, but is very crafty and ropes his younger brother into his lies and wicked deeds. We go from the family home to the courtrooms, to the English countryside and finally arriving in Australia. It's a shocking but good listen and well-researched!
3.5 stars!
I listened to this in a single day on a whim and it was... chilling as heck. The pacing was very slow, however, the thriller/historical aspect was there in strong waves. The real-life story of a Victorian child murderer who murdered his Mum in London in 1895. He's only 13, but is very crafty and ropes his younger brother into his lies and wicked deeds. We go from the family home to the courtrooms, to the English countryside and finally arriving in Australia. It's a shocking but good listen and well-researched!
August 15, 2017
3.75 stars
Based on the life of Robert Coombes, a child in the slums of London in 1895. His infamous claim to fame is the murder of his mother at age 13. The book follows his life as a youngster, his trial, his years in an insane asylum, his release, his years in the war and his stoic life once he settles down as a man.
There are parts of this book that I really enjoyed reading. Then there are parts that I felt were almost 100% repetition. The book gives a lot of back story - which I enjoyed - and also speaks of criminal cases similar to Roberts. It speaks to a lot of family background and a lot of societal problems, which were rampant at the time. The story takes us from when Robert was a very young boy - aged 13 - to manhood and his death in 1949 and then a bit thereafter. My problem with the book was that I felt that the author repeated certain parts of the story too often. I understand that she was starting in a new thought direction, but I did not feel it was necessary to repeat total parts of the story, for me to understand her change in course. The book was entertaining and the research and story plot were very good, but with all the repetition I believe the page count was probably a quarter again what it needed to be. I am sure this was a big project - as witnessed by the Notes and Bibliography - but believe that her editing staff could have made this a much better book.
Based on the life of Robert Coombes, a child in the slums of London in 1895. His infamous claim to fame is the murder of his mother at age 13. The book follows his life as a youngster, his trial, his years in an insane asylum, his release, his years in the war and his stoic life once he settles down as a man.
There are parts of this book that I really enjoyed reading. Then there are parts that I felt were almost 100% repetition. The book gives a lot of back story - which I enjoyed - and also speaks of criminal cases similar to Roberts. It speaks to a lot of family background and a lot of societal problems, which were rampant at the time. The story takes us from when Robert was a very young boy - aged 13 - to manhood and his death in 1949 and then a bit thereafter. My problem with the book was that I felt that the author repeated certain parts of the story too often. I understand that she was starting in a new thought direction, but I did not feel it was necessary to repeat total parts of the story, for me to understand her change in course. The book was entertaining and the research and story plot were very good, but with all the repetition I believe the page count was probably a quarter again what it needed to be. I am sure this was a big project - as witnessed by the Notes and Bibliography - but believe that her editing staff could have made this a much better book.
July 9, 2016
This was my first Kate Summerscale book, and, I must say, I was deeply impressed. Assiduously researched, The Wicked Boy starts off with the murder of Emily Coombes in 1895 by either one or both of her sons, aged 12 and 13. But the book is so much more than that. It follows the two boys during the ten days between the date of the crime and the discovery; it follows the boys through the court system and its aftermath; and, finally, shows the courses of the rest of the boys' lives.
Richly detailed, the book takes you right into that time period, it highlights the culture, society and norms of the times. With expert writing, you are immediately drawn into the story. My favorite part of the book was the last chapter, which I won't reveal here. But, surprisingly, the story does include a hint of redemption. 5 stars for this one, I'd highly recommend it to anyone. I'm definitely going to look into this author's other works.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Press for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Richly detailed, the book takes you right into that time period, it highlights the culture, society and norms of the times. With expert writing, you are immediately drawn into the story. My favorite part of the book was the last chapter, which I won't reveal here. But, surprisingly, the story does include a hint of redemption. 5 stars for this one, I'd highly recommend it to anyone. I'm definitely going to look into this author's other works.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Press for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
March 13, 2016
I'd like to thank the Penguin Group, The Penguin Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Early one morning in the summer of 1865, a thirteen year old Robert Coombes lays beside his mother in bed. The heat of the day is already building towards its suffocating presence and Robert's mother, in her chemise and drawers rather than a nightdress, punches out at the boy beside her as he kicks about in bed. Minutes later Robert makes his way to a second bedroom that he shares with his younger brother, Nattie, and tells him that he has done 'it' - he has killed their mother. His younger brother responding with disbelief, Robert leads him to their mother and father's bed where Nattie sees blood and hears a faint moan. Both boys go back to sleep, Robert back in the bed next to a dead or dying woman and Nattie back to their shared room.
Emily Coombes was stabbed twice in the chest by a knife her son had bought weeks before and bludgeoned at the temple with a truncheon. Her sons, with the aide of money from her purse and the dress she had slipped off hours before, proceeded to pay the weekly rent through a neighbor, attend a cricket match, see a show, and eat out at local coffeehouses. They pawned off two watches and Robert's mandolin with the help of a family friend named John Fox, whom they enlisted into their escapades of the following ten days by inviting him to stay in their home to watch over them while their mother was away. Fox, described as simple-minded and trustworthy in the court case to come, was apparently oblivious to the growing stench of the house's fourth tenant or the oddity of the situation at hand. He pawned the possessions given to him, wore a suit Robert gave him, and slept and played cards with the boys in a downstairs backroom of the boys' home - not realizing how derailed his life was to become very shortly when the suspicions of the boys' aunt began to grow and the decomposing body of their mother was finally found.
What followed was a newspaper-selling court case that rocked the surrounding area. Everything from what the boys' read (the penny bloods that had become such a contentious topic as of late) to what the boys wore at each appearance was fodder for the tell-all. In all the chaos, pity, and disturbance thrown up by the murder no one seemed to be able to get to the bottom of why. Were the boys insane, guilty, or both? Who was responsible for the murder, was Nattie culpable or just Robert? As the court proceeded, the boys were separated with Nattie becoming a witness rather than the accused. While Robert was eventually found guilty yet insane and shipped off to Broadmoor, the why of the crime lingered.
This is the premise of Summerscale's Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer. In an atmospheric chronicle of the boys' home life, trial, and the path Robert's life took afterwards, Summerscale attempts to reconcile the why of a child murderer and his crime with the man that would eventually emerge from Broadmoor.
Summerscale does a very good job at introducing the reader to the time period and the details of the Coombes case. It is a satisfyingly well researched effort that offers up a great view of those involved in the case, the boys as they were portrayed in the papers and witnessed in court, their educational and family backgrounds, as well as what the medical perspective on insanity and culpability was at the time. Though Summerscale poses a few personal theories as to the reasons behind the murder, the looming why remains.
While society in general has a much larger awareness of psychology and mental illness today- those that could provide any real answers about motive have passed on. While chaos and stressors in the home were alluded to in both the provided testimony in court and in Summerscale's account, only presumptions can be made at this point.
Presumptions aside, the details of Robert's life are certainly enthralling. As are the details of the time period that have been gathered and woven through this book so adeptly. It is this weaving of details that offers up such a great opportunity for comparison in so many areas. I think that Summerscale does a good job of observing the varying threads of her project's time and place while respecting those involved.
The Wicked Boy is a very interesting read that poses a great amount of reflection on the volatility of the Victorian period, the changes that we've seen in the fairly recent past, and on the psychology of murder in general and matricide in specific.
Early one morning in the summer of 1865, a thirteen year old Robert Coombes lays beside his mother in bed. The heat of the day is already building towards its suffocating presence and Robert's mother, in her chemise and drawers rather than a nightdress, punches out at the boy beside her as he kicks about in bed. Minutes later Robert makes his way to a second bedroom that he shares with his younger brother, Nattie, and tells him that he has done 'it' - he has killed their mother. His younger brother responding with disbelief, Robert leads him to their mother and father's bed where Nattie sees blood and hears a faint moan. Both boys go back to sleep, Robert back in the bed next to a dead or dying woman and Nattie back to their shared room.
Emily Coombes was stabbed twice in the chest by a knife her son had bought weeks before and bludgeoned at the temple with a truncheon. Her sons, with the aide of money from her purse and the dress she had slipped off hours before, proceeded to pay the weekly rent through a neighbor, attend a cricket match, see a show, and eat out at local coffeehouses. They pawned off two watches and Robert's mandolin with the help of a family friend named John Fox, whom they enlisted into their escapades of the following ten days by inviting him to stay in their home to watch over them while their mother was away. Fox, described as simple-minded and trustworthy in the court case to come, was apparently oblivious to the growing stench of the house's fourth tenant or the oddity of the situation at hand. He pawned the possessions given to him, wore a suit Robert gave him, and slept and played cards with the boys in a downstairs backroom of the boys' home - not realizing how derailed his life was to become very shortly when the suspicions of the boys' aunt began to grow and the decomposing body of their mother was finally found.
What followed was a newspaper-selling court case that rocked the surrounding area. Everything from what the boys' read (the penny bloods that had become such a contentious topic as of late) to what the boys wore at each appearance was fodder for the tell-all. In all the chaos, pity, and disturbance thrown up by the murder no one seemed to be able to get to the bottom of why. Were the boys insane, guilty, or both? Who was responsible for the murder, was Nattie culpable or just Robert? As the court proceeded, the boys were separated with Nattie becoming a witness rather than the accused. While Robert was eventually found guilty yet insane and shipped off to Broadmoor, the why of the crime lingered.
This is the premise of Summerscale's Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer. In an atmospheric chronicle of the boys' home life, trial, and the path Robert's life took afterwards, Summerscale attempts to reconcile the why of a child murderer and his crime with the man that would eventually emerge from Broadmoor.
Summerscale does a very good job at introducing the reader to the time period and the details of the Coombes case. It is a satisfyingly well researched effort that offers up a great view of those involved in the case, the boys as they were portrayed in the papers and witnessed in court, their educational and family backgrounds, as well as what the medical perspective on insanity and culpability was at the time. Though Summerscale poses a few personal theories as to the reasons behind the murder, the looming why remains.
While society in general has a much larger awareness of psychology and mental illness today- those that could provide any real answers about motive have passed on. While chaos and stressors in the home were alluded to in both the provided testimony in court and in Summerscale's account, only presumptions can be made at this point.
Presumptions aside, the details of Robert's life are certainly enthralling. As are the details of the time period that have been gathered and woven through this book so adeptly. It is this weaving of details that offers up such a great opportunity for comparison in so many areas. I think that Summerscale does a good job of observing the varying threads of her project's time and place while respecting those involved.
The Wicked Boy is a very interesting read that poses a great amount of reflection on the volatility of the Victorian period, the changes that we've seen in the fairly recent past, and on the psychology of murder in general and matricide in specific.
June 5, 2016
Three and a half stars.
Victorian London is transfixed with a new court case. Thirteen year old Robert Coombes and his twelve year old brother, Nattie, stand in the dock and the public are hooked on the sensation.
Kate Summerscale's writing is matter of fact at times, but I can appreciate her reasons for this. Her explicit writing detailing the crime mirrors the Penny Dreadful novels attributed by some to playing a part in the case. The court account is engrossing and thoughtfully written. Summerscale highlights Victorian social, moral and psychological beliefs and her research regarding the prison system, including the regime and treatment of inmates, is comprehensive and detailed.
A shocking crime which delves into Victorian life and its sensibilities.
Victorian London is transfixed with a new court case. Thirteen year old Robert Coombes and his twelve year old brother, Nattie, stand in the dock and the public are hooked on the sensation.
Kate Summerscale's writing is matter of fact at times, but I can appreciate her reasons for this. Her explicit writing detailing the crime mirrors the Penny Dreadful novels attributed by some to playing a part in the case. The court account is engrossing and thoughtfully written. Summerscale highlights Victorian social, moral and psychological beliefs and her research regarding the prison system, including the regime and treatment of inmates, is comprehensive and detailed.
A shocking crime which delves into Victorian life and its sensibilities.
July 28, 2016
"You are a bad, wicked boy," she told Robert. "You knew your Ma was dead in the room and you ought to have told me."
"Auntie," he replied. "Come to me and I will tell you the truth and tell you all about it."
At 13, Robert Coombes was convicted of killing his mother. Her body was kept locked up in the upstairs bedroom for 10 days before the death was discovered.
Kate Summerscale's straightforward narrative non-fiction account is an interesting peek into Victorian London and follows Robert through to his death. While the story of the murder is equal parts fascinating and horrifying, it is only part of what the book has to offer. We the readers get to experience turn of the century England, its judicial system, working environs, asylums, the Great War and a redeeming third act in the life of Robert Coombes.
Recommended for true crime fans that enjoy coming to their own conclusions on a case.
"Auntie," he replied. "Come to me and I will tell you the truth and tell you all about it."
At 13, Robert Coombes was convicted of killing his mother. Her body was kept locked up in the upstairs bedroom for 10 days before the death was discovered.
Kate Summerscale's straightforward narrative non-fiction account is an interesting peek into Victorian London and follows Robert through to his death. While the story of the murder is equal parts fascinating and horrifying, it is only part of what the book has to offer. We the readers get to experience turn of the century England, its judicial system, working environs, asylums, the Great War and a redeeming third act in the life of Robert Coombes.
Recommended for true crime fans that enjoy coming to their own conclusions on a case.
July 28, 2016
A totally fascinating read about a young Victorian child Robert Coombes, who brutally stabbed his mother one day in July, 1895. While the book goes into specific details of the crime and all it's gore, it also gives us a look into the everyday conditions of London's society which was often times brutal itself if you happened to be among the poor working classes. What I enjoyed about the book was that the author chronicled the life of Robert after he was sentenced and serving his time at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum to eventually redeeming his life to go onto becoming a distinguished serviceman during the Great War and overall, caring human being. Instead of just sensationalizing the story itself, Kate Summerscale gave us a compassionate look into why perhaps a young child could commit such a horrific crime and come out a better person in the end. Recommended for those who love History and stories related to crime.
May 10, 2016
Kate Summerscale has an easy, elegant way of writing.
As in some of her previous books she has taken an event from Victorian England and meticulously researched it to produce a detailed look at the period and the 'crime' involved.
Her skill is in the detail and I really enjoyed the first half of the book - her description of late Victorian working class London is excellent and we really feel we are looking inside the small house where Robert murdered his mother.
However, the latter part of the book suffers from excessive padding. I do love a Victorian true crime story but the trouble is, sometimes not enough information can be gathered however hard the author tries to unearth material. I really didn't need character sketches of many of the people Robert might or might not have come across during his incarceration.
As in some of her previous books she has taken an event from Victorian England and meticulously researched it to produce a detailed look at the period and the 'crime' involved.
Her skill is in the detail and I really enjoyed the first half of the book - her description of late Victorian working class London is excellent and we really feel we are looking inside the small house where Robert murdered his mother.
However, the latter part of the book suffers from excessive padding. I do love a Victorian true crime story but the trouble is, sometimes not enough information can be gathered however hard the author tries to unearth material. I really didn't need character sketches of many of the people Robert might or might not have come across during his incarceration.
July 16, 2018
This book, this case of a boy (or boys) killing his mother, is more proof that playing violent video games shapes young minds in ways that lead to violen – Sorry? Oh, it's not 1995, but 1895? Oh. Right.
This book, this case of a boy killing his mother, is more proof that reading sensational literature shapes young minds in ways that lead to violence and depravity. As Louisa May Alcott said, "She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."
The killing at the center of this book is extremely disturbing. The older of the two brothers in question is even moreso. Don't get me wrong, the younger brother is creepy – but the older one … "Robert was taken back to Holloway gaol. He was laughing as he got into the cab." It's the sort of thing that's always pointed out with salacious horror in coverage of trials – the defendant and his lawyer were seen laughing during a break in the harrowing testimony, that sort of thing. It's not how a kid should … be.
"Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter."
- Paxton Hood
I've often heard of Broadmoor prison; in fact, there is an apartment complex around the corner from me which I thought about applying to, but honestly couldn't seriously consider because of the name. Come to find out, the place that has lived in my mind as a rather horrific insane asylum ("'Broadmoor!' as R. J. Tucknor wrote in a short story for Reynolds Newspaper: 'What visions of horror, ruined lives, and blasted aspirations, of madness and despair, does that single word conjure up!'") was … kind of a nice place to live. I won't spoil it, but it basically amounted to a place where one didn't have to worry about keeping a roof over one's head or feeding oneself, with no mundane worries or responsibilities, where one was surrounded by wholesome recreation opportunities and could even find oneself contributing to dictionary creation. If you were a man you even got an ounce of tobacco each week. There are days (and not a few of them) when I'd love to be an inmate at Broadmoor. (The good part. There was> a bad part.) Oh, and there were interesting neighbors: "One elderly inmate, said to have killed his mother in 1849, would inform passersby that he had great mysteries, comets, suns and fires fastened to his shoulders." That's a hell of a lot more interesting than my current neighbors.
"In every other age and class man is held responsible for his reading, and not reading responsible for man. The books a man or woman reads are less the making of character than the expression of it."
- The Pall Mall Gazette
This was a fascinating examination of the specific case and its setting – and its aftermath. Well-researched, well-written – and well recommended.
(Aside: I was entertained to read about "the sour, urinous scent of the Bryant & May match works"… That's much the way I now feel about the Bryand and May mystery series after its author's recent remarks.)
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
This book, this case of a boy killing his mother, is more proof that reading sensational literature shapes young minds in ways that lead to violence and depravity. As Louisa May Alcott said, "She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."
The killing at the center of this book is extremely disturbing. The older of the two brothers in question is even moreso. Don't get me wrong, the younger brother is creepy – but the older one … "Robert was taken back to Holloway gaol. He was laughing as he got into the cab." It's the sort of thing that's always pointed out with salacious horror in coverage of trials – the defendant and his lawyer were seen laughing during a break in the harrowing testimony, that sort of thing. It's not how a kid should … be.
"Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter."
- Paxton Hood
I've often heard of Broadmoor prison; in fact, there is an apartment complex around the corner from me which I thought about applying to, but honestly couldn't seriously consider because of the name. Come to find out, the place that has lived in my mind as a rather horrific insane asylum ("'Broadmoor!' as R. J. Tucknor wrote in a short story for Reynolds Newspaper: 'What visions of horror, ruined lives, and blasted aspirations, of madness and despair, does that single word conjure up!'") was … kind of a nice place to live. I won't spoil it, but it basically amounted to a place where one didn't have to worry about keeping a roof over one's head or feeding oneself, with no mundane worries or responsibilities, where one was surrounded by wholesome recreation opportunities and could even find oneself contributing to dictionary creation. If you were a man you even got an ounce of tobacco each week. There are days (and not a few of them) when I'd love to be an inmate at Broadmoor. (The good part. There was> a bad part.) Oh, and there were interesting neighbors: "One elderly inmate, said to have killed his mother in 1849, would inform passersby that he had great mysteries, comets, suns and fires fastened to his shoulders." That's a hell of a lot more interesting than my current neighbors.
"In every other age and class man is held responsible for his reading, and not reading responsible for man. The books a man or woman reads are less the making of character than the expression of it."
- The Pall Mall Gazette
This was a fascinating examination of the specific case and its setting – and its aftermath. Well-researched, well-written – and well recommended.
(Aside: I was entertained to read about "the sour, urinous scent of the Bryant & May match works"… That's much the way I now feel about the Bryand and May mystery series after its author's recent remarks.)
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
February 7, 2017
Awesome recreation of Robert Coombes life from the age of 13 in the late 1800’s. Wicked Boy? After you read the book you will wonder who the wicked one was. Robert murdered his mom. Wound up in the best wing of an insane asylum. Very bright and continue to grow into a man most people would be proud of. WWI Vet. His entire life is reconstructed through amazing research. The only thing that doesn't fit his the murder of his mom. Or does it. The sociology at the time was so primitive compared to today. I will leave you with Robert is a gentle, loving soul. He did what he had to do at the time for his 12 year old brother or for both of them. Page turner. I voluntarily wrote this review which is my own opinion. I would like to thank the author and publisher for my complimentary copy.
May 19, 2020
This book explores a fascinating case of matricide by a 13-year-old boy in Victorian London. It features surprisingly compassionate attitudes among late-19th-century asylum workers, retrograde attitudes among lawyers and judges, and doesn’t provide any easy answers regarding why some children enact horrible crimes.
However, so much of the writing is so incredibly dry and bland as to make a lot of the narrative read like an extended court transcript. I can imagine that when an author approaches telling a true story, there is a concern not to leap to conclusions or inject opinions, but I do think there’s some room for a bit more artistry and personality to be present in the prose.
This is only my second-ever delving into true-crime literature, and I’m still waiting to be truly swept away by my reading experience in this genre.
However, so much of the writing is so incredibly dry and bland as to make a lot of the narrative read like an extended court transcript. I can imagine that when an author approaches telling a true story, there is a concern not to leap to conclusions or inject opinions, but I do think there’s some room for a bit more artistry and personality to be present in the prose.
This is only my second-ever delving into true-crime literature, and I’m still waiting to be truly swept away by my reading experience in this genre.
February 19, 2021
This book has definitely left me thinking about how we judge people and who is redeemable. Are we the worst thing we've ever done or the best? Can someone be both good and evil, both sane and insane? At first it bothered me that I never really gained an understanding of all the hows and whys behind Robert Coombes's horrific act of violence, of his mental state, of how his life played out going forward, but maybe that is the point. Although I remain somewhat uncomfortable with all of my unanswered questions, I value this book for making me think.
September 19, 2019
Review rating: 4 stars.
This is a very detailed novel about the lives of Robert Coombes, and his brother, Nattie.
The boys told neighbours and friends that their mother, Emily, is visiting family in Liverpool. But after 10 days, when a pungent smell coming from their home, puts the neighbours and friends in a frantic state, a horrible discovery is made.
This is for sure a page turner, a story that stays with you long after you've finished reading it and an eye opener to how innocent children really are.
Brilliantly written. Lots of details about the boys growing up, experiences, loves and losses.
It makes you take a long hard look at yourself as mother or father.
I would highly recommend this novel.
Thank you for reading my review!
Special thanks to the author, Kate Summerscale via Netgalley, for providing me with an ARC of The Wicked Boy in exchange for a fair & honest review.
This is a very detailed novel about the lives of Robert Coombes, and his brother, Nattie.
The boys told neighbours and friends that their mother, Emily, is visiting family in Liverpool. But after 10 days, when a pungent smell coming from their home, puts the neighbours and friends in a frantic state, a horrible discovery is made.
This is for sure a page turner, a story that stays with you long after you've finished reading it and an eye opener to how innocent children really are.
Brilliantly written. Lots of details about the boys growing up, experiences, loves and losses.
It makes you take a long hard look at yourself as mother or father.
I would highly recommend this novel.
Thank you for reading my review!
Special thanks to the author, Kate Summerscale via Netgalley, for providing me with an ARC of The Wicked Boy in exchange for a fair & honest review.
March 7, 2017
I did not finish this. It was painfully boring... my book club all agreed and we switched to another book. I love a good non-fiction story, but this one is not worth my time. I don't understand the high ratings.
Read
August 23, 20163.5 or somewhere thereabouts.
As someone who loves all crimes and all things darker Victorian, I'd been looking forward to reading this book ever since I discovered it was going to be published. Kate Summerscale is one hell of a researcher for sure -- her books are steeped in cultural, social, economic and historical context so that the reader has a very good feel for the bigger picture stemming outward from the crime in question.
In The Wicked Boy, Ms. Summerscale takes on the story of Robert Coombes, who in July 1895 at the young age of thirteen, killed his mother, closed the bedroom door where the crime was committed, and then along with his younger brother Nattie, calmly went to a cricket match. The crime went undetected for a while, even when the brothers brought an older man, John Fox, into the house to stay with them, and whenever anyone would ask about mom, they were told that she was out of town. When Robert's aunt finally demands to see their mother, and when the bedroom door was finally opened, she was met with "the smell of rotting flesh" and the "form of a woman, lying on the bed, the face covered by a sheet and a pillow." When faced with what he'd done, Robert admits that it was he who had killed his mother because Nattie had "got a hiding for stealing some food, and Ma was going to give me one."
In examining the whys in the case, Summerscale turns to different factors that may have played a role in the reason Coombes did what he did. As just one example, perhaps he was heavily influenced by the stories in the penny dreadfuls he read -- after all, as she notes, they had been occasionally linked by inquest juries to motives behind suicide and murder; the press had noted that they were "the poison which is threatening to destroy the manhood of democracy," and for some reason they were viewed as representative of a threat from the "lower orders." After the author examines the particulars of the case, the law, the trial, etc., she then goes on to argue that perhaps history shouldn't judge Robert Coombes for what he did in July 1895, since he went on to lead an exemplary life.
As I said, it's very obvious that she's researched her story and her people meticulously. I couldn't get enough of the crime itself, trying to figure out why Robert would have done what he did and what Nattie's involvement may have actually been. However, there comes a time when any researcher worth her or his salt has to know what to keep and what to let go when reporting her findings, and that's one of my issues with this book. So much could easily have been left out with no detriment to either the study of the crime at hand or the people involved. For example, from pp 226 through 233 we get a long section on another Broadmoor inmate who played cricket at Broadmoor while Robert was there. Then, through the end of that chapter on 239, more about another young inmate. Interesting, yes, but germane to Coombes' story? I get that she's discussing other adolescents who ended up there, but still, thirteen pages? This tends to happen throughout this book and it gets frustrating after a while.
However, despite my misgivings about the overabundance of what I see as unnecessary details woven into this narrative, I would certainly recommend the book to anyone who has an interest in Victorian true crime.
As someone who loves all crimes and all things darker Victorian, I'd been looking forward to reading this book ever since I discovered it was going to be published. Kate Summerscale is one hell of a researcher for sure -- her books are steeped in cultural, social, economic and historical context so that the reader has a very good feel for the bigger picture stemming outward from the crime in question.
In The Wicked Boy, Ms. Summerscale takes on the story of Robert Coombes, who in July 1895 at the young age of thirteen, killed his mother, closed the bedroom door where the crime was committed, and then along with his younger brother Nattie, calmly went to a cricket match. The crime went undetected for a while, even when the brothers brought an older man, John Fox, into the house to stay with them, and whenever anyone would ask about mom, they were told that she was out of town. When Robert's aunt finally demands to see their mother, and when the bedroom door was finally opened, she was met with "the smell of rotting flesh" and the "form of a woman, lying on the bed, the face covered by a sheet and a pillow." When faced with what he'd done, Robert admits that it was he who had killed his mother because Nattie had "got a hiding for stealing some food, and Ma was going to give me one."
In examining the whys in the case, Summerscale turns to different factors that may have played a role in the reason Coombes did what he did. As just one example, perhaps he was heavily influenced by the stories in the penny dreadfuls he read -- after all, as she notes, they had been occasionally linked by inquest juries to motives behind suicide and murder; the press had noted that they were "the poison which is threatening to destroy the manhood of democracy," and for some reason they were viewed as representative of a threat from the "lower orders." After the author examines the particulars of the case, the law, the trial, etc., she then goes on to argue that perhaps history shouldn't judge Robert Coombes for what he did in July 1895, since he went on to lead an exemplary life.
As I said, it's very obvious that she's researched her story and her people meticulously. I couldn't get enough of the crime itself, trying to figure out why Robert would have done what he did and what Nattie's involvement may have actually been. However, there comes a time when any researcher worth her or his salt has to know what to keep and what to let go when reporting her findings, and that's one of my issues with this book. So much could easily have been left out with no detriment to either the study of the crime at hand or the people involved. For example, from pp 226 through 233 we get a long section on another Broadmoor inmate who played cricket at Broadmoor while Robert was there. Then, through the end of that chapter on 239, more about another young inmate. Interesting, yes, but germane to Coombes' story? I get that she's discussing other adolescents who ended up there, but still, thirteen pages? This tends to happen throughout this book and it gets frustrating after a while.
However, despite my misgivings about the overabundance of what I see as unnecessary details woven into this narrative, I would certainly recommend the book to anyone who has an interest in Victorian true crime.
November 13, 2017
A gripping tale and a marvellous achievement
I bought The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer on a whim when it was an Audible deal of the day. That, it turns out, was a very good decision. It's superb.
The Wicked Boy of the title is 13 year old Robert Coombes, who early on the morning of Monday, 8 July 1895, along with his 12 year old brother Nattie, travelled from their terraced house in East London to watch a cricket match at Lord's. Their father had gone to sea the previous Friday, the boys told their neighbours that their mother was visiting her family in Liverpool.
Over the next 10 days, Robert and Nattie spent extravagantly, pawning their parents' valuables to fund trips to the theatre and the seaside. Unbeknownst to anyone but Nattie, Robert Coombe had killed his mother. The murder sent the press into a frenzy of horror and alarm, and Robert and Nattie were swept up in a criminal trial that echoed the outrageous plots of the penny dreadful novels that Robert loved to read.
The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer is full of wonderful period detail: great descriptions of the docks, West Ham in east London, the Gentlemen v Players cricket match at Lords featuring WC Grace, the local candidates for West Ham South in the General Election of 1895, moral panics, and just numerous details of day to day life. It’s wonderfully researched and a really compelling tale.
I was interested to note that with increased literary (via the recent Board Schools) came great concern about the influence of cheap literature, especially the Penny Dreadfuls (or Penny Bloods) on the minds of “the lower orders”. Given his collection of Penny Dreadfuls, this case of the 13 year old Robert Coombes killing his mother, gives the newspapers ample opportunity to speculate on their negative influence.
After the trial, the tale takes a a number of unexpected turns which include life in Broadmoor, which was far more progressive and enlightened than I ever could imagined; WW1 exploits from Gallipoli and the Western Front; and life in rural Australia. It's both an extraordinary tale of crime and redemption, and also a fascinating peak into another era. A gripping tale and a marvellous achievement. I'll be reading the rest of Kate Summerscale's work.
5/5
I bought The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer on a whim when it was an Audible deal of the day. That, it turns out, was a very good decision. It's superb.
The Wicked Boy of the title is 13 year old Robert Coombes, who early on the morning of Monday, 8 July 1895, along with his 12 year old brother Nattie, travelled from their terraced house in East London to watch a cricket match at Lord's. Their father had gone to sea the previous Friday, the boys told their neighbours that their mother was visiting her family in Liverpool.
Over the next 10 days, Robert and Nattie spent extravagantly, pawning their parents' valuables to fund trips to the theatre and the seaside. Unbeknownst to anyone but Nattie, Robert Coombe had killed his mother. The murder sent the press into a frenzy of horror and alarm, and Robert and Nattie were swept up in a criminal trial that echoed the outrageous plots of the penny dreadful novels that Robert loved to read.
The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer is full of wonderful period detail: great descriptions of the docks, West Ham in east London, the Gentlemen v Players cricket match at Lords featuring WC Grace, the local candidates for West Ham South in the General Election of 1895, moral panics, and just numerous details of day to day life. It’s wonderfully researched and a really compelling tale.
I was interested to note that with increased literary (via the recent Board Schools) came great concern about the influence of cheap literature, especially the Penny Dreadfuls (or Penny Bloods) on the minds of “the lower orders”. Given his collection of Penny Dreadfuls, this case of the 13 year old Robert Coombes killing his mother, gives the newspapers ample opportunity to speculate on their negative influence.
After the trial, the tale takes a a number of unexpected turns which include life in Broadmoor, which was far more progressive and enlightened than I ever could imagined; WW1 exploits from Gallipoli and the Western Front; and life in rural Australia. It's both an extraordinary tale of crime and redemption, and also a fascinating peak into another era. A gripping tale and a marvellous achievement. I'll be reading the rest of Kate Summerscale's work.
5/5
December 29, 2017
Like her previous book, The Suspicions of Mr WhicherThe Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective (which is excellent), this is a book about Victorian England, children, and murder. Specifically children who commit murder. Constance Kent (in TSoMrW) murdered her half-brother. Robert Coombes, the eponymous wicked boy, murdered his mother (with the clear connivance of his younger brother). Summerscale starts with the murder and traces Robert's life thereafter, from the trial to Broadmoor to Australia, and to an adulthood where he served honorably in WWI, took in a boy who had been savagely beaten by his stepfather, was an reclusive but valued member of his community, and basically lived an honorable and worthy life.
Summerscale points as best she can to the evidence of what caused Robert's horrible crime--and it was horrible, premeditated and vicious--the signs that his mother was abusive and erratic, that her sons were frightened of her, that Robert was under enough stress and sufficiently trapped (he tried to run away twice and was brought back both times) to cause him to dissociate from reality. In the week after the murder, while his mother's corpse lay on her bed, Robert seems to have been trying to recreate, in an ineffective and literally childish way, the circumstances of one of the penny-dreadfuls he read voraciously, in which boys, conveniently unfettered by the presence of parents, go out and have wonderful adventures. As Summerscale notes, it's hard to tell from the evidence of the trial whether Robert truly understood either what he had done or what the consequences might be. The judge refused to let the jury bring a lesser charge, so they did the only thing they could do to keep from sending a 13 year old to the gallows: they found him guilty but insane. And although they brought that verdict out of mercy, Summerscale suggests that it was actually also true.
Summerscale is an excellent writer and a scrupulous historian. Five stars.
Summerscale points as best she can to the evidence of what caused Robert's horrible crime--and it was horrible, premeditated and vicious--the signs that his mother was abusive and erratic, that her sons were frightened of her, that Robert was under enough stress and sufficiently trapped (he tried to run away twice and was brought back both times) to cause him to dissociate from reality. In the week after the murder, while his mother's corpse lay on her bed, Robert seems to have been trying to recreate, in an ineffective and literally childish way, the circumstances of one of the penny-dreadfuls he read voraciously, in which boys, conveniently unfettered by the presence of parents, go out and have wonderful adventures. As Summerscale notes, it's hard to tell from the evidence of the trial whether Robert truly understood either what he had done or what the consequences might be. The judge refused to let the jury bring a lesser charge, so they did the only thing they could do to keep from sending a 13 year old to the gallows: they found him guilty but insane. And although they brought that verdict out of mercy, Summerscale suggests that it was actually also true.
Summerscale is an excellent writer and a scrupulous historian. Five stars.
May 13, 2019
This is the second of her Victorian-type, historical mysteries and unfortunately I haven’t found either all that interesting. Perhaps it’s the lack of information. Perhaps it’s the court transcript that reveals nothing. Or maybe it’s just the story that veers towards the boring after several chapters. Whatever it was, just not a book that grabbed my attention and held it.
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