This modern-day penny dreadful packs quite a punch for such a relatively short book! Gory, macabre, and darkly funny, it is one of the more unique books I've read this year.

Winifred Notty is the new governess at Ensor House; but she is not your typical sweet Victorian lady. She is, in fact, a murderous psychopath. But things will be different at this house...right?

If you like the title & description of this book, you will probably love the story. Be aware there are events/ topics in the story that could potentially be triggering to some readers; but if you're going into this expecting, well, a Victorian Psycho, you will probably not be surprised by that.

I really enjoyed this book, and couldn't put it down once I started it; I need to go read any other books from this author now! If you're looking for a read with a totally unique story & tone, you need to check out this book.

Rating: Maybe 1.5 stars?/Review contains spoilers
***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.

This really didn't feel like a novel of any kind, more like a deranged short story? Our FMC is a governess who accepts a job to take care of two children of a wealthy family, The Pounds. But it is GRAPHICALLY clear that some thing is not write with her. Her narration, slow spiral, oof--definitely horrifying. Also tidbits about her past definitely explain some of things wrong with her, her mother's attempts to kill her, reverend step father abuse (more implied with the bible being thrown in her face).

The plot twist is that's she been looking for her father, John Pounds and that is who she succeeds in working for. The language really didn't seem right for the era that the author was in, and the build up leading up to the twist was very lacking. It just felt like something was missing from our character (I mean, besides the obvious) in terms of more back story. The violence is abrupt (she slits a babies throat and kidnaps another to replace the baby), and the Christmas Dinner scene where she and her half sister join forces to kill everyone and prop them for dinner...it just kind of reminded me of Pearl from A24.

If you want violence, a deranged governess, graphic detail, etc. This is the one for you, but I really didn't get anything from this except my eye brows rising to a new point on my forehead.

I should probably have my head examined for enjoying this book so much, but I lol’d multiple times in nearly every chapter and devoured it over three nights. Our MC is Miss Notty, and she’s as deadpan funny as she is deadly.

I liked being dropped right into the action, and getting Miss Notty’s back story in real time, but would have loved another 100 or so pages for our Victorian Psycho to run amok amongst the townspeople.

There are a few bummers, like Feito has clearly never met a simile she doesn’t want to use, but thankfully they start to drop off the further we get into the story.

There’s lots of mayhem, vulgarity and murder, this book is definitely not for the pearl clutchers. Victorian Psycho would be the perfect read for that time between the holidays and the new year, but for some reason is coming out in time for Valentine’s Day, which after reading, is also kind of hilarious.

A big thanks to Norton and NetGalley for an early look.

I am not the correct reader for this type of novel. The writing style is very romantic and gothic, which does not work for me. It just distracts me from the story.

Victorian Psycho is like American Psycho, in a broad sense. The female narrator is sharp, witty, and macabre in her murders and I really enjoyed being inside her head. Also enjoyed the author’s first novel Mrs. March

Winifred, the newly appointed governess at the Ensor house for the Pounds family, is a woman haunted by a disturbing past that begins to bleed into her present. Her increasingly macabre actions suggest the mind of a true psychopath, one whose twisted thoughts unfurl like a dark, creeping shadow across the narrative.

The eerie, dark humor of Winifred—both unsettling and deranged—immediately captivated me. Each chapter left me itching to discover what grotesque and outlandish action she might take next. Her instability is palpable, like the fragile seeds of a dandelion drifting away on the wind, her mental state slipped further with every page. Winifred's character bears a striking resemblance to the deranged figure in "100% Match," as if they are kindred spirits lost in a labyrinth of madness.

The author masterfully conjures an eerie Victorian atmosphere, where the cold seems to seep into your very bones. The setting becomes more than just a backdrop; it feels like a character in itself, mirroring Winifred's unraveling psyche.

Though disturbing, I found myself unable to put the story down, unable to look away from the chaos Winifred left in her wake. It’s impossible not to wish for more, as I was quickly entrapped by the dark allure of her twisted, unstable mind.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I eagerly look forward to more works from this author.

I very much appreciate being able to receive an advanced reader copy of this book. While I had high hopes for this book, it just didn't work for me. It does have creepiness throughout, but ended up being somewhat flat to me. The ending in particular was disappointing.

Well, that was profoundly messed up, and I enjoyed every second.

What do you get when you mix a deranged governess with a thirst for vengeance with a houeshold full of rich blowhards who do not give the lower-class much more than a passing glance, and who are so quick and eager to label women as "hysterical" and hide them firmly away that they wouldn't know true evil, even if it looked them directly in the eye? And who is truly evil in this instance, if not for the callous and frivolous Victorian ruling-class, who scoff at the misfortune of others, and cruelly beat their daughters into quick, restrained submission?

Well - I imagine you'd get this tale, of course.

She was kind of fun! Definitely nothing life changing, but sometimes you need a fun mindless read. The middle did drag a little, but the main character was a funny enough narrator that I was still able to stay engaged. I'd say 3.5 is a good rating.

This is a creepy, crazy look at Victorian England as Miss Notty. the new governess arrives at Ensor House to take care of 13-year-old Drucilla and e-year-old Andrew. Of course the parents aren't aware of the Darkness that resides in Winifred as it slithers around inside her, preventing her from feeling fear or crying. But when the Pounds discover paw prints from the family dog on Andrew's bed, she's reduced to sleeping in the dog house and the Darkness swells! Earlier in life, she'd been through an exorcism but it didn't take and now her thoughts run rampant as she must punish all those in her wake. It's bloody and gruesome but at the same time so much fun! Read at your own risk but enjoy!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Victorian Psycho brings us Winifred Notty, a governess who, despite her best efforts, can’t seem to suppress her darker impulses. Ensor House may seem like your standard Victorian mansion, but between the twisted family dynamics and Winifred’s own inner chaos, it becomes the perfect setting for her unhinged character arc. There’s a creeping unease that builds throughout, paired with sharp, sardonic humor that keeps the story from feeling too heavy. Winifred gives major “pick me” girl energy, but it fits so well with the tone of the novella—it’s more fun than toxic girlboss.

One of the hooks of Victorian Psycho is that we’re told early on no one is making it through the winter alive. Yet, there’s something about a setup like that that makes you search for a loophole, holding out hope against the inevitable. Yes—people die, and it gets increasingly more messed up (and fun) with each body stacked in the attic. Winifred’s almost clinical approach to her wrongdoings adds a strange whimsy to the tone, making the dark humor even more enjoyable. Even though we get inside Winifred’s head (iykyk), there’s this distance that aligns with her psychopathy but also keeps me from fully connecting. I love a character I can feel, and Winifred doesn’t quite hit that for me. We're more witnesses than passengers.

The design of this book is a standout. The gothic atmosphere is dialed up with beautiful chapter headers, haunting illustrations, and a striking Roman-esque typeface (what can I say, I'm a sucker for a good font). It’s a visual treat that adds to the overall experience, making it even more perfect for a cozy, stormy-night read. The eerie atmosphere and the slow, creeping tension are top-notch, especially once the second half kicks off.

I knew what I was in for from the moment I read that gorgeously macabre preface, and I savoured every minute! Dark, twisted, and wicked, this novel grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go. The characters are vivid, the atmosphere oozes gothic charm, and the pacing is perfect. Winifred Notty is a kooky governess like no other—she teaches, tells off-putting bedtime stories, and has a dark sense of humour that might just involve cannibalism. As she navigates the strange and perverse Pounds family, her own macabre urges bubble to the surface.

Sometimes, a book is so good you wish it went on just a little bit longer—this is one of them. It’s the kind of book you finish too fast because it’s just that good. It’s short, sharp, and oh so satisfying!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Liveright for the opportunity to read and review Victorian Psycho prior to publication.

Oh, what a delightfully fun and dark….yep, psycho!

Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House on a blustery day to take up her position as the new nanny to Drusilla and Andrew. We learn that within three months, everyone in the house will be dead. It’s quite an opener.

Winifred is irreverent, a bit bawdy and everything is “gorgeously macabre.” The tale is told in a standard Victorian style complete with old-time illustrations and chapter headings like “Chapter II. In Which I Meet My Employers and Am Not Terribly Impressed.” Delicious!

The short tale where everyone is wicked is bloody fun. Too bad it’s not out for Halloween or Christmas but it will do equally well when all the world is snowed in.

Victorian Psycho is about a governess who is a psychopath/serial killer. While the premise definitely piqued my interest, this book didn't deliver as a horror novel. There is a lot of body gore but zero plot. The characters were one-dimensional, and I really had to squint to see any motivations behind their behavior. Unfortunately, violence doesn't make a horror book. Cool idea, unimagined execution.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

This story was something. I wouldn’t call this a novel, but a novella. Miss Notty is a very unreliable narrator, some of the things she she’s or does I’m not quite sure if she actually saw and did them or if they were just her very disturbing thoughts. It has gore but not overly gruesome or graphic. I was more perturbed by the things they ate in that home for breakfast and dinner than anything. A solid 4 stars for this quick read.

This is my first review ever and what a way to start!

A little background: I was fascinated by the movie American Psycho when I first saw it years ago and that was the attitude I went into this book with. For sure there are a lot of differences - - time period, main character and setting, to name just a few - but the similarities are pretty obvious. Our first-person narrator, Winifred Notty, is a psychopath who commits progressively gratuitous violence that manages to be so absurd it’s almost comical. This was the same feeling I had with American Psycho. This book is very gruesome though, so if you don’t like excessive blood and gore it is probably not for you.

I liked it. It was a quick, easy read and Virginia Feito is an excellent writer. She managed to make the voice of Winifred feel correct for the time period and the writing was so well done. I don’t think I’ll read Victorian Psycho again - the shock was a big part of my enjoyment, but I already put her other book on my to-read list.

Many thanks to NetGalley, W.W. Norton and Virginia Feito for this read. I received my digital reviewer for my honest review.

I had kind of a hard time deciding on the rating for this book, it doesn't feel like a book one can rate on a simple 1-5 scale. On one hand, the writing settles so deeply into the plot, it's as if they become one. The creepy Victorian setting is backed up unconditionally by the atmospheric, unreliable narration with beautiful description. You can basically hear the wind howling through the open windows of Ensor House as our disturbed protagonist haunts its halls. On the other hand, the content of this book fits into a small category of unsettling, sometimes gruesome horror. I thought I knew what I was in for when I started this book, but by the end I had to skip some paragraphs due to some of the on-screen violence. Overall, that kind of content just isn't for me, and though I wanted to give it a try, it did take the rating down for me a little bit. However, if you enjoy works by Ottessa Moshfegh and Eliza Clark, this would definitely be one for you to check out.

As much as I wanted to love Victorian Psycho, I simply didn't. I usually love horror stories like this, but I couldn't get past the way the main character was written. Yes, she was a psycho, but it was too much for me in the end.

boy.... oh... boy...
this book was a miss for me.
I was SO lost most of the time and when things did get crazy I was so lost it didn't even matter.

This simply was not a book for me.

Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy!

2⭐️

Did I mention she’s psycho? Because Victorian Psycho is not your ordinary governess tale! Virginia Feito whisks readers into the delightfully twisted world of Winifred Notty, who arrives at Ensor House with the best of intentions—or at least, she tries. A little dark humor here, a joke about eating children there—standard governess stuff, right? But oh, Winifred is much more than meets the eye.

She’s equal parts charming and deranged, a walking paradox who alternates between tutoring the unsuspecting Drusilla and Andrew and creeping across the moonlit grounds in her undergarments, indulging her more "eccentric" urges. The Pounds family? Let’s just say their moral compass is as broken as the fine china they sip tea from, which only encourages Winifred’s more... ahem... psycho tendencies.

Feito paints Winifred in such gloriously macabre colors that you’ll be laughing one moment and gasping the next, wondering just how far our beloved governess will go. The suspense builds until Christmas morning, when Winifred finally gives the most "generous" gifts imaginable. Spoiler: they’re not wrapped in pretty paper, but they will leave a mark.

With a perfect blend of horror, humor, and psychotic charm, Feito crafts a darkly whimsical tale that’ll leave you both horrified and delighted. If you're a fan of twisted, eerie fun, Victorian Psycho is your next obsession. And yes, she’s definitely psycho.