The writing in this book was just incredible— something about it struck a chord in me and I was entrapped in every word. I was definitely worried it would sound stilted but it was lyrical, engaging, funny, creepy, and so so good!!!

Honestly, this was more of a violent comedy in my perception. ‘Victorian Psycho’ is one of those books that’s hard to recommend because you have to be a specific kind of ridiculous person to enjoy it. I luckily am. (I warned you!)
Some of the later chapters felt overwrought and kind of disrupted the climax of the story for me. I was still amused, though and I finished it in one sitting. Check out the tw’s if you’re inclined and if you’re down to clown, then I recommend it. 3.5 stars.

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito introduces Winifred Notty, a governess who arrives at dreary Ensor House, where in three months' time, she informs us, everyone living there will all be dead.  Winifred is tasked with educating the Pounds children in subjects ranging from English and French to ornamental needlework, and in the course of their lessons and bedtimes, we learn that while outwardly embodying Victorian propriety, Winifred's carefully constructed persona belies a chillingly dark imagination and inner world. As she becomes further entrenched in the estate's oppressive atmosphere and uncovers the Pounds family's peculiar proclivities, Winifred finds it increasingly challenging to maintain her façade. If you relished Maeve Fly's violently irreverent antihero and unhinged plot, you'll find Winifred Notty's distorted and uniquely vicious mind equally captivating in this eerie, blunt, and grotesquely humorous masterpiece. Warning to sensitive readers: maybe don't.

I really liked this one. I haven't read this author's previous book, so I can't compare the two books, but this one was a treat to me.
Historical + a nanny + gothic vibes + graphic deaths + gruesome violence? Hell yeah!
I'll admit that the last 5% didn't please as much as the rest of the book, but I won't hold it against the author's choices.

Quick synopsis: A woman begins work as a governess at the Ensor house where within 3 months everyone will be dead.

Review: I wanted to love this book so bad because it was promised everything I love - gothic, horror, historical, female serial killer. However, I believe this book just fell flat and lacked a thought out story line. The timeline and date is never really brought up, it’s just assumed it’s in the 1800s because they still have coffin bells. Our protagonist, Winifred, is assumed to be a psychopath because she feels compelled to kill and claims she has “darkness in her”. However, there is no reasoning behind this darkness and no real reasoning ever brought up as to why she decided to kill everyone in the Ensor house. The story occasionally goes back to her childhood and mentions her mother tried to kill her but never answers why she did that, is that what made our protagonist this way or is there some genetic psychopathic tendencies? Our protagonist is also an unreliable narrator, saying that things are happening and then saying oh no that didn’t actually just happen. It left me more confused throughout the book more than anything. Perhaps this was an artistic choice I don’t understand but it fell flat for me. It was fun slasher vibes at the end of the book but the story line fell flat, to be honest it was quite boring. I found it too easy to set this book down and walk away which is never a good sign. I would have liked to see more fleshing out of the characters and there motivations. All in all, I wish there was more depth to the story.
Thank you @netgalley and @w.wnorton for this eARC is exchange for honest review!
Victorian Psycho pub date Feb 4 2025

This book is beyond grim and an absolute delight all at once. Victorian Psycho is a tale about a governess hired to teach morality and manners - unfortunately she possesses none of these qualities herself.

At 208 pages, I read this in one sitting and went through a WIDE range of emotions. This is one that I recommend going into fairly blind and just buckling up for the ride.

In lieu of a longer review here are a couple of my favorite quotes - these either made me laugh or cut right to my cold, dark core. *Quotes may not be verbatim in the finished copy, as these are taken from an ARC.*

“At eight thirty sharp breakfast is removed, as is my will to live.”

“Human expressions are like hides I’ve peeled throughout life, rolled into a ball, and slipped under my skin.”

Check this one out if you like horror, thrillers, dark humor, and shock factors!

**Thank you to Liveright Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this absolutely unhinged title!**

Victorian Psycho is, for a variety of reasons, a book I am finding particularly difficult to rate and review.

Winifred, our MC, has taken a job as a governess for the Pounds family. It's clear from page one that she's a deeply disturbed individual, constantly rambling about her interest in the violent and grotesque. The novel is written in first-person, with Winifred speaking directly to the reader, sharing stories about her troubled and misspent youth. As she goes about her governess duties, Winifred engages in multiple acts of violence against the Pounds family and their guests. At one point, she goads a horse into kicking Andrew, one of her charges, in the face. Later, she slits a baby's throat with a razor blade, then kidnaps another baby to replace the one she murdered. When she isn't outwardly wreaking havoc, she's internally monologuing about her fascination with death and gore and violence and sex. She makes regular references to her parents: a father she has never met and a mother who declared her evil.

It's later revealed that Mr. Pounds is actually her father, and Winifred has been taking governess positions as a means to locate him.. As Winifred continues to spiral and engage in heinous, violent acts, it becomes clear that she her endgame is the demise of the Pounds family. The story ends with Winifred brutally murdering Mr. and Mrs. Pounds, their son, and their many guests and employees with the help of Drusilla, the eldest Pounds child and Winifred's half-sister. Winifred is then executed for her crimes, a fate in which she takes great delight.

On the one hand, I appreciated how much of an unreliable narrator Winifred was. Although she's speaking directly to the reader, it's not always clear what is reality and what only exists in Winifred's mind. The type of horror I enjoy tends to veer more psychological, and this type of POV and narration lends itself well to that. I also found the satirical, snarky narrative voice quite funny. Winifred's voice is very matter-of-fact, and I liked the humorous, tongue-in-cheek edge that added.

On the other hand, I was a little disappointed by the story itself. Winifred had essentially no characterization outside of being a presumed psychopath. What are her motivations? What led her mother and the Reverend to be so sure she was of the devil, a belief that made them go so far as to attempt to murder her on more than one occasion? Why did she spare Drusilla, and what compelled Drusilla to willingly engage in such atrocities alongside Winifred?

This was, I suppose, more of a character study than anything else. Thinking about it as a novel, it felt underdeveloped. Thinking about it as a short story, it felt eerie and disturbing enough to be a mostly enjoyable quick read. If you're looking for something that will envelope you in the mind of the disturbed and deranged, this might be for you. If you're looking for something with more of a plot, with character arcs and an fully-formed story to tell, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

Thank you to NetGalley and Liveright for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅.”

This one is for my spooky ghouls, so check your content warnings.

October wouldn’t be complete without a chillingly gruesome book. Victorian Psycho is that book. The opening lines are “death everywhere.”

Well, now you have my attention. I couldn’t put this book down if I tried.

Miss Winifred Notty is a governess who finds employment with the Pounds. In her care are two children who are both peculiar and slightly bratty.

She begins her position with the plan of only tutoring the children, telling them bedtime stories, and joking about eating them (is it a joke?). But the secrets within Ensor House quickly allow her compulsions to take hold.

She has a darkness inside of her that she *tries* to keep contained. But it slithers beneath her skin providing us with flashbacks of her previous crimes, blending reality and delusion so seamlessly that I had to stop and ask myself if what was happening was actually real.

She has ulterior motives for choosing the Pounds. Her need for revenge fuelling her duties with the children.

This book will make you cringe and provides dark humour to offset the gore.

At one point in the story my mouth was agape for several minutes while I had to read and reread a scene. I was thoroughly in disbelief at the events that unfolded in the blink of an eye.

This book would also be perfect for spooky Christmas as there is a huge scene at the end that takes place over the holidays.

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito plunges readers into the twisted mind of Miss Winifred Notty, a Victorian governess with a dark streak and even darker ambitions. Charged with looking after the children of Mr. and Mrs. Pounds, Miss Notty’s journey quickly takes a turn from nanny duties to a sinister path of secrets and simmering revenge. Feito’s writing is both visceral and sharply humorous, filling each page with gruesome descriptions and pitch-black satire.

I honestly don’t know what to think about this book. It’s better than Mrs. March as the uncertainty with that one really left me kind of angry. This was just more of a “huh “ type of vibe. But the imagery created was fantastic

Full Review for Patreon on Monday (Oct. 7th). In the meantime, here are some early expectations with zero spoilers.
You're going to want to read this book if you:
-enjoy historical fiction
-are not squeamish
-read & enjoyed The Laws of Skies by Grégoire Courtois (very similar vibes, storytelling style)
-read and enjoyed Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
-can endure disturbing accounts of gruesome violent acts against people of all ages and animals
-are fascinated by stories centered on people who are casually cruel with zero provocation
-"bad seeds"
-A woman takes a nanny position for a wealthy family to look after their peculiar children and get caught up in family affairs (trope)
-unlikable main characters that are unpredictable
-love to feel bad for laughing at awful things *sheepish grin*

In other words, you need it.
*Be mindful, this is NOT for sensitive readers

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.