This book was incredibly fun and funny, which I wasn't expecting. Yes, the humor was quite dark, but I really enjoyed it. So many times it was also quite disturbing. The balance between the two made for an incredibly compelling read. No one is really likeable in this book. I feel like that is to be expected. Highly recommend!

Thank you so much to RB Media for providing me with an audiobook of Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito!

If you enjoy unhinged women in your books then let me introduce you to Winifred Notty.

Victorian Psycho is not scared to get down & gruesome. Descriptions of some scenes are /very/ disturbing, bodily fluids are everywhere & murder is common. There is a particular scene that deals with a certain bodily fluid that is living in my head rent free & there’s nothing I want more than to evict it. 😤 Read at your own risk. 😅

Victorian Psycho very much gives ✨American Psycho✨in terms of the main character but make it ✨feminist✨. Winifred will take out anyone in whatever way — child, animal, adult. No one is safe from the governess. It’s absolutely terrifying how nonchalant the character is while participating in such crazy acts.

Victorian Psycho is a little over 200 pages & is so incredibly gripping and fast-paced. & the descriptions of the Victorian really transports you there.

The audiobook narration was a fantastic way to consume this story; the narrator does an amazing job at bringing Winifred to life.

I definitely recommend picking this one up if nothing mentioned above has turned you off 😅 It’s not for everyone, but for those who are down with the unhinged & stories similar to American Psycho — this is for you.

This was absolutely wild. I enjoyed the no-holds-barred story but it is not for the faint-hearted. In the vein of those very dark Victorian stories by Wilkie Collins and Robert Browning. Thankfully I rather think the title gives that away. I do think the book ended a little abruptly in comparison to the lead-up which detracted from the overall product for me. On the audio specifically, the narrator was excellent. 3.5 stars.

I wasn't sure which way this book would go, either a 2.5 or a 3.5, but that ending was pure and utterly chaotic splendor, so 3.5 it is. For a book that was only 200 pages and full of murder, it felt a tad boring and drawn out.


🍬Weekend Vibes🍬

🐈‍⬛️Weekends are for errands and salad and coffee and reading. These are the 2 books I'm currently reading.

👩🏼Victorian Psycho
📒Virginia Feito

🩸SYNOPSIS🩸
Grim Wolds, England: Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect governess—she’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But long, listless days spent within the estate’s dreary confines come with an intimate knowledge of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family—Mr. Pounds can’t keep his eyes off Winifred’s chest, and Mrs. Pounds takes a sickly pleasure in punishing Winifred for her husband’s wandering gaze. Compounded with her disdain for the entitled Pounds children, Winifred finds herself struggling at every turn to stifle the violent compulsions of her past. French tutoring and needlework are one way to pass the time, as is admiring the ugly portraits in the gallery . . . and creeping across the moonlit lawns. . . .

Patience. Winifred must have patience, for Christmas is coming, and she has very special gifts planned for the dear souls of Ensor House. Brimming with sardonic wit and culminating in a shocking conclusion, Victorian Psycho plunges readers into the chilling mind of an iconic new literary psychopath.

💬ⓆⓄⓉⒹ: What are you reading this weekend?

#cottoncandy #stuartbray #extremehorror #splatterpunk #gore #queer #lgbtq #horrorcommunity #horror #victorianpsycho #virginiafeito #historicalfiction #currentlyreading #weekendvibes #weekend #errands #newrelease

I like this book. I thought it was funny and full of suspenseful revenge plans. I don't know how Winifred did it without getting caught to begin with. And it was perhaps a little gory, but it was definitely a fun, albeit predictable read. I thought the ending was a little sad, but overall, i like how things played out with Winifred and her dad.

I absolutely loved this! It was dark, funny, gory and wonderful and I ate it up. Winnifred was a fantastic protagonist and I loved the small ways her psychotic nature would manifest in the early part. The Pound family and their social circle were grotesque in all the best ways and the action builds to a glorious climax. Overall this was an utterly bonkers and fabulous read and I highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Got this audiobook as an ARC from NetGalley! I loved the narration from this book, it was very engaging. The story itself was the perfect combo of funny and dark. I honestly never knew what was going to happen next and the ending both made me gasp with horror and chuckle a little because I expected nothing less from Winifred, that lil Victorian Psycho!!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The title is not wrong. The main character is quite literally a Victorian psycho! One of my first 5 star reviews of the year!

Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House as the new governess for Mr. And Mrs. Pounds’ children, eldest daughter Drusilla and their heir Andrew. Mr. Pounds, a rich, entitled man quickly becomes obsessed with the new governess and Mrs. Notty relishes in punishing her for her husband’s wandering eyes. Meanwhile, Winifred is patiently waiting for the right time. The right time to…what? Winifred refrains from her violent and deadly compulsions in order to fit in, but why? What’s her endgame? Victorian Psycho brings us a new antihero in this jaw dropping novel that will make you laugh as well as say “what did I just read!?”

This book had me within the first paragraph. There were so many times I actually laughed out loud whilst saying “wtf?” I absolutely loved the writing style. The characters had full backgrounds and development despite the book being as short as it was. The plot was interesting and well structured because the twist didn’t hit me until it was too late…ohhh and it was good! Fans of Pearl would love this book! It’s definitely a “good for her” type of story. I loved it and have zero complaints except I never wanted it to end!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was such a great read! omg lmao everything about this book i loved, ive already recommended it to my friends and plan to buy at least two copies

A different take for the horror genre. This is set in the Victorian age with a governess in a wealthy home. She has a history of nightmarish activities that the family isn’t aware of. A nice twist for horror. Great descriptions.

I loooooove love this. The audiobook was perfectly spaced and done. The story was gripping and intriguing. I suggested this to everyone,

This was my first audio book ever and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The setting was lush and the story and haunting and creepy… my favorite kind of book!

A wonderfully refreshing narrative of a Governness free spirited and out for revenge. Brutality at its finest.

Disgustingly weird fun! The descriptions of the main girl’s “incidents” were so well written. I could plainly see all the Victorian elements of the setting, I enjoyed the POV from the psychotic main character killer. It makes me think I should read more books about female serial killers!! I very niche book with a fast-paced plot and crazy developments to the very end. Great narration too!

This was a bit of a wild ride. A gothic horror, it was a little bit campy, in the sort of way in which you would expect a Victorian horror novel to be. Bloody funny if you will.

Winifred Notty arrives at her new job as a governess. She is a bloodthirsty psychopath with a plan. With her questionable impulses, you have to wonder what ever lead her to this sort of role anyway, as she’s clearly not your typical governess and then the dead bodies begin to pile up.

Did I pick up this book purely based on the cover? Yes. It’s fantastic. Was it grotesque, yet cleverly funny? Also (shockingly) yes.

Fans of gothic horror tales will definitely want to pick this one up!

This book is an anomaly. While the story and descriptions are very horrific and gory in nature, I also found them comical. I say comical, but not in a bad way, but in a very dark satirical way.

While I may not have loved this story, it was entertaining. I felt there was something lacking. There is plot twist that I didn't see coming and that was fun.

I wish there were an epilogue to learn the fate of one of the characters.

If you like Victorian Gothic, gore, and like to laugh in terrible situations, this book is for you.

The narrator was fantastic.

I really didn't enjoy this one at all. I find the topic of Victorian psyche so interesting especially when it comes to murderesses. I thought this was going to be a deep dive into the study of psychology at the time and an exposé of the inaccuracies of mental illness. There was so much that could've been done. Instead this felt like a ridiculously over the top slasher with no substance. Nothing interesting was said. If it was a revenge story perhaps it would have made more sense but the main character seemed like a characatuer of 'crazy'. Potentially feeding into Victorian beliefs of mental illness rather than showing how outdated and misunderstood it was.

A perfect blending of historical fiction and horror together! As a reader of historical fiction, historical, romance, mysteries, thrillers, and horror. This was a real treat!

I like to describe this book as a Jane Eyre gone wrong. A psychotic governess arrives the remote estate of her new host family, and we follow the descent of her madness and the destruction of the family as a whole.

A fascinating portrayal of madness during the Victorian era and the perception of women at the time. This is a fast pace read/listen they quickly has governess Winifred unravelling as she enacts her diabolical plot.

The narrator, Annie Burnett, does an excellent job in this first person narrative getting into the mind and headspace of Winifred. There’s a subtle shift as she narrates the character and the story the parallels Winifred descent. Excellent narration that really encapsulates the listener.

I had such a fun time with this. Ms. Notty is Unhinged with a capital U. This novella does not take itself too seriously, just the right amount in my opinion. The victorian/ gothic vibes were great and the ending hit for me as well. If you enjoy an unhinged, indefensible main character you may really enjoy this! Really kept reminding me of stories of real female victorian serial killers I have read about.
The part where Ms. Notty replaced someones ___ for another ___ and they didn't notice. lol. Wild.
Thanks for Netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me tell you, "Victorian Psycho" was exactly the kind of demented horror I needed! If you want something truly off-the-rails with a Victorian backdrop, grab this book.
It's chilling, it's bloody, it's gripping, and it's got a twisted sense of humor that hit just right. Winifred? I fell for her from the start, and watching her lose her grip on reality just made me love her more.

Anna Burnett’s voice acting was *chef kiss*

Seriously, this was my favorite read of February 2025, and I don't see anything topping it anytime soon.

Thank you NetGalley, Virginia Feito and RBmedia for this ALC.