Just finished Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito, and wow, what a wild ride! While this is the second book in a series, I hadn’t read the first one—but I definitely didn’t need to. If you’re into horror with a side of humor, this is for you. And honestly, I highly recommend the audiobook—the narrator made it twice as fun and brought the eerie, dark humor to life in such a perfect way.

Meet Ms. Notty, the new governess with a very unique perspective on child-rearing—let’s just say she’s not exactly the warm-and-fuzzy type. She’s more of an outsider, observing the workings of the household from a distance, and you get to experience everything through her darkly comedic, twisted inner monologue. It’s a mix of horror and humor, with a likable yet creepy psychopath at the center. You’ll spend most of the book guessing what everyone else is really thinking while Ms. Notty indulges her… interesting hobbies.

Set during the Christmas season in a secluded country home, Victorian Psycho had me hiding behind my fingers in anticipation of what this inventive (and slightly unhinged) young woman would do next. It’s not the kind of book that’ll give you nightmares, but it’s definitely unsettling, and I wouldn’t recommend listening to it around children. Just a heads-up!

Overall, I had an absolute blast with this one—it’s my third book for February, and it’s edging out the competition for my Top Of The Cart Book (aka my favorite of the month). If you’re looking for something a little creepy but with a wicked sense of humor, this one is a must!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Virginia Feito, Recorded Books, and Liveright for the ARC of this audiobook.

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I have mixed feelings about this book.
I have zero issue with horror/gore and some of the descriptions were very grisly and right up my alley!
However, I had a bit of trouble understanding the MC's motivation. And dragging other family members in to the psychosis left me even more confused. Seemed almost like a thin storyline was created to just give the author an excuse for writing their darkest fantasies.

I would definitely give this author another go.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Possible contender for the most nuts thing I’ll read in 2025, this was exquisitely written – the beauty of the prose contrasting sharply with the grotesquery of the subject matter. The main character is exactly as the title suggests – someone so far on the antisocial personality disorder spectrum that she could rightly be called a psychopath complete with ticks and desires most people would find abhorrent and a complete lack of empathy and remorse. That said, there is method in her madness and it’s an interesting journey to follow her on – an interesting killing spree at least. There are moments of ghoulish dark humour and buried beneath the gore, a meditation on whether or not we all have something monstrous withing and whether women are subjected to a different expected standard than men. This pulls no punches and delights in its slasher style narrative – read in one sitting.

Hmmm interesting….

Was not what I expected. Very bloody and brutal.
The gore felt excessive sometimes.
The vibe was well bloody and creepy.
The ending was quite obvious

Add to your TBR if you like...
🎧Sadistic horror
🎧Victorian era themes
🎧English Narration
🎧 Vengeance

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

You know, I never thought about an oyster having an anus until this book🤣 I will definitely think of this line every time I eat raw oysters now.

This novella is full of dark humor, shock value, and gore. Winifred is the female Patrick from American Psycho, but set in the Victorian era. I did NOT see the ending coming, although in hindsight, I realize I might have had my blinders on. Anna was the perfect narrator for this story!👏🏼

I would definitely recommend this to all fans of horror and dark humor.

If you love unhinged Victorian horror, gore, and all over all general creepiness. Then this is your story! The voice acting was superb bringing this story to life. I enjoyed this audio book from beginning to end, but maybe I shouldn't have listened to it at night while alone in my house...

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

If you love horror and gore, this book is for you. I found the best thing about it was the narration.

This was totally deranged ... in a really fun way! I found the FMC to be completely unhinged and interesting. This was a super short book, but I wanted more. I wanted to know more of Winifred's past. The audio was really good! 3.5 stars.

This was certainly a creepy read and our main character is certainly psychotic. I found the book very confusing in places. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

This book was just what I was needing after a very tough week! The story was so chilling and gripping, and the narration was fantastic! Really want to read more from this author!

Perfect narration from a voice actor. I loved this story so much that I bought a copy for my home library and have been recommending it often. I look forward to more. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Thank you, NetGalley!

I unfortunately did not like this Audiobook. The narrator was good but the plot was too slow for me to like it. I heard so much about this book but sometimes historic fiction is not for me.

10/10, no notes. This is the perfect pick for anyone who loves horror, gore, and an unhinged main character. The narration was perfect! I originally read an ebook version but audio is the way to go. I know this will stand out as one of my favorite novellas/shorter books this year.

I was influenced into applying for this ALC by another book lover, who had read the ARC and loved it.

For me, I understood the plot and the time period, and what the revenge was meant to be, but I honestly got very confused by the end of the whole story. Like it was interesting but I think I got lost in listening and was more tuning out if that makes sense. So by that it wasn’t really a fave, because I wouldn’t be tuning out otherwise.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. I wish I’d loved it more though since it sounded so interesting.

The chilling story of a governess with a deviant mind and a dark mission…

I listened to the audiobook, and I have to say that Anna Burnett knocked her performance out of the park! Her delivery of the lines is somehow both playful and sinister. I don’t typically pick audiobooks based on the narrator, but I just might have to check out more of Anna Burnett’s work!

Read more: Book Review: Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
While this is a relatively short book, it crams quite a bit of psychological horror and gore within its pages. Winnifred isn’t exactly a relatable protagonist (I hope not!), but she’s delightful and compelling and, strangely, quite likable. As the book progresses, the things she does escalate from simply bizarre to downright horrifying. Even the side characters are interesting and off-putting, with their own quirks and questionable decision-making.

This novel is written in Victorian-era verbiage, which adds to the authenticity of the final package. For the writing style, the author walks a delicate balance between being humorous and horrifying, pulling this off quite brilliantly.

While I went into the book expecting the plot to be fairly straightforward, I was pleasantly surprised at a plot twist, which gave the storyline a bit more meaning and made the conclusion even more satisfying.

All in all, this is highly recommended if you’re a fan of strong, unhinged female leads.

A Deliciously Dark and Wickedly Sharp Gothic Thriller
Virginia Feito’s Victorian Psycho is a masterclass in dark humour, psychological suspense, and gothic horror. Winifred Notty is a captivating and delightfully unhinged protagonist, leading readers through the eerie halls of Ensor House with biting wit and unsettling charm. The twisted dynamics between the characters simmer with tension, while Feito’s sharp prose and slow-burning suspense keep the pages turning. With a creeping sense of dread and a shocking, satisfying finale, this novel is perfect for fans of Jane Eyre with a sinister twist. A must-read for those who love their thrillers laced with razor-sharp satire and a touch of madness!

Man, this book was something else! Winifred was so off-putting, she is after all, a Victorian psycho, and we knew going in that there was going to end with a lot of spilled blood, but oh, being in her head in the build up towards that? It was so creepy, and so good!

We know right from the beginning that it's going to end in a bloodbath. So seeing how this family treats her, while we're in her head, knowing that she doesn't operate under normal societal rules? While also getting flashbacks of her past, and how her mother was like, and her stepfather, and all the events that lead her to this point.

I'm not sure how i feel about the mistress of Ensor House. The way she treats Winifred is understandable, but that doesn't mean it's right. I mean, it does look like Winifred is coming onto her husband. But making her sleep in the kennels outside? Yeah, I'd prefer to sleep on my bed, and have the doggies join me! Because while they could cuddle, it is winter, that was pretty cruel.

It was strange, but there were moments of random violence, and it's like, nobody is noticing that these people are missing? Sure, on the whole they were servants (plus a noble baby, but she replaced that baby) but wouldn't at least the other servants notice? I mean, between the first death and Christmas, there is a decent chunk of time.

That ending though? It's left me a bit unnerved, because on one hand, she did face justice, not that she really cared. But on the other, there was the whole things with her charge and that reveal there, and the way that ending, yeah, that's like a little itch that I just can't scratch because the book is over, you know?

This was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more by Virginia Feito!

Audiobook/Book Review 📖🔪🎧🩸

thank you so much partner Recorded Books and NetGalley for the free audiobook!

Victorian Psycho
by Virginia Feito
Narrated by Anna Burnett

About the book 👇🏽

Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect Victorian governess. She’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But the longer Winifred spends within the estate’s dreary confines and the more she learns of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family, the more trouble she has sticking to her plan.

Whether creeping across the moonlit lawns in her undergarments or gently tormenting the house staff, Winifred struggles at every turn to stifle the horrid compulsions of her past until her chillingly dark imagination breaches the feeble boundary of reality on Christmas morning.

🎧 My thoughts:

Holy Hell! This was wildly unhinged! No joke, a bingeable audiobook to listen to in one sitting. Excellent narration and story line. I was not expecting what I listened to and I shamelessly devoured it. It’s sick, it’s demented, and I loved it. I honestly don’t know what I expected but I can’t get over this… so don’t mind me not being able to put words together for this review. If you’re looking for moody read with an ending that will massacre your mind… you gotta read or listen to this one! I recommend it… it got me out of my reading slump!

Happy reading 📖 🎧🔪🩸

I’d like to thank the publisher for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Winifred Notty is, without a doubt, a psycho—but by the novel’s end, I found myself questioning whether she is truly the titular psycho. As I read, I couldn’t help but hear “Miss Notty” as “Miss Naughty,” which seemed fitting given Winifred’s sharp tongue and unapologetic cruelty. Curious, I checked if her last name had been translated from Spanish, but it hadn’t. Regardless, her behavior goes well beyond naughty—her actions are calculated, malicious, and deeply unsettling. She’s heartless, yet she’s mastered the art of delivering her brutal truths with just enough tact to avoid immediate suspicion.

Throughout the novel, I kept thinking of Hanna from Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth—another unsettling character whose perspective forces readers to confront questions of nature vs. nurture. Told in the first person, Victorian Psycho is a chilling exploration of revenge, power, and the consequences of unchecked cruelty. By the time I reached the shocking conclusion, I wasn’t sure what to make of Winifred’s story—but I couldn’t look away.

For readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with biting wit and an unreliable narrator, Victorian Psycho delivers a disturbingly compelling read.

This book was a disturbingly, shockingly funny yet violent horror novel

Author Virginia Feito gives us Winnifred Notty, the new governess for the thoroughly unlikeable Pounds children, at the dark, loveless Ensor House estate. Miss Notty has a plan for this family and their guests.

Delightfully appalling, filled with rage, trauma, and a simmering, violence, Victorian Psycho delivers a gothic tale of greed and classism, mental illness and revenge. The reader turns the last page with a satisfied smile.