Virginia Feito’s Victorian Psycho is an exquisitely dark and twisted narrative that delves deep into the mind of a bloodthirsty governess. When Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House, what starts as a typical Victorian setting quickly morphs into a chilling and gripping tale, thanks to Feito’s sharp, sardonic wit.

Winifred is a captivating character—grotesque yet oddly charming—as she maneuvers through the morally corrupt Pounds family. Feito masterfully balances horror and humor, crafting a surreal atmosphere that’s both disturbing and utterly entertaining.

The book is packed with unexpected twists, featuring moments so deliciously macabre that they’ll leave readers both horrified and chuckling. If you’re a fan of darkly whimsical tales, this one is a must-read! 💀

This book is a book that I will pre-order!!

I can't begin to tell you how much I loved this book.

This book was a complete fever dream. The main character, whilst completely demented and out of her mind, was a complete and utter delight and I found myself rooting for her the entre time. The other characters--aside from Drusilla--were not very likable, but that just made the main character's antics a lot more fun and deserved.

The writing was really good and I found the story to be immersive. So much so that I read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a delightful, wicked and strange time. This is definitely one that will be going on my bookshelf.

Victorian Psycho is a darkly funny, gothic version of American Psycho.

The story’s unreliable narrator, Winifred, gets hired as a governess for the Pounds family shortly before Christmas. On the surface everything seems to be going well, but as you read more of Winifred’s internal dialogue, you quickly learn that’s not the case.

The writing in this book is absolutely gorgeous; it’s cold, bleak, and creepy. Everything is captured perfectly that it almost felt like Ensor House was real.

I was completely engrossed in the story just because Winifred is such an interesting character. I wanted to see what she would do next. I loved how she would keep you in the dark for a bit, and I enjoyed the flashbacks to her childhood.

Victorian Psycho comes out in February and if you love Jane Eyre as much as I do, you’re going to love this! A big thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the copy!

This is deliciously wicked, enjoyably depraved. Virginia Feito’s writing is so perfect for this story she’s created. I love the evocative way she describes not only the setting, but our main character and all of the side characters who cross her path. Everyone is a kind of villain in this, and this is the kind of unlikeable narrator I could read over and over. I loved Virginia’s use of the victorian time period to make everything feel dirtier, grittier, grosser. I loved being in the head of Winifred, our heroine who is also definitely a psycho and so much fun to read about. I was a huge fan of Mrs. March and Feito’s arsenic-laced prose, so I am not surprised at all that I loved this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

This is for those of us who love stories about unhinged women snapping as violently as possible!! With a Victoriana setting, we follow a governess who doesn't particularly like the family she works for... or children in general. To be fair though, Winifred Notty finds most things unsatisfactory, as evident from her first appearance on the page. She's intentionally misanthropic and odd, intended to be so unlikable that she's almost endearing.

This story has no issue poking fun at the grotesque and paradoxical facets of high society life and the depravities of the wealthy. Easily bored and with a mind prone to fits of violent fancy, Winifred finds her own ways to occupy herself. Madness is less a crux or fear than an old friend, biding it's time waiting for a moment to encourage embracing her inner darkness.

Tonally this story fits somewhere between <i>American Psycho</i> and an adult version of <i>A Series of Unfortunate Events</i>. I had a positively delightful time develing into the marrow of Winifred Notty's psyche. Wry and matter-of-fact, Winifred has no issue detailing the specifics of her eccentricities and distaste for others. The occassional breaking of the fourth wall didn't feel disjointed, but rather like a friend winking and offering a humorous aside.

This is a grisly tale full of violence, bloodshed, inequality and cruelty. A wild ride from start to end!!

A truly insane and twisted story that perfectly fits it's name. The author did a fabulous job depicting Winifred as a true psychopath and reading from her POV was a wild ride. The story was fast paced and the plot was gripping and well thought out. Winifred is not only calculated and driven by her past, but she is also completely crazy which I think makes for a perfect nut-job. You can never truly tell if she has a plan behind her actions or if she just acts on impulse. Such a good book!

This was a fantastic, twisted and hilarious read. Although the title evokes American Psycho but this isn’t a gothic transplant, where Bateman was narcissistic, Winifred Notty just delights in evil. Feito's dry humour is perfect for the tone and makes this a wonderfully entertaining read.

God forbid a woman have a hobby! Winifred Notty is more putrid than Sweeney Todd and would find herself welcome in the most lurid and ghastly penny dreadfuls of her age. A delightful short read that should not be attempted after eating. Or before, really.

This is the first novel by Feito that I have read, and I was not disappointed. I recommend it to historical fiction fans that can handle horror and gothic story telling. I enjoyed every minute of this book. Maybe a few trigger warnings because this is not for the faint of heart. The characters good and bad were written well, and the plot line did not disappoint. I think this is the perfect season for this book. Thank you Net Galley ARC!

This one intrigued me from the beginning and I was surprised by how much I liked it. It was so good, gross, hilarious, different. All of that is right up my alley if I am being honest. I had a good time reading this and I could not put it down. I just kept flipping the pages. The characters were great, the writing was well done and the entire thing was just so good! I cannot wait to have a physical copy of this when it comes out!

Holy moly. I downloaded Victorian Psycho on a whim, not having read any of Feito's other work. This book was fantastic. I wasn't expecting such a perfect mix of funny and dark. Because of the intro to this book, you knew where it was headed and what the MC would do at the end, but the ride there was great. A really well written book.