Blimey, what a bloody maelstrom of utter pitchblack psychotic weirdness! Read in one sitting!
Winifred Notty comes to Ensor house as the governess from hell, nibbling on a dish best eaten cold.
She’s an unhinged Wednesday Addams on speed on a planned but random trajectory of destruction.
Only downside: The book’s title does not do it justice.

Victorian Psycho was a fun and dark story, filled with intrigue and a twisting narrative that at its peak was both shocking and disturbing, in the best kind of way.

A rather unhinged young lady Winifred Notty is employed as a governess to the Pounds family. She has a questionable past, and when she realizes that the Pounds family are not deserving of her services she resorts to what she knows best....murder. A comic, somewhat bizarre tale, with shades of American Psycho, and a fun if somewhat short read. This is an honest review written in exchange for a gratis copy from the publisher....many thanks

Victorian Psycho is an unhinged gothic fever dream in the best way. We follow Winifred, a newly appointed governess to the Pounds family—but she’s no ordinary governess. She’s completely deranged, a prime example of what happens when you let your intrusive thoughts run absolutely wild.
The writing is gorgeously grotesque, and Winifred’s descent into madness is both unnerving and hilariously unhinged.
It’s chaotic, dark, and totally addictive.
If you’re in the mood for something twisted, theatrical, and utterly mad—this is the one.

As much as it pains me deeply to say it… This was a little bit… mid, for me.

I’d seen words like ‘gothic’,’ eerie’, and ‘black comedy’ used to describe this, alongside the obvious American Psycho parallel, so my first thoughts were OH HELL YES. Unfortunately, this ended up being more of a hella meh for me.

Winifred Notty has just been appointed governess in the Pound household. The two children are her charges, and while she starts strong in her role, it quickly becomes clear that she is not only easily irritated by them (fair enough, they are absolute brats) but that she is also suppressing some rather disturbing impulses with dwindling efficacy.

Fred is absolutely batshit, there's no two ways about that! But despite a literal murderous spree playing out before me, I still found myself losing interest. The whole thing felt a little too convoluted, and aside from one major reveal in the final chapters, I honestly could not tell you what happened in this book or confidently summarise the ending. I listened to this on audio as well as reading it and I think maybe the sheer amount of gratuitous violence made me tune out and miss details, which I can acknowledge is partly on me. But I do not generally consider myself squeamish, so I also think that with stronger plot points, clearer character development, and no animal cruelty, I might have stayed more engaged. Spotlighting cruelty for fun and leaning into textbook psychopathy can absolutely work - campy, excessive horror 100% has its place, but I needed something alongside it to season the experience.

Despite not actually loving this, I would be interested in re-reading it and revisiting some of the nuances as I think there was some really interesting social commentary on class and privilege that got lost in the (literal) melee.

As I mentioned, I listened to some of this on audio rather than reading a physical copy, and I do wonder if that impacted the flow for me. The deeply unsettling experience of being inside Fred’s head and witnessing her descent into full-blown psychopathy was immersive and really captured her unravelling. But ultimately, while the execution (no pun intended) had its moments, this didn’t stick the landing for me.

However I still want to give a huge, huge thank you to 4th Estate books for an advance copy - I'm so glad I was able to read this, and the cover is a total masterpiece.

I’ve seen plenty of people absolutely loving this one, so I think I'm in the minority here!

.I was interested to see that this book was categorised as "General fiction/humour / mystery and thrillers" I thought it was more of a deliciously dark and unsettling horror with an oddly engaging anti heroine shot through with a streak of very black humour! At first I found the dialogue quite stilted and annoying but it somehow just became reflective of the Gothic Hall and its assembled characters. I'm fascinated to see how it will translate into the film which is apparently scheduled for next year.
Thank you to netgalley and 4th Estate

First of all I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted more from this story and I am sad to be having to write this. I can see this being turned into a movie at some point though as there is room to delve deeper into the characters psyche but just felt that it was really lacking in the book. It had the gore and the horror and I liked that it didn't shy away from violence to children (I know is slight messed up of me but it really gave a shock value). I think some readers would be sensitive to some of the gore as the author doesn't hold back but I just wish the book was longer to flesh out the characters descent into madness as the ending seemed to be quite rushed to me.

I think this is a good book for mild horror fans as isn't too horrifying and is a short read and I did enjoy it, I was just left wanting more.

Thank you to Virginia Feito, 4th Estate and William Collins | Fourth Estate, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A fun black comedy / horror historical fiction novella following a psychopathic governess at her new work. The first person POV worked well with the unreliable narrator but belief definitely needed to be suspended at times. Enjoyable quick read.

Unhinged women doing things is easily becoming one of my fave genres of books.

Virginia Feito has written a short but gnarley account of a Miss Notty, a Victorian governess, committing whatever crimes (or explanations!) suit her whimsy.

Aaaaa this was such a good one! ❤️ I had loads of fun reading this romp and am looking forward to anything else Virginia Feito will pen! If you like your horror bloody and filled with sneaky humor, this is for you!

When I picked up #VictorianPsycho, I had some reservations—#VirginiaFeito’s previous novel, #MrsMarch, had left me cold. In hindsight, maybe I just read it at the wrong time (mood reader problems, anyone?).

But this time, Feito delivers—and what she delivers is a brilliantly twisted story that defies easy comparison. I genuinely can’t think of anything quite like it.

Listening to it at the gym was... an experience. Let’s just say that any audiobook featuring the words “lubrication,” “insertion,” and “elbow” in the same sentence is going to be tough to listen to with a straight face. I can only imagine what people around me thought.

#AnnaBurnett's narration is pitch-perfect—she brings Miss Notty to life in a way that’s both vivid and deeply unsettling.

I have no idea who I’d recommend this book to—but if you're feeling brave, give it a try.

A sneaky little book about a mysterious young woman who definitely does not behave like a proper governess who should instill in her charges good manners, supervise their prayers and teach them French and geography. Instead, Miss Notty sneaks around the house, cuts eyes from the portraits, steals children and kills the unsuspected servants. Gripping, horrible and entertaining at the same time, this is a story of dark compulsions, gruesome secrets and nasty people. But as Miss Notty observes the Pounds, her employers, and their peers, who decides which behaviour is cruel and mean and who the real monsters are?
This is a book that fits neatly into a trend of horrible women in the horror-adjacent novels. The protagonist is weird and yet compelling ( think Wednesday Addams but more bloody) and her allure lies in a complete breaking of rules and conventions. The writing is suffused with equal portions of charm and gore and in places really makes you laugh. (Admittedly it is a sneaky little laugh because a proper guffaw is very much not ladylike.) But as Miss Notty becomes more naughty and the laughs turn into gasps of shock and horror, the reader is left to wonder what makes women turn into proper Victorian psychos.
Many thanks to the publisher and the Netgalley for a free copy of the ebook.

This book is so dark, terrifying, gruesome, and unputdownable. Go blind into this book. This is a twisted atmospheric read with gruesome and sickening details.

Winifred’s character is mysterious and she had an unsettling childhood. While she never felt fear and believes that a demon lived inside her. The description of the Ensor House was eerie. There was something so unsettling and creepy about the house. As soon as Winifred arrives at the house, her story starts to unfold from her present to childhood and growing up. Even the bedtime stories were terrifying in this. Everything that happened and gruesome details kept me on the edge. I felt the pace was medium and the perspective of Winifred kept me engaged throughout the book. There were secrets, mystery and horrifying things. I loved this book.

Thanks to the Publisher and Author.

Having enjoyed Mrs March, I was looking forward to this new novel by Virginia Feito. It begins intriguingly, with elegant and yet sinister prose. As the new Governess to the Pound family, Winifred feels a constant darkness in her and makes references to a bloody past. The book explodes into a bit of an orgy of violence and may prove a little too much for many readers. I’m afraid it did for me.

Set in Victorian England, Victorian Psycho follows young Winifred Notty, a governess with a dubious past and an unusual task in mind. As she arrives at Ensor House to care for the Pounds family's children, her unsettling nature unfolds amidst the bleak and oppressive atmosphere of the mansion.

Feito creates an unusual protagonist who is both horrifying and strangely sympathetic. Through Winifred's sharp observations and unfiltered commentary, Feito adds a layer of dark humour to the narrative that lightens the lingering sense of dread.

With its exploration of themes like revenge, societal hypocrisy, and the darkness within, Victorian Psycho is a great read for fans of a light Victorian Gothic.

Jane Eyre meets American Psycho; I read that tag line and didn't need to know anything else!

Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House in order to become a governess for the two children of the Pound's House. However, it becomes very obvious very quickly that Miss Notty is hiding a secret and the darkness that she has brought to Ensor House soon spills out.

I devoured this novel in one sitting; dark, gory and full of blood Miss Notty is the perfect psycho and I couldn't put the novel down! 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Victorian Psycho follows Winifred Notty, employed as a governess to take care of two horrible children in a horrible household of horrible people, as she descends further and further into a murderous psychotic rage. From the opening pages, I knew I would love this. And I did. Every word of it. It is weird, wild, deliciously macabre, funny and constantly surprising.

From the start, as she approaches and arrives at Ensor House, we realise that Winifred is not your typical Victorian governess.

"Mrs Able opens a short, solitary door. She gestures to it. As I walk inside, the skirt of my dress brushes her limp hand, which she withdraws instantly. Mrs Able, I muse, is a woman who has never held a penis."

Feito takes inspiration from Victorian (and earlier) fiction and non-fiction. There are echoes of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë in the dinner-table conversation, Ann Radcliffe gothic overtones and the bloody violence of sensationalist novels and contemporary newspaper accounts.

The writing is wonderful, from the measured tones that build a vivid picture of the stiflingly decorous Victorian upper class household that one might expect, building gradually to a frenzy as Winifred descends into feral, gory murder.

Victorian Psycho is wild, exhilarating and bloody delicious. I cannot recommend it highly enough, if you've the stomach for it.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher, Fourth Estate, for providing an ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest no matter how I acquire the book.

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.

Wow! Virginia Feito has done it again! What a fun, dark novella of a truly Victorian pyscho. I loved watching Winifred get away with murder once again and again while she spirals into a deep frenzy, right up until Christmas.

Wow, that was quite something. If you're the sort of person who needs to like your main character, turn away now because Winifred is not remotely likeable, there's no Dexter-ish charm here. Winifred is strange, twisted, prone to fantasies and odd impulses. She also gets away with murder. A lot. Told solely from her point of view her brief, blood-soaked tenure as governess to the Pounds children reads like Dickens and Tarantino got together and decided to write a novel.

All the evils of the Victorian period are laid bare - baby farms, everyday items laced with poison, child neglect, social rigidity and moralistic hypocrisy all go into creating the monster that is Winifred. An absorbing, compelling read not for the faint of heart.