Winifred Notty has just arrived at Ensor House, Grim Wolds where she has taken up the post of governess to Andrew aged 8 and Drusilla, aged 13, the spoilt children of Mr and Mrs Pounds, her employers. But as she steps down from the coach she observes:
‘It is early fall, the cold is beginning to descend, and in three months everyone in this house will be dead.’
At their first meeting, Mrs Pounds informs Winifred that the previous governess had been ‘most ungrateful…disappeared without a trace.’ I wondered if Winifred might have a hand in it. Mr Pounds is fascinated by the Victorian art of phrenology and wants to measure Winifred’s head. He’s also very interested in other parts of her anatomy as well and likes to study them at night. She meets, Andrew, the heir apparent and a bully well aware of his position, and Drusilla who is barely educated as it’s seen as unnecessary and that ‘she is now of an age when she risks her fertility from the ravages of overeducation. Says so in the Times’ according to her mother. Winifred immediately interprets it as meaning that
‘Drusilla will be doing much ornamental needlework.’
But all is not well under the apparently normal surface of Ensor House. Mr Pounds asks his wife in front of Winifred if
‘She is growing paranoid again?’
And hints about
‘not wanting to call upon the doctor.’
But there are strange sounds at night as Winifred prowls the house and its many forgotten staircases and rooms until she finds a secret garret which she will put to good use very shortly. She also assumes that:
‘this must be the place where the Poundses have stowed their generations of female hysterics through the ages.’
But Winifred’s true nature cannot be hidden for long when she insists on killing a wounded deer and bits into a calf’s snout in the kitchen. She talks to the children about how a cuckoo invades a bird’s nest killing the other birds and that of course is what Winifred is. Along the way, in flashback, the reader learns of her appalling childhood in which her mother
‘posing as a respectable widow’
marries a clergyman. Illegitimate, Winifred longs to find her father and she has her own reasons for finding employment in the Pounds household. She was convinced that she heard the safety bells inside coffins ringing in the churchyard and her psychotic behaviour began.
But the stage is set for a memorable Christmas at Ensor House. It will be like no other.
Female madness is a theme throughout the novel; Mrs Pounds at one point makes Winifred sleep in the dog kennel and her own mother tried to kill her at 13 months. Even the female mummy unwrapped as an entertainment is devoid of any power as she’s a woman and was a substitute for a far better male specimen. She lies, naked, devoid of any bandages as the Poundeses guests gawp at her while Mr Fishal, stands beaming. Then she’s cleared away.
This is a book written with real gusto and relish. It felt at times like a really black comedy or satire as Winifred begins to go about her work with impunity and, seemingly, without being caught. The attic hiding place soon become filled with her treasure trove.
It’s a dark, dark tale with her childhood, her schooling and her previous posts and her plans for the Poundses. She makes no apology for what she is and revels in it as in her exploits at the Clergy Daughters School. In this case revenge wasn’t a dish best served cold.
I really enjoyed the author’s previous book, ‘Mrs March’ which was such a tour de force. Winifred’s tart observations throughout the book skewer the milieu of Victorian society in which she finds herself in such as when she comments:
‘Bad luck wasn’t a dish served to the privileged’
The book has all the trappings of a Gothic novel; dark, shadowy house, isolated location, mysterious nocturnal noises, an enigmatic housekeeper and a feeling of impending doom. However, I liked Winifred despite her proclivities. She was a fascinating and engaging anti heroine and the cover could have been a portrait of her.
But there are some very gruesome scenes in the book which may be too much for some viewers.
For fans of Gothic novels and anti heroines I think you might enjoy this book as much as I did.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

It's hard to describe Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito. I had no idea what to expect going in and I'm still not 100% sure what I read. It's a gleefully grotesque horror-comedy celebration of women's wrongs, subverting the tropes of gothic horror and digging into the gender and especially the social inequality of the Victorian era.

Winifred, the unhinged governess protagonist, isn't exactly a likeable narrator (by design) but she is undeniably compelling. The plot is fast paced and does a great job at seamlessly weaving in backstory in a way that raises the stakes rather than detracting from them.

Thank you to NetGalley, 4th Estate and William Collins for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This was exactly what I was hoping for when I signed up for ‘gleefully gruesome’.

I came for the promise of mayhem and women’s wrongs and stayed for the black humour and the visceral prose. Catch me reading the author’s backlist for more of the same.

Hell bent on a revenge plot that slowly but surely unfolds it’s petals like watching a flower bloom in real time, we follow our unhinged Governess to the Pounds’ estate wherein she hatches a plan to surprise the entire family and their esteemed guests with a Christmas gift they won’t forget…

Winifred is the kind of narrator that makes you laugh even when you know you really, really shouldn’t. It’s the kind of humour that only comes with trauma, okay. But taking a serious look at the prose for a moment, this is a fun and interesting largely linear novel which seamlessly blends backstory and present events so that the reader is able to understand what has driven Winifred to the person we meet en route to the Pounds’ estate. The writing is opulent in its descriptions, breathing with Winifred’s skewed way of seeing the world. Sighs are not gusts of air, they slip out of mouths, soft like organs; reality warps as Winifred’s mental state shifts and flows like water. It’s truly a delight to read, despite the macabre reality - we’re following in the footsteps of a psychopath.

If you love “good for her” horror and reading sharp-toothed women clawing back at a monstrous world, keeping hold of their own inner darkness until they can wreak havoc, this one’s for you. Forget morally grey, Winifred is morally black and I’m here for it.

I laughed, I ‘hmm’ed in agreement, I recoiled and delighted in the chaos. The fast pace doesn’t detract from the robust plot, nor does it dim the engagement with the main character. Snappy and delicious, I ate it up.

It's not a terrible story by any means. It had everything I usually enjoy in this type of novels, actually. But in this case, nothing hit. Nothing. The grotesque moments fell flat each and every single time, I never even snorted at some of the unhinged things she did, I was just completely indifferent towards this entire story and its characters. Some of the twists had me raising my eyebrows in a surprised kind of way, and I liked the poking fun at Victorians, because those people truly were unhinged. I think here it's very much a case of "it didn't hold my attention" rather than "this book is terrible". It has a lot of elements I know others might like so don't cross it off your wishlist because of me, but it was a bit of a flop on my part.

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

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

Victorian Psycho is a book I knew I would enjoy, but it turned out to be one I LOVED.

A short-but-sweet, effortlessly engaging and endlessly gruesome story that follows Winifred Notty, a new governess to the Pounds family, who is completely and utterly psychotic. I like to say in my reviews that I support women’s wrongs as well as rights, but I have to admit that Fred was pushing me with this one.

Feito’s prose is magnetic, as quick as a whip, and every word and story-beat is perfectly executed. I found myself wishing this book was longer, but knowing that its whirlwind pace led to such an incredibly effective story. All of the characters were grisly caricatures, including the children, and I was consistently reminded of Tim Burton and the uncanny-ness of stop-motion animation. The Victorian era always lends so well to the brutal and disgusting nature of murder, and the inequalities of wealth, and Feito took this and made it into something brilliant. This entire story made me feel uncomfortable at all times, and it’s truly one of the most unique horrors I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

Overall, Victorian Psycho gets 5/5 stars. A fantastic read that I won’t be forgetting in a hurry!

This book had me at the title, which is a stroke of absolute genius. I was delighted to discover that the story was just as wickedly humorous - I had so much fun reading this and found myself chuckling on public transport multiple times while reading it.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Fourth Estate for the copy of this book. I was really looking forward to discovering this new novel by Virginia Feito because I really liked her previous novel: Mrs March.

But unfortunately, this book is absolutely not for me and I stop at 56%. This novel reminded me of Patrick Süskind's The Perfume, where every description makes me feel uncomfortable. There are a lot of scenes of violence, especially those against children, which particularly shocked me.

Winifred is extremely strange, a psychopath who feels no emotion, who doesn't seem to fit the period because the writing/dialogues don't resemble the Victorian era.

The novel is not bad, but it is not for everyone.

Very atmospheric and evocative, with a narrator who verges on the edge of unreliable, yet remains witty and smart-tongued even through horrific happenings. I very much enjoyed the writing and the setting of the novel. I liked how the story of Winifred Notty, the protagonist who takes up the job of a governess at Ensor House, unfolds, and how we steadily get to know more of her past and what has led her to her current situation.

Although very well-written and atmospheric, it's certainly not for the faint of heart, as some descriptions do get rather gory. I definitely recommend it to all horror and gothic lovers, and I imagine it would be a spectacular read around spooky season.

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC!

3 stars?

OK, I was HYPED for this. Beyond hyped to be honest, and yet I just couldn't like this the way I wanted to.

The story itself is very character driven, which I love to read, and some plot is within it and reasons behind why she does the things she does, and yet I wanted more. I felt very disconnected and not engaged in the story at all. And I'm not entirely sure why, if I'm being honest. Maybe what I was expecting was nothing like what I had read, and that is why.

But I did enjoy has this was written and certain parts made me laugh and got me invested a little. By other reviews, this has been a hit for people, but sadly, this didn’t do it for me, but maybe for someone else!

𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐲 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐨
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐆𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 | 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐞𝐛 𝐛𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞
This was really unexpected, I saw this on NetGalley was attracted to the title & US cover. (Swipe to see the US Cover)

Winnifred Notty arrives at the Pounds Estate to play the perfect Victorian governess to the Pounds two children. But she has a hidden agenda which she will present to them all on Christmas morning.

This book seeps unsettling and bubbling rage! I enjoyed the authors sarcastic wit which sets the tone for Winifred. Her backstory is tragic and heartbreaking yet you realise this is why she is the way she is.

I also enjoyed being inside Winifred’s head, the subtle dark humour would make me laugh out loud. There are some disturbing moments but it is called Victorian Psycho for a reason.

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒.𝟓 ⭐️

Will 100% read this authors other books!

Have you read this one?
Thanks to NetGalley for this eArc
#netgalley #netgalleyreads #bookstagram #horror #thriller #gothichorror #gothic #victorianpyscho #bookstagramuk #booksta #bookstagramuk #books #booklover #bookish #bookworm

Do you like your horror stories absolutely feral? Do you like your gothic stories to be inverted where the terror of the house is the protagonist, and you know her every bonkers thought? Can you manage insane (INSANE) amounts of straight-faced blood and gore?

If you said no to any of the above then absolutely do not read this book. It will horrify you and you will hate it.
If you're thinking sure I could handle some pervasion then you are in for a treat.

The writing is slick and fast-paced. There is no sympathy for Winnifred Notty, but none for her wards or guests of Endsor House either. It also pokes fun at the period and its own genre.

I'm not sure what it says about me that I really enjoyed it but I don't know what else to call it apart from feral.

I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There's pretty much a whole sub-genre of books deconstructing Victorian culture and literature from a feminist viewpoint but none quite as gleefully perverse and blood-drenched as this one. And I mean that in the best way.

Feito knows her Victorian literature and starts, as so many books do, with the arrival of a new governess at the local 'big house' belonging to the archly-named Mr and Mrs Pound. And names, in a Dickensian fashion, matter here: our governess is the nihilistically appelled Miss Notty who has come from Hopefernon (hope for none) to Grim Wolds.

But the fun doesn't stop there. A self-confessed psychopath with no feelings, Miss Notty forms strange bonds with her pupils, especially the girl, Drusilla (think [book:The Turn of the Screw|2437237]) and sets out on her wayward career of destruction to culminate in that tradition of the Victorian Christmas.

Throughout there are nods and winks to the reader from the death-filled prologue ('it's crushed in paint, it's papered on the walls. Everywhere, death') to the allusions and intertexts to Victorian classics: the Brontes, Dickens, Wilkie Collins - and a direct reference to [book:The Yellow Wallpaper|99300]: 'through the damask pattern in the wallpaper, a woman beckons to me'.

This may not be subtle in the way it takes on all the tropes that repress and contain women in Victorian fiction but it is huge fun. It's also short enough not to outstay its welcome and contains some striking images: the burning woman wandering through the house, the eyes of the family portraits, the final bow and arrows (that also made me think of [book:We Need to Talk About Kevin|870775] and its engagement with motherhood).

I guess it's worth saying that some of the original texts, especially those of the Brontes, have already been read by feminist scholars to contain their own contestations of the Victorian ideologies they purport to uphold - so in that sense this isn't doing anything particularly revelatory or insightful. Nevertheless, this is a fun pager-turner that romps along using all the tropes of Gothic and nineteenth century decadence in a productive manner. And there are some glorious one-liners: 'Mrs Able, I muse, is a woman who has never held a penis' - reader, I laughed out loud!

Victorian Psycho is an ambitious and largely successful fusion of period drama and psychological horror. While it occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own excesses, the novel's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. Feito has created something unique: a Victorian gothic thriller that manages to be both genuinely disturbing and darkly funny.

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would! That's the highest I ever rate books and this would be only the 4th book I'd rate that high!

Virginia Feito!! What did you put in this book?!?! I was hooked from start to finish and read it in one evening! We follow Winifred Notty as she recounts her time at Ensor Hall as governess to the seemingly spoilt Drusilla and Andrew Pounds, at the request of their parents Mr and Mrs Pounds. As we already know from the title, Winifred (Fred) is a psychopath and has some very dark and disturbing plans in mind for the Pounds family.

I often forgot that this was told in the 2nd person until Fred would direct her monologue directly to us "Dear reader", which made the novel feel even more personal than I thought it could be, especially with the way she tells her story.

What I found interesting is that with the exception of one particularly intense moment, I felt no emotion towards the other characters in the book, despite knowing how she feels about them and what she fantasises and also plans to do to them. I actually found myself rooting for her, most of the time, because almost every single adult she came across just rubbed me up the wrong way. I'm guessing it is the way Virginia Feito tells the story so that it is pretty emotionless because Fred is obviously a psychopath, who knows? Maybe I just also dislike most people lol.

This book was grotesque, absurd, utterly insane and darkly comedic and had me laughing out loud at the most inappropriate moments! Not a word was wasted.; I wanted to devour every single one.

I will say that this does have quite graphic descriptions of child murder, so please bare that in mind if you pick it up.

Well that was complete madness! Equal parts horrifying and hilarious, this was quite the rollercoaster. Winifred Notty was a very interesting character to follow. As dark as her character is I also found her to be quite funny. There were so many times that I nearly threw up in my mouth while reading this, some of the depictions are truly disgusting and grotesque. There is a lot of body horror and maggoty corpses so be warned. I think to say I “enjoyed” this is the wrong way to put it. Let’s just say I couldn’t put it down and immediately bought the author’s other novel.

I have already seen this book in lots of places. Apparently there is a new trend called femgore.
If this book is anything to go by it'll be a good trend.
The joyful way the main character talks about the dirtier and gorier parts of life is refreshing. Especially contrasted with the way she is supposed to behave as a governess.
It's a short book and that is needed as it's pretty graphic. I'm torn between loving the brevity of it and wanting to know more.

4★
Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc of this book.

The title of this book says it all. We follow Winifred Notty as she takes a new position as a governess at Ensor House and the story goes from there. And when I say the story goes from there, I mean the madness spirals from there.

This was so entertaining to read. Being inside the mind of our twisted main character and reading her cruel thoughts. And the way it was written was truly amazing. I’ve never read anything by this author before but I’d definitely read more.

There are also very good decriptions of… well, bloody stuff. So if you are sensitive to that, this may not be exactly for you.

The only reason why I’m not giving this a 5★ was the ending. It just didn’t feel satisfying enough for me - especially when it’s right after the lead up to it. If the ending was different, this could’ve been a 5★. It was really fun.

If you are a fan of horror and like historical themes, like psychopatic characters and don’t mind some bloody scenes, this would be for you.

This is my kind of girl- a proficient and impulsive killer, I would like you to meet Miss Notty the governess to Drusilla Pound and Andrew Pound. A psychopath with no empathy or feelings of remorse, she pictures how she would kill the people she meets and in great detail when she does.
"What is your name" asks Andrew
"My name is Winifred Notty"
"May I call you Winnie"
"You may call me Fred," says Miss Notty "Fred is the name of the demon who lives inside me"
An absolute blast from start to finish, it held me all the way through
I loved it, five stars

I was obsessed with this one! It’s so deliciously dark, I stayed up late to finish it and couldn’t stop thinking about it it once I’d put it down. The writing is wonderfully macabre and I found myself rooting for the titular victorian psycho. I was interested to hear that it’s in pre production for a film adaptation, I can’t wait to see it.

In short, this book is like American Psycho set in Victorian England, with a governess as the main protagonist. It’s definitely not something that everyone would love, but it does exactly what a gothic horror should do—and it does it well.

It’s hard to describe the main character of this book, Winifred Notty, as anything other than a psychopath. As the narrator, Winifred is completely honest, revealing her entire story to the readers. Interestingly, the narration is structured in a way that we literally find out how everything ends and what will happen to the characters within the first few pages. The shock and horror don’t come from plot twists, but from the fact that we’re dealing with a protagonist who is completely devoid of empathy, manic, and takes pleasure in the suffering of others. It’s hard to sympathize with Winifred, but on the other hand, none of the other characters are particularly likeable either. We witness terrible things being done to, and by, some awful people. This is why the book is so powerful.
Also, quite surprisingly, this book has some fun moments—it’s obviously more macabre and dark humor than comic relief, but it works well. Winifred’s attitude toward death and gore only intensifies the impression that we’re dealing with a deeply disturbed person.

The book is short, and the plot isn’t over-explained. It reads very smoothly and is hard to put down. When reading, I also thought it would make a great movie adaptation because of how vivid and graphic the story is. So, I wasn’t surprised when I learned it had already been picked up for the screen, with filming set to start this year.

In conclusion, Victorian Psycho seems like a bit of a hit or miss book—if someone likes creepy horrors about serial killers where literally no character evokes any positive feelings and it’s hard to root for anyone, they’ll definitely enjoy this book. Personally, I’m not a fan of this kind of literature, but I do appreciate the author’s skill and how fantastically she captured the Victorian setting. 4 out of 5 stars.