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.

Having just finished this, I'm not sure what to make of it! I was pulled in as a big fan of a turn of the screw type stories and am a huge fan of a Victorian horror mystery! I also liked the first book by the same author.
This however, is not the same. It is the very gory story of a governess caring for two rather unpleasant children building to dramatic and very gruesome events over Christmas.
The book is a bit of a head wobble though because it leaves you questioning things and looking for meaning where maybe their just isn't any?! For example:
The title appears to be an obvious nod to the Bret Easton Ellis book American psycho, (with all the very unlikable characters, gore and weird gratuitous sexual undertones). Although, I might of missed something but unlike America psycho, the story didn't seem to be saying much in terms of social commentary outside of being a play on various other stories of the same genre. Or is it commenting on class, nature nurture etc of the protagonist. Maybe I'm reading too much into things though and this is just a very gory Victorian style horror story with lots of very unlikable people.

It's also a story where you find yourself kind of rooting but also not rooting interchangeably for the underdog (I don't want to say more without explaining why and ruining it). It really wasn't what I had expected from reading the synopsis.

It's a really short read at just over 200 pages to get you out of a reading slump and I would say rather perfect read in the period between Halloween and Christmas if you are in the market for some very gory Victorian murders!! If you like a good lady killer story and enjoy horror/ satire, this is a great little read.
Read through Netgalley for an honest review.

Oh wow was this book unhinged! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher.

This book was absolutely engrossing. I couldn’t look away. I knew from the first pages it was going to be horrific, carnage but it’s raw and honest in its psychopathy that it is impossible to put down. It’s bloody, violent, disturbing and shocking. And yet, the main character is brutally honest in who she is and what she plans to do that it makes absolute sense. We see the story through the eyes of our psychotic governess and narrator. We hear her inner monologue and her unnerving thoughts. We see the carnage she wreaks.

This was such an interesting exploration of a violent killer in Victorian society. Particularly because she’s female and in a position of service. A rich man with her particular proclivities would have been a very different story. However we see the disdain towards her from the wealthy family she works for. She’s looked down on, not just because she is a governess but frequently because of her weight too. While we know she is violent, the disturbing behaviour of her employers create a new lens through which to view her behaviour.

Some of her particular activities really push the boundary of belief but overall this was a fast, intense, fascinating and thoroughly disturbing read!

Is this book perfect? No. Does it have flaws? Yes. Is it an incredibly horrific read full of crazy inner thoughts and even crazier actions? Yes. A THOUSAND TIMES YES. A wild foray into the mind and heart (or lack thereof) of a governess that is doing the best she can with the tiresome charges and obnoxious “masters”.

There’s just something that is of course, disturbing, but deliciously offensive about being in the mind of a true psychopath. At times I had to reread sentences because I just couldn’t believe the audacity of Miss Notty (lol).

The only star I’m knocking off is because there was a lot of confusion around certain actions in the climax. I get that we MAY have an unstable if not entirely unreliable narrator but I never felt like I was on firm ground while reading this.

Read this if you liked: Nat Cassidy’s Mary or Lapvona. Which I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

There’s something so wonderful in reading Victorian Psycho; having a narrator in a professional role at this time in history speak with a detached, blunt - and obviously psychotic - voice. It’s wonderful and the perfect mash up of genres that I love and something that I definitely need more of!

The book starts with Winifred arriving at a country home, ready to start work as a governess to the children of the house. As the book builds, we get an insight into Winifred’s past, with chapters providing flashbacks to her childhood, and other parts of the narrative reminding her of previous misdeeds.

It’s a very easy to read and matter of fact narrative, with no real likeable characters, that works so well. The ending was perfect and I loved Winifred’s cold voice as she narrated all of the truly horrific things going on around her.

Fans of American Psycho will, naturally, love this one, as well as those who enjoy both historical fiction and horror. It was a perfect start to my reading year and now I need to pick up Virginia Feito’s previous book immediately.

I am a big fan of American Psycho so I was really excited to read this book and I also felt like I could see it for what it was like with Bret Easton Ellis. I was really happy to find similar themes but obviously done in a different time period and with a unique character. One of my favourite things about both books is that you cannot forget that the narrator is not reliable. They may be telling the truth, but they also may not. There were a lot of moments in the book where something was unlikely, or someones reaction to something wasn't right, and I saw some reviews from people claiming this to make the story unbelievable, but that is the charm of these books- They will lie to you. If something sounds unlikely... thats because it might be. These characters are psychos who hurt and kill, but they are also delusional.
I enjoyed this very much, highly recommend!

While this wasn’t badly written or anything and I enjoyed the first half of the book, unfortunately I feel like the ‘unhinged woman’ genre is just so saturated now that this one didn’t really stand out or make an impact. I’d definitely try the authors next book though!

Weird, querky, violent strange and mercifully short. Winifred, the governess joins the household of the Pounds. She is the psycho of the title and narrates the story. Fairly early on it is obvious why she is there creating murder and mayhem. As a Gothic horror it lacks suspense and sufficient humour. I do wonder at the mind of Feito. Sorry, this wasn't for me. If it hadn't been so short I wouldn't have bothered finishing it.

More books like this please! Fans of historical fiction and gory horrors, you won't want to miss this one. This was so darkly fun, I couldn't give it any less than five stars.
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A pre-warning that there are plenty of content warnings for this, so I'd recommend staying away if you're squeamish. However, for me it was perfect. It was the right amount of gory, grotesque and downright psychotic. The Victorian setting fitted so well with the story; it made it so atmospheric along with Feito's amazing descriptions, you could physically feel the dinginess and the gloom all throughout. I don't think this book would have had quite the same effect had it been set in more modern times.
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I loved how fast paced it was with the short chapters; it definitely is one a lot of readers will be able to inhale in one sitting. The FMC of Winifred was so unlikeable in the way a serial killer should be but I also couldn't help but get behind her— I liked that she seemed to have more about her than just being a straight up killer and that plot twist toward the finale had me spinning! The supporting characters all had a good part to play too, they all felt like real people to me, as if this was an event that could have easily happened during that sombre era. I also loved the surprise of the few illustrations that were dotted in the book, I thought this really gave more depth to the plot as a whole and made me feel even more immersed into the story.
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I'd absolutely recommend this to fans of the horror genre and those who may have a morbid fascination with the dark and macabre side of the Victorian era. It turned my stomach while also keeping me gripped, I need more!

Thank you Netgalley & 4th Estate for my eARC!

Winifred Notty steps into the foreboding Ensor House with a mission to embody the quintessential Victorian governess. Her intentions are clear—she will dutifully teach Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime tales, and make only the occasional jest about eating children. However, as the days stretch on within the dreary halls of the Pounds family estate, Winifred’s resolve begins to falter under the weight of the family’s grotesque peculiarities and moral failings.

Virginia Feito crafts a protagonist who is both unsettling and captivating. Winifred’s attempts to suppress the sinister urges of her past lead her into bizarre and darkly humorous escapades—whether it is traipsing across moonlit lawns in her undergarments or slyly unnerving the house staff. Feito’s prose deftly navigates the fine line between the eerie and the absurd, pulling readers into Winifred’s twisted world where the boundaries of imagination and reality blur.

The story crescendos on Christmas morning, when Winifred’s macabre imagination finally overflows into the tangible. Feito’s trademark sardonic wit shines throughout, paired with a flair for vivid, gothic descriptions that make Victorian Psycho a delightfully chilling read. The book offers a fresh, darkly humorous twist on Victorian tropes, underpinned by Feito’s masterful ability to balance the grotesque with the gorgeously macabre.

Fans of psychological thrillers and gothic tales will find Victorian Psycho an enthralling and uniquely twisted exploration of identity, repression, and the haunting allure of the bizarre.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I enjoyed this silly novel about a psycho governess, even the chapter headings are funny. Great cover too.

The premise promises yet another Gothic story of a governess in a haunted house, so I was expecting a dreary sort of feminist (or, at least, female centric) corset flick, of the Laura Purcell variety. I could not have been more wrong. What you might expect seemingly becomes clear when the narrator, a governess coming to a haunted-looking house, breaks the fourth wall for the first time. Reader, is this the Fleabag of Gothic flicks? But then, it becomes completely unhinged.

Part Gothic spoof, part satire, part Shirley Jackson on steroids, this should have totally worked for me. We have some gory imagery, a postmodernist style and a story worthy of a real, not Netflix Disneyfied, take on an older Wednesday Addams. I loved the style and was curious about the narrator and her motivations.

Unfortunately, Feito's narrative did not manage to keep me engaged or entertained. The characters' motivation becomes clear pretty early, and I can't believe I am saying this, but Bella Mackie did it much better (despite all the issues with that book). At least she had kept me hooked on the plot.

It felt like Victorian Psycho really wanted to be edgy, but, sorry, I've read Walking Practice by now, if you want unhinged, go all in. The style eventually got a bit stilted, too - the beauty and endurance of Shirley Jackson is in the hints and the moderation, it is not supposed to be on steroids.

Overall, I liked the beginning and the anticipation of this book much more than I liked the book itself.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the review copy.

✨4 stars✨

This book had the eerie Victorian vibes, with a dark and grotesque plot, bizarre and definitely psychotic (as the title would suggest) protagonist with a sprinkling of humour throughout.

Winifred, our protagonist, was one of if not the most unhinged character’s narrative I think I have read. Multiple times I had to reread sections to try and work out whether it was actually happening or parts of her imagination which made for a sense of foreboding.

This was definitely one of the most unique books I have read, and it was relatively short at around 200 pages so if you’re looking for a fast-paced read this could be for you, if you don’t mind a bit of gore.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

If you like your books on the slightly grotesque side then do check out "Victorian Psycho" by Virginia Feito. It reminded me of "Poor Things" and "Salt Burn", mixed up, quirky... This is a short read, bound to shock at times but brilliantly written. Can't wait to see the film adaptation.

This was a fun read, a romp through Victorian society highlighting, through the voice of governess Winifred Notty much of what was wrong with the era. The story is told rather like a penny dreadful, full of gory detail.
The reader figures out very quickly that Winifred is unusual and she is hiding a secret. She applies for a job with the Pounds and is governess to their two children, thirteen year Drusilla and eight year old Andrew. The children are undeniably awful, the father lecherous and the mother pompous and the house is managed with a strict hierarchy.
The author creates a wonder gothic atmosphere with details of life such as the Christmas dinner, the details of the discovery of a mummy, the chimney sweep stuck in the flue and the house guest with syphilis. Winifred is a gloriously unreliable narrator who hints darkly at the ending throughout the book.
Lovely details and great fun. With thanks to Netgalley, 4th Estate and William Collins for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

A stunning, sharp, and utterly hilarious rendezvous through the psychotic, strange, but strangely relatable Winifred Knotty a young woman with a tragic past exploring her life, mind (and questionable actions) as she navigates her newest post as governess to the Pounds family. The love child of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho and Elliot Gish’s Grey Dog this is the penultimate mix of female rage, sarcasm, jaw dropping scenes, and wit. The Victorian backdrop only adds to Feito's explorations of liminality and insanity. A sharp punch of a novel that promises flesh served with its fun.

I found this quite difficult to get a handle on, and eventually decided that it worked best if I imagined all the characters looking like they had been drawn by Edward Gorey. It's bleak and brutal but also quite funny in places, the narrator being a self-proclaimed murderess telling the story of her latest crimes on the way (I think?) to the gallows. There was an odd mix of upper and lower-case letters used at the start of chapters and I could not tell if this was intentional or sometime to do with the fact I was reading an ARC on Kindle, the formatting just seemed off. It wasn't a bad read, but I might not go out of my way to read it again.