Very interesting idea for a book, i was very intrigued. I liked the beginning of it but got a bit confused further in the book with only the dates of the beginning of a piece of text and no real chapter headings. But did like the writing style.

This book was addictive, gory, and visceral. I liked the uniqueness of it being told through letters. The audio book narrators do an excellent job with her Cockney accent coming out more and more as the book progresses. I highly recommend to anyone who likes dark historical fiction and gothic horror. The fact that her father was a butcher works very very well with her character and it was really interesting to see how her upbringing shaped her. The doctor in this story is one of the most terrifying villains I’ve ever read. TW: sexual assault, suicide

I found none of the characters likeable and, as grotesque as I expected this to be, it was still worse and not even in a fun way - just like gore for the shock value not plot merit. I also usually enjoy letters and multiple POVs, but not all of the character were developed and their POVs did not always flow well with the rest.

Historical Fiction meets delicious Horror
4.5 / 5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟✨️

Welcome to Mrs. Lovett's story, told through her very own words of correspondence.

THINGS I LOVED:

The environment was so tangible. You can see and smell the filth and blood. Hear the carriages along the streets. One of the reasons I usually don't love Victorian era books is because they rarely convey what a movie or show set during this time can. But this book does it. It puts you there.

I loved the use of letters, newspaper articles, ans police reports to tell the story. The letters felt very confessional.

Mrs. Lovett's story was brutal. Her character was masterfully crafted. She feels very real and unique for this particular book. I may have been humming a tune or two, but not once was I see Helena Bonham Carter while reading this. This Mrs. Lovett was her own flesh and blood.

The actions of many of these characters are completely unjustified. But it's always fun to feel empathy towards one villain, while absolutely loathing their enemies.

Badass women! Despite their circumstances and histories, the women in this book have taken charge of their lives however they can.

When you think of this character, you forget that she was once an innocent girl. I love that this story starts with her as a teenager.

THINGS I DISLIKED: (almost nothing!)

As a horror lover, this definitely delivered. From the doctor's house to the pie shop, we got our fair share of gore. That being said, I would have liked a bit more of a punch during the more violent moments. It came close for me, but didn't go all the way. During moment of escape, admist corpses, it moved a bit fast.

🖤🖤🖤
Thank you so much @netgalley and @soho_press for the copy of this book! It's out now, and I genuinely highly recommend y'all pick it up.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

I loved this book, it was dark and gory and a little bit gay. The best of all things. This is bloody horror at its best. Also, I always love an epistolary. I think it is a very dynamic way of telling a story and makes the story feel so much more "real". Super fun read totally recommend.

It wasn’t bad, just not my style of writing. The overall theme and story was interesting, but it didn’t pull me in. I think others would enjoy this though if they don’t mind the letter format and slower pacing.

Who doesn’t want to know more about Mrs. Lovett?! This Fleet Street monster has stolen my affection since Helen Bingham Carter played her so lavishley in the screen musical and I’ve never quite gotten her out of my head. Is she a villain? Sure, she bakes men into pies! How far back does her obsession go though with Mr. Todd? How much hand did she have exactly in the unfortunate situation with his wife and daughter? Was she always this blood thirsty schemer who would commit atrocities to turn a dime on a meat pie? Was her accomplice work with Sweeney the begging of her murderous ways or merely the climax of it? I’m not sure everything was answered to the depth I hoped but still, so enjoyable, from what is perhaps one of the least sane nor reliable of narrators. A bloody and vicious delight.

Thoroughly enjoyed the book. The novel is written in epistolary form, which is not a style I’m that familiar with, but it was perfect for this story. The characters are particularly well written & developed, and keep you engaged from start to finish.

I've always been a fan of the Sweeney Todd story, so was thrilled to read a book that gave more agency to the mysterious Mrs. Lovett.

Told in an epistolary style, we meet the Mrs. Lovett as she recounts the events that lead to her infamous crimes. From her days toiling at her father's butcher shop, to the hardships that lead to her opportunistic pie business.

While I've seen people complain about he pacing, I found the mix of letters and news articles kept the story moving quite fluidly. It doesn't feel like a 400 page novel. I appreciated the humanity that was given to Lovett as well. She's a fully flushed out character that you can sympathize with, even in moments of abject horror.

I would've liked a little bit more time spent on the time at the bake shop, as that's where we know this character from. We don't get a lot of time with the butcher of fleet street, even though this isn't about him! The rest of the story is so floridly filled out that this just feels rushed at the end.

If you're a fan of historical fiction I definitely recommend checking this one out.

Thank you to Hell's Hundred and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

The premise along with the cover of this book were intriguing and drew me in- however I found the story to be quite dragged out in parts leading up to the three quarter mark.
The incorporation of communication through letters between the nuns in the convent along with the main character and other characters was cleverly done along with the incorporation of newspaper articles in the local gazette and added to the noir and the time period of the 1800's- however the plot regarding Margaret's time at the boudoir took up too much of the story leading up to the character ARC which, in turn, felt rushed and somewhat predictable.
In terms of the horror aspect, it was well executed and flowed in the story and the twist was cleverly done at the end of the book.
Finally, if there was more emphasis on the characters back story as opposed to other aspects (the brothel and its ins and outs), then it would have pushed my rating up to a three star.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Soho Press for the early E-ARC of this book.

In The Butcher's Daughter by David Demchuk, the narrative unfolds with haunting vividness, immersing the reader in a world saturated with striking imagery and macabre elegance. The story's unique perspective—told through the eyes of Mrs. Lovett—offers an intriguingly fresh lens, blending dark humor with chilling insight into her complex psyche. Demchuk masterfully paints scenes dripping with sensory detail, from the metallic tang of blood to the flickering shadows of dimly lit alleys, crafting an atmosphere both grotesque and mesmerizing. The epistolary nature of the work, paired with the narrator’s voice, layered with wit and a cold, calculating charm, pulls readers into a twisted yet captivating tale that lingers long after the final page.

This should have been a book I really enjoyed but the pace went weird and choppy (no pun intended). Just wasn't for me.

A book giving a fictionalized account of what could have possibly been Mrs. Lovett from Sweeny Todd's backstory drew me in. And it was indeed a quick read because I had to know what was going to happen. I didn't see the twist coming. But I will say this the ending was indeed interesting.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Mrs. Lovett like you've never seen her before! As someone who loves musical, I'm familiar with Sweeney Todd. This novel completely turns that story on its head in the best way possible, though. Before she met the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, there was just a girl, a girl who was a butcher's daughter up until her father died, then a maid of all work until she was forced to flee from her employers horrific abuse, then a lady's maid at a high end brother, and finally, the proprietress of a certain pie shop. Through a series of letters sent to a journalist named Miss Emily Gibson, the woman Gibson believes to be Mrs. Lovett shares her tale from the confines of a convent. But Gibson is missing. All these letters were found by the police in her empty apartment. And as we trace the past into the present, it becomes clear that Mrs. Lovett's story is far from over, even now.

What a wonderfully dark and gothic read! It's macabre in the extreme--as is only right for the story of a woman who infamously baked people into pies. There were twists and turns galore, and I loved how Demchuk and Clark reimagined certain elements of the story, from how the butcher's daughter came to be "Mrs. Lovett" and the owner of a pie shop to Toby's true identity. They also managed to craft Lovett as a sympathetic character who has been through true horrors without defanging her, allowing her to remain a villain through and through. It's a great read, whether you're a fan of horror, historical fiction, or Sweeney Todd.

TWs for truly just about everything, but to name a few: abortion, medical torture, forced pregnancy, kidnapping, murder, cannibalism, etc.

It took me a while to get into, i struggled with that sort of epistolary style and took more than half of the book for her to become mrs. lovett and at that point i was bored, it was very disjointed some scenes i still cannot connect with anything and only left me confused and sweeney todd wasn't very compelling as a villain, killing for the love of the game without giving a real reason in the book

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
I so wanted to love this book, the plot seemed interesting and I really liked the idea of it being told through letters and documents and nothing else. However, I DNF at 50%, the story wasn’t going anywhere for me, I wasn’t as interested as I thought I would be, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The Butcher's Daughter was unlike any horror I've read recently!

This was the tragic backstory of Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd. I really enjoyed that it was from her perspective, along with insight from letters, newspaper articles and police reports. I have to say that, as someone who hasn't consumed the story of Sweeney Todd, I actually really enjoyed this side character story. It was a little slow for me to get into, but once the doctor came into the scene, I couldn't stop reading. I was amazed with how full circle every little detail came back. The horrors of this book were crawling under my skin. The descriptions of scenes and smells were gruesome, but necessary.

Thank you to Netgalley and Soho for a review copy of this book.

A banger of a retelling from a perspective that gets surprisingly left out from the original narrative. As a long time fan of Sweeney Todd, this book is absolutely delicious.

This wasn’t what I expected, but it was so much better. I thought this was going to have the same vibes as Sweeney Todd, and it does but it goes so much deeper. I loved the way the characters developed.

Margaret Evans, a young girl who helps out her father in his butcher shop, has a natural ability to wield the knife and no repulsion to blood. When her father passed away, her mother ended up abandoning her to a doctor, who had previously expressed interest in her personality and abilities, as he needed an assistant. Margaret goes to live with the doctor, assisting as a housemaid and with whatever else the doctor needs, such as attending procedures with him. Things are not as they seem at the doctor's house.

I don't want to get into too much of the synopsis as it takes away from the whole meat of the book. The point of this book is the backstory of Ms. Lovett, who is in Sweeney Todd, and yes, Mr. Todd is present in the book. I love Sweeney Todd - the musical on Broadway and the book. Despite my love for the subject matter, I sometimes found myself bored initially. I didn't enjoy the tidbits about the reporter - it was annoying at times because it was like a jerking stop at times throughout the book - to me, it took away from the book

I enjoyed the main character as she was created extremely well showing how a woman despite her birth, gender, circumstances - she makes choices and sacrifices with clear motivation and reasoning. Of course, I was here for the blood and guts - the story with the doctor and the society was really enjoyable and added such a new depth to Ms. Lovett's story since we don't know much about her from the show.

Overall 3 stars - maybe 3.5 since I love the subject material lol