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

As a longtime Sweeney Todd girlie, a queer epistolary take on Mrs. Lovett's story was an instant read for me, and it exceeded my expectations. The medical house of horrors and the queer brothel were my favorite sections (and introduced me to the concept of an Anatomical Venus! Yikes!) but the author did a great job of linking all of the chapters of the protagonist's life together, as well as weaving in the source material.

“She has lived many lives to survive just one.”

Great for Sweeney Todd fans, but totally accessible for any horror and Victorian era reader. This is such a gory book, but I could not look away. It was such an interesting and well-written tale that paints Mrs. Lovett in a whole new light—it really made me feel for her and her struggles.

This book was full of surprises and was terrifying in unexpected ways. There is a lot of violence, hatred, and indifference displayed in these pages, but there are also small glimpses of love in dark times.

Without saying much, I think the end was trying a little too hard. There were also a few points that weren’t cleared up, but I was so enthralled with the rest of the story that it can be forgiven.

I want to thank David Demchuk, Corinne Leigh Clark, Hell’s Hundred and NetGalley for the eARC.
Here my honest opinion.

Historical fiction - Crime fiction- Thriller - Horror - Gothic

The book is about Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd’s infamous accomplice, the one who baked men into pies and sold them in her pie shop on Fleet Street.
We have a fictitious correspondance between the supposed Mrs. Lovett and a journalist, Emily Gibson.
There are also diary entries and other documents to give the reader the impression of dealing with real historical finds.

We can consider The Butcher’s daughter a sort of feministic retelling of Sweeney Todd that dives deep in a dark gothic atmosphere.

So, if these vibes and the victorian setting are your cup of tea, that’s the book for you!
Choose the kind of pie to accompany it.

Full review: https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-butchers-daughter-the-hitherto-untold-story-of-mrs-lovett-by-david-demchuk-and-corrine-leigh-clark/

Drawing both from both the 1864 novel “A String of Pearls,” by James Malcom Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest, and the banging musical that is “Sweeney Todd,” David Demchuk’s and Corrine Leigh Clark’s “The Butcher’s Daughter,” is a grimy historical horror novel. Dripping with as much dread as it is lard, and as shrouded in mystery as it is covered in soot, “The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs Lovett,” is told through a series of letters to a journalist in evidence. A novel all about identity and how that can change with mistreatment and abuse, immerse yourself in the squalor and filth, manipulation and exploitation, and deceit and scandal of Victorian London, and, disturbed by what you find, perhaps seek respite in Mrs Lovett’s pie shop, and treat yourself to a meat pie. A 400 page novel that frankly slipped through my fingers, you can rifle through Emily Gibson’s correspondence for yourself from May 20th - it’s available already in the US. Thank you kindly to Titan Books for sending this one over! 

It’s 1887, and after her mysterious disappearance, the correspondence between journalist, Emily Gibson, and the woman she seems convinced is Sweeney Todd’s infamous accomplice, end up in a dossier of evidence for her on-going case. Gibson writes inquiring as to whether the recipient has any knowledge of where -or who- Mrs. Lovett may be, having avoided the gallows and seemingly having vanished off of the face of the earth. The letters she receives back are not from the infamous pie-maker herself, but a Ms Margaret Evans, who is contained at St. Anne’s priory. The priory itself, following the loss of the reverend mother Mary Angelica, and under the new, cold stewardship of Sister Augustine, seems to be going through a turbulent time, but a more shocking and bumpy story still is Margaret’s recount of her own life, which she seems intent on telling the world. From her time in a butcher’s shop, to her employ as a maid, the priory’s visitant undeniably has a story to tell.

The full cast narration of the audiobook was exceptional, bringing the characters to life in a way that truly enhanced the storytelling experience. Each voice added depth and emotion, making it easy to immerse in the narrative. I found the epistolary format particularly compelling; letters and journal entries provided an intimate glimpse into the characters’ thoughts and experiences, creating a rich and engaging storyline.

I highly recommend the audiobook for its captivating performances, but I also want to highlight how much I enjoyed the physical book. The writing was beautifully crafted and drew me in, allowing me to savor the nuances of the prose. Whether listening or reading, I was thoroughly captivated by this story from start to finish.

A compelling story, but a disappointing ending. throughout the book, a relationship is built that is let down at the end. Though the final twist is clever, it doesn't satisfy. The story is compelling enough, but left me wanting more.

A super entertaining and darkly expansive extension to the Sweeney Todd lore, I just wished the feminist underpinnings were more punchy and felt less like generic platitudes. The gore and violence was wild, the story was fast-paced, I loved the meta playing with form, I just felt a bit let down by some of the messaging. An excellent depiction of one of my favourite tropes - the unreliable narrator!

Thank you NetGalley and Hell's Hundred | Recorded Books for this ARC Copy! 4.5 Stars rounded up.

I was so excited when I saw this book and received an ARC Copy. I have always loved Sweeny Todds story so hearing the story of the baker was so intriguing. I was so invested in this story, this poor girl just went through one horrible thing after the other, but she was so strong and resilient through everything that was thrown at her and managed to create a place for herself out of nothing. I was also pleasantly surprised that this was Sapphic.

I have consumed the story of Sweeney Todd in numerous formats and Mrs. Lovett was always lurking in the story. Now she gets her chance to shine.

I love epistolary novels. I think this was an excellent choice to tell the story of Mrs. Lovett. We get her full life story through her letters to a journalist and a book left behind. From the start of her life as a butcher's daughter, to her time as a house maid in two very different “homes”, to her career as a pie maker with a terrifying tenant, her story is filled with misadventure.

There was a lot of intrigue happening in and around the Priory she was hiding in as she wrote her story. Little hints were dropped throughout her letters so you get a sense of creeping menace leading up to the final events in her entries. The most brilliant moment, in my opinion, is the reveal of her son at the very end of the novel. I won't spoil it here, but I was shocked and delighted with that conclusion.

Recommended for: body horror readers; Sweeney Todd fans

Content warning: gore; violence; cannibalism; surgical experimentation

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book and life was lifing, so I knew my brain wouldn't be able to give it the proper attention it deserved. Put it aside for a bit and came back. I knew I needed to be ready to fully immerse myself in this story because it would be one of my favs. So glad I did because my instincts were right. I loved the way the book was told through letters and documents, yet it didn't take away from the story, and instead added to the intimacy. This is not your average re-telling. It's creative and creepy, and so well done. The Butcher's Daughter has earned a spot on the books I'll always recommend.

What a fun historical horror novel! Entirely drawn in epistolary form, The Butcher's Daughter tells the story of Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd's partner in crime, and it does so with wit, suspense, and empathy. There is so much to love here if you're into novels set in Victorian London - freemasonry, mad science, brothels, and an exquisitely drawn portrait of the drudgeries of everyday life for the less than fortunate. I will be recommending this one often for all of those reasons, but also because it has a killer ending.

The plot and ideas were interesting, but the epistolary format took me out of the story a bit (why was Sister Catherine writing for Margaret at the beginning?) and then didn't pay off enough to make it worthwhile except as a throwback to Victorian novels. Tension build was uneven but most of it paid off. I enjoyed the references to different versions of the Sweeney Todd story, and some of the writing was very evocative.