This was the most excited i've been to read an ARC by an author/authors I had never read before. It may have taken me a while to finish as I took a lot of breaks, but the story was exciting and entertaining throughout. I love epistolary novels and it was exciting to read through the journalist's investigation even if most of the meat came from the letters with M.E. I enjoyed how it felt like a showcase of the horrors of victorian england, and I did laugh at the little nod we got at the end. The Free Mason plotline was a suprise and I wished I could have had a bit more time spend on the threats encroaching on the reporter and her family, their ending felt a little rushed. Great read!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

- epistolary novel
- gothic mystery
- horror and intrigue
- stunning prose
- queer
- sweeney todd retelling
- literary thriller
- plot twists
- disabled rep (deafness)

Don't ask me why I picked a Halloween-esque read in the month of January -- gothic books are my vibe all year round. Disturbing and gory, The Butcher's Daughter is a literary thriller that will keep you guessing regardless of your familiarity with Sweeney Todd. Written as a series of letters and newspaper clippings, it enraptures you with its writing style as you wait for the reveals to happen! It is a spine-tingling horrifying tale that will keep you up at night, flipping pages and then pondering about what in the pies just happened. The queer and disabled representation was beautiful and I wish there was more of Aphra and Margery on the page, my heart ached for them and for what was to come. Margery's story was so well-done, I love how her learning baking as a housemaid at the doctor's foreshadows her future career.

In all its rapture you'd almost forget that the Freemason storyline was forgotten and never picked back up, which is slightly disappointing, but the book offers a lot more to make up for it.

Lastly, it is a heavy read and while this was very enjoyable for me, it won't be everyone's cup of tea, so, just like you would with any book, please pay heed to the content warnings.

TW: Sexual Assault, Forced Pregnancy, Abortion, Animal and Human Gore, Misogyny, Cannibalism

Honestly I've never seen. Sweeney Todd and I didn't realize this was a retelling but I really enjoyed this story and will look for more from this author

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book

Wow. That is all I have to say. The idea of delving into the life of Mrs. Lovett one of Broadways most sought after musical roles was intriguing and masterful. Give to all readers.

Vegetarians, beware! Horror retellings of fairy tales are always welcome, but what if the source material is instead an infamous penny dreadful? Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, has his musical (and Tim Burton movie.) Now, his meat pie-baking partner in Victorian crime gets her due in this grisly, evocative historical mystery. Told through a collection of correspondence, including letters between a young female journalist and an old woman who may or may not be one “whose name we daren’t speak aloud for its profanity.” Well-researched and immersive – you’ll feel the grim, sooty reality of 19th-century London on your skin – this is a highbrow, Gothic spin on a sensationalist story populated with women who live, breathe… and bleed.

Okay -- so I've been a huge, huge fan of David Demchuk's work for the past several years, particularly as one of the great Canadian speculative fiction authors, and I hope more people discover his work through this book, "The Butcher's Daughter," co-authored with Corrine Leigh Clark.

As soon as I saw the plot description, I was like okay, oh my gosh, this is a <i>must-read</i> for me because I am all about historical horror. It depends on the era as well, of course, but for this era described, I was definitely into it.

The book starts in an epistolary manner with a letter from April 1887 address to a Miss Gibson. The letter tells her that the recipient has received three letters that Gibson has sent to Mother Mary Angelica, the Prioress of an abbey (St. Anne's Priory in North Hampstead). The recipient tells her that Gibson is a journalist who has been looking for a Margarey Lovett, a "wanton" woman, murderer, and that they don't speak her name, and that even though 50 years have passed since her case, Gibson still believes that Lovett is at this Priory where she's been hiding in secret. And then the rest of the letter goes on to remind Gibson that St. Anne's is a community of "Sisters of the Church" who don't mess around with wanton murderers -- although it's one of those things where the reader thinks, "Hmm -- this recipient doth protest a bit too much" because for someone who keeps insisting that Lovett is not at this Priory, she seems to have a lot of knowledge of the whole Bonnie and Clyde thing Lovett had with Sweeney Todd. The recipient also says "Listen, dude, this is not a good time for us" and goes into more depth, encouraging Gibson to write about other things. I'm not sure why the recipient, who turns out to be a Miss Margaret C. Evans, encloses a windhover's feather as a memento to Gibson, although I'm sure it will have significance later.

In any case, it definitely is the kind of beginning that piqued my interest, and I love the style of historical horror where you've got letters exchanged between people, newspaper clippings that add to the plot, and other things. The second letter that Margaret sends to Gibson says "Uhh, you can't go looking around in our files, but I'm going to tell you about the history of the Priory so maybe that will help."

I had started to wonder if the entire novel would be told in the form of letters between Margaret and Gibson, as a good chunk of the first parts of the book do, and this is how the reader gets their narrative updates in terms of what has progressed in the story.

Eventually, the letters from Margaret stop and you get this stodgy Sister Augustine who is the acting Prioress, and she politely tells Gibson to bugger off. Things don't end there -- they continue in different ways, and the reader sees the exchange of letters that Gibson also receives from other institutions where she has approached them for their research in trying to find out what happened to this Lovett.

There are times when the letters, particularly the longer ones from Margaret, slow the pacing down and some letters are more interesting than others, which is to be expected in this format. But there's always a tension of 'what will happen next' amid the different kinds of correspondence that Gibson gets, including telegrams. She also receives letters from as far as Windsor Castle telling her "Okay, seriously, drop this investigation."

Eventually, we get police reports and other forms of documentation to keep the mystery as well as the suspense going. Adding to that are the Priory's records and the reader wonders who is going to be left standing at the end of the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this very Victorian horror novel and its throwback to the styles of 'Dracula' or 'The Portrait of Dorian Gray.' Highly recommended.

A dark, disturbing epistolary novel about Margery and how she became the infamous Mrs. Lovett. This was mainly comprised of Margery's letters to Miss Gibson, a well-intentioned young journalist, interspersed with other correspondence and newspaper articles. Margery writes Miss Gibson an autobiography: her childhood as a butcher’s daughter, then as a maid at a surgeon's home, then a companion at a brothel, and, lastly, her most famous role of pie baker. Although some readers may complain that Sweeney Todd only shows up towards the latter part, the strongest part of the book to me was everything before his appearance, specifically Margery's time as a maid and all the creepy Gothicness involved. I kind of wish the book had been only that period of her life. The Sweeney Todd story beats were gory and familiar, but there were enough changes to the canon plot to keep me guessing.

Her descent into villainy was well-done. I particularly liked the callback of her refusing to shake fellow servant Tom's polish-stained hand versus her determinedly shaking Todd's blood-soaked one. There were some beautifully poignant parts as well, mainly in her relationship with Aphra and the intimacy of shared sign language.

I did think the ending was a bit much. She reunites with her son (yay!) but he becomes...someone famous. I guess we're doomed to become our parents...

This was wild and I loved every second. David Demchuk, now with his co-writer Corrine Leigh Clark, does not miss. I read Red X and The Bone Mother last year and both were some of my top books of the year. I anticipate The Bucher's Daughter will one of my tops of 2025.

The Butcher's Daughter is an epistolary novel set in the mid-late 1800s outlining the life (more like lives - wow this woman's life is interesting and varied) of the titular butcher's daughter, who goes by many names. I'll use the one that stuck with me: Peggy, The letters begin when a journalist starts investigating into Peggy's life and ends up striking up a correspondence with her while she is sequestered away in a convent. Over time Peggy tells her life story and damn, it is a life story.

The incorporation of bits of ephemera like newspaper clippings and letters between side characters, in addition to the epistolary format, turns this into a multilayered nesting doll of a book. There are so many little nuances and alternative perspectives added that bring complexity and richness. Further, as in Demchuk's other works, Demchuk and Clark uncover and highlight queer histories that are not told in "official" historical accounts, which I love. This is not a horror book in a typical sense; I'd classify this more as historical fiction than horror. The vibe reminded me strongly of the show The Knick. But when the horror hits, it is super visceral. Demchuk and Clark are skilled in describing...let's say...gross things. I was icked out - in a good way! Being a butcher's daughter, Peggy has a kind of clinical, matter-of-fact way of writing about violence in detail that adds to the effectiveness of these moments for me.

Highly recommended - amazing work from Demchuk and Clark. Thanks for the ARC!

I don’t normally like to read journal type stories but I got sucked into this one. Figured out the end to some degree well in advance so not a shocker there.

OMGosh! I have not read creepy for awhile and this was a good one to start with, I could not stop reading this book. First I love Tim Burton's movie Sweeny Todd, so this book was a book fit for me. It was neat to see Mrs. Lovetts story and I felt that the authors did a great job.

We will be bringing this to the store as a book club read for those who are willing to read dark books.

Loved it!!!

Thank you to SoHo Press, Hells Hundred and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I am almost speechless right now from reading this, especially after that very last breath-taking sentence 🤯 Obviously I loved the book!! I love Mrs. Lovett (AKA Margaret, Margery, Meg and Peggy) as a character, I was rooting for her so freaking hard the whole time. She goes through unspeakable horrors and it somehow (at least for me) made all of her unsavory actions justified. I loved the way the book was compiled as a correspondence between Mrs. Lovett and a reporter with newspaper articles, diary entries, letters, etc. It added such a fun layer of piecing together the puzzle.

I have a few tiny nit-picky things that I’ll list (but they still don’t keep me from giving this book 5 stars):
1. I read this already knowing and loving the story of Sweeney Todd. This book is 403 pages and we don’t even meet him in the flesh until page 264. I wanted more of that! But I understand why they did it this way: it’s about her, not him.
2. My second complaint relates to the first which is the author changed some things around from the original story of Sweeney Todd that makes it a little confusing. Like why have a character named Johanna if it’s not Todd’s daughter? You could’ve picked a million other names. I spent the whole time expecting the reveal that she was his daughter and it didn’t happen.
3. I would’ve loved to know more about Miss Gibson and how she knew that Margaret Evans was Mrs. Lovett. Also feels like a missed opportunity that we didn’t get to see her untimely end.

Overall this is a darkly humorous and bloody origin story with all the gothic Victorian flair, what more could you want? Song pairing is Raise Hell by Dorothy 🔪🔥

PUB DATE: MAY 5TH 2025 🥳

Thankyou NetGalley & SoHo Press for sending me this arc copy, i absolutely loved this book from when i read the description it was the gonna be a untold story of mrs Lovett from Sweeney Todd I knew I needed to read it and it didn’t disappoint, I love how the book started from her childhood and the format of the book of how she was telling her story, the plot twist at the end was true mrs Lovett fashion. I would recommend for all Sweeney Todd fans this book was a true page turner

just as haunting as it is heartbreaking, the butcher’s daughter follows the story of the notorious character, mrs lovett through her correspondences with a well-to-do journalist, miss emily gibson. i’ll be honest, my knowledge of the original sweeney todd is quite limited. i distinctly remember watching the 2007 film on dvd with my mother, and feeling disgusted with the subject matter. other than that, i don’t remember much. therefore, i went into this almost completely blind.

the book started out at a snail pace—there were a lot of lull moments, and the narrative also got me a little confused. i had to flip the pages back and forth a couple of times to ensure that i got the sender of some of the letters correctly. however, as i tried to follow the story, everything slowly came into place. the pace picked up, and i found that i simply couldn’t stop reading even if i wanted to.

the authors’ interpretation of margaret lovett was absolutely fascinating to read. she felt so real to me that her voice even followed me in my sleep. literally! i loved that she was sympathetic, yet terrifying at the same time. there were times that i felt so heartbroken for her that i could just cry, but there were also times where she would do something that got me questioning her sanity. i know that some would argue that she was passive during her stint with sweeney todd, but you have to admit, the ease in which she settled into her life as a (human meat) butcher slash (human pie) baker was bone-chilling (no pun intended). she went from someone who wouldn’t hurt a fly, to an accomplice to a serial killer in 3 seconds flat.

chronologically, the story follows margaret throughout a few phases in her life—as a butcher’s daughter, a maid, a companion/aide, and the famed baker at fleet street. some phases were longer than others, but each phases gave a lot of insight into what made margaret into the woman that she was. the only singular complaint i had was that i wish we had gotten more time with margaret and her son. however, this complaint is a minor one.

overall, i really enjoyed this book and i think it will live with me for quite a while. thank you so much to soho press and netgalley for providing me with the arc! <3

3.5 Stars!

The Butcher's Daughter started with so much intrigue that I stayed up way past midnight some nights to read more of it, but the strength of the first two-thirds of the book felt a bit deflated by the end.

The epistolary writing was excellent, and the inferences surrounding Miss Gibson's investigation were just as interesting as the letters she received. I really enjoyed this book, but once Margaret/Meg/Peggy/Margery takes up residence in the pie shop I was less interested in Sweeney Todd's role in her life and more interested in Aphra, the Doctor's business, and the mystery unfolding in the letters.

The tonal shift between the filtered and unfiltered letters was very effective as the story and character spiralled down from a sympathetic woman falling into difficult times to someone more ambiguously evil, although I did find the wrap-up of the overarching mystery to be a bit cheap.

Overall a great read for fans of Sweeney Todd or people like me, who are even bigger fans of evil women.

The last word, of the last sentence, of the last paragraph, on the last page…and a twist that left me reeling and haven’t stopped thinking about for a day. I loved this book so much I recommended it to my daughter (who hates, on principle, having anything recommended to her.) But when I said “I stayed up way past my bedtime reading”, her response was “There’s no better recommendation than that.”
OK, calm down and take a breath. The book is promised to reveal the untold story of Mrs Lovett (of Sweeney Todd fame). The author uses a series of letters, notes, and newspaper clippings as a device to unfold the story. I’m usually not a huge fan of stories told by letters – but have no fear – this is skillfully done and the reader is rapidly engrossed in what’s happening. Indeed, as the story neared the end, the various snippets of information really deepened the plot and gave various ‘jolts’ of surprise, such as when the fate of certain characters were revealed.
This is a dark, gothic, sometimes horrifying story. The author paints images that will haunt you, but in that delicious spine-tingling way. And joy of joys it is so perfectly crafted that everything is there for a reason and each tiny clue all jigsaw together into a series of revelations – that last of which is sheer genius.
If “The Butcher’s Daughter” was a restaurant it would have 5 Michelin stars and be booked up solid for the next six months. It is the very definition of a page turner – and in case you didn’t guess – I loved it. Indeed, I would say it is my favourite read of 2024 – which given we are 50 weeks in, and I read a lot, is quite some plaudit.
So yes, I did enjoy this book, and I am prepared to shout about it to anyone who will listen. A modern classic – move over Frankenstein, The Butcher’s Daughter has arrived.

Book review: "The butchers daughter" by Corinne Leigh Clark and David Demchuk
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a wild ride this has been! It was such a wonderfully dark read, telling the gripping story of a woman who managed to live many different lives! There were so many well done turns, and I was at the edge of my seat through all of it. Also, the telling of the story through letters worked really well in this case.

I only have two critiques:
- She is deserving of her own book, maybe don't call it "the butchers daughter", as it seems to tie her to a man, and given how this book tells the womans gruesome journey, she deserves her own name attached to the story of her life.
- Always having to have a reason to close a letter is boring and quite infuriating. Peggy didn't always have to justify why a letter needs to end.

Yet, I still recommend you to read this quite unique tale, it is well worth it for fans of horror. Beware of some gore but be ready to be swept into quite a lovely story.

A deliciously dark and delightful tour of the butcher shops, hobby doctors and underground societies of nineteenth century London. Told through various pieces of correspondence and full of vivid, clever details, The Butcher's Daughter is a fantastic retelling of Sweeney Todd that also keeps broader questions about who is telling what story and why simmering just below its surface.

As a huge fan of anything Sweeney Todd, I desperately wanted to read this and it was spectacular. Incredibly vivid descriptions and the writing is just pure perfection. I was really impressed by all of it.

“At Mrs Lovett’s, every pie has a tale to tell.”

As soon as I saw the premise of this book I was desperate to get my hands on it! This retelling of the classic musical Sweeney Todd gives voice to everyone’s favourite beastly baker, Mrs Lovett.

Told through written correspondence between an investigative journalist and the woman she suspects might be the infamous pie maker of Fleet Street, we are immersed into the dirty, brutal and unforgiving world of 19th century London. Our FMC fights to survive by any means necessary in a world built by, and for, powerful men. Through her experiences at her father’s butchers shop, as an assistant to a wealthy doctor and as a maid in a brothel, Margaret is shaped and sharpened into the deliciously vicious murderess we all know and love.

After an uncertain start I needed up absolutely loving this book. I’m usually not one for horror or gore but I’m such a fan of this story that I powered through the more ghastly scenes (the eye scene in the doctors house, IYKYK) and I’m soooo glad I did.

I was expecting a main chunk of this book to be a rehashing of the Sweeney Todd/Fleet Street story, but it was actually so much more than that. We get a full picture of Margaret as a character from childhood to her autumn years and she takes centre stage, rather than being a supporting act for Mr Todd. I also loved that she wasn’t a love-crazed sycophant for the barber, stripping this part of the story (and poking fun at it) really helped to keep her independence and autonomy in the story.

This book was clearly meticulously researched. As a history graduate and absolute nerd I looooooved the richness of the settings. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of the Foundling Hospital and the depictions of unromanticized aspects of the past. This book also doesn’t shy away from presenting the reader with the injustice and danger faced by working class women during this time - and really gives our Peggy lots to be vengeful about!

My only nagging issue with this book was that it was so heavy and dark, but I really enjoyed the twist at the end and felt this added a bit of (albeit dark) comic relief and left me chuckling rather than reeling from the gore. I personally would have loved to see a bit more of the love story on the page, although I really liked the way its exclusion was explained in the story itself, but I’m also just a sucker for a romance so definitely not something that would put off the majority of readers.

Thank you so much to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this early!

Thank you to NetGalley for this five star read.
It is not a book I read quickly. The style and format of the story, presented primarily in correspondence between characters, is filled with vivid description and the specific detail and wording of the writing is perfect for setting the atmosphere of the era where the tale unfolds.

If you're already familiar with the story of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, you will find a whole new version of it here, through the voice of Mrs Lovett. You can decide how reliable a narrator she is, but the final twist in the story is so much fun.

I recommend reading this book with a large cup of tea, cozy beside a fire this winter. You won't regret it.