Thank you, NetGalley!

I unfortunately did not like this Audiobook. The narrator was good but the plot was too slow for me to like it. I heard so much about this book but sometimes historic fiction is not for me.

10/10, no notes. This is the perfect pick for anyone who loves horror, gore, and an unhinged main character. The narration was perfect! I originally read an ebook version but audio is the way to go. I know this will stand out as one of my favorite novellas/shorter books this year.

I was influenced into applying for this ALC by another book lover, who had read the ARC and loved it.

For me, I understood the plot and the time period, and what the revenge was meant to be, but I honestly got very confused by the end of the whole story. Like it was interesting but I think I got lost in listening and was more tuning out if that makes sense. So by that it wasn’t really a fave, because I wouldn’t be tuning out otherwise.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. I wish I’d loved it more though since it sounded so interesting.

The chilling story of a governess with a deviant mind and a dark mission…

I listened to the audiobook, and I have to say that Anna Burnett knocked her performance out of the park! Her delivery of the lines is somehow both playful and sinister. I don’t typically pick audiobooks based on the narrator, but I just might have to check out more of Anna Burnett’s work!

Read more: Book Review: Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
While this is a relatively short book, it crams quite a bit of psychological horror and gore within its pages. Winnifred isn’t exactly a relatable protagonist (I hope not!), but she’s delightful and compelling and, strangely, quite likable. As the book progresses, the things she does escalate from simply bizarre to downright horrifying. Even the side characters are interesting and off-putting, with their own quirks and questionable decision-making.

This novel is written in Victorian-era verbiage, which adds to the authenticity of the final package. For the writing style, the author walks a delicate balance between being humorous and horrifying, pulling this off quite brilliantly.

While I went into the book expecting the plot to be fairly straightforward, I was pleasantly surprised at a plot twist, which gave the storyline a bit more meaning and made the conclusion even more satisfying.

All in all, this is highly recommended if you’re a fan of strong, unhinged female leads.

A Deliciously Dark and Wickedly Sharp Gothic Thriller
Virginia Feito’s Victorian Psycho is a masterclass in dark humour, psychological suspense, and gothic horror. Winifred Notty is a captivating and delightfully unhinged protagonist, leading readers through the eerie halls of Ensor House with biting wit and unsettling charm. The twisted dynamics between the characters simmer with tension, while Feito’s sharp prose and slow-burning suspense keep the pages turning. With a creeping sense of dread and a shocking, satisfying finale, this novel is perfect for fans of Jane Eyre with a sinister twist. A must-read for those who love their thrillers laced with razor-sharp satire and a touch of madness!

Man, this book was something else! Winifred was so off-putting, she is after all, a Victorian psycho, and we knew going in that there was going to end with a lot of spilled blood, but oh, being in her head in the build up towards that? It was so creepy, and so good!

We know right from the beginning that it's going to end in a bloodbath. So seeing how this family treats her, while we're in her head, knowing that she doesn't operate under normal societal rules? While also getting flashbacks of her past, and how her mother was like, and her stepfather, and all the events that lead her to this point.

I'm not sure how i feel about the mistress of Ensor House. The way she treats Winifred is understandable, but that doesn't mean it's right. I mean, it does look like Winifred is coming onto her husband. But making her sleep in the kennels outside? Yeah, I'd prefer to sleep on my bed, and have the doggies join me! Because while they could cuddle, it is winter, that was pretty cruel.

It was strange, but there were moments of random violence, and it's like, nobody is noticing that these people are missing? Sure, on the whole they were servants (plus a noble baby, but she replaced that baby) but wouldn't at least the other servants notice? I mean, between the first death and Christmas, there is a decent chunk of time.

That ending though? It's left me a bit unnerved, because on one hand, she did face justice, not that she really cared. But on the other, there was the whole things with her charge and that reveal there, and the way that ending, yeah, that's like a little itch that I just can't scratch because the book is over, you know?

This was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more by Virginia Feito!

Audiobook/Book Review 📖🔪🎧🩸

thank you so much partner Recorded Books and NetGalley for the free audiobook!

Victorian Psycho
by Virginia Feito
Narrated by Anna Burnett

About the book 👇🏽

Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect Victorian governess. She’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But the longer Winifred spends within the estate’s dreary confines and the more she learns of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family, the more trouble she has sticking to her plan.

Whether creeping across the moonlit lawns in her undergarments or gently tormenting the house staff, Winifred struggles at every turn to stifle the horrid compulsions of her past until her chillingly dark imagination breaches the feeble boundary of reality on Christmas morning.

🎧 My thoughts:

Holy Hell! This was wildly unhinged! No joke, a bingeable audiobook to listen to in one sitting. Excellent narration and story line. I was not expecting what I listened to and I shamelessly devoured it. It’s sick, it’s demented, and I loved it. I honestly don’t know what I expected but I can’t get over this… so don’t mind me not being able to put words together for this review. If you’re looking for moody read with an ending that will massacre your mind… you gotta read or listen to this one! I recommend it… it got me out of my reading slump!

Happy reading 📖 🎧🔪🩸

I’d like to thank the publisher for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Winifred Notty is, without a doubt, a psycho—but by the novel’s end, I found myself questioning whether she is truly the titular psycho. As I read, I couldn’t help but hear “Miss Notty” as “Miss Naughty,” which seemed fitting given Winifred’s sharp tongue and unapologetic cruelty. Curious, I checked if her last name had been translated from Spanish, but it hadn’t. Regardless, her behavior goes well beyond naughty—her actions are calculated, malicious, and deeply unsettling. She’s heartless, yet she’s mastered the art of delivering her brutal truths with just enough tact to avoid immediate suspicion.

Throughout the novel, I kept thinking of Hanna from Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth—another unsettling character whose perspective forces readers to confront questions of nature vs. nurture. Told in the first person, Victorian Psycho is a chilling exploration of revenge, power, and the consequences of unchecked cruelty. By the time I reached the shocking conclusion, I wasn’t sure what to make of Winifred’s story—but I couldn’t look away.

For readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with biting wit and an unreliable narrator, Victorian Psycho delivers a disturbingly compelling read.

This book was a disturbingly, shockingly funny yet violent horror novel

Author Virginia Feito gives us Winnifred Notty, the new governess for the thoroughly unlikeable Pounds children, at the dark, loveless Ensor House estate. Miss Notty has a plan for this family and their guests.

Delightfully appalling, filled with rage, trauma, and a simmering, violence, Victorian Psycho delivers a gothic tale of greed and classism, mental illness and revenge. The reader turns the last page with a satisfied smile.

I cannot praise the narrator enough for their work on this title. Their voice reminded me of Lena Headey (I mean that as a high compliment) and it made the story flow so perfectly. I think I would have enjoyed this book just reading it but the audiobook truly elevated it for me.

Meet Winifred Notty, the latest governess at Ensor House. She enjoys walks through the grounds, teaching the children, killing her colleagues and annoying your wife. She’s the whole package.
I absolutely love her as our lead, and is it wrong that I routed through her from the beginning?

Short sharp chapters rapidly fly by which is a shame because this could’ve been 1000pages and I still would’ve eaten it up. Highly highly recommend

thank you netgalley for the advanced audiobook copy of this book. it was definitely an interesting read. not like anything i’ve read before. not awful just strange.

One hell of a horror novel that encompasses the very blackest of humor.
Made me laugh out loud, then question myself for laughing at something so dark.

If you loved novels like Maeve Fly and The Eyes are the Best Part, this novel should hit the spot.

5 / 5

Thank you Netgalley, Virginia Feito and MBMedia for the audio Arc of Victorian Psycho.

This is a medium/fast paced horror thats dripping in dark humour, Victorian culture and a unhinged women!

I really enjoyed the whole pacing of the book itself. Virginia has a great way of building in the tension, some rather laugh out loud gross moments while building the characters. It's like standing on top of a hill and just watching the whole narrative unfold at a gathering pace. The finale and the ending of this audio was very well executed and left me with my jaw on the floor!

This audio was narrated by Anna Burnett who did a marvellous job in keeping in with the pacing and the narrative.

4.5 stars for Storygraph. 4 stars for other review sites.

4.4/5 stars — absolutely no lies detected- it was Victorian, and she was psycho. agnes grey's evil twin. gothic and grotesque, understandable yet unfathomably horrible, it’s so easy to get sucked into Winifred’s story. I personally could have used just a little bit more *thematically* between all of the atrocities- the commentary was there, but I did want more of it.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pacing: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5

"Now now dear, my great uncle had to die for us to be able to inherit this place, I suggest you be grateful."

Considering the uncanny nature of this book, it deserves a distinct review:

❤️ The writing style is weirdly good, with a unique charm that draws you in.
🤎 The storytelling is abstract, creating an intriguing but unconventional narrative.
💔 I felt lost at certain points, as the plot could have been clearer in places.
💔 The transitions between scenes were occasionally jarring and could have been smoother.
🧡 The portrayal of psychopathic behavior is chillingly accurate and adds to the creepy tone.
❣️ The title works felicitiously for this story, capturing its essence beautifully.

If you’re in the mood for something eerie, with old London vibes and a witty writing style, this is the book for you. I listened to the audiobook and felt the narrators did an appropriate job of conveying the character's emotions and the haunting ambience of Ensor House.

A mirthful, dark, and tricksy tale of governess Winifred Notty at her recently acquired position at Ensor House, where things are going to quickly take a turn. We soon learn that Winifred isn’t all she seems as she spoon feeds us witty, sotto voce sarcasms, that reveal a dark, and cavernous, inner mind.
Narrator Anna Burnett set the stage perfectly and instantly drew me in.
I was captivated with Winifred from the first chapter. There’s a cognitive dissonance that happens with the dark comedy that Virginia Feito masterfully weaves together, between the macabre misstatements, and the perverse and gross evil that slowly unfurls itself. It’s entirely addictive, and repulsive, and enjoyable, and hilarious in the most shameful way, all at once.
Just when I thought I had Miss Notty and the plot-line figured out - boom - no, I did not. There were a few moments that kept me on my toes!
I very much appreciated that Feito didn’t shy away from making it grimey and depraved. She captured a quality of emptiness and unpredictability in Winifred that seemed credible and horrific.
It is quite gory and I would add taboo., which will put off many readers. There are some very violent and difficult moments to read. This book isn’t going to be for everyone. I would say readers best suited for this book will have a love for irreverence and a strong stomach.
I did also find a class study here with the structure between the Pounds and those in their employ, and the larger strata of Victorian society. There’s a lot said here about how children are left behind in this division of class system, and the lingering effects that can have on one’s psyche. Very well done. I’ll be looking for more from this author!

Absolutely brilliant gore fest!
Winifred Notty is the new governess at Ensor House and her charges, Drusilla and Andrew are in for a real treat. When she isn’t actually causing them and others harm, she is fantasizing about it. Her thoughts are a dark maze that cover a secret that’s about to come to light.
I enjoyed the glimpses of Winifred’s past, learning that she really has always been this depraved. For all the gore in this book, I found her to be a likable twisted character. She has wit and humor.
Is what is happening actually happening? Or is it just in her mind?
Fast paced, fun read!
I received this in audio format. It is narrated by Anna Burnett and she does a fantastic job of bringing Miss Notty to life. I highly recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for allowing me to listen to this in exchange for an honest review.

YESSS!!! I love a dark FMC with absolutely zero morals. I mistakenly thought this was going to be boring, at the beginning, but was SO wrong. What a thrilling, disturbing read!

Super quick, super psycho. Loved this book! Will definitely be looking to read Virginia Feito's other novel as well.

I loved this book so much. It was fun, light, and dark in the best ways possible. I can't wait to recommend it to everyone!