A must-read for any fan of Sweeny Todd. Gives more light to Mrs. Lovett's character and her motivations.

I really enjoyed this subversive take on Mrs Lovett’s origin story. It stayed completely original while also feeling like it was in line with the tone of the original work.

🎧Pub Day ALC Review🎧

Thank you so much #RBmedia for the ALC and @hellshundredbooks @soho_press for the gifted e-arc.

The Butcher’s Daughter by David Demchuk @spo0ky_dad #corrineleighclark

-Audio publisher - #RBmedia
-Narrators - Jill Tanner, Steven Crossley and Amy Scanlon

- Publisher - @hellshundredbooks @soho_press

It’s 1887 in London. A correspondence between a journalist, Miss Emily Gibson and the infamous Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd’s accomplice has been found. She is known for baking men into pies and selling them in her shop.

This starts as a slow burn horror story. It is not a re-telling of Sweeney Todd. We get full look at our main character as fleshed out brilliantly. The horrors she went through. It’s gruesome at times and know that this has ALL OF THE TRIGGER WARNINGS! Period!

The descriptive scenes were done very well as I could see everything so vividly in London 1887. The writing is top notch.

The narrators do an outstanding job as this sounded like a movie playing in the background. The MC was phenomenal!! I could feel all the emotions as she described them. The twists will blow your mind as well. I alternated between the e-ARC and the ALC.

I really enjoyed this gruesome tale! I recommend it for horror fans with NO TRIGGER WARNINGS!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook!
I really loved this! Having seen the 2007 movie with Depp and Carter very often over the years I jumped at the chance to read this before release and was thankfully approved!
The new narrative of the story from Lovett's perspective is amazing and detail rich! From her early childhood till the gruesome events and the final tie in and the end is to die for! This might be my most favorite book of the year so far.
As far as the audiobook narration I liked the breaks with the detectives inquests especially.

Set in grim Victorian era Britain, Meg (the butcher’s daughter) endures a life of relentless suffering. After her father’s death, Meg’s forced to work in the home of a disturbing surgeon with ties to her past. But behind the walls of this house lie dark, unsettling secrets. When Meg finally escapes the surgeon’s clutches, she's not only fighting for her own life, but also for the life growing inside her. Her journey leads her to a brothel, where she faces yet another harsh reality. Just how much can one woman endure before she breaks?

I was genuinely excited to read this gritty origin story of Mrs. Lovett, hoping for a raw, haunting build up to the world of Sweeney Todd. Unfortunately, the first 60% moved painfully slow, bogged down by excessive backstory with little action. The real grit and grime promised in the blurb didn’t arrive until the final stretch of the book. And while Meg’s experiences are undeniably tragic and formative, the pacing and emotional depth left something to be desired. It had strong potential but felt stretched out and did not hold my attention.

*Thank you to Corinne Leigh Clark, David Demchuk , RBmedia | Recorded Books and Netgalley for the ALC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up!

I really enjoyed this one. The story being told through written correspondence felt unique in a good way and added to the eerie, old-time vibe. It was a fresh take on the legend of Mrs. Lovett, with just the right mix of mystery and horror. Once I got into the format, I was hooked. A creepy, creative read.

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this one. It’s such a unique story, and I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook as the narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life.

The book follows Mrs Lovett, the infamous pie maker we all know from Sweeney Todd, as she navigates a brutal world where survival is a constant battle.

It’s told in an epistolary format, unfolding through letters as the girl who becomes Mrs Lovett reflects on her past, reveals her secrets, and confronts her darkest moments. The narrative also includes interviews, newspaper articles, and other documents. I imagine this could be tricky to follow in print, but the audio made it fairly easy to stay immersed. That said, it took me some time to get into the story and adjust to the style, as it's not one I'm very familiar with

I found some parts of her life more compelling than others, but each one added depth and helped shape her into the complex character she becomes.

A few twists genuinely shocked me, and now I have the urge to rewatch Sweeney Todd with a whole new appreciation for Mrs Lovett!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook before release!
As a long time Sweeney Todd/Mrs Lovett fan, I was absolutely swept up and immersed in this story. It’s wonderful, it’s dark, it’s bloody. It’s everything I could have wanted and more. The narrators did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life, and I would very much like to listen to more from them.

What a perfectly dark and thrilling twist on the tale of Sweeney Todd! This story takes place through the written correspondence between a curious journalist, and the women she believes may be the real Mrs Lovett years after the events of the infamous Sweeney Todd. What we’re then given is a dossier chocked full of gritty backstory, and a fresh and unique take on the harrowing past of Mrs. Lovett.

It’s obvious these authors put in an insane amount of time and effort into crafting this tale - the gritty depictions of 1800s London had me completely immersed from Chapter 1. The way in which the twists and turns of the story unfold were so beautifully written and creative, I was hardly able to put it down all weekend. I loved the format of this book as well, and it does wonders for adding layers of complexity, mystery, and unreliability as we learn about the various events of her past. The narrators were absolutely on point throughout as well.

Absolute recommendation for non-squeamish readers and listeners who love a good gothic horror, the dark side of Victorian history, and twisted re-tellings!


Big thank you to Netgalley and RBMedia for providing me with an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an unbias review

I seem to be VERY MUCH in the minority with this take, but The Butcher’s Daughter just wasn’t for me right now! I got to 30% and decided to set it aside for the time being. It’s a little slower than I expected through the start, and just not to my mood reader taste at this time. The writing is solid and the character build is promising, so it definitely a “me” problem.

Dark, visceral, and vividly atmospheric, The Butcher’s Daughter is a haunting tale that will satisfy fans of gothic horror and twisted folklore. Drawing clear inspiration from the macabre legacy of Sweeney Todd, authors David Demchuk and Corinne Leigh Clark carve out a chilling narrative that’s as artful as it is unsettling.

Told from the protagonist’s point of view, the story gains emotional and psychological depth, giving readers a front-row seat to her descent into—or perhaps emergence from—darkness. The first-person narration is one of the novel’s greatest strengths, offering a compelling and intimate lens through which the horror unfolds.

The character work is another standout element. Each figure in the story feels distinct and textured, thanks to strong descriptions and a cinematic sense of presence. For audiobook listeners, this is especially impactful—narration brings the characters to life in a way that amplifies the suspense and emotional weight of the story.

Gruesome in the best way, The Butcher’s Daughter is a gorgeously written nightmare—a bold and unforgettable addition to the genre.

Corinne and David have built an amazing backstory for Sweeney Todd’s partner in crime Mrs. Lovett. What series of unfortunate events led to Mrs. Lovett having to, or needing to, perpetrate her crimes? The format of correspondences between Mrs. Lovett and journalist adds a personal touch to the story that is engaging and captivating. You know the eventual outcome of Mr. Todd but the outcome for Mrs. Lovett is even more mind blowing. Anyone fancy a meat pie?

"I was lucky enough to have received and ARC of the audio book and I LOVED IT! The beginning I felt a little lost and had to restart it but once I really paid attention to what was happening I was HOOKED. This story takes you on the craziest roller coaster of emotions and events that our FMC endures. At some points I found myself agreeing with her as the killer?!? I mean the story starts off with her as the butchers daughter, then to a housemaid/nurse to a crazy surgeon that impregnates her, then she finds herself in a whore house and then as the owner of a pie shop??? Where she bakes men into pies? There was so many twist I could barely keep up. This book keeps you engaged from beginning to end and really is perfect for people who like weird fiction."

4/5 stars.

I truly enjoyed it. It was immersive to listen, I really felt like I was in London in 1800s and on the journey with Mrs. Lovett. And it didn't feel like about 14 hour audiobook at all, I feel like it was paced well and kept me invested in it from beginning to the end.

I also liked that it was written in letter format, something I don't read that often which made it refreshing. And now I feel the urge to watch Sweeney Todd again just to relive all the events that happened in it.

Highly recommend it to every one that liked the movie and want to know how it all began for Mrs. Lovett.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ALC.

This was a 5/5 for me. A dark and thrilling twist on the Sweeney Todd legend, this audiobook dives deep into the life of Mrs. Lovett — and she finally gets to tell her side. Told in epistolary format with rich detail and haunting emotion, the story traces every chilling turn of Mrs. Lovett’s life, from family life to love and loss to something far more sinister. Each stage unveils a fresh layer of horror, drawing you in deeper. The narration was spot-on for the time period, expressive, unsettling in the best way, and completely immersive. I was hooked from first listen.

If you love twisted retellings, morally grey women, and gothic horror with heart, this one’s for you.

Check your triggers, among others there is graphic violence, cannibalism, pregnancy-related horror, and cruelty.

Thank You to NetGalley, David Demchuk, Corinne Leigh Clark and RMedia for providing me with an ALC in exchange for review.

This gothic, blood-soaked feminist retelling of Sweeney Todd will have you celebrating women's wrongs.

The set up of this book as a series of letters between a journalist trying to find an aging Mrs. Lovett after the famous events of her pie shop and the barber shop above it, is really interesting. The authors are already assuming we know a little of the dark deeds that happened, but give Mrs. Lovett the time and space to tell the entire story from her perspective - including how she got her name.

I love feminist retellings and this was the right amount of dark and dreadful. This isn't a fast-paced story, which is fine because I liked seeing what terrible tragedy was going to happen to Lovett next and how she'd endure.

While Lovett was surrounded by terrible things happening to her, I never felt like she was a victim of her circumstances. She always had agency and like black mold, she thrived.

Our narrators are AMAZING. I'm so glad they brought in a male voice for the announcements/letters that help to separate the voice of Mrs. Lovett and our journalist. I was absolutely transported

Pick this up if you want
🔪 Feminist retelling of Sweeney Todd
🔪 Sapphic Gothic Horror
🔪 Supporting women’s wrongs
🔪 Epistolary
🔪 Cannibalism
🔪 Meat pies
🔪 Amazing audiobook

This book is best read while sitting in an empty kitchen, cleaning blood from your butcher’s knife.

Surprising and Addictive
I enjoyed hearing the Pie Makers story on how she ended up becoming the willing or unwilling (depends on if you feel like she had choices in what happens to her) partner to Sweeney Todd.
The connections made between characters were creative and sometimes shocking.
Marjorie’s tragic story of love and loss kept me gripped and pondering how it could end. The end had me gasping in surprise.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

CN. A lot. Things you would usually assume with Sweeny Todd and Victorian London

I had so much fun with this!

First things first, Sweeny Todd and the Lovett pie shop don't feature until the final third if that's an issue for you, but it really shouldn't because this is an enchanting and tragic tale that is perhaps more bitter bildungsroman than horror.

This is the untold tale of Mrs Lovett, the woman who made use of Sweeny Todd's victim's and how she found herself to be in such a position. It is told through letters initially dictated to nun, and later in her own hand, as part of a correspondence with a journalist making enquiries about the infamous events, as well as the bungling 'Beakies' collating the case.

It is a tale of butchery, destitution, abuse, escape, love, loss, and making do in a world filled with monsters easily the equal, if not surpassing, the monstrousness of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

I couldn't help but think of The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes when reading this. An equally brilliant example of fictional historical fiction that does a wonderful job of exploring the life and experiences of a woman so important to a story, but very much a bit part compared to the leading men. I adored both books for their grounding of these heightened fictional characters and reflecting incredibly real experiences and emotions.

I'm also an absolute sucker for a tragic sapphic tale.

Absolutely cracking and rather morish.

In this gothic reimagining, The Butcher’s Daughter by David Demchuk and Corinne Leigh Clark gives Mrs. Lovett—of Sweeney Todd fame—her own voice. Told through gripping letters set in 1887 London, the novel explores her dark past, survival, and the blurred lines between villain and victim. Atmospheric, smart, and hauntingly intimate.

a bloody (pun intended) good time 🩸
3.5 stars rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited to read this book, especially in an audiobook format and I'm so glad this was the format I chose because the narrators really bring the characters to life in this tale of Mrs Lovett, who we famously know for her role in Sweeney Todd.

'The Butcher's Daughter' takes you on a journey of the life of Margaret/ Margery/ Peggy (she has many names during many phases of her life) and her fight to survive in a world where the odds are ever against her. What I love, is though even though her circumstances are dire, she is never portrayed as a victim, in fact, she knows she is not good and just needs to do what she needs to do to survive.

There are definitely moments of her life that are more fascinating than others, so much so that you feel like you are reading different stories. Her time at the Doctor's was the most intriguing to me, but the less exciting times (like the brothel), also play a part in shaping the more human side of her and are important too.

I've seen that a lot of people find the epistolary format hit or miss - I found that because I read it as an audiobook, it didn't affect me too much, but if I read it as a physical book, I could see how it could encourage an element of detachment from the characters.

Sweeney Todd doesn't actually appear until towards the end of the book and I enjoyed this part the most as I got to hear a lot of familiar names. The twists were pretty good, with some leaving me audibly gasping.

I'm definitely in the mood to rewatch Sweeney Todd after this and have an even greater appreciation for the character of Mrs. Lovett.

Thank you to RB Media and Netgalley for the audiobook ARC!