Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I'm going to have to DNF this at 15% in. The writing style (although listening) is just not for me. There is nothing really intense happening and I was hoping for a little more especially seeing as Sweeney Todd is one of my favorite musicals. It may pick up later, but I just cannot take the slow start.

A sensational story completely worthy of being added to the penny dreadful archives! A very realistic setting where the monsters come out to play. I love all the dimensions that were added to the very talented maker of special meat pies, Mrs. Lovett! She feels so real and the way the tale unravels via letters and other documents, I for one could kind of understand why she did what she did. A hard childhood growing up in a butcher's shop, sent to work at the home of a diabolical doctor, escaping and being left with few options to survive. She chose the path to Sweeny Todd and made the best of a bad situation, all for her son. Seems reasonable to me. lol!

This tale will suck you in and I for one was fascinated in seeing the new depths of Mrs. Lovett and laughed so hard at the wickedly entertaining ending! The narrators did a most excellent job in bringing the streets of London to life and the characters felt very real. Yes, it is dark and bloody with many murders, twisted experiments, and I for one would stay away from the meat pies, but it was a blast to listen to! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this entertaining audiobook!

Deliciously depraved, bravely bold and bloody, teasings of queer longing.
If you liked books like Dowry of Blood or Hungerstone, Tender is the Flesh, this might be for you!

This is a feminist retelling of the sordid case of London’s 19th century Sweeney Todd. If you are unfamiliar, he was a butcher who allied with a baker to sell meat pies made out of the humans he murdered.

This was told in a letter format, recounting the past of the girl who becomes Mrs Lovett who reminisces, agonises, and spills her secrets.
There are also newspaper articles, interviews etc.

It is totally immersive.
You will be transported right there to the butcher’s shop with the sights and smells, feel cramped in narrow alleys, uneasy in cluttered medical rooms, and scared of villains lurking in behind corners.

<b>Of course, once the doctor made me vow never to step foot in his surgery, my curiosity drew me towards it. I wonder now if that was his intention, if he already knew me better than I knew myself.</b>

There is also superb representation of a deaf character and painful experiences of poverty, instability, the rights of a mother, and the position of women.

The audiobook narrator brought this to life and especially regarding the letter format.
The setting, the accents, even the class came across brilliantly.
However, the audio quality was not consistent. Sometimes there were random long pauses, or the sound became distorted. However, this is an arc copy so may not be true for the finished copy.

Whilst I was frustrated by the ending and abruptness, it suits the letter format incredibly well. It feels like a cop out, but it isn’t truly.
Saying that, I do think the climax was slightly rushed.

Audiobook arc gifted by publisher.

I absolutely adored this take on one of my favorite tales. Sweeney Todd has long been one of my favorite movies and this story offers you a look into my favorite character in the whole ordeal, Mrs. Lovett. My next read will be the original story that inspired it all, A String of Pearls, the full length novel that has the collected penny dreadfuls in one place.

If you're a fan of Sweeney Todd, or rather Mrs. Lovett, you love historical horror, an atmospheric epistolary style story, or are just a fan of the morbid and macabre, this is a must read.

This story was so well put together and the audiobook was performed beautifully by Jill Tanner, Steven Crossley, and Amy Scanlon. The twists at the end blew my mind that I literally squealed upon the reveals. That ending? Perfection.

Thank you to Recorded Books and NetGalley for the advanced audio!

Go read it May 6th!

Dark, gothic, and beautifully written—The Butcher’s Daughter puts Mrs. Lovett at the center of the Sweeney Todd legend. It’s a slow burn, but I was hooked. Her story is tragic, twisted, and so compelling. I couldn’t stop reading

I can’t save I ever wondered about Mrs. Lovett, but I was delighted to read this version of her life. I listened to the audiobook and I thought the narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life. I struggled a little in the beginning to get into it with the letters or articles to and from different people and keep all of that straight. As I got into the story it became easier to follow. This book is mostly told in correspondence as Mrs. Lovett tells a woman who is also a reporter her life story, starting as a child who lost her father to the present and how she came to be in the convent without being a nun. I knew the basics of the Sweeney Todd story, but this added such a wonderful layer in given color the Mrs. Lovett who baked the pies. I will have to keep an eye out for this author because this was a unique and fun book.

I received an audio arc of this story. I will be purchasing a physical copy for my collection. The story is told in a series of letters. It was easy to follow with an audiobook but I think it would be cool to see how the physical copy is presented.

The narrators did a great job. Very clear and easy to follow even at an increased speed. 1.75 to 2 in my case.

I've watched the Sweeny Todd movie so I was aware of some of the lore but this was a really cool take on the Mrs. Lovett story. It's kind of a long book (14 hour audio) but the descriptions were so detailed and the story was so well written that it kept me interested the entire time. I could very clearly picture everything that was happening.

Honestly a must read, it was that good.

This audiobook is one of the best I've listened to. There were some dips in quality that will probably be ironed out in post but the reading was perfect and it was very easy to understand the dips in tone.

The novel was engaging and interesting.

Thank you so much for letting me have the ARC to this audiobook because it is one of the best I've ever heard to a story that is very near and dear to me.

This was a fascinating blend of historical fiction and horror, set in the gritty, haunting streets of Victorian London. The authors do an exceptional job of weaving together the lives of people from various social classes, offering a layered and realistic portrayal of the time period. It’s clear this book was thoroughly researched—the setting felt immersive, vivid, and authentic.

While the historical detail was a major highlight, the story itself took a while to find its footing. The beginning felt a bit slow and certain parts dragged more than I would’ve liked, but once the pacing picked up, I was drawn into the eerie and atmospheric narrative.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the performances were well done. The narrators brought distinct voices to the characters and really helped bring the mood of the story to life.

If you're a fan of gothic horror or dark, atmospheric historical fiction, The Butcher’s Daughter is definitely worth checking out—just be patient with the slower start.

I really enjoyed this retelling of the classic Sweeney Todd tale. Mrs. Lovett is such a fantastically wild character in the source material, so it was fun to see her humanized a little more. The epistolary form of the novel really lent it an air of mystery and unreliability, which I enjoyed. I never quite knew what the truth was because most of the story is coming directly from the woman herself. The backstory that Demchuk and Clark have created for Mrs. Lovett is truly fascinating and well written. It tells of a sad life full of trauma and tragedy, but then you're always wondering how much of it is true. This was a very fun read. If you are a fan of musical theater and Sweeney Todd, then this is a solid hit!

I was sucked into this right from the synopsis being a fan of Sweeney Todd. While it does take some build up, my interests were already victim to its clutches from the beginning. Definitely watch the movie before reading this for maximum enjoyment!! This take on Mrs. Lovett’s side of the story was such a journey of pain, grief, & feminine rage- And rightfully so!! *Although, this version of her was definitely less crazy? I mean, baking human pies is pretty insane, but I guess the love interest (delulu) was different.
In a world so cruel… Yet another reason to support Women's Wrongs... For how much men have wronged women!! Overall, this was such a unique take on the story, lowkey craving a pie now lmfao.
The narrators Jill Tanner, Steven Crossley, & Amy
Scanlon def captivated me w/ their performance!!

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.

The Butcher's Daughter: The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs. Lovett is a captivating read told through engaging correspondence. The writing is wonderfully descriptive, and I loved gaining deeper insight into Mrs. Lovett: her motivations, her backstory, and her complex relationship with Sweeney Todd. A fresh and fascinating take on a familiar tale.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

The narrators of this book were excellent and brought the story to life. I would strongly recommend listening to this as they gave each character dimension. It is a dark tale, which incorporates much character development, that is a bit slow because of the detail. I did enjoy the epistolary format, but physically reading that may have been better. This is a dark atmospheric read which I really enjoyed and would someday like to reread physically. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen
3.5 stars

3.5 stars

I loved that they gave mrs lovett a back story
The story itself was imagintive, and i enjoyed the audio voices alot. However some of the storyline such as the reporter fell very flat for me.

I love an alternate history and this one is fantastic. There is so much imagination here and the deepness of the characters is just fantastic. It really gives you a fantastic look at the circumstances that can lead to someone doing or allowing unspeakable things. And the ending is one that will stick with me for a long time.

Life for a woman in 20th Century London is not for the weak! Especially with what it takes to survive and not end up a prostitute or street beggar.
In this book you will discover the origin story to who we know as Sweeney Todd’s wife. Told from a series of inquiry letters and other media to piece events together.
First half is a lot of character development and a tad bit slow. With that said, it is not lacking in ability to intrigue the reader. You are in fact routing for her.
It is dark, twisty, and thought provoking … as it should be!