Victorian Psycho is a dark comedy horror with a macabre twist on Victorian England. The story follows Winifred Notty, a seemingly prudish governess who arrives at Ensor House, determined to fulfill her duties with virtue. However, her benevolent intentions quickly dissolve once she’s entangled with the dysfunctional and morally grey Pounds family. Soon, her sinister inclinations, stemming from a horror-filled childhood, surface and lead her to a series of gruesome killings. The story has a loose plot, with chapters that feel like diary entries, documenting Winifred’s different occasions with members of the Pounds family and their friends. The narrative is unpredictable, fast-paced, and sometimes over-the-top, but in the best possible way! With its short, addictive chapters and just over 200 pages, the book can easily be devoured in a single sitting!

The story is mostly character-driven and mostly from the twisted mindset of protagonist Winifred. She’s deeply disturbed, incredibly intelligent, and fascinating. While some readers may read this as a story of her descent into madness, others may see it as an unfolding of the grand scheme of a psychopath. Either way, this antiheroine keeps readers fully engaged until the gory conclusion. On the contrary, the Pounds family is dysfunctional and morally grey. With each member of the family, Winifred cleverly places on a different mask—and even when her mask falters, sending momentary alarm bells to others, she’s always prepared with a genius retort.

It should be noted this book has some major triggers, including animal harm and violence to babies, children, and adults. For the first half, the horror is mostly suggestive, through Winifred’s twisted delusions, and the plot doesn’t have a clear direction. The second half begins with a shocking revelation that adds a lot of intrigue. The narrative then becomes more fast-paced and shifts from eerie suspense to outright mayhem, culminating in an ending that has everything you imagined this book would offer—excessive killings, gore, and ridiculous dark comedy scenes. Feito has explained that her inspiration for the novel came from research on historical female psychopaths and her discovery of the violent treatment of women during the Victorian era—so she decided to channel her own anger into writing this book! The book’s explicit exploration of female rage is very compelling and may even cause readers to question some people around them!

Overall, Victorian Psycho is a highly bingeable read suitable for readers of horror and witty dark comedy. Following the success of Mrs. March, Feito once again showcases her talent at weaving compelling psychological horror that is as entertaining as it is disturbing—and much like Winifred’s stay at Ensor House, this book manages to entertain without overstaying its welcome! Readers who enjoy gory horror stories with unreliable narrators, unpredictable plots, and dark, witty humor should highly consider this book! With the book’s hype and popularity leading up to its release, it’s no wonder that it’s now slated for a film adaptation!