Amber Herbert reviewed Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
Quippy and Vibrant Femme Fatale
4 stars
Content warning Content-related spoilers ahead!
Feminine serial killers, particularly those with an erotically-charged fascination with the grotesque and twisted, have been trending for years. I enjoyed Victorian Psycho not for its originality but for its attention to setting and era. Having someone commit such atrocities in an era where it wasn't uncommon for children to die before their second birthday created an atmosphere more brutal than modernity. Feito used that horror and capitalized on it, never once holding back. I do not recommend this novel to anyone who can't handle depictions of infant and adolescent slaughter.
While the setting and narrative voice were great, the "reveal" halfway through was obvious from the first quarter of the novel. I would have appreciated less foreshadowing.
All in all, Victorian Psycho was a quick and engaging read. I'd recommend it to anyone searching for a quippy and descriptively vibrant femme fatale story. If you're looking for a more modern and intriguing alternative (without child deaths), I highly recommend Maeve Fly by CJ Leede.
Thank you to NetGalley and Liveright for the ARC.