The Butcher's Daughter: The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs. Lovett

By David Demchuk and Corinne Leigh Clark

The story of the vengeful barber Sweeney Todd has gripped fans across literary, stage, and screen renditions--but little has been told of Mrs. Lovett, Todd's partner in crime. Until now.

Enclosed herewith: a bloodcurdling correspondence of horror and intrigue, based on the original Victorian penny dreadful that started it all.

"Your fingers may bleed with paper cuts as you tear through The Butcher's Daughter . . . I am spellbound."--Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked

London, 1887: At the abandoned apartment of a missing young woman, a dossier of evidence is collected, ordered chronologically, and sent to the Chief Inspector of the London Metropolitan Police. It contains a frightening correspondence between an inquisitive journalist, Miss Emily Gibson, and the woman Gibson thinks may be the infamous Mrs. Lovett--Sweeney Todd's accomplice, "a wicked woman" who baked men into pies and sold them in her pie shop on Fleet Street. The talk of London Town--even decades after her horrendous misdeeds.

As the woman relays the harrowing account of her life in the unruly and perilous streets of Victorian London, her missives unlock an intricate mystery that brings Miss Gibson closer to the truth, even as that truth may cost her everything. A hair-raising and breathtaking novel for fans of Sarah Waters and Gregory Maguire, The Butcher's Daughter is an irresistible literary thriller that draws richly from historical sources and shines new light on the woman behind the counter of the most disreputable pie shop ever known.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1641296429
• ISBN13: 9781641296427
• Release Date: May 2025
• Publisher: Hell's Hundred
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.0" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

4.5 stars

THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER by Corrine Leigh Clark & David Demchuk As a fan of Sweeney Todd, I was excited to learn the pseudo-villian origin story of Mrs. Lovett who spent her days making and selling “meat” pies on Fleet Street in 1887 London. Told through letters and documents, the life of Mrs. Lovett (aka Margaret, Meg, Peg) was not an easy one. Going from bad to worse to even more terrible —poor girl just couldn’t catch a break! I loved the twists and deviations from the original story. This gave a much more interesting and compelling perspective of her character and life. As the title suggests, there’s a lot of butchering going on here. If you’re squeamish, you may want to refrain from reading this around meal times. This is the perfect spooky season read. It’s a historical horror, with a strong female protagonist, with themes of perseverance and ambition. Highly recommend! Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️

Penny Dreadful worthy!

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!