Butcher's Daughter

David Demchuk has been writing for print, stage, digital and other media for more than 40 years. After many years in Toronto, he now lives by the sea with his husband in St. John’s, Newfoundland (Twitter/X: @david_demchuk; Instagram: @spo0ky_dad).Corinne Leigh Clark is a writer of gothic stories that reflect the human condition in a historical context. She is a graduate of the creative writing program at the School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto (Twitter/X: @corinne_writer; Instagram: @corinneclarkwriter)

If you're captivated by the dark story of Sweeney Todd, then you should look out for this upcoming retelling set to release in May this year. Perfect for those who love to escape back in time with a dark atmospheric story with that unmistakable Victorian gothic vibe. It's told from the perspective of the young woman destined to become the infamous Mrs. Lovett, and she certainly has a chilling and disturbing tale. A young lady journalist is busy delving into the mysterious past of a woman now living within the confines of a convent, to uncover gruesome secrets with macabre twists. The Butcher's Daughter paints a vivid picture of a secretive world filled with enigmatic characters with lots of sinister intrigue.'-Claire Whitfield, author of People of Abandoned CharacterA hugely enjoyable imagining of Mrs Lovett's origin story with delicious twists and turns and vividly realised Gothic characters - all expertly told through fresh and inventive use of the epistolary form.-Hester Musson, author of The BeholdersWhat an atmospheric, gripping tale! The grimy back streets of Victorian London are vividly brought to life. It kept me hooked from page one until the brilliant last sentence. Loved it!-Karen Coles, author of The AsylumBloody and beautiful, The Butcher's Daughter is a visceral novel that grips the reader and refuses to let go. David Demchuk and Corinne Leigh Clark brilliantly reimagine a classic, giving it new depths, new horrors, and new layers to peel back by centering the character of Mrs. Lovett and rightfully letting her tell her own tale in her own voice. The moment I started reading, I didn't want to put it down.-A. C. Wise, author of Wendy, Darling and HookedGrisly, spellbinding, and oddly touching . . . Demchuk and Clark get their arms bloody to the elbow reaching deep into the carcass of a story about life at the margins and the gruesome allure of wanton violence.-Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of Manhunt and CuckooA consistently clever and harrowing fin-de-siËcle horror, The Butcher's Daughter draws its eerie narrative harmonies from a cacophony of documents. Demchuk and Clark are equally adept in blending genres, creating a unique mixture of sensation fiction and literary horror. Tremendous fun.-Naben Ruthnum, author of HelpmeetA Victorian nightmare. Demchuk and Clark present an assembly of communications and reports that together form temporal windows to a slaughterhouse, turning us into voyeurs glimpsing the edges of carnage. All the ingredients of a macabre treat.-Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth and All the Hearts You EatA wonderfully sophisticated horror. The Butcher's Daughter is a gloomy, disgusting, and suspenseful rollercoaster ride, brought to vivid life by two exceptionally talented writers. At its heart, it is a tale about bodies-especially women's bodies-about freedom and agency, and those who wish to control other human beings down to their guts. An historical novel, yes, but very much spun from this current bloody moment. Bleak, witty, and disturbing.-Richard Mirabella, author of Brother & Sister Enter the ForestThe seedy underbelly of Victorian London comes to life in this deliciously dark novel, with mad scientists, murderous cults, merciless madams, and, of course, meat pies. If Sarah Waters had written penny dreadfuls, it might look something like this, but only David Demchuk and Corinne Leigh Clark could make me hungry while reading about cannibalism.-Nino Cipri, author of Dead Girls Don't Dream