“Some families have skeletons in their closets. This one has a demon in its boardroom.

When Maris Berisha was nine years old, she heard something scratching at the walls of her family’s penthouse. It felt like something malevolent was there, watching them.

The Berisha family runs one of the largest import-export companies in the world, and they’ve always been lucky. Their rivals suffer strokes. Inconvenient buildings catch on fire. Earthquakes swallow up manufacturing plants, destroying harmful evidence. Things always seem to work out for the Berishas. They’re blessed.

At least that is what Zef, the patriarch, has always told his three children. And each of them knows their place in the family—Dardan, as the only male heir, must prepare to take over as keeper of the Berisha secrets, Maris’s most powerful contribution, much to her dismay, will be to marry strategically, and Nora’s job, as the youngest, is to just stay out of the way. But when things stop going as planned, and the family blessing starts looking more like a curse, the Berishas begin to splinter, each hatching their own secret scheme. They didn’t get to be one of the richest families in the world without spilling a little blood, but this time, it might be their own.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Fiend by Alma Katsu. Fiend was published by Titan Books in digital format yesterday (that’s Tuesday 16th September 2025) with the paperback to follow next week. I chose to read a free ARC of Fiend but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Bahar at Titan Books for sending me a proof copy.

I have quickly become a fan of Alma Katsu’s horror novels. I loved The Hunger so much that I immediately, on finishing it, bought a copy of The Deep. I also thoroughly enjoyed Katsu’s first book with her new publisher, Titan Books, called The Fervor. So, as you can imagine, I have been champing at the bit for a new release for what feels like the longest time! And the wait was definitely worth it. Fiend is a devilishly dark tale of a family with a supernatural…guardian? Is that the right word? Probably not! A powerful Albanian family who are feared by many. Whose success sees no bounds. Who will stop at nothing to get exactly what they want. But at what cost?

The three adult Berisha siblings are very different people. Dardan, the oldest and only male heir, is destined to follow in his father’s footsteps and eventually take over the company. But is that truly what he wants? Destiny has foretold his path; his fear of his father will keep him heading in the right direction. But he comes across as ambivalent to the cause, keen to change how the Berishas conduct their business. Middle child, Maris, feels she’s the rightful heir to her father’s throne. Determined and driven, cunning and calculating. The only thing her father expects of her though, is to marry and carry on the Berisha line. Youngest child and party girl, Nora, tends to do her own thing. Hoping one day that the company will change its focus to being more environmentally sound, more sustainable and start doing more good. They’re an interesting bunch of characters, and I was intrigued to see how their story would play out.

And there’s Zef, of course. The head of the family, the patriarch and ruler of the Berisha roost. Head of the clan and feared by family and business colleagues. Also, incredibly lucky. Unnaturally so. Cross the Berishas and you will know it. Probably as you die a horrible, bloody death, or, as the Berishas luck would have it, end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Zef is a tyrant, a cruel, angry man. And he’s a father and husband. Not a good mix.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Fiend is a character-driven family drama with a dark and, dare I say, fiendishly (…?) supernatural twist. The characters all stand tall on the page, showing the reader what they are made of. Did I like any of them? Did I heck! But that makes it all the more interesting for me. I don’t think Katsu wants you to like her characters in this book. But you do feel a little…sympathy perhaps? Things start to go wrong for the family when Dardan takes a small step off his preordained path. From there, life for the Berishas gradually begins to unravel. I loved the denouement, how it was written and how the big twist was revealed to the reader. Was it a surprise? Not really, but I still thought it ended the book on a high note. I loved the sibling rivalry, the one-upmanship, Maris’s constant fight to be seen as an equal in business, not just a baby-making machine. All in all, I really enjoyed Fiend and look forward to more from Katsu in the future. A compelling family drama with a deadly twist, chock-full of menace, foreboding and perfectly penned dread. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of Fiend. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Fiend by Alma Katsu was published in the UK by Titan Books on 24th September 2025 and is available in paperback and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

NYT bestselling author Alma Katsu’s books have been nominated for and won multiple prestigious awards including the Stoker, Goodreads Readers Choice, International Thriller Writers, Locus Magazine, the Western Heritage Awards, Spain’s Celsius 232 festival, and appeared on numerous Best Books lists including NPR, the Observer, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, Goodreads, and Amazon.

She has written two spy novels (RED WIDOW and RED LONDON), the logical marriage of her love of storytelling with her 30+ year career in intelligence.  She also writes novels that combine historical fiction with supernatural and horror elements. THE HUNGER (2018), a reimagining of the story of the Donner Party, was named one of NPR’s 100 favorite horror stories, was on numerous Best Books of the Year lists, sold rights in 17 languages, and continues to be honored as a new classic in horror. Her first book, THE TAKER (2011), was named one of the top ten debut novels of 2011 by Booklist.

Ms. Katsu is also a contributor to the Washington Post Book World, where she reviews thrillers. She has relocated from the Washington, DC area to the mountains of West Virginia, where she lives with her musician husband Bruce and their two dogs, Nick and Ash.