readers are left grappling with the harsh realities of privilege, power, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. This electrifying tale delivers both spine-tingling suspense and a searing indictment of a world where wealth can no longer shield from the darkness lurking within.

Fiend Review: Alma Katsu’s Scary Take on Greed and Family Secrets

Alma Katsu, an author already celebrated for her masterful historical horror novels like The Hunger and The Deep, makes an electrifying leap into contemporary fiction with her latest book, Fiend. Leaving the past behind but bringing her signature talent for weaving the supernatural into the fabric of human ambition, Katsu delivers a terrifying and utterly captivating tale.

The premise is as clever as it is chilling. Imagine if a family of ruthless, ultra-wealthy oligarchs, similar to the Sacklers, didn’t just rely on legal manoeuvring and corruption to maintain their power, but had a literal, ancient demon at their beck and call. This is the terrifying reality for the Berisha family, and Katsu uses this foundation to explore the bloody price of privilege, the corrosive nature of greed, and the violent dynamics of a family tearing itself apart from the inside.

The Berishas are a force to be reckoned with, running one of the largest import-export companies in the world from their sleek, modern penthouse. Theirs is a world of unimaginable wealth and influence, where problems have a convenient habit of disappearing. Rivals suffer sudden strokes, inconvenient buildings catch fire, and evidence-destroying earthquakes seem to strike with fortunate timing .

Patriarch Zef Berisha has always told his three children that they are simply “blessed,” but as the story unfolds, it becomes painfully clear that this blessing is far more sinister, a curse disguised as good fortune . The novel’s brilliance lies in its masterful character dynamics, which will feel instantly familiar to fans of complex family sagas.

Zef is a domineering and exacting figure, a man who holds the family’s dark secrets close. His children are each trapped in the roles he has assigned them: Dardan, the reluctant male heir, is being groomed to take over as keeper of the Berisha secrets despite his apparent unsuitability for the cutthroat world of the business; Maris, the fiercely ambitious and capable middle daughter, is dismissed by her sexist father and told her most powerful contribution will be a strategic marriage; and Nora, the youngest, is essentially told to stay out of the way, though she harbors her own frustrations with the family’s unethical practices.

It is Maris who often serves as the story’s driving force, and while she is by no means a traditionally likeable character, none of the Berishas are; Katsu skillfully generates a degree of sympathy for her plight. The unashamed sexism she faces is a constant obstacle, not because of a lack of skill or drive, but simply because of her gender, a commentary on the misogyny that still thrives in corporate settings. You find yourself, if not rooting for her, then at least understanding the bitterness that fuels her ambition, making her a compelling and multi-faceted protagonist.

Katsu’s pacing is impeccable, making Fiend a genuinely addictive read that is very hard to put down . The constant tension is absolutely gripping, pulling you deeper into the family’s web of secrets with every page. The story is structured with strategic flashes to the past, giving us glimpses into the siblings’ childhoods and key moments that shaped their fractured relationships and hinted at the supernatural presence lurking in their home.

These flashbacks are deployed masterfully, providing just enough information to make the present-day turmoil even more understandable and disturbing without ever slowing the breakneck pace . The horror elements are woven into the narrative with a subtle hand, at least initially. The entity—often referred to as “the protector”—is felt more than seen for much of the book, a looming presence described as a hint of smoke or a tingling sensation, which makes its eventual, more direct actions all the more impactful.

This is not a novel reliant on jump scares or gore; the true horror here is the psychological unravelling of the family itself. As Zef’s control begins to wane and the “protector” seems to start acting with a will of its own, turning its attention toward the Berishas themselves, the siblings begin to splinter, each hatching their own secret schemes in a desperate bid for power or survival. The novel becomes a terrifying game of dominoes, where every action, no matter how small, escalates the chaos, and you find yourself on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next piece to fall.

What makes Fiend so compelling is that it works on multiple levels. On the surface, it is a sleek, corporate horror story, a satirical and cathartic take on the lives of the obscenely wealthy . It is immensely satisfying to watch this unpleasant family, who have existed at such an altitude of wealth that the consequences of their actions have never touched them, finally face a threat they cannot buy or lobby their way out of 

Yet, beneath the supernatural thrills, the book is a piercing exploration of timeless and tragically human themes. It is a story about the trauma that can arise from an abusive and negligent parent, the brittle nature of relationships propped up only by status and mutual benefit, and the age-old debate of nature versus nurture, showing how hate can breed hate.

The Berisha children were not born monsters, but were shaped into them by their environment and the terrible legacy they are expected to uphold . The climax of the novel brings all these threads together in a series of shocking and vengeful twists. While some readers may have wanted more explicit mythology behind the demon, the finale is a fitting and darkly poetic conclusion that perfectly encapsulates the novel’s themes. Katsu leaves no manicured hand unbloodied, and the ending is a brilliantly executed payoff that will leave readers reeling.

Fiend is a wicked delight and a spectacular entry into Alma Katsu’s body of work. It proves her remarkable versatility as a storyteller, capable of delivering chills in any era. With its acid-sharp portrayal of family dysfunction, its propulsive plot, and its simmering gothic dread, this is a book that will hook you from the first page and refuse to let go. It is the perfect read for those who loved the toxic family dynamics of Succession, the gothic decay of The Fall of the House of Usher, and anyone who has ever wished for a more supernatural form of comeuppance for the world’s untouchable elite.

In Fiend, Alma Katsu brilliantly fuses the chilling essence of horror with sharp social commentary, crafting a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling. As the Berisha family’s carefully constructed facade crumbles under the weight of their own greed and a sinister supernatural force, readers are left grappling with the harsh realities of privilege, power, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. This electrifying tale delivers both spine-tingling suspense and a searing indictment of a world where wealth can no longer shield from the darkness lurking within.

Fiend by Alma Katsu 

From a Goodreads Choice and Stoker Award® winning author, Succession meets The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry in this taut, fast-paced tale of sibling betrayal as the three heirs – the golden boy, the ferocious middle sister, the dilettante youngest child – to a powerful syndicate rush to fill the vacuum after their father falls critically ill, not realising the demonic forces he kept at bay.  

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.

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