Historical horror maven Alma Katsu turns her talents to the modern world for the first time, in this terrifying tale about an all-powerful family with an ancient evil under its thumb.

Imagine if the Sackler family had a demon at their beck and call.

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 outfor 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.

Critically acclaimed author Alma Katsu, named “the reigning queen of literary historical horror” by NPR’s Gabino Iglesias, and whose work Stephen King has called “deeply, deeply disturbing, hard to put down,” is one of the genre’s leading voices. All three of her horror novels with Putnam (The Hunger, The Deep and The Fervor) have been Bram Stoker Award finalists, and she has been nominated for several Locus Awards, as well as the International Thriller Writers Award. This fall, Alma Katsu turns her horror talents to the modern world for the first time with the highly anticipated FIEND (G.P. Putnam’s Sons; On Sale: September 16, 2025), a terrifying tale about an all-powerful family with an ancient evil under its thumb. In her latest work, Katsu explores the dark nature of generational wealth and capitalism, tackling a host of contemporary issues: sexism, toxic workplaces, and the dark side of 21st century colonialism. She takes a filthy-rich, morally challenged family and imagines something even more violent and dreadful at the heart of their legacy and corruption. Psychological horror readers and Succession fans alike will devour Katsu’s fresh take on wealthy families behaving badly. Imagine families like the Sacklers, Kochs, or Murdochs. Awash in money and power. Ask yourself how they got that way—and how they stay that way. What if they had a secret on their side, a superpower more effective than even immeasurable wealth, one that ensured they would keep their vaulted place in the world?

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. FIEND begs the question “What happens when generational wealth meets eternal damnation?” The novel lays bare the nefarious dealings of the ultra-rich and scrutinizes the intentions behind their so-called charitable acts. While the world is experiencing historic levels of wealth inequality, Katsu’s story goes beyond the evils of corporate greed alone. It examines the power struggle that all families face when it comes to validation and attention, as well as the result of parents’ sacrifices—and their failings. More than anything, FIEND considers the magnitude of doing the right thing, even when your family thinks there’s something wrong with you. This supernatural, dark, family-centered psychological tale will fit nicely on shelves next to other social-impact horror and readers of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Ivy Pochoda, Chuck Wendig, Cassandra Khaw, and Stephen Graham Jones. Fans of horror movies and series like Ready or Not, The Menu, and The Fall of the House of Usher won’t be able to put FIEND down.

About Alma Katsu
Alma Katsu is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of eight novels, as well as FIEND, which Putnam will publish September 16, 2025. Her books have been nominated 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, 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. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and several are in various stages of film and television development. Ms. Katsu is also a contributor to the Washington Post Book World, where she reviews thrillers. Alma Katsu was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, the daughter of an American-born father and a Japaneseborn mother and grew up in Massachusetts. She recently 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.

Website: www.almakatsubooks.com
Instagram: @almakatsu Facebook: @AlmaKatsuBooks Threads: @almakatsu TikTok: @almakatsu1 Bluesky: @almakatsu.bsky.social

Advance Praise for FIEND by Alma Katsu

“Alma Katsu spins a great story, an amorality tale.” —Victor LaValle, author of Lone Women

“Succession meets Supernatural in this tale of greed and family dysfunction. Alma Katsu ventures into contemporary horror with panache.” —Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Mexican Gothic

“Hard to put down. Not recommended reading after dark.” – Stephen King

“A wickedly entertaining, dread-laced modern fable. Fiend is an unforgettable thrill ride that shocks and moves in equal measure. Magnificent.” —Rachel Harrison, author of So Thirsty

“Every family has skeletons in the closet—some have something far more evil. Alma Katsu has created a modern-day fable of greed and power, a story we think we know, and turned it inside out with a wicked blend of horror and suspense.” —Jennifer McMahon, New York Times bestselling author of My Darling Girl and The Winter People

“An absolutely wicked delight! Fiend ruined several nights’ sleep for me, which is the highest praise I can give a book. Damn you, Alma Katsu, please write another novel as quickly as possible. I’m bereft to be done with this one.” —Kelly Link, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Book of Love

“Alma Katsu has staked her claim as one of the top names in both contemporary horror and twisty thrillers. With Fiend, she delivers a devilishly cunning, supernatural Succession that brings all her skills to bear. Don’t miss it!” —Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Birds and Road of Bones

“A mesmerizing tale, twisting generational wealth together with family trauma. A sort of supernatural Succession and, like Succession greed is the plan and the monsters are everywhere.” —Karen Joy Fowler, author of Booth

PREVIOUS PRAISE FOR ALMA KATSU

“Alma Katsu is the reigning queen of literary historical horror, and The Fervor might be her best book yet . . . A scathing look at anti-Asian sentiment that also explores what happens when racism is allowed to flourish unchecked, this is a historical-fiction narrative that feels incredibly timely.” —NPR

“The references to Japanese folklore (in the form of human apparitions and tiny, bone-chilling spiders and more) wrap this sharp social commentary in a feat of pure storytelling.” —The New York Times Book Review

“The Fervor uses a nightmare period of our history to explore another sort of darkness, drawing on Japanese demons and human scapegoating for a truly chilling tale.” —Shondaland

FIEND • Alma Katsu • G. P. Putnam’s Sons • On Sale: September 16, 2025 •