ARC

Review: Another by Paul Tremblay

~ megs14malloy

AnotherAnother by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚

Another is beloved Horror author Paul Tremblay’s Middle Grade debut, and it was such a delight to read. I found the concepts fun, well-imagined and eerie. There were some genuinely creepy moments that got under my skin.

I would have been obsessed with this as a kid!

In this story we’re following Casey, a middle school boy currently living with Transient Tic Disorder, or TTD. The disorder first presented itself, unfortunately, when remote learning was a thing during the Covid pandemic.

All of Casey’s classmates witnessed his tics during a Zoom session. Casey has since been treated like a social pariah, and he has started isolating, keeping to himself a lot more.

When his parents receive an odd phone call one day, and then report to him that he has a friend coming to the house for a sleepover, Casey is confused. Who could it be? What friend? He knows nothing about it.

When Morel shows up, Casey is even more confused. He’s never seen this kid in his life. And what’s going on with his skin? It looks like clay and Morel doesn’t speak.

In spite of the oddness of Morel’s appearance and behavior, Casey’s parents act like nothing is off. In fact, they seemed charmed by him, and Casey is certainly in no position to turn away a potential new friend.

The longer Morel is there though, the more unsettled Casey becomes. Morel is evolving the more he interacts with the family, and Casey is left scratching his head about the nature of his new friend.

Another is an extremely well-crafted story. I didn’t know what to think when Morel first arrived. The whole circumstance with him being there, it felt dangerous, before I actually knew whether it was or not. It left me unnerved.

This story definitely channeled the nostalgic feel of classic kids horror from my own childhood, but done in a modern, more thoughtful way.

I feel like Tremblay put a lot of care into these characters and Casey is so well-developed and empathetic. He’s a character you can get behind and I felt like I went on this wild and crazy journey with him.

Morel’s presence was entirely unsettling. Particularly, because it felt like Casey was so on his own in this. His parents were captivated by Morel’s presence, they could see no wrong, leaving Casey to navigate all the mysterious happenings on his own.

I did enjoy Casey’s relationship with his older sister, Ally, but she was away at college, so couldn’t be much help to him in this situation.

I also enjoyed the real world issues that Trembay explored, such as the challenges of remote learning and isolation. I don’t tend to enjoy any stories that touch upon Covid, but I feel like it was done well here, and in a way that didn’t feel overwhelming to the rest of the plot.

I would highly-recommend this to anyone who enjoys Spooky Middle Grade stories. This has such a vibe and was so much fun to read. It’s fast-paced and engaging, with an excellent audiobook to boot.

Thank you to the publisher, Quill Tree Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m hoping to see a lot more of Tremblay’s work in the Middle Grade space!

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Review: You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

~ megs14malloy

You Will Never Be MeYou Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jesse Q. Sutanto is one of my go-to authors. I try to pick-up everything she writes either as soon as it releases, or even prior to its release, when I’m lucky.

For this one, even though I had an ARC in my hot little hands, and was anticipating it, I never ended up picking it up, and then it just got buried in my stacks and my mind.

Recently, while stalking Jesse’s author page to see if there was a new Vera Wong book listed, I noticed this one and snapped to attention. I needed to read it immediately.

I ended up getting the audiobook from my library and listened to it over the past couple of days. I loved the dual narration from Eunice Wong and Risa Mei, and am glad I ended up taking in the story via the audio format.

This story follows two up-and-coming social media influencers, so having the audio narration for them, it really added authenticity to those influencer personalities. I feel like both women channeled what I would anticipate these characters would have really sounded like.

In this story we follow Meredith and Aspen, best friends, who are both in the influencer space. Mer started out as a fashion and beauty influencer, and ended up teaching Aspen all she knew.

After Aspen got married and had kids, she turned more towards the parenting space and became a Momfluencer. It was at that point, with her handsome husband and adorable children, that her content really started taking off, leaving Mer’s numbers in the dust.

Their friendship was strained by this shifting dynamic and the two ended up having a falling out. By the time we meet them, they’re no longer speaking, but the story catches us up on all we need to know in regards to their messy friendship break-up.

I loved the back-and-forth between the two perspectives as all the details of their relationship were filled in. I also liked how we were shown the truth behind their lifestyles. Sure, online all was beauty, grace and stress-free days, but behind the scenes, it was anything but.

I like the exploration of that topic. Social media influencers have such sway over the way many of us see our own lives in comparison and I thought it was interesting to get a bit behind-the-scenes, even in a fictional capacity.

The 1st-half of the book is building up these characters and developing the drama between them. At the mid-point, it does take a turn though and suddenly we’re thrust into a dark world following Mer’s disappearance.

Things get really crazy from there. I haven’t read any reviews yet, but I was surprised after completing it to see that the overall rating is only at a 3.63 currently.

I think perhaps it may be due to the slower nature of the 1st-half, and the fact that neither MC is particularly likable. They’re more like characters you love to hate versus just love. You’re prob not rooting for either of them.

I tend to enjoy stories that follow influencers, or really any type of celebrity, so this worked for me in that regard. Additionally, I loved how messy and twisted the drama was. I always enjoy digging into a toxic friendship, and this definitely was that.

Overall, I feel like this is another really solid showing for Sutanto, who seems to have no issues jumping amongst various genres and age-ranges with her stories.

This is the 12th-novel that I’ve read from Sutanto and I’m always impressed with how easily I get drawn into her stories. I found this riveting. Her characters are well-developed and the drama is always delivered.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. I had so much fun with it and definitely should have picked it up sooner!

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Review: Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

~ megs14malloy

Blood in the WaterBlood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙

In Tiffany D. Jackson’s Middle Grade Debut we follow 12-year old, Kaylani, a Brooklyn girl headed to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer to stay with some family friends. A trip she’s not exactly excited about.

The family in question, the Watsons, are extremely wealthy and powerful. In fact, Kaylani’s Dad used to be close with them and worked for them, prior to his incarceration for financial crimes Kaylani is positive he didn’t commit.

She doesn’t have time to go to the stuffy ole’ Vineyard, when all she wants to do is study the law and try to figure out a way to free her Dad.

In spite of her hesitations though, both Kaylani’s parents insist she go. She needs to have fun, be a kid and let loose. She’s been so worried about her Dad, and focused on his case, she’s sort of put her life on hold.

Even on the ferry to the island though, Kaylani knows it’s going to be a rough summer. The Watson’s granddaughters, London and Cassie, are also on the ferry and London instantly makes Kaylani feel uncomfortable and judged.

In spite of this, once on the island. Kaylani does start to settle in. It’s beautiful and there are lots of other kids. Maybe it won’t be a completely terrible summer. Sometimes, she and London even get on a little, or at least find ways they can be mutually-beneficial to each other.

The day after the girls attend their first beach party, they’re shocked to learn that one of the other kids from party, a boy named Chadwick, has been found dead.

The circumstances are mysterious, and rumors fly as to whether it was a drowning, a shark attack, or even worse, murder. Chadwick happens to be Cassie Watson’s ex-boyfriend, and suspicion falls onto her.

Kaylani’s innate curiosities are triggered and she’s determined to get to the bottom of it. She’s confident Chadwick’s death was no accident, but how can she prove it?

Blood in the Water was really fun and so cute, with a great MC. Kaylani is a character you can connect to instantly. She’s smart, determined, she loves her family and she’s just an all-around good kid. She’s someone you want to see succeed.

I love the setting on the Vineyard. I live on the neighboring island of Nantucket, and appreciated all the true-to-life details that Jackson brought to the story. It made it feel extra special for me and helped me picture everything perfectly.

I also loved having a true murder mystery where the majority of our main players were kids and teens. Kaylani getting her sleuthing on, and making friends to help along the way, was such a delight. Additionally, I loved Kaylani’s relationship with both of her parents, but her Dad especially.

My only complaint was that I wish it had been like 30 to 40-pages longer. I wanted to know even more about the characters, and to get more details on Kaylani’s stay on the island. Overall though, a great MG debut for Jackson.

Jackson is such a talented writer, definitely one of my all time faves and I loved seeing what she could do in this new age-range. Thank you so much to the publisher, Scholastic, for providing me with a copy to read and review!

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Review: Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson

~ megs14malloy

Coffin MoonCoffin Moon by Keith Rosson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Coffin Moon centers around Duane Minor, a Vietnam Vet working as a bartender in his wife, Heidi’s, parent’s bar, and his 13-year old niece, Julia, who the couple recently took in.

Duane is struggling with his sobriety, while Julia is struggling with some very traumatic events in her home life that has left her separated from her mother and brother.

When Minor ends up crossing the baddies that try to pull some shady sh*t at the bar, it changes all of their lives forever. Leading the charge for the bad guys is a man named John Varley, not your average killer, who sleeps during the day and whose teeth grow extra long at night.

After Heidi is killed in retaliation for Minor’s interference, he is wracked with guilt, while Julia is filled with rage. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game of pursuit across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Their goal is to root out John Varley and make him pay for all he’s taken from them.

Will any amount of blood be able to sate their grief and guilt?

This was devilishly good. Set in the 1970s, I feel like Rosson did a fabulous job channeling the gritty Crime Fiction vibes of that era. The tone of it, it’s morose, devastating and heavily vengeance-focused. We love to see it.

I’d love to read this again and take more time with it. This time through, I went rather quickly, so focused on what was going to happen. In future, I think it would be worth a revisit to focus in more on the character work and relationships.

I loved both Minor and Julia. Their interactions together and the way their bond evolved, it felt so natural and it truly tugged at my heart-strings.

Additionally, John Varley was fascinating. We learn quite a bit about him and his history, and those are some of the moments that I would like to revisit the most. There was something sweeping and epic-feeling about his story that brought even more to the historical meat of this story.

There were so many devastating moments in this book. Moments where I would read it and think, OMG, how would you get over that? But Minor and Julia just kept on going on, and I love that resilience and even if it was driven by rage in Julia’s case, I respected the hell out of their strength.

It felt like Rosson poured a lot of emotion into this one. It hurt my heart a bit, not gonna lie, but it was so worth it. I was sad about much of it, but impressed with the fact that Rosson could make me feel so much for these characters in such a short amount of time.

Overall, I found this to be such a unique and classic-feeling Horror story. I have never read anything from this author before, but I will be reading more in the future.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think this will definitely be one of my most memorable reads of 2025!

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Review: Murder on the Marlow Belle (The Marlow Murder Club #4) by Robert Thorogood

~ megs14malloy

Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club, #4)Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder on the Marlow Belle is the 4th-installment in the Marlow Murder Club series. I’ve had a lot of fun with the previous 3-books in this humorous Cozy Mystery series, so had been anxiously awaiting this latest.

This series follows Judith Potts, a widow in her 70s, and her two best friends, Suzie and Becks, as they tackle mysteries in their local Marlow community.

This mystery begins when Verity Beresford contacts Judith asking for help locating her missing husband, Oliver. Verity, like most residents of Marlow, is well aware of Judith’s superior sleuthing skills, and she believes Judith maybe able to help her find Oliver faster than anyone else.

Oliver’s only been missing overnight, but the circumstances are concerning. Oliver, the founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, had hired The Marlow Belle, a private pleasure cruiser, for a party cruise for his committee members, but no one remembers seeing him disembark.

Of course anytime someone goes missing upon the water, there’s cause for concern. In this case, it’s more than warranted, when shortly thereafter Oliver’s body is discovered, having washed ashore with two bullet wounds.

As it turns out, Oliver was a complicated man, with no shortage of enemies. Nevertheless, Judith and her friends are confident they can weed out the killer.

Unfortunately, the task proves more difficult than they’d hoped when they discover what a twisted web the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society actually is.

Will the ladies be able to find Oliver’s murderer before they’ve flowed out of their grasp like the River Thames?

Overall, I thought this was a really fun installment to this Cozy series. I love books set at a theater, or involving a theater troupe, so this was perfect for me in that regard.

I’m fully attached to this charming cast of characters at this point, so find it hard to believe that I would dislike any of these books. Judith is plucky and resourceful.

I love that she’s found these two friends at this stage of her life, and though they’re all very different, they’re so supportive of one another. Squad goals!

I’m in for the long haul with this series. I have no clue how long it is slated to be, but I’ll be reading each and every one.

I would highly recommend this series to all Cozy Mystery fans, in particular if you enjoy friendship groups solving mysteries together, or elderly amateur sleuths. The small town vibes are on point as well.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to solve more cases with Judith, Suzie and Becks.

The 5th-book in the series, The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts, is set to release on January 15, 2026. I’ll be marking my calendar, and so should you!

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Review: 13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano

~ megs14malloy

13 Months Haunted13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

13 Months Haunted follows Piper Lowery, a public librarian, who meets a strange young girl while volunteering at the local middle school.

The events of Piper’s tale take place in the 1990s, but the set-up of the story itself, is Piper actually relaying these events to an interested relative. I did think that was a fun and slightly-different way to present this story.

The young girl’s name is Avery and she is new to the school. She does have some odd behaviors, but the oddest thing about her is the fact that her mother attends school with her, sits in all Avery’s classes, and literally tails her daughter like a shadow, even to the restroom.

Piper begins hearing rumors about Avery and her Mom. They’re sort of the talk of the town. People say the Mom is a witch, that they fled their old town after Avery’s sister and father were killed by a supernatural force.

While Piper finds this a bit extreme, there is something off about the mother-daughter duo. Through multiple interactions, Piper ends up befriending them and the rest proceeds from there.

This book started off great. It captured my attention early and I loved the small town setting, and the fact that the main action takes place in the 1990s; definitely a nostalgic period for me.

I was about the same age as Piper was during this same time period, so I could relate to a lot of what she was experiencing starting out her life as a young adult. There’s also a lot of focus on the new, popular use of the internet.

For people who grew up using the internet from the time they were small children, let it be known, it was very different for those of us who never really had access, or even email, until around college-age. It was like a wild-west landscape. Unless you were in IT, you didn’t really know what was going on, or how it worked.

Piper has a blog and she shares a lot on it. It was really more of a diary for her and she does relate the odd goings-on after she meets Avery for the first time.

So, there are some fun details involving that whole aspect of her life as well, particularly after she starts getting comments on what she’s posting. It added a bit of a mixed media element, which I do tend to enjoy.

I loved the mystery surrounding Avery and her Mom as well. I really wanted to know the truth about them, and their past. Was something supernatural actually at play?

Even though the rumors circulating about them were fairly vicious, Piper comes to learn that there may have been some truth to them, but how much? She starts digging in with force, really out of an effort to try to help Avery, and I enjoyed those amateur sleuthing components.

Unfortunately for me, eventually the intrigue started to wear off. I’m not sure exactly why, but the plot just seemed to drag for me after about the halfway point.

I had theories, none of which I was particularly confident in, but it did start to seem repetitive and took me over 2-weeks to finish. I can’t explain why I felt this way about it.

I just think once the initial mystery of what was going on with Avery was out of the way, it sort of lost it’s main excitement factor. I did like the way it wrapped-up though. I felt the conclusion interesting to contemplate. There were some real repercussions there at the end.

Overall, I did find this to be an interesting and unique story. Although some of it did seem a little drawn out to me, I did love the ending and overriding premise. Additionally, the mysterious elements were solid, as were the details of Piper’s amateur investigation.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Juliano is very talented. I love his concepts and will continue picking up his work for a long time to come!

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Review: Let’s Split Up (Let’s Split Up #1) by Bill Wood

~ megs14malloy

Let's Split Up (Let's Split Up, #1)Let’s Split Up by Bill Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Let’s Split Up is an entertaining YA Horror novel that made me nostalgic for the scary stories of my youth. This is a multi-perspective story that follows a group of teens in the small town of Sanera, California.

Amber, Jonesy and Cam have been best friends for years, and when new girl, Buffy, arrives, led by Amber, they quickly envelop her into their crew.

Prior to meeting our group though, we get a Prologue, where two of their popular classmates, Brad and Shelley, exploring an abandoned estate, Carrington Manor, end up getting brutally murdered.

That’s how this book kicks off, and it definitely sets the stage for what’s to come. The deaths of the two students rocks their local high school, and our main cast is caught up in the consequences of all of that.

Rumors fly around the small town that the Carrington ghoul is responsible for Brad and Shelley’s deaths, but could that really be true? A paranormal entity is hard to fathom.

When they don’t trust the local authorities to figure out what happened to their classmates, Cam, Jonesy, Amber and Buffy decide to investigate themselves, heading to Carrington Manor to dig around.

When things take a turn, and they find themselves in danger, they decide to split up in hopes of getting answers faster, thus breaking a widely recognized rule in Horror.

From there it’s balls to wall craziness as these kids just try to survive their town day-to-day. No matter the danger, they’re determined to crack this case.

Let’s Split Up was a lot of fun. The author mentioned in his acknowledgements at the end that he had wanted to explore what it would be like if Scooby-Doo was scarier, and I think he definitely succeeded.

This gave me all the Scooby-Doo vibes, with a touch of Scream mixed in, making it a truly entertaining YA Horror story. I love that there’s already a 2nd-book set to release in the Spring. I’ll definitely be reading it.

This is super trope-filled though, I do want to caution you, in case you don’t enjoy books like that, but for me, I thought that aspect was so fun.

Personally, specifically in YA Horror, I love to see all the tropes. It makes it feel more nostalgic for me, bringing me back to the stories I enjoyed as a youngster, when I first fell in love with my most favorite genre.

It’s pure entertainment. The characters were fun and I enjoyed their relationships a lot. I think it will be fun to follow them again on different cases. They have so much room to grow, and I wanna be there for it.

Initially, I wasn’t crazy about getting three different perspectives — Jonesy, Amber and Cam — but I did come to really enjoy that aspect. I think as the story continued it started to make more sense for it to be told that way.

Overall, I think this was a really enjoyable read. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but I like how it didn’t take itself too seriously. It was revisiting some of the best tropes in Horror, and I adored the added Scooby-Doo vibes. As mentioned above, I’m looking forward to the 2nd-book.

Thank you so much to Scholastic for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from Bill Wood!

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Review: Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell

~ megs14malloy

Asylum HotelAsylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Asylum Hotel follows architect, Aubrey Spencer, who after a devastating incident at work has begun seeking solace through photography. Her area of interest: abandoned places. Cue the spooky music.

The Seabrink Hotel, a stately-yet-crumbling seaside hotel, once catering to the rich and famous, is Aubrey’s current subject. The hotel is soon set to be renovated, so Aubrey wants to be sure to capture it 0n film before that occurs.

As she’s roaming the site, she runs into a man she recognizes, Dimitri Petroff, who she knows from his YouTube channel where he explores abandoned places.

The two end up hitting it off, and spend the night together. The following morning, Dimitri’s body is found at the base of a seaside cliff. Aubrey is in shock.

How could this have happened? It doesn’t make sense. The police wrap up the scene quickly, assuming it’s suicide, but Aubrey’s not buying it.

Unable to let it rest, Aubrey sets out to discover the truth of what happened to Dimitri. Local legend leads her to think something he may have seen at the Seabrink could have resulted in his death.

Digging into the hotel’s past, Aubrey uncovers a dark and sordid history that leaves her unsettled and believing that there may be some truth to the local legends.

Y’all, I really, really enjoyed this. This is a true Paranormal Mystery, so if you’re not into that sort of thing, if you’re looking for a strict Mystery-Thriller, it may be best if you steer clear. For those who like a little Paranormal sprinkled on top though, this one is for you.

I loved the setting and all the dark history surrounding the Seabrink Hotel. I enjoyed Aubrey as a MC as well. I haven’t read a lot of stories where the MC is an architect, so that was a nice touch.

My favorite aspect of this though, oddly enough, was the dynamic between Aubrey and her best friend, Nikki, who comes to stay with Aubrey after Dimitri’s body is discovered. There was something about the two of them together that just filled my heart.

Maybe because I live long distance from my own best friend, I’m not sure, but I loved how involved and supportive they were with one another. Their interactions added a lot to this story for me. It made me more connected in a way.

Additionally, I have to mention the fabulous audiobook narration done by Xe Sands. As always, Sands brought this story to life. I felt like I was listening to Aubrey relay the story to me directly. It’s really well done. Sands is one of the best in the business. There’s no denying that.

At the end of the day, while this isn’t a perfect book, I did have a lot of fun with it. It hooked me and I got through it so quickly. I liked many things about it and look forward to picking up more from Juliet Blackwell.

Thank you, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review!

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Review: The Whistler by Nick Medina

~ megs14malloy

The WhistlerThe Whistler by Nick Medina
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Whistler follows our MC, Henry, a young man who is grappling with his new reality of being confined to a wheelchair after being paralyzed in a horrific accident.

Before his accident, Henry was happy. He was a talented musician, had a beautiful girlfriend, Jade, who he had a great, active relationship with, and his ghost hunting channel was actually gaining some traction.

Post-accident, Henry has to move in with his grandparents, relying on them for even the simplest tasks. His relationship with Jade, as well as with his best friend, is estranged. He feels useless, hopeless and emasculated.

His grandparents, Jade, everyone is trying to talk him up, telling him he can still live and have a good life, but they just don’t understand how he feels. Henry feels so alone.

Oh, and he’s also being haunted…

As the being haunting him gets continuously closer and more bold, Henry realizes he needs to confront his past, and the events that caused his injury, if he is to have any hope of banishing it for good. He can’t do it alone, so Henry is forced to open up to those around him that he’s been shutting out.

The Whistler took me completely by surprise. Not because of how incredible it is, but because of its connection to Indian Burial Ground, which I wasn’t expecting at all.

I’m such a Nick Medina fan. I love the quality and richness of his storytelling. The tone of his stories, they take me through every different emotion and leave me simultaneously gutted and inspired. This story is an absolute roller coaster ride of feelings.

The Prologue, which doesn’t follow Henry, but is related to the events that caused his injury, was terrifying. I read it home alone in the dark, and I was genuinely creeped out.

From that moment on, I was gripped by the story, that’s mainly told through Henry’s past and present perspective. I loved the depths that Medina went with this character.

Seeing the difference in Henry between his past, happier, times and his present, post-injury, was very jarring. It made him feel so incredibly real, as everything happening to him, and the journey he was on emotionally, it was raw and messy. I felt that representation was done with great care.

The haunting elements were so well-imagined. Medina created some stellar horror imagery on page. I loved how the never whistle at night lore was woven through as well.

In fact, the first time I read Medina’s work was in the Indigenous Dark Fiction anthology, Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, which was where I learned of that belief. I was excited when I saw that Medina had written a full novel incorporating that lore.

As mentioned above, this story is related to Indian Burial Ground. It’s not a sequel, or anything, and of course can be read as a standalone, however, I do feel it will have the greatest impact for those people who have already read IBG.

Overall, I was so impressed by this. It’s such a gripping, mysterious, haunting, and well-rounded story.

I would definitely recommend this Horror readers, or readers of Indigenous Fiction in general. Also, anyone who read and enjoyed Indian Burial Ground, you have to check this out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait for whatever Medina writes next!

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Review: Fiend by Alma Katsu

~ megs14malloy

FiendFiend by Alma Katsu
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Fiend focuses on the Berisha family, who own one of the largest and most powerful import-export companies in the world. The patriarch of the family, Zef, rules the family, and his company, with an iron fist.

His three children, Dardan, Maris and Nora, all know their place within the family. As the only boy, Dardan is slated to take over the company, with Maris, just a girl, having a more minor role, and Nora, the baby of the family, basically excluded from it all.

This family, powerful as they may be, is dysfunctional as all get out. Basically, think Succession, but more messed up…

For most of their lives, the children believed the family was blessed, but as they grew, they come to understand the aura surrounding the family’s success may actually be a curse.

When things stop going as planned, the family splinters and cracks, revealing the dark underbelly hiding at the heart of the family. They didn’t become one of the richest family in the world without spilling a little blood, but this time, it may be their own to hit the ground.

Alma Katsu is well-known for her Historical Horror novels, of which I’ve read two, but this is actually her first foray into writing a modern-set Horror story.

I liked this one. I loved the super messy family dynamic and how it included Then and Now sections. There’s no way I could read this without thinking of Succession, so if you were a fan of that show, you should give this one a go.

I also like the ideas behind the Horror elements of the story, though the highlight for me was the family itself. We mainly get the story told through Maris’s perspective, and she did have an interesting role within the family.

I also enjoyed learning about this business. I do like stories that include business activities. I know that may seem strange to some, but it’s a personal interest of mine, so I do enjoy the rare book that includes those details.

I think for me, the reason I couldn’t rate this higher is that I wanted more of everything. It felt very surface level. Coming in at just over 250-pages, I honestly would have been happy with another 50-pages of content.

Especially towards the end, as the pace increased, I would have loved to have spent more time with those concluding events. I also would have loved a bit more of the family history. Further, the supernatural elements could have been descriptive as well, IMO.

Overall though, this is an entertaining story. It reads very quickly, and is worth picking up. I think if you are someone who enjoys family dramas, or stories that involve business dealings, you could have a lot of fun with it.

Katsu did a great job with this modern setting, and I’m hoping she writes more stories like this one. Even though this won’t make my Favorites List for 2025, I’m still really glad that I read it, particularly during Spooky Season.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Katsu is an author I’ll definitely be reading more from in the future!

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