Dean Koontz returns with a masterful blend of suspense and thrill in his latest novel The Friend of the Family. It follows Alida, the star attraction in a travelling carnival’s freak show in Depression-era America, as she breaks away from the gaslights and backstage dramas of speakeasies and carnival tents to find a family with whom she can retreat to safety and familiarity.
A stately, intentional progression through the historical backdrop showcases deep research of the era; these carnivals are strikingly three-dimensional as the freak show cast cower before their owner Captain Farnham. As soon as the novel opens, Koontz reveals the tender, well-read voice of teenage Alida, who is profoundly deformed and exploited by Farnham for money. Pushed onstage at seedy illegal bars and tormented backstage as they travel the dusty motel circuit, Alida at once becomes the shining antithesis of the mundane evils that lurk in places frequented by the immoral and the wealthy.
Koontz’s historical voice is well-developed and immersive, from the thuggish threats of Farnham and his lackeys to the well-heeled bantering of Alida’s saviours Franklin and Loretta, a young couple who have made their fortune in the movie business. Alida is moved to the glitzy Bramley Hall and installed as a sister-cum-mentor to their three younger children, taken to grand meals, movie premieres, and social gatherings with famous actors and singers.
Koontz creates the opulent setting of safety and enjoyment, and then sets a murky undercurrent burning beneath it as Farnham tries to find Alida, and as small mundane mysteries begin to cloud the days of the children. As Alida grows closer to her new family and struggles with her disabilities in these new surroundings, Koontz creates a layered narrative; all seems well in the cavernous corridors of Bramley Hall and in the cosy tightening of relationships, but a deep thrill begins to echo as Alida finds strange notes hidden in private rooms, poisoned pets, strange beliefs. Evidently, not everyone can be trusted – but who?
Throughout the novel, Koontz subtly interrogates the prevalent mindsets of the era, calling into question racial bias, unconscious ableism, and the effect on families and individuals of the dogged capitalistic desire for growth. The novel never seems preachy or contrived; it becomes a lived experience of these people themselves, three-dimensional and believable entities inhabiting a world where some deep darkness threatens at even the most familial and familiar levels. The messages echo across the years.
Alida remains a relatable and heart-rending figure; her rising fortunes are genuinely enjoyable to witness, her danger is a heart-pounding concern. The subtle magical realism that centres around her as she slowly comes to realise she possesses extra-human powers is a delicious addition to the complexities of the narrative – Alida’s power in a cruel world seeking to pit us against each other comes from the inner childlike joy of existence, from the bravery to connect when it seems everything is at the mercy of corruption. Her suffering early in the novel does not harden her against experiencing the most base and pure experiences of being human. Koontz asks what it means to be good, if it is even possible to be good in this kind of world and then, through Alida, suggests a tentative but empowering ‘yes’!
The Friend of The Family becomes a discussion of powers – semi-magical powers, the power of connection, the power of a social elite intent on separation and destruction – and it implores us to be better. As Alida’s siblings reach adulthood and fulfil their callings, it suggests that there is a place somewhere for everyone, even if that purpose is merely to remind and encourage a greater, more connected and empowered existence. Koontz’s tear-jerking finale follows an action-packed climax of gunfighting, buried plots coming to fruition, and old threats revealing themselves beneath the glitzy lights of Bramley Hall. The powerfully and tightly plotted narrative comes to an end as naturally as the years have passed and made its characters into what they truly are.
Despite the extra-earthly powers and at-times cartoonish villains, Koontz’s core message is simple and timeless. Everything can be overcome if we open ourselves to others, if we focus on what connects rather than what divides, if we are mindful and aware of our own prejudices and the influence these can have on how we behave. Through his masterful Alida, he asserts that we must never forget what we truly are inside, and what goodness can come from remembering.
THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY is released 20th January 2026 from all good bookshops.
