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The Friend of the Family
A girl liberated from a carnival sideshow discovers her mysterious purpose in a moving novel about family, sacrifice, and transcendent love by #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz.
The human “oddities” in the Museum of the Strange are less wondrous than the gawking rubes had been promised. But Alida is something else. The real thing. Traveling Depression-era America from carnival midways to speakeasies, Alida is resigned to an exploited and lonely life on the road as the museum’s golden ticket. Until she’s rescued by two compassionate strangers.
Franklin and Loretta Fairchild see in Alida a gifted and uncannily well-read girl in need of a loving touch and a family. With the openhearted couple and their three precociously imaginative children, Alida finds it. Yet despite everyone’s overwhelming generosity and acceptance, Alida knows she is still a very different kind of girl. Her dreams bear that out. They’re vivid, unsettling, and threatening. Alida fears that they’re also warnings. And that it’s the Fairchilds who may need rescue from a bad, bad world.
Alida will do anything to help those she now holds nearest and dearest. Empowered with a purpose to vanquish evil, she will not fail her family.
The human “oddities” in the Museum of the Strange are less wondrous than the gawking rubes had been promised. But Alida is something else. The real thing. Traveling Depression-era America from carnival midways to speakeasies, Alida is resigned to an exploited and lonely life on the road as the museum’s golden ticket. Until she’s rescued by two compassionate strangers.
Franklin and Loretta Fairchild see in Alida a gifted and uncannily well-read girl in need of a loving touch and a family. With the openhearted couple and their three precociously imaginative children, Alida finds it. Yet despite everyone’s overwhelming generosity and acceptance, Alida knows she is still a very different kind of girl. Her dreams bear that out. They’re vivid, unsettling, and threatening. Alida fears that they’re also warnings. And that it’s the Fairchilds who may need rescue from a bad, bad world.
Alida will do anything to help those she now holds nearest and dearest. Empowered with a purpose to vanquish evil, she will not fail her family.
381 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 20, 2026
1890 people are currently reading
12267 people want to read
About the author
Dean Koontz
880 books39.9k followersAcknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
January 14, 2026
The Friend of the Family had an interesting idea but completely missed the mark for me.
This was less of a thriller and more of a slow, uncomfortable character study that never fully came together. I spent most of the book waiting for the story to actually start, only to finish it feeling confused, unsettled, and unsatisfied. The tension was subtle to the point of being frustrating, and the payoff didn’t feel worth the long buildup.
Instead of feeling suspenseful, it felt vague. Instead of feeling clever, it felt hollow. By the end, I wasn’t shocked…. I was just asking, “That’s it?”
If you enjoy extremely quiet psychological reads with minimal action and no clear sense of resolution, this might work for you. If you’re expecting a gripping Koontz thriller with momentum and payoff, this one may leave you disappointed.
Not for me.
This was less of a thriller and more of a slow, uncomfortable character study that never fully came together. I spent most of the book waiting for the story to actually start, only to finish it feeling confused, unsettled, and unsatisfied. The tension was subtle to the point of being frustrating, and the payoff didn’t feel worth the long buildup.
Instead of feeling suspenseful, it felt vague. Instead of feeling clever, it felt hollow. By the end, I wasn’t shocked…. I was just asking, “That’s it?”
If you enjoy extremely quiet psychological reads with minimal action and no clear sense of resolution, this might work for you. If you’re expecting a gripping Koontz thriller with momentum and payoff, this one may leave you disappointed.
Not for me.
dnf
January 27, 2026DNF. So corny it’s on the cob.
January 28, 2026
I'm a huge Koontz fan and it saddens me to give this only 3 stars. Great start, fantastic character building but dull plot. It seemed to be a bunch of great characters searching for a story... maybe next time.
January 7, 2026
This beautifully written story is told from Alida’s perspective and spans the years 1930 to 1944. Once an attraction in a travelling “freak” show, Alida has known nothing but exploitation, for the first 17 years of her life, her body displayed for profit while her love of books becomes her only escape.
When Franklin and Loretta Fairchild witness the cruelty she endures, they buy her freedom and take her into their home, renaming her Adiel and welcoming her as one of the family. What follows is a slow-paced but deeply moving story about healing, belonging, and kindness.
Set against the backdrop of Hollywood, speakeasies, the Great Depression, and Prohibition, the era is vividly brought to life, with delightful references to film stars of the time. The relationships within the Fairchild household, family and staff alike, are warm, protective, and filled with gentle humour.
Adiel’s journey of self-discovery is both heartbreaking and uplifting. As she begins to understand her own worth and purpose, the story becomes a quiet celebration of compassion in a harsh world.
A thoughtful, tender novel that reminds us that even in the darkest times, there are still good people.
When Franklin and Loretta Fairchild witness the cruelty she endures, they buy her freedom and take her into their home, renaming her Adiel and welcoming her as one of the family. What follows is a slow-paced but deeply moving story about healing, belonging, and kindness.
Set against the backdrop of Hollywood, speakeasies, the Great Depression, and Prohibition, the era is vividly brought to life, with delightful references to film stars of the time. The relationships within the Fairchild household, family and staff alike, are warm, protective, and filled with gentle humour.
Adiel’s journey of self-discovery is both heartbreaking and uplifting. As she begins to understand her own worth and purpose, the story becomes a quiet celebration of compassion in a harsh world.
A thoughtful, tender novel that reminds us that even in the darkest times, there are still good people.
January 24, 2026
Best-selling author Dean Koontz has had a writing career spanning six decades. During this time, he has crossed genres staying mainly in the horror, sci-fi, thriller realms. Over the past couple of decades, his writing and subject matter has taken a different turn with several titles that offer more introspective and character-driven stories and some of a highly spiritual nature.
THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY is a historical thriller with a keen sense of purpose in telling the story of an individual that was a true outcast by society’s standards who finds her place with a new family that she integrates into and uses her unique powers to protect and save them from potential dangers. The story opens in the year 1930 in the post-WWI America and towards the end of the Prohibition Era that changed the entire country, especially after the 1929 stock market crash and deep nationwide depression. We are introduced to the travelling circus and sideshow run by the man known as Captain Forest Farnam. The highlight of his show are the human oddities featured in his Museum of the Strange. It is there where we first meet our protagonist, the seventeen-year-old young woman named Alida.
I admired the fact that Koontz kept Alida’s specific oddity or deformity a secret until the latter part of the story, as it does have any bearing on the action to come. Readers will immediately feel for Alida in much the same way as anyone who heard the true stories of the infamous Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick, who was rescued from the cruel treatment he experienced as a sideshow ‘freak’ in Great Britain. In Alida’s situation, her rescuers are a famous Hollywood movie-making couple, Franklin and Loretta Fairchild, who personally witness her being abused during a live show and purchase her from Captain Farnam to give her a new life with them.
Farnam does not want to let go off Alida so easily, and she cannot rest easily until she sees how the Fairchild’s truly intended to adopt her and never allow her to return to the exploitation and degradation, she suffered with him. Alida immediately takes to the Fairchild’s three children, all younger than her, Isadora, Gertrude, and Harry. They are a dynamic and inquisitive trio who invite Alida into their self-made investigative club entitled The Clyde Tombaugh Club, named for the famous astronomer. They seek out adventures and mysteries that allow their active imaginations to run wild and Alida just loves them. She connects so well with the children that when their personal tutor leaves, the Fairchild’s give the job of teaching them to her.
Koontz infuses the novel with famous figures from this era in Hollywood history and I just loved it. To see interactions with such characters as Laurel and Hardy, Groucho Marx, Cary Grant, and Katherine Hepburn was indeed a treat! Time goes by quickly in the novel and we are taken beyond the end of Prohibition and eventually get to a point where both Alida and her young charges are all adults. During these spans of time, we get to experience the dreams and nightmares that trouble Alida, some of which seem to be predicative of potential terrors that might threaten the Fairchild family. Alida was so much more than the mere oddity she once was labelled as and exhibits special powers that will allow her to intervene when necessary to protect her adoptive family.
Keeping Alida’s deformity concealed until the last part of the novel was a clever and insightful move by Koontz and allows the reader to experience Alida as a person and not someone reduced to the differences that never really defined who she was. THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY is an interesting and uplifting character study during a special time in history that makes for a very entertaining read.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY is a historical thriller with a keen sense of purpose in telling the story of an individual that was a true outcast by society’s standards who finds her place with a new family that she integrates into and uses her unique powers to protect and save them from potential dangers. The story opens in the year 1930 in the post-WWI America and towards the end of the Prohibition Era that changed the entire country, especially after the 1929 stock market crash and deep nationwide depression. We are introduced to the travelling circus and sideshow run by the man known as Captain Forest Farnam. The highlight of his show are the human oddities featured in his Museum of the Strange. It is there where we first meet our protagonist, the seventeen-year-old young woman named Alida.
I admired the fact that Koontz kept Alida’s specific oddity or deformity a secret until the latter part of the story, as it does have any bearing on the action to come. Readers will immediately feel for Alida in much the same way as anyone who heard the true stories of the infamous Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick, who was rescued from the cruel treatment he experienced as a sideshow ‘freak’ in Great Britain. In Alida’s situation, her rescuers are a famous Hollywood movie-making couple, Franklin and Loretta Fairchild, who personally witness her being abused during a live show and purchase her from Captain Farnam to give her a new life with them.
Farnam does not want to let go off Alida so easily, and she cannot rest easily until she sees how the Fairchild’s truly intended to adopt her and never allow her to return to the exploitation and degradation, she suffered with him. Alida immediately takes to the Fairchild’s three children, all younger than her, Isadora, Gertrude, and Harry. They are a dynamic and inquisitive trio who invite Alida into their self-made investigative club entitled The Clyde Tombaugh Club, named for the famous astronomer. They seek out adventures and mysteries that allow their active imaginations to run wild and Alida just loves them. She connects so well with the children that when their personal tutor leaves, the Fairchild’s give the job of teaching them to her.
Koontz infuses the novel with famous figures from this era in Hollywood history and I just loved it. To see interactions with such characters as Laurel and Hardy, Groucho Marx, Cary Grant, and Katherine Hepburn was indeed a treat! Time goes by quickly in the novel and we are taken beyond the end of Prohibition and eventually get to a point where both Alida and her young charges are all adults. During these spans of time, we get to experience the dreams and nightmares that trouble Alida, some of which seem to be predicative of potential terrors that might threaten the Fairchild family. Alida was so much more than the mere oddity she once was labelled as and exhibits special powers that will allow her to intervene when necessary to protect her adoptive family.
Keeping Alida’s deformity concealed until the last part of the novel was a clever and insightful move by Koontz and allows the reader to experience Alida as a person and not someone reduced to the differences that never really defined who she was. THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY is an interesting and uplifting character study during a special time in history that makes for a very entertaining read.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
January 14, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing/Brilliance Audio for the ARC. This isn’t a typical Koontz and personally I wouldn’t label it thriller/horror as Goodreads has done. It follows the main character through her life and challenges.
January 18, 2026
It is only fairly recently I have been introduced to the quirky novels of Dean Koontz, this being the third I have read.
If you want to read something different, Koontz is definitely your man.
This tender novel is set in the US and written from the POV of a young girl who, when we meet her, is being exhibited near naked as a freak, both in a sideshow and also trailed around speakeasy clubs; the story being set in the 1930’s/40’s. One night a couple sees her and pays her ‘owner’ a large sum to buy her freedom.
She is taken in by her new found family and experiences love and belonging like she had never imagined could happen to her. She immediately gains two sisters and a brother who accept her immediately. Her new parents are rich and famous in the movie industry, regularly having big named actors to their home for dinner.
Changing her name from Alida to Adiel, the girl who does not know where she came from spends her life wondering what her purpose is, and also wondering whether the man who used to own her will come back into her life. We know she has a photographic memory but there are other things about her which are very unusual, and she has a very special gift.
It is a slow moving but engaging novel, very character driven and filled me with immense joy at the kindness of strangers. I didn’t know where the plot was going to go, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. The end had me in floods of tears, and was a real ‘wow’ revelation.
This one is destined for my forever shelf.
Huge thanks to Katrina at FMcM for my early copy of the book to read and review for the blog tour.
If you want to read something different, Koontz is definitely your man.
This tender novel is set in the US and written from the POV of a young girl who, when we meet her, is being exhibited near naked as a freak, both in a sideshow and also trailed around speakeasy clubs; the story being set in the 1930’s/40’s. One night a couple sees her and pays her ‘owner’ a large sum to buy her freedom.
She is taken in by her new found family and experiences love and belonging like she had never imagined could happen to her. She immediately gains two sisters and a brother who accept her immediately. Her new parents are rich and famous in the movie industry, regularly having big named actors to their home for dinner.
Changing her name from Alida to Adiel, the girl who does not know where she came from spends her life wondering what her purpose is, and also wondering whether the man who used to own her will come back into her life. We know she has a photographic memory but there are other things about her which are very unusual, and she has a very special gift.
It is a slow moving but engaging novel, very character driven and filled me with immense joy at the kindness of strangers. I didn’t know where the plot was going to go, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. The end had me in floods of tears, and was a real ‘wow’ revelation.
This one is destined for my forever shelf.
Huge thanks to Katrina at FMcM for my early copy of the book to read and review for the blog tour.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A girl rescued from a carnival sideshow finds herself at the center of something much bigger in The Friend of the Family by Dean Koontz. Alida’s journey from exploitation to belonging is grounded in warmth and humanity, even as an undercurrent of unease steadily grows. The Fairchild family offers love, safety, and acceptance, but Alida’s unsettling dreams suggest that her place with them may come with a higher cost.
This story leans into themes of family, sacrifice, and chosen love, blending tenderness with an ominous sense of purpose. Koontz builds tension quietly, letting emotion and moral weight drive the story rather than nonstop twists. It’s a thoughtful, heartfelt read.
Thank you to Dean Koontz and the publisher for the opportunity to read.
#TheFriendOfTheFamily #DeanKoontz #BookReview #ThrillerReads #SpeculativeFiction #FoundFamily #EmotionalReads #Goodreads #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #WhatImReading
This story leans into themes of family, sacrifice, and chosen love, blending tenderness with an ominous sense of purpose. Koontz builds tension quietly, letting emotion and moral weight drive the story rather than nonstop twists. It’s a thoughtful, heartfelt read.
Thank you to Dean Koontz and the publisher for the opportunity to read.
#TheFriendOfTheFamily #DeanKoontz #BookReview #ThrillerReads #SpeculativeFiction #FoundFamily #EmotionalReads #Goodreads #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #WhatImReading
January 22, 2026
I received an audio ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
I found this book boring and felt like nothing really happened. I honestly expected more Koontz in this time period. The biggest thing was being against Eugenics. But then the girl with disabilities had no purpose but to give herself for others, and that was rather crappy. Koontz tries to give a supernatural bent to it, but as someone with a disability, it just reads a inspiration porn.
The narrator was wonderful and fit perfectly with the story.
I found this book boring and felt like nothing really happened. I honestly expected more Koontz in this time period. The biggest thing was being against Eugenics. But then the girl with disabilities had no purpose but to give herself for others, and that was rather crappy. Koontz tries to give a supernatural bent to it, but as someone with a disability, it just reads a inspiration porn.
The narrator was wonderful and fit perfectly with the story.
January 25, 2026
I am a huge fan of the writing of Dean Koontz. This book is a treasure, the writing is exquisite and has a depth that should intimidate anyone who fancies themselves a writer. The strengths of the story are the wonderful history woven through the book, both of the movie industry of the ‘Golden Age’ and of the world of the 30’s and 40’s, and the characters. Alida, the protagonist, was a side show freak attraction from the age of four, rescued at seventeen and taken to live a protected life with the Fairchild family, wealthy movie tycoons. She could have been a study in pity, but never was, Alida is one of the strongest book characters I’ve ever encountered. The reader doesn’t learn the specifics of her deformities until the end, partly because the other characters, her family - parents Loretta and Franklin, sisters Isadora and Gertie, brother Harry and dog Rafael, don’t see the girl as a freak, but with a sense of wonder at her other gifts. The relationship among the siblings was magic, stretching over fourteen years, as the three youngest blossom and mature with the love and care of Alida, who never ages. In truth, this was not a story of a rich family that rescued a disabled and abused girl, but the mystical story of how a human oddity, special in so many ways, enriched her adoptive family with her love. As an aside, Mr. Koontz is a lover of Golden Retrievers(as I am) featured in so many of his books. Here the beloved dog is a German Shepherd, and he plays a central role in the story, almost a fifth child of the family. This is not an action book. There are villains and threats, but the family weathers them easily, drawing on their shared strength. It is instead a tale of how love and hope can survive hardship, as Alida, the freak who is so much more than a Friend of the Family, bestows her ultimate gift on the people she loves. I stayed up until four in the morning last night finishing this book, I loved it that much.
January 27, 2026
This book tore me up. I can't state enough how much i ioved it. I've always been a big Dean Koontz fan, but this one was something else. If I could give it 10 stars I would. It's that good. It's set in the early 1900's and follows a young girl who doesn't have the best start in life. She's an oddity of a traveling show. She was taken from her mom at birth and put on display until a couple rescued her when she was 17. The couple has no idea how truly special she is, but they welcome her into the family unconditionally. Rachel L Jacob is wonderful as the narrator. The does all the voices perfectly and doesn't sound like a girl deepening her voice to do the male characters.
Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Dean Koontz for the opportunity to listen to this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Dean Koontz for the opportunity to listen to this book.
January 26, 2026
Audiobook. Book 5 beautiful stars, narration 4 stars.
Oh my goodness. I could gush about this book. It's a different kind of novel than his "usual" - this is gothic magic realism set in the early days of Hollywood.
Bravo!
Oh my goodness. I could gush about this book. It's a different kind of novel than his "usual" - this is gothic magic realism set in the early days of Hollywood.
Bravo!
January 27, 2026
Alida is one of the human "oddities" in the Museum of the Strange. Franklin and Loretta Fairchild see her as a gifted and well-read girl in need of the love of her own family. They buy her out of her slavery to the awful Captain Farnam and adopt her into their family of three children. This book, while it does have a monster and evil in it, is more about love and acceptance.
January 26, 2026
The Friend of the Family
This was a really good story by my favorite author. It turned out the only way it really could. I couldn’t stop till the end.
This was a really good story by my favorite author. It turned out the only way it really could. I couldn’t stop till the end.
January 25, 2026
Bestselling author Dean Koontz’s career spans nearly 60 years. During this time, he has crossed genres while staying mainly in the horror, sci-fi and thriller realms. Over the past couple of decades, his writing and subject matter have taken a different turn with several titles that offer more introspective and character-driven stories, some of a highly spiritual nature.
THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY is a historical thriller with a keen sense of purpose in telling the story of an individual who was a true outcast by society’s standards. The book opens in 1930 during the Great Depression, and we are introduced to the traveling circus and sideshow run by Captain Forest Farnam. The highlights are the human oddities featured in the Museum of the Strange, where we meet our protagonist, 17-year-old Alida.
Readers immediately will feel for Alida in much the same way as anyone who heard the true stories of the infamous Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick, who was rescued from the cruel treatment he experienced as a sideshow “freak” in Great Britain. Alida’s saviors are a Hollywood movie-making couple, Franklin and Loretta Fairchild, who personally witness her being abused during a live show and purchase her from Farnam to give her a new life with them.
It’s difficult for Farnam to let go of Alida, and she can’t rest easily until she sees how the Fairchilds intend to adopt her and never allow her to return to the exploitation and degradation that she suffers with him. She immediately takes to their three children, all of whom are younger than her: Isadora, Gertrude and Harry. They are a dynamic and inquisitive trio who invite Alida into their self-made investigative club, the Clyde Tombaugh Club, which is named for the famous astronomer. They seek out adventures and mysteries that allow their active imaginations to run wild. Alida connects so well with them that when their personal tutor leaves, the Fairchilds give the job of teaching them to her.
Koontz infuses the novel with famous figures from this era in Hollywood history. Seeing interactions with celebrities like Laurel and Hardy, Groucho Marx, Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn was such a treat. Time goes by quickly here, and we are taken beyond the end of Prohibition and eventually reach a point where Alida and her young charges are adults. During these spans of time, we get to experience the dreams and nightmares that trouble Alida, some of which seem to be indicative of potential terrors that might threaten the Fairchilds. Alida is so much more than the mere oddity she once was labeled as and exhibits certain powers that will allow her to intervene when necessary to protect her adoptive family.
Keeping Alida’s deformity concealed until the last part of the novel is a clever and insightful move by Koontz as it allows readers to experience Alida as a person and not someone reduced to the differences that never really defined who she was. THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY is an interesting and uplifting character study during a special time in history that makes for quite the entertaining read.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY is a historical thriller with a keen sense of purpose in telling the story of an individual who was a true outcast by society’s standards. The book opens in 1930 during the Great Depression, and we are introduced to the traveling circus and sideshow run by Captain Forest Farnam. The highlights are the human oddities featured in the Museum of the Strange, where we meet our protagonist, 17-year-old Alida.
Readers immediately will feel for Alida in much the same way as anyone who heard the true stories of the infamous Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick, who was rescued from the cruel treatment he experienced as a sideshow “freak” in Great Britain. Alida’s saviors are a Hollywood movie-making couple, Franklin and Loretta Fairchild, who personally witness her being abused during a live show and purchase her from Farnam to give her a new life with them.
It’s difficult for Farnam to let go of Alida, and she can’t rest easily until she sees how the Fairchilds intend to adopt her and never allow her to return to the exploitation and degradation that she suffers with him. She immediately takes to their three children, all of whom are younger than her: Isadora, Gertrude and Harry. They are a dynamic and inquisitive trio who invite Alida into their self-made investigative club, the Clyde Tombaugh Club, which is named for the famous astronomer. They seek out adventures and mysteries that allow their active imaginations to run wild. Alida connects so well with them that when their personal tutor leaves, the Fairchilds give the job of teaching them to her.
Koontz infuses the novel with famous figures from this era in Hollywood history. Seeing interactions with celebrities like Laurel and Hardy, Groucho Marx, Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn was such a treat. Time goes by quickly here, and we are taken beyond the end of Prohibition and eventually reach a point where Alida and her young charges are adults. During these spans of time, we get to experience the dreams and nightmares that trouble Alida, some of which seem to be indicative of potential terrors that might threaten the Fairchilds. Alida is so much more than the mere oddity she once was labeled as and exhibits certain powers that will allow her to intervene when necessary to protect her adoptive family.
Keeping Alida’s deformity concealed until the last part of the novel is a clever and insightful move by Koontz as it allows readers to experience Alida as a person and not someone reduced to the differences that never really defined who she was. THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY is an interesting and uplifting character study during a special time in history that makes for quite the entertaining read.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Koontz opens the novel with the line: “Every life is meaningful. Every life has the potential to lift others by example.” And about a quarter of the way into the story, Alita reflects:
“The only way to lift ourselves is by lifting others, and fulfilling that truth is the work of a lifetime.”
Together, these quotes perfectly capture the heart of The Friend of the Family.
Listening to this novel as an audiobook makes its message feel even more intimate. This is a story about dignity, compassion, and the quiet power of kindness, set against the bleak backdrop of the 1930s Great Depression.
The novel follows a young narrator who grows up as a captive attraction in Captain Farnham’s traveling show of human “wonders.” Unlike the other performers, who have contracts and homes to return to, she is owned. Exploited from childhood and denied even a proper name, she survives through intelligence, moral clarity, and above all, books. Literature becomes her refuge and her reason to live. Dickens, Thackeray, Fitzgerald, and other authors shape her understanding of purpose, suffering, and belonging. It feels like a homage not only to compassion, but also to readers and the saving power of books themselves.
The audiobook format enhances this deeply interior story. Rachel L. Jacobs’ narration is calm, melodic, and emotionally grounded. Her voice conveys both the vulnerability of the narrator’s early years and the steady growth of inner strength that follows. The cruelty of the speakeasy performances, the humiliation of public spectacle, and the rare moments of tenderness all land with greater impact when heard.
Hope enters the story through Franklin and Loretta Fairchild, a creative and morally grounded couple who refuse to accept human exploitation as entertainment. Loretta’s fierce sense of justice and Franklin’s quiet resolve mark a turning point in the novel. Their kindness does not erase trauma, but it creates the conditions for healing, growth, and selfhood.
Koontz balances dark subject matter with warmth and humour, particularly through the Fairchild’s, and avoids cynicism in favour of earned optimism. While Captain Farnham is a fairly one-dimensional villain, he serves his purpose as a symbol of greed and moral emptiness.
Setting the novel in the 1930s feels especially fitting, as our own world increasingly echoes that era’s uncertainty, inequality, and moral testing. Rachel L. Jacobs’ narration reinforces the sense that kindness still exists, that empathy still matters, and that hope, fragile though it may be, remains eternal.
The Friend of the Family is a humane, thoughtful audiobook that lingers long after the final chapter.
Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. 4.5 #pudseyrecommends
“The only way to lift ourselves is by lifting others, and fulfilling that truth is the work of a lifetime.”
Together, these quotes perfectly capture the heart of The Friend of the Family.
Listening to this novel as an audiobook makes its message feel even more intimate. This is a story about dignity, compassion, and the quiet power of kindness, set against the bleak backdrop of the 1930s Great Depression.
The novel follows a young narrator who grows up as a captive attraction in Captain Farnham’s traveling show of human “wonders.” Unlike the other performers, who have contracts and homes to return to, she is owned. Exploited from childhood and denied even a proper name, she survives through intelligence, moral clarity, and above all, books. Literature becomes her refuge and her reason to live. Dickens, Thackeray, Fitzgerald, and other authors shape her understanding of purpose, suffering, and belonging. It feels like a homage not only to compassion, but also to readers and the saving power of books themselves.
The audiobook format enhances this deeply interior story. Rachel L. Jacobs’ narration is calm, melodic, and emotionally grounded. Her voice conveys both the vulnerability of the narrator’s early years and the steady growth of inner strength that follows. The cruelty of the speakeasy performances, the humiliation of public spectacle, and the rare moments of tenderness all land with greater impact when heard.
Hope enters the story through Franklin and Loretta Fairchild, a creative and morally grounded couple who refuse to accept human exploitation as entertainment. Loretta’s fierce sense of justice and Franklin’s quiet resolve mark a turning point in the novel. Their kindness does not erase trauma, but it creates the conditions for healing, growth, and selfhood.
Koontz balances dark subject matter with warmth and humour, particularly through the Fairchild’s, and avoids cynicism in favour of earned optimism. While Captain Farnham is a fairly one-dimensional villain, he serves his purpose as a symbol of greed and moral emptiness.
Setting the novel in the 1930s feels especially fitting, as our own world increasingly echoes that era’s uncertainty, inequality, and moral testing. Rachel L. Jacobs’ narration reinforces the sense that kindness still exists, that empathy still matters, and that hope, fragile though it may be, remains eternal.
The Friend of the Family is a humane, thoughtful audiobook that lingers long after the final chapter.
Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. 4.5 #pudseyrecommends
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review
Alida has been one of the human “oddities” in the Museum of the Strange for as long as she can remember. According to Captain, who runs the traveling sideshow, he bought her from her mother. But if anyone ever asks, he claims he is related to her. Alida doesn't dispute, because... what is the point? It isn't like she could ever have a life outside the show. It has been drilled into her that she is a freak, a monstrosity, something repulsive to gaze upon. So she sits on the stage, mostly unclothed and lets people gape at her....then Captain will buy (actually no, steal) her some books to read on the road to the next stop. That is the one thing that keeps her going - books. One night, as she was being poked fun at by the comedian that was performing that night at a club, a couple by the name of Franklin and Loretta Fairchild happen to be in the audience. They are horrified by the cruelty of the act, and the way Alida is mistreatead. So they go backstage and offer an exorbitant sum for Alida, to buy her from Captain, who reluctantly agrees. From that day on Alida is one of the family. She is treated just like all of the other Fairchild siblings, given the same privileges, and she lives a life she never could have dreamed of. She loves her new family, and vows to always protect them. When she begins having terrible dreams that make no sense, she knows only that she must remain vigilant. Because she knows something is out there and coming for her family.....and she must be ready when it arrives.
I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator did an excellent job making the book come to life. I loved that it started out during the depression era and continued on through the age of swing music & WWI. Alida was 17 when she went to live with the Fairchilds, and so she was the oldest of the Fairchild siblings. She watched the other three grow up, choose career paths and flourish. Alida never felt she had much of a purpose, until she discovered a special gift she possessed. She used that gift to help almost every member of the family, and it cost her dearly, but to her, it was worth it. Towards the end of the book, her visions did come true, and the family had to band together to deal with the threat. This book wasn't scary or creepy like the author's earlier books, but had a more tender and although heartbreaking at times, uplifting tone to it.
Alida has been one of the human “oddities” in the Museum of the Strange for as long as she can remember. According to Captain, who runs the traveling sideshow, he bought her from her mother. But if anyone ever asks, he claims he is related to her. Alida doesn't dispute, because... what is the point? It isn't like she could ever have a life outside the show. It has been drilled into her that she is a freak, a monstrosity, something repulsive to gaze upon. So she sits on the stage, mostly unclothed and lets people gape at her....then Captain will buy (actually no, steal) her some books to read on the road to the next stop. That is the one thing that keeps her going - books. One night, as she was being poked fun at by the comedian that was performing that night at a club, a couple by the name of Franklin and Loretta Fairchild happen to be in the audience. They are horrified by the cruelty of the act, and the way Alida is mistreatead. So they go backstage and offer an exorbitant sum for Alida, to buy her from Captain, who reluctantly agrees. From that day on Alida is one of the family. She is treated just like all of the other Fairchild siblings, given the same privileges, and she lives a life she never could have dreamed of. She loves her new family, and vows to always protect them. When she begins having terrible dreams that make no sense, she knows only that she must remain vigilant. Because she knows something is out there and coming for her family.....and she must be ready when it arrives.
I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator did an excellent job making the book come to life. I loved that it started out during the depression era and continued on through the age of swing music & WWI. Alida was 17 when she went to live with the Fairchilds, and so she was the oldest of the Fairchild siblings. She watched the other three grow up, choose career paths and flourish. Alida never felt she had much of a purpose, until she discovered a special gift she possessed. She used that gift to help almost every member of the family, and it cost her dearly, but to her, it was worth it. Towards the end of the book, her visions did come true, and the family had to band together to deal with the threat. This book wasn't scary or creepy like the author's earlier books, but had a more tender and although heartbreaking at times, uplifting tone to it.
January 20, 2026
Meet Alida: Dean Koontz’s Odd but Endearing Friend of the Family
In his latest novel, The Friend of the Family, Dean Koontz returns to the carnival world for inspiration, a setting he used to great effect in The Funhouse (1980) and Twilight Eyes (1985). Koontz’s fascination with traveling carnivals dates to his childhood, when he lived near the county fairgrounds and dreamed of running away with the circus to escape his traumatic family life. In writing The Funhouse—a screenplay-to-novel adaptation that Koontz wrote under a pen name to avoid being labeled a horror novelist before he became a bestselling author—and even more so in Twilight Eyes, Koontz drew on his knowledge of the carnival subculture to portray the midway’s eccentrics with uncanny authenticity.
It’s 1930 when we meet seventeen-year-old Alida, the heroine of The Friend of the Family. Prohibition is in full force, the Great Depression looms around the corner, and Alida is being exploited for her physical deformities. She’s the main attraction in a traveling carnival’s ten-in-one freak show run by the domineering huckster Forest Farnam. Referring to himself as “Captain,” even though “he had never been a captain of anything,” Captain Farnam claims that Alida’s mother was his sister and that he adopted Alida from her at age two, with legal documents to prove it. Although Koontz keeps the reader in suspense about Alida’s birth defects until the very end, we learn early on that her beautiful face is offset by features in her torso and extremities so grotesque that she conceals them under shapeless clothes and gloves.
Alida is such a profitable draw that Captain takes her on the road during the carnival offseason, where he puts her on display in humiliating speakeasy stage shows. Highly intelligent, a prodigious reader, and blessed with a photographic memory, Alida relies on literary escapism to substitute for what others experience firsthand, and she can recall every line from her favorite book, A Tale of Two Cities. After being heckled during a performance in San Diego’s Gaslamp District and suffering from severe depression, Alida’s fortune takes an unexpected turn.
See the rest of my review on the Aspects of Crime website: https://aspectsofcrime.com/the-friend...
In his latest novel, The Friend of the Family, Dean Koontz returns to the carnival world for inspiration, a setting he used to great effect in The Funhouse (1980) and Twilight Eyes (1985). Koontz’s fascination with traveling carnivals dates to his childhood, when he lived near the county fairgrounds and dreamed of running away with the circus to escape his traumatic family life. In writing The Funhouse—a screenplay-to-novel adaptation that Koontz wrote under a pen name to avoid being labeled a horror novelist before he became a bestselling author—and even more so in Twilight Eyes, Koontz drew on his knowledge of the carnival subculture to portray the midway’s eccentrics with uncanny authenticity.
It’s 1930 when we meet seventeen-year-old Alida, the heroine of The Friend of the Family. Prohibition is in full force, the Great Depression looms around the corner, and Alida is being exploited for her physical deformities. She’s the main attraction in a traveling carnival’s ten-in-one freak show run by the domineering huckster Forest Farnam. Referring to himself as “Captain,” even though “he had never been a captain of anything,” Captain Farnam claims that Alida’s mother was his sister and that he adopted Alida from her at age two, with legal documents to prove it. Although Koontz keeps the reader in suspense about Alida’s birth defects until the very end, we learn early on that her beautiful face is offset by features in her torso and extremities so grotesque that she conceals them under shapeless clothes and gloves.
Alida is such a profitable draw that Captain takes her on the road during the carnival offseason, where he puts her on display in humiliating speakeasy stage shows. Highly intelligent, a prodigious reader, and blessed with a photographic memory, Alida relies on literary escapism to substitute for what others experience firsthand, and she can recall every line from her favorite book, A Tale of Two Cities. After being heckled during a performance in San Diego’s Gaslamp District and suffering from severe depression, Alida’s fortune takes an unexpected turn.
See the rest of my review on the Aspects of Crime website: https://aspectsofcrime.com/the-friend...
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I was introduced to Dean Koontz and his quirky books a couple of years ago, and I thought they wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I must say I'm always pleasantly surprised by how drawn in I get to these stories.
The Friend of the Family is my favourite one so far.
Set in the years between the two World Wars, the story is told from the perspective of Alide, a young woman who is discovered by the showbiz couple Franklin and Loretta Fairchild at a speakeasy one night.
Alide is an attraction in one of those travelling 'freak' shows. Born with an unfortunate disability, her 'owner' takes advantage of her, treating her as a commodity rather than a human.
The couple are horrified, and something spurs them on to take Alide under their wing, adopting her and giving her all the love and family she has missed out on from her younger years.
Alide becomes Adiel and is surrounded by people who either don't know the full extent of her disability or don't care. She flourishes, supporting her new family in so many ways over the years as she begins to understand her own reason for being in this world.
I was so emotionally invested in this story, wanting our Alide/Adeil to be accepted for the amazing person she is, and I did cry at the end, I will admit. The entire tale is beautifully crafted, and really shows that there are some amazing people out there in this world, alongside the awful ones, and that we shouldn't give up hope, ever.
The Friend of the Family is my favourite one so far.
Set in the years between the two World Wars, the story is told from the perspective of Alide, a young woman who is discovered by the showbiz couple Franklin and Loretta Fairchild at a speakeasy one night.
Alide is an attraction in one of those travelling 'freak' shows. Born with an unfortunate disability, her 'owner' takes advantage of her, treating her as a commodity rather than a human.
The couple are horrified, and something spurs them on to take Alide under their wing, adopting her and giving her all the love and family she has missed out on from her younger years.
Alide becomes Adiel and is surrounded by people who either don't know the full extent of her disability or don't care. She flourishes, supporting her new family in so many ways over the years as she begins to understand her own reason for being in this world.
I was so emotionally invested in this story, wanting our Alide/Adeil to be accepted for the amazing person she is, and I did cry at the end, I will admit. The entire tale is beautifully crafted, and really shows that there are some amazing people out there in this world, alongside the awful ones, and that we shouldn't give up hope, ever.
January 24, 2026
I've read every book Dean Koontz has written in the last 30 years. This one kept me reading, as they all do, but it's not anywhere near the top of my list (One Door Away from Heaven) for Koontz.
The dialog among the Fairchild family members was snappy and entertaining, and the overall story was pretty good.
I saw two problems with this book. One, the first 17 years of Alida's life in the traveling carnival could have been shown in much more detail. This was telling, instead of showing, something that Koontz doesn't often do. The second problem was in the resolution to the attack on the Fairchild family in their home. It came too fast and much too easily--Harry firing seven shots through the bedroom door to kill the assailant before readers even got a chance to "see" him.
The story was heartwarming in its depiction of the Fairchild's family life. The ending was a tear-jerker, but satisfying in an odd, paranormal way.
The dialog among the Fairchild family members was snappy and entertaining, and the overall story was pretty good.
I saw two problems with this book. One, the first 17 years of Alida's life in the traveling carnival could have been shown in much more detail. This was telling, instead of showing, something that Koontz doesn't often do. The second problem was in the resolution to the attack on the Fairchild family in their home. It came too fast and much too easily--Harry firing seven shots through the bedroom door to kill the assailant before readers even got a chance to "see" him.
The story was heartwarming in its depiction of the Fairchild's family life. The ending was a tear-jerker, but satisfying in an odd, paranormal way.
January 27, 2026
Though disturbing in a variety of ways, this story was beautiful, spiritual and uplifting.
Alida is cast as a freak and used and abused as such in a show where disgusting customers can laugh and hiss at her. Her 'master' loves the spectacle, therefore the money, it makes for him.
One day, she is rescued by a sympathetic pair...
I loved the interactions between Alida and the family and the family with each other. The characters are well-drawn and developed with huge hearts and compassion. There are subplots which go towards Alida's 'purpose' as she struggles to work out what that is.
There are threats outside her haven, while Alida's inner turmoil shows her odd things.
It's written in the first-person narrative, so giving depth to the story - into her mind and motives.
It's sad yet inspiring, with that touch of mystery and wonder that comes with the majority of this author's work.
Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended.
Alida is cast as a freak and used and abused as such in a show where disgusting customers can laugh and hiss at her. Her 'master' loves the spectacle, therefore the money, it makes for him.
One day, she is rescued by a sympathetic pair...
I loved the interactions between Alida and the family and the family with each other. The characters are well-drawn and developed with huge hearts and compassion. There are subplots which go towards Alida's 'purpose' as she struggles to work out what that is.
There are threats outside her haven, while Alida's inner turmoil shows her odd things.
It's written in the first-person narrative, so giving depth to the story - into her mind and motives.
It's sad yet inspiring, with that touch of mystery and wonder that comes with the majority of this author's work.
Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended.
January 12, 2026
I thought I knew what to expect in a Koontz novel, but I have been (very rudely I might add) corrected
The last 30 minutes of this story will have you crying dramatically and without shame (if you have a heart)
There is a lack of the typical jaw dropping twists and terrifying suspense, but that doesn’t mean the story doesn’t hit just as hard, except in a different way (((Think Odd Thomas)))
I was so drawn in to the life of these characters
You’re made to feel part of the Fairchild family and what they feel, you feel too!
Such a beautiful story about found/chosen family and being accepted for who you are.
I was blessed to listen to the audio of this novel and the narrator did a superb job with all of the character voices!!
Lines were delivered both flawlessly and beautifully ❤️
I will definitely be grabbing the hardback when this book releases
The last 30 minutes of this story will have you crying dramatically and without shame (if you have a heart)
There is a lack of the typical jaw dropping twists and terrifying suspense, but that doesn’t mean the story doesn’t hit just as hard, except in a different way (((Think Odd Thomas)))
I was so drawn in to the life of these characters
You’re made to feel part of the Fairchild family and what they feel, you feel too!
Such a beautiful story about found/chosen family and being accepted for who you are.
I was blessed to listen to the audio of this novel and the narrator did a superb job with all of the character voices!!
Lines were delivered both flawlessly and beautifully ❤️
I will definitely be grabbing the hardback when this book releases
January 26, 2026
When Franklin and Loretta meet Alida they know they need to do something for her. Alida gets to know the two well and grows up with their children but knows she is completely different from them becuase of her background. See Alida is different and was the star attraction for a museum of oddities that travelled the world. There is a lot going on for Alida and she does not understand everything and when something bad happens has she put this loving families lives at risk. I found it an odd and thought provoking read, it deals with sacrifices and being a family unit. There is spiritual love in the book too, it was a story that I wasn’t sure if I would like or not and I still not sure how I feel about it.
January 21, 2026
Not a typical Koontz
This is not your typical Koontz. Yes, there is a bit of the macabre to it, but the writing style is very different. Related in first person by a young woman, it reads like a romance novel written in the 1800s. There is love, tears, joy, fear, laughter and pain. Young Adile is rescued from life as a carnival oddity by a couple who transform her life by adding b her to their family of five. Addie becomes their third daughter in all but blood. Her story of the next few decades is a wonder.
I only gave four stars because it gets draggy in the middle and is rather anticlimactic at times. However, it is worth reading. It is a Koontz, after all.
This is not your typical Koontz. Yes, there is a bit of the macabre to it, but the writing style is very different. Related in first person by a young woman, it reads like a romance novel written in the 1800s. There is love, tears, joy, fear, laughter and pain. Young Adile is rescued from life as a carnival oddity by a couple who transform her life by adding b her to their family of five. Addie becomes their third daughter in all but blood. Her story of the next few decades is a wonder.
I only gave four stars because it gets draggy in the middle and is rather anticlimactic at times. However, it is worth reading. It is a Koontz, after all.
January 23, 2026
Alida is the centerpiece of a carnival sideshow, exploited by her owner, Captain Farnam -- until she crosses paths with the Fairchilds, Franklin and Loretta, filmmakers who see beyond Alida's disfigured body to the smart girl underneath. They secure Alida's freedom from her exploitative environment, bring her home to their family of three, and eventually adopt her. But Alida wonders about her place in this world so radically different from what she has known. And the nefarious Captain is lurking. -- This is a remarkable and engrossing novel about the power of love, grace, and personal transformation. It is deeply moving and highly recommended.
January 28, 2026
Absolutely perfect
Dean Koontz has been my favorite author for most of my adult life. This book was probably the best thing he ever had written and that is quite a statement. He has written so many unbelievable stories over the years. I am a fan of many writers since as a young child the highlight of the school year was the SBS order 2 times a year when my mother would give me 5 dollars for the book order. Back then a book was 10-25 cents and allowed me to get quite a haul. He is my hero and I hope he keeps writing new books forever. I'm anxiously awaiting the next one.
Dean Koontz has been my favorite author for most of my adult life. This book was probably the best thing he ever had written and that is quite a statement. He has written so many unbelievable stories over the years. I am a fan of many writers since as a young child the highlight of the school year was the SBS order 2 times a year when my mother would give me 5 dollars for the book order. Back then a book was 10-25 cents and allowed me to get quite a haul. He is my hero and I hope he keeps writing new books forever. I'm anxiously awaiting the next one.
January 28, 2026
This story is set in The Great Depression in 1930 in America.
All poor Alida has known is a life of being in a travelling carnival, a *Freak Show* of the time.
She's not known love or what being a normal 17 year old is, she's just used to performing and being put on display for strangers viewing pleasure.
What follows is a haunting story of healing and redemption as Alida finally finds her place in the world and learns to know what it feels like to be loved and wanted.
I really enjoyed this story as I love found family stories so much, I loved the real life names that i spotted in this book too.
All poor Alida has known is a life of being in a travelling carnival, a *Freak Show* of the time.
She's not known love or what being a normal 17 year old is, she's just used to performing and being put on display for strangers viewing pleasure.
What follows is a haunting story of healing and redemption as Alida finally finds her place in the world and learns to know what it feels like to be loved and wanted.
I really enjoyed this story as I love found family stories so much, I loved the real life names that i spotted in this book too.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Not your typical Koontz story. This was more of a historical fiction with some magical realism. This is the story of Alisa, a member of the traveling carnival / freak show. Alida is rescued from the freak show by a wealthy couple. The story follows her life and how she was treated before and after her rescue, and how she bonds with her new family. Her journey of acceptance and love. This was quite different but very enjoyable.
Rachel L Jacobs was an excellent narrator.
Thank you Brilliance Publishing for the complimentary review copy.
Rachel L Jacobs was an excellent narrator.
Thank you Brilliance Publishing for the complimentary review copy.
January 25, 2026
This book left me emotionally devastated. I cried for the entirety of the last 50 or so pages and afterwards.
The character of Alida will be one of Koontz’ more loved characters; she is a strong 17 yr old, who despite a traumatic past is so giving, loving, and devoted to her new family.
The book isn’t as violent or brutal as some of Koontz’ titles. He’s gotten a bit more spiritual in his senior years. Still, here we have present the ever horrid reality of humanity and its darkness, the cruelty, evil, and greed of man.
This is a heartfelt story, reminding me of One Door Away from Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, and to a degree other Koontz’ works from the early 2000s.
There’s plenty of suspense woven into this —found family— coming of age— tale of good v evil.
The character of Alida will be one of Koontz’ more loved characters; she is a strong 17 yr old, who despite a traumatic past is so giving, loving, and devoted to her new family.
The book isn’t as violent or brutal as some of Koontz’ titles. He’s gotten a bit more spiritual in his senior years. Still, here we have present the ever horrid reality of humanity and its darkness, the cruelty, evil, and greed of man.
This is a heartfelt story, reminding me of One Door Away from Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, and to a degree other Koontz’ works from the early 2000s.
There’s plenty of suspense woven into this —found family— coming of age— tale of good v evil.
January 25, 2026
I wish I could give it 10 stars 💕
I began reading this book as I do all Koontz's novels, expecting much pleasure with a good read. This story - its premise - the characters - all come together in a story of hope, compassion, and love that will hold you entranced as you view Adiel's life through her eyes.
I have read all of Koontz's novels and have found some to be emotionally touching but I found myself sobbing by the end of Adiel's story. This book will definitely touch your heart.
I began reading this book as I do all Koontz's novels, expecting much pleasure with a good read. This story - its premise - the characters - all come together in a story of hope, compassion, and love that will hold you entranced as you view Adiel's life through her eyes.
I have read all of Koontz's novels and have found some to be emotionally touching but I found myself sobbing by the end of Adiel's story. This book will definitely touch your heart.
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