I really enjoyed this psychological thriller and all of the intricate twists and turns. The chapters are short and told in the present, the past, and a podcast. This made it a very interesting reading experience and kept the pace moving. The characters are intriguing and drew me into the story right from the beginning. I couldn't put this one down!

Thank you NetGalley and Mindy’s Book Studio for the advanced copy of this book. I have not read anything by this author before but this was thrilling. I enjoyed the podcast true crime, even though the hosts were annoying. I liked the shift in perspective for Dunia from her childhood to her adulthood to the podcast. I really enjoyed this book. The cultural elements were interesting as well.

3.5 stars
Potentially more after I listen to the audiobook. Updates to come


So far I have loved everything the Mindy Studio publishes. I also just LOVE LOVE LOVE MIndy Kaling so yes, I am definitely bias.

This is the first book that I thought was just alright. I was most invested in the podcast portion of the book as I really think it works well for mystery thrillers! Especially when done via audiobook as it literally is like you are listening to a podcast.

To me, the pacing was just a bit off, some parts were really a slog, but I would say this was not what I was expecting and I think people should go in blind reading this. I also think this might work better for me as an audiobook so I will avoid posting my review to goodreads until I listen to the audiobook.

A podcast has started to investigate the disappearance of Dubus Ahmed. Dubus was an average New Yorker, daughter of immigrants, and pharmacist. Until one day she is attacked on the subway and it kicks off people trying to kill her.

Wow this one turned out to be something completely different than what I expected. I would avoid spoilers and reviews (don’t worry you can read mine; it’ll be vague). I liked how it evolved and her past history was intriguing as it was slowly revealed.

“Great, now my childhood monsters had become grown-up ones.”

Almost Surely Dead comes out 2/6.

This was such a heartfelt and interesting read for me. I’ve never read a book with this type of concept, so it was definitely intriguing. It felt a bit slow and repetitive at times, and some of the writing came off as a bit juvenile, but I loved the format of podcast transcripts being included. I felt so deeply for the main character and I didn’t want to put it down. A quick and enjoyable read!

The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, Dunia Ahmed was a successful pharmacist living a reasonably normal - if not entirely easy - life while coming to terms with the death of her mother and a bitter disappointment in her lovelife.

But then, things went completely off the rails when an attempt was made on her life. While this was initially considered to have been a random crime, it was followed by further attempts to kill her. This, even after the person suspected of making the initial attempt had been taken into custody. So who was actually responsible?

The traumas of her early childhood and memories of her sleepwalking habits at the time returned to haunt Dunia. And unfortunately, she began to succumb to cultural superstitions, becoming convinced that there was more to what was happening than logic could explain.

Then she disappeared.

And now, people are wearing T-shirts with her name on it. Because in this media-obsessed age, Dunia's case drew public attention after it was featured in a true crime podcast. Yet nobody seems to know how (and where) Dunia herself is, though it is believed that she is almost surely dead...

This was an interesting story with an original premise. Creepy and compelling, it holds the readers interest throughout. While South Asian readers will be familiar with the folklore elements contained in the book, it should be interesting for western readers to be introduced to such legends and lore.

This is a genre-crossing novel, and will be enjoyed by those who like psychological thrillers and multicultural and folklore elements. It gets 3.5 stars.

This book had me at paragraph one. I was so excited about the set up, and then it honestly just fell flat.
I felt like this story had so much potential and as much as I enjoyed the folklore from another culture, the supernatural aspect just didn’t do it for me.
I still think this book is a page turning totally unique thriller. I enjoyed it. I guess I just had higher hopes for the ending. 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Thanks to Mindys Book Studio, Amazon Publishing, and NetGalley for this copy of "Almost Surely Dead."

Wow - what a phenomenal book - so unusual, thrilling, creepy, suspenseful, and compulsively page-turning!

It had so many elements that I enjoy in books:
-supernatural creepiness
-weird stuff that happened with Dunia was a kid so was she haunted or not?
-podcast interviews that frame the story as it progresses and give us teasers of what's going to happen
-but alternating with Dunia's telling of the story

Dunia is nearly pushed onto the subway tracks, but in a shocking twist, her attacker jumps in front of the train instead. (This all happens in the first few pages, so not a spoiler!) After that, weird stuff keeps happening to her - including a few more near-misses that the police can’t seem to figure out. Dunia has to take matters into her own hands and fight for her life, revisiting strange happenings and folklore from her childhood to try to make sense of what’s happening to her.

I didn’t know much about jinn, other than that they appear in some Middle Eastern folklore, but after reading this, I’m very curious to learn more. I loved the creativity and complexity of this story, although there were a few things that made me raise my eyebrows. Some of the dialogue was a little stilted, and I found the podcast transcripts to be exaggerated and cheesy (though this seemed intentional and definitely made its point). Ultimately, this was a quick and engaging and fun read that I would recommend to anyone who likes a touch of the supernatural in their mystery/thrillers.

This book follows Dunia, a woman in new York who had a bad childhood. She was always sleepwalking and being punished. The sleepwalking stopped for a while but when her mother dies, strange things start happening. When she has a near death experience and people around her start dying, she starts to question her sanity and wonders if she’s being haunted or what is going on. What unfolds is an interesting mystery thriller with a bit of horror that explores family dynamics, friendships, and culture.

I liked this book! It was an interesting read and it kept me engaged the whole time. I kept wondering if things were actually supernatural or what was going on. We explore some Asian folklore and culture. It was very interesting because it’s not something I’m super familiar with.

There was a podcast element in here and I always enjoy that in books. We also had flashbacks from when Dunia was a child. The different formats and chapters kept things flowing and I read this book super quick. I enjoyed the different family dynamics and friendships explored in here. It definitely got very deep and dark with family and Dunia went through so much as a child.

The mystery itself kept getting deeper and more complex as the story went on. It was fun to try and figure out what was actually going on. I did figure out a few twists on my own before they were revealed, but I don’t think it took away from my reading experience.

My biggest complaint is the ending. I hate when books don’t end strong and I feel like this one didn’t. It ended on a cliffhanger and that annoyed me a bit. I also feel like some of the family stuff was dismissed too quick. There’s no way I’d be like “oh I understand” after everything that Dunia went through because of her mom. Something about that just annoyed me a bit.

Overall, this was a unique story and it kept me interested! I would recommend widely. Thanks so much to netgalley and Mindys book studio for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Almost Surely Dead opens with Dunia being attacked on a subway platform by a strange man. As Dunia tries to return to her daily life, multiple attempts are made on her life, far too coincidental to be anything but a pattern. Told in flashbacks, present day and podcast transcripts, the story slowly unveils - who wants Dunia dead?

This was a great mix of psychological thriller mixed with the paranormal, based on Pakistani- Muslim beliefs. I also really enjoyed the way the author wove through family drama- which seamlessly played upon the spiritual. I was really engrossed and finished it in one sitting. The ending felt a little bit flat for me- I would have loved the story to have continued a little longer. But I think this is a testament to just how mesmerised I was with the story.

This was a unique read to me, and the way the story was revealed through various twists and turns really had me doubting what was true and not. I have a really low tolerance for horror, but found this just the perfect blend of spooky - enough to keep you on edge, but able to turn out the lights.

4.5 stars rounded up- one to add to your TBR! I really look forward to doing on to read the author’s other works.

Thank you Mindy’s Book Studio and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

You know what they say, once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, three is a pattern, so when pharmacist Dunia Ahmed is almost murdered three different times, she and the reader know there is something very, very dark going on. The mix of true crime and the supernatural promised a rollercoaster of a story, but unfortunately the characters are not well written and once I stop caring about what happens to our MC, the book really goes nowhere. As a seasoned D&D player, I loved the idea of a Jinn being part of the story - I even made our entire game group lose their shit when I nicknamed a Jinn we had to find at the local motel, the "Jinn in an Inn" - but when you realize Dunia hasn't grown up since the chapters told from her five-year-old POV. She's still passive, taking all sorts of crap from her family, going along with things she doesn't want to do, etc. and her inner thoughts are those of a tween. There is a true crime podcast with two obnoxious hosts who seek fame and glory by finding Dunia, who by now has been missing for over a year, but the level of detail the guests, who include Dunia's friends and the police detective in the case, share on this podcast, is ludicrous. All in all, this is a very unsatisfying story with an unsatisfying ending.

Almost Surely Dead exceeded my expectations with a fun and thrilling read.

Dunia Ahmed has lived an ordinary life until it all changed and she finds herself in hiding and the center of a crime podcast. She has worked as a pharmacist in New York and trying to get over a failed engagement and then someone tries to kill her. From there, her life spirals into a crazy turn of events that will keep her running and those around her in danger.

I was intrigued by this one and when I picked it up, I wasn’t sure how it would end up but found myself pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns. The way the author played out the way Dunia found herself in danger and why was so well done, I found myself turning the pages faster and faster to see what was going to be the outcome. The different sections of interviews with those close to Dunia made the story much more interesting and entertaining. This was a full-on psychological thriller and readers that want a fun read that will keep them on the edge of their seat will not want to miss this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Loved Akhtar's previous novel KISMET, and this one just as much in particular for the cultural folklore. Delighted to include this title in the February edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

Amina Akhtar's Almost Surely Dead begins with a spine-chilling subway attack that marked the beginning of the events leading to Dunia Ahmed, a New York pharmacist's disappearance. A year later, two true crime podcasters, intrigued by the events, have chosen her as the subject of their 'Find Dunia' podcast.

Narrated from various perspectives, this gripping story introduces us to Dunia's childhood, accounts from those close to her, and the events leading to Dunia's disappearance - the latter narrated by Dunia herself.

Dunia's mental struggles, portrayed with poignant detail, add a layer of complexity to the plot. Little Dunia's fear of becoming the next 'family pagal' becomes a young, helpless child's cry for help.

Amina Akhtar exhibits masterful storytelling, seamlessly intertwining emotional depth and mystique in this gripping thriller.

This desi girl highly recommends Almost Surely Dead - a thriller that is part mystical and part mysterious, with a generous dose of desi tadka.

If I were to sum up this book in one word, it would be 'goosebumps.' Let me say that again, this time in Hindi - romte khade hogaye!

My only question to Mindy and Amina is, when can I expect Almost Surely Dead to be adapted into a TV series? This captivating desi-Amrikan story has truly won my heart, and I'm eager to see it come to life on the big screen

This was way more spooky than I anticipated and I loved it. I loved the use of past narratives and podcast scripts to tell the story. Creepy and thrilling story kept me up past my bedtime reading.

Dunia Ahmed, like many other single New Yorkers her age, looks forward every morning to the mild flirtation she has going on with a cute guy who happens to take the same subway line as she does into work. Mostly they just smile hello at each other, so the last thing she expects is for him to suddenly grab her one day and try to throw her under the wheels of an oncoming train. When his efforts are stopped due to the intervention of bystanders, he flings himself under the train instead.

Dunia is shaken to her core. Her interactions with her would-be murderer were always positive up till that morning, and had been a small spark of happiness after the death of her mother and her subsequent breakup with her fiance. The NYPD, with Detective Alvarez heading her case, takes the incident seriously, and finds that the dead man had an even greater interest in her than she’d ever imagined.

Having a stalker would be bad enough, but when more attempts are made on her life, both Dunia and the NYPD are on high alert for the possibility of something even worse. Who would possibly want to harm a mild-mannered pharmacist like herself? When Dunia subsequently disappears, her case captures the public imagination, with a hit podcast leading the charge in asking questions of the people involved:

QUOTE
DANIELLE MCGUIRE: Did you think anything about her background was a factor here?

DETECTIVE ALVAREZ: Her background?

AMANDA ROBERTS: Dunia was Muslim, correct? Was there any investigation into that part of her life?

DETECTIVE ALVAREZ: Her religion wasn’t relevant to the case.

DANIELLE MCGUIRE: But she had some beliefs in the supernatural that some people have suggested explain things, or at least her behavior.

DETECTIVE ALVAREZ: I investigate people, crimes, not ghost stories.
END QUOTE

While the good detective focuses on facts, Dunia herself – prior to her disappearance – can’t help but wonder whether the childhood legends that her father had happily relayed to her, despite her mother’s disapproval, were more than just fiction. Dunia has long been disconnected from her cultural background, but the inexplicable visions that have been accompanying the attempts on her life hearken back to some of her father’s bedtime stories. When she gets the opportunity to learn more from a family friend, she’s initially relieved… until she discovers the extent to which so many of the people she’s trusted have been lying to her about almost everything.

An excellent blend of new media crime thriller with paranormal elements based on Pakistani-Muslim cultural beliefs, Almost Surely Dead cleverly skewers so much of modern American life. Amina Akhtar vividly details many of the inescapable exasperations of contemporary living, from disingenuously rapacious podcasters to the unending complexities of modern romance. Dunia’s frustrations with work and her love life and just trying to survive in the 21st century feel very relatable, even as the frissons of horror – from both mundane criminals and the supernatural – elevate her story to another level of sophisticated entertainment.

But it was Dunia’s fraught relationship with her deceased mother that really spoke to me, as she candidly narrates of their difficult past:

QUOTE
[O]nce I got engaged, it was as if I had become her perfect child. She started doting on me in ways she never had before. Wanting to FaceTime with me and help me pick out shaadi clothes. This all sent me into fits of panic. I think I preferred being ignored. I knew how to navigate that.

I can’t say I missed my mom. Not exactly. I loved her, of course, But I couldn’t tell you if she felt the same. It was complicated. She loved [my sister] Nadia, though. So at least I witnessed her being an amazing mother to someone. Me? I was the leftover, the forgotten. I was the child who should have had the grace to die along with my father.
END QUOTE

I loved Ms Akhtar’s previous novel, Kismet, and continue to be impressed by her depictions of American women of Muslim descent doing their best to juggle the many demands placed on us by family and society. She continues to masterfully blend chillingly realistic tales of criminal mischief with just the right amount of the otherworldly, making for absorbing, highly entertaining stories that are nearly impossible to put down.

I was riveted to this story for so many reasons! I loved all the South Asian references, which always makes a book feel like home to me. The twists and turns kept me guessing. I wasn't sure who to trust, Dunia included. I loved the folklore/occult elements and how they gave me chills in the best way. I’ve never read a story quite like this before, blending modern and ancient to form the perfect what-the-heck-is-going-on-here mystery. Fantastic job!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The author personally provided me with this ARC through Instagram, and I'm very thankful. Akhtar has a sense of sarcasm in her writing that I very much enjoy.

Almost Surely Dead starts off with a bang. Dunia Ahmed is a single 30-something single woman living in NYC as a pharmacist, and she's been riding the subway for years. She noticed a man she referred to as her subway boyfriend, who is a guy sketching in a notepad as she commutes home from work. One day, as she's getting off at her stop, he grabs her very hard and pushes her toward the tracks. Dunia manages to scream and passersby save her life. In absolute shock, the man leaps in front of the oncoming train. The detective who investigates the crime Alvarez discovers there was a payment to his account before he died and a mysterious girlfriend named B.

Dunia tries to go back to some semblance of a normal life, but she's too afraid to get on the subway again. Her best friend introduces her to Liz Small, one of the investors in her makeup and beauty line. She has an ex stalking her, her sister's husband's cousin is interested in her, and she's haunted by a jinn. We get flashbacks to Dunia as a 5 year old. There's a lot of trauma and PTSD. Somehow, though, Dunia survives the attacks on her life, but it gets more bizarre and escalates. There was something I predicted early on, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.

I enjoyed the paranormal folklore part of the mystery because it doesn't take over what actually happens in real life. There are also chapters with these 2 women doing a podcast about Dunia. I don't want to say too much, but I enjoyed the format.

TW for loss of a parent, PTSD and trauma from attempted murders, the supernatural/haunting. 4/5 stars, release date 2/1/24.

Almost Surely Dead opens up with a terrifying scene, and the eerie vibes continue throughout the rest of the book.

Dunia Ahmed has been missing for more than a year, but in the months before her disappearance, she lived a very ordinary life as a pharmacist in her thirties, until someone tried to murder her. Paranoid and trying to find answers to her attack, Dunia's life gets more complicated when multiple other attempts on her life occur.

Told in alternating perspectives between Dunia before her disappearance and a true crime podcast airing after her disappearance, what happened to Dunia comes into focus amidst stories of jinns and the folklore of Dunia's upbringing.

This book is absolutely unputdownable, and encapsulates Amina's snarky satirical voice within a creepy story that contains elements of ghostly mysticism and true crime.

Add this to your list!!