Almost Surely Dead

New York pharmacist Dunia Ahmed has been missing for more than a year and is the subject of a popular true-crime podcast. Is she really dead? Narrator Kelsey Jaffer, accompanied by a full cast, takes listeners into Dunia’s life before her disappearance. As the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, Dunia had a childhood full of imaginary friends, stories about djinns, and dangerous sleepwalking adventures. In adulthood, she is estranged from her family. When her mother dies, Dunia’s world begins to crumble. Her fiancé leaves her and then stalks her. Her boss dislikes her. One day, a stranger grabs her in the subway and tries to throw her onto the tracks. The police investigation is ongoing when Dunia is attacked a second and third time. With the help of a family friend, she begins to uncover secrets from her past and make a plan for the future. Akhtar weaves elements of the supernatural into the life of a troubled woman searching for a place in the world. Jaffer, who voices Dunia, is a standout primary narrator. The talented supporting cast engagingly performs the book’s podcast sections and maintains tension throughout.