The Spirit | Your local newspaper for the Upper West Side

Amin Ahmad’s debut novel, “A Killer in the Family,” sends Indian immigrant Ali Azeem on a mission to determine who his Gatsbyesque in-laws really are: the embodiment of the American dream or the epitome of the dark side of power and ambition.

Amin Ahmad’s debut novel, “A Killer in the Family,” sends Indian immigrant Ali Azeem on a mission to determine who his Gatsbyesque in-laws really are: the embodiment of the American dream or the epitome of the dark side of power and ambition. ( Photo: Henry Holt & Co.)

“A Killer in the Family,” by Amin Ahmad is a thrilling debut novel set among New York City’s elite that explores immigrant achievement, the power of the one percent, and what happens when you marry into a family with a dark past.

The Problem with In-Laws Laid Bare in Debut Novel Thriller

23 Mar 2026 | 07:51

When you marry your spouse, you marry their family.

Good-natured and naïve, yet far from innocent, Ali Azeem learns this the hard way in Amin Ahmad’s debut novel “A Killer in the Family”.

At first, he seems to have hit the jackpot with his arranged marriage to Maryram, the daughter of an Indian immigrant...

Keeping it mellow: The critically acclaimed Duke Ellington Ensemble from the Julliard School played at the opening of the spring town hall staged by City Council member Gale Brewer on March 23.

Keeping it mellow: The critically acclaimed Duke Ellington Ensemble from the Julliard School played at the opening of the spring town hall staged by City Council member Gale Brewer on March 23. ( Photo: Caroline Sommers)

Hot Dogs and Homeless and E-Bikes, Oh My! UWS Town Hall

27 Mar 2026 | 11:47

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “town hall”? Most likely, you envision someone passing...

Alex Bores at a press conference held by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) at Foley Square, demanding lawmakers pass a bill to greater fund immigration defense cases in the state.

Alex Bores at a press conference held by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) at Foley Square, demanding lawmakers pass a bill to greater fund immigration defense cases in the state. ( Photo: Swinxy/Wikimedia Commons)

Alex Bores Picks Up Big Endorsement from DC 37 Union

26 Mar 2026 | 07:12

In the crowded race for the Congressional seat being vacated by the retiring Jerry Nadler, East Side...

One of the proposed redesigns for Penn Station by ASTM North America, a company that is vying to be the master developer of the project for the station’s owner, Amtrak and the federal government.

One of the proposed redesigns for Penn Station by ASTM North America, a company that is vying to be the master developer of the project for the station’s owner, Amtrak and the federal government. ( Rendering: ASTM North America)

Penn Collision: Amtrak/Feds on Different Track than MTA/LIRR

26 Mar 2026 | 06:24

Amtrak and the Trump administration, powering forward on multi-billion dollar plans to rebuild Penn Station,...

For the new NYC Subway train order, which will see RFPs available on September 8, the current R211 trains, first operated in 2023, will be looked at for design and service issues that have cropped up in the last three years.

For the new NYC Subway train order, which will see RFPs available on September 8, the current R211 trains, first operated in 2023, will be looked at for design and service issues that have cropped up in the last three years. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman)

MTA Unveils Largest Subway Car Order Ever, Costing Billions

26 Mar 2026 | 12:31

Is your daily ride subway train suffering the indignities of just getting old? Up to one third of the...

Roughly 1,000 faculty members at NYU went on strike for two days, beginning on March 23. They picketed outside the John A. Paulson Center on Mercer St., and reached a tentative agreement by around 2 a.m. on March 25.

Roughly 1,000 faculty members at NYU went on strike for two days, beginning on March 23. They picketed outside the John A. Paulson Center on Mercer St., and reached a tentative agreement by around 2 a.m. on March 25. ( Photo: Jack Ahern )

NYU Faculty Strike Ends After Tentative Accord Reached

25 Mar 2026 | 03:43

A union representing roughly 1,000 non-tenured faculty at NYU has reached a tentative pact with the university...

Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell are Stacy and Preston Clyburn, wealthy Manhattanites with two daughters, one married, one divorced, and two granddaughters. Despite their privilege, life in NYC proves to be a challenge.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell are Stacy and Preston Clyburn, wealthy Manhattanites with two daughters, one married, one divorced, and two granddaughters. Despite their privilege, life in NYC proves to be a challenge. ( Photo: Emerson Miller/Paramount+)

A Madison Avenue Socialite Starts Over in... Madison, Montana?!

24 Mar 2026 | 05:01

Eight years ago, when my son, Luke, moved to Silicon Valley for an engineering position, Neil, my husband...

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