This week, I’m diving into the fictional world created by Amin Ahmad. His new release, A KILLER IN THE FAMILY, explores the hidden, elite world of New York City and what happens when you marry into a wealthy family that keeps secrets. If you’re looking for an intoxicating drama, this book is for you.
LIGHTNING ROUND
In three words, describe the feeling readers will have when they finish your book.
Awaiting the sequel!
What’s your favorite writing season: cozy winter, hopeful spring, beachy summer, or reflective fall?
Fall and winter, definitely. I can sit at my desk on a cold, gloomy day and dream a story into existence. During the summer I want to be at the beach or outside on a walk!
What’s one snack or treat that always appears when you’re deep in writing mode?
Dark chocolate! Swiss or Belgian. It’s sweet and has that caffeinated kick.
If your main character had a motto, what would it be?
Watch out for yourself!
What’s one small thing that instantly puts you in a creative mood?
I make a playlist for each novel I write. When I hear the opening note, I’m back into the world of the book! It’s Pavlovian, but it works.
THE SPRING SPARK
What was the very first image, line, or idea that sparked this book?
Driving along the New Jersey Turnpike, I saw an Indian man sitting in the back of a chauffeured Lincoln limousine with a vanity plate that said, “SINGH IS KING”. This was obviously a fellow immigrant who had made his fortune in America. I began to wonder who he was, and how he had made his money. I imagined he was a real estate tycoon who had made it big in New York.
Tell us about a scene that changed significantly from your first draft to your final version. What made you rethink it?
The final scene of the book. It involves a plot twist, and I wanted to convey it in a surprising way! I wrote it from several different points of view, till my literary agent made a suggestion that nailed it. Still, I struggled with the action in the scene, which takes place in a moving car. And I rewrote the final line at least 30 times. I wanted to create the sense of one story ending (in a satisfying way) and another story beginning.
Many authors say their characters “talk back.” Did any character surprise you or take the story somewhere unexpected?
One of the wealthy sisters in my novel, Farhan, is the black sheep of the family. She’s a rebel and is constantly at war with her family. Halfway through the book, she started acting out and became very mean. She really came alive on the page, and all I had to do was follow her journey.
Setting can shape a story in powerful ways. What role does the setting play in your book, and what inspired you to choose it?
The story takes place in the hidden, elite world of New York City: exclusive apartments with doormen, in super tall skyscrapers, in a huge estate out on Long Island. I chose this setting because the rich in New York literally live completely different lives: They have access to light, air, space, and they even travel differently, in helicopters. I wanted my protagonist, a young man who marries into a rich family, to be seduced by this world, and to lose his moral compass.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
Spring is a time for new reads. What book is currently at the top of your TBR pile and why?
Sujata Massey’s, THE STAR FROM CALCUTTA, a mystery set in 1920s India. It’s the latest in her series featuring Parveen Mistry, a female lawyer who is always solving some sort of mystery. I love returning to this world – Sujata really brings the period to life.
What’s a behind-the-scenes detail about writing this book that readers might never guess?
Part of the book is based on a secret from my own family: one of my relatives had an entire hidden ‘second’ family in addition to his legitimate family. I only learned about it as an adult, and it completely changed how I perceived families and family secrets.
Writing can be a long journey. Was there a moment while working on this book when you thought, this is why I love being an author?
The last 25% of writing a novel is always a tremendous pleasure. By then, I know the characters really well, and they come to life and rush about on the page. It doesn’t feel like I’m writing them, I just have to type fast enough to keep up with what they do.
If readers could step inside one scene from your book and experience it in real life, which scene would you choose and why?
At the end of the book is a helicopter ride on New Year’s Eve across the heart of Manhattan. It’s night, and it’s a scary and cinematic scene. I researched it a lot by watching videos, but I’d love to actually be up there, looking down at the city like a god!
LOOKING AHEAD
Without giving away spoilers, what can readers look forward to from you next?
I’m working on another family drama/domestic suspense novel set in the underbelly of the fashion industry. An Indian American journalist returns to India after many years to investigate labor exploitation in the fashion industry and finds herself getting tangled up in a murder.
Where can readers connect with you and keep up with your latest writing news? (Website, social media, newsletter, etc.)
My website and Instagram
BONUS: The Author’s Playlist
Share some songs that capture the mood of your book or that helped inspire you while writing.
The entire soundtrack to the HBO series Succession, by the composer Nicholas Britell. It has an incredible vibe to it, and I listened to it on repeat while writing the novel! (I can’t listen to music with words – it distracts me – so soundtracks work well for me!)
A KILLER IN THE FAMILY by Amin Ahmad
An intoxicating drama set in the world of New York City’s elite, A Killer in the Family explores the underside of the American dream and asks, what happens when you marry into a family that keeps secrets?
It’s time for Ali, a good-natured Mumbai party-boy, to grow up. The first step to settling down is an arranged marriage to Maryam, the daughter of Abbas Khan, a New York real estate tycoon. She’s pretty, demure, and respectable—unlike her sister, Farhan, a sexy, rebellious divorcée.
After the wedding, Ali moves to New York and enjoys the privileges of being an honorary Khan: private helicopters, supertall skyscrapers, and a Gatsbyesque house in the Hamptons. But soon rumors begin to surface about Abbas Khan—accusations of corruption and hidden affairs—and Farhan hints that a violent secret underlies Abbas’s success. Though Ali’s wife insists the insinuations are unfounded, he can’t shake the feeling that there’s something he doesn’t know.
To uncover the truth, Ali launches his own investigation, which takes him deep into Abbas’s dealings and past. As he closes in on the truth, Ali must decide: Can he remain part of the Khan family, and pay the moral price demanded by unimaginable wealth and power?
Women’s Fiction | Suspense [ Henry Holt and Co., On Sale: April 7, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781250394897 / ]
Buy A KILLER IN THE FAMILY: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Audible | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Amin Ahmad
Amin Ahmad was raised in India and came to the United States at the age of seventeen. He worked as an architect for many years before turning to writing. He teaches creative writing at Duke University and lives in Durham, North Carolina with his family and a very mischievous cat. When he’s not writing, he can be found on his front porch, drinking tea and watching the world go by.
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
About Jennifer Vido
Jennifer Vido is the author of The Gull Island Series, sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Serendipity by the Sea won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest, and Baltimore Magazine readers named her Best Local Author in 2024 and 2025.
A Vanderbilt graduate, Jennifer traded in teaching French to follow her dream of becoming an author. She loves discovering and sharing literary gems through her Jen’s Jewels column, celebrating the books that make her heart happy.
Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and is mom to two grown sons. Her rescue dog, Fripp, is her constant companion, though he’s better at napping than editing. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her at the beach with her toes in the sand, dreaming about her next romance.
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