‘The Haunting of Dr. Shamsi and Other Unsettling Tales’ by Ayesha Muzaffar

Book Title: The Haunting of Dr. Shamsi and Other Unsettling Tales
Author: Ayesha Muzaffar
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Number of Pages: 321
ISBN: 9361130056
Date Published: Aug. 24, 2026

Book Review

Ayesha Muzaffar’s “The Haunting of Dr. Shamsi and Other Unsettling Tales” is a slow, atmospheric collection of three horror stories set in Pakistan. The stories move between Lahore and Karachi, where old beliefs, family histories and unseen forces disturb ordinary lives. Muzaffar’s horror does not depend only on sudden shocks. Instead, she creates fear through small changes, strange memories and the feeling that something is wrong even when nobody can explain why.

The title story follows Dr. Rahim-ud-Din Shamsi, a dentist in 1990s Lahore who begins to notice disturbing patterns in his patients. Born with an extra finger and once warned that his life would never be ordinary, he finds himself caught between science and the supernatural. The other stories explore a woman whose missing husband returns after many years and a wealthy woman troubled by voices, lost memories and unexplained bruises. Each story asks whether the danger comes from a spirit, a hidden trauma or both.

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The collection’s greatest strength is its connection to South Asian beliefs and settings. Lahore’s old streets, family stories and ideas about jinn and possession give the horror a strong local feeling. Muzaffar also gives her characters emotional depth, especially when fear grows out of grief, loneliness, or broken relationships. A few parts may feel slow, but the patient pace allows the unease to build. Readers who enjoy quiet, serious horror will appreciate this book.

“The Haunting of Dr. Shamsi and Other Unsettling Tales” is not simply about ghosts; it is about the secrets people carry and the past that refuses to stay buried.

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