Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE 2020

By: Deepa Anappara

Narrated by: Indira Varma, Himesh Patel, Antonio Aakeel, Deepa Anappara

Brought to you by Penguin.

‘'A moving and confident novel about the preciousness of life' Nikesh Shukla
'A brilliant debut' (Ian McEwan) picked as one to watch by the Guardian, Observer, Vogue and Stylist

Three weeks ago I was only a schoolkid but now I’m a detective and also a tea-shop boy…

Nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality cop shows, thinks he’s smarter than his friend Pari (even though she always gets top marks) and considers himself to be a better boss than Faiz (even though Faiz is the one with a job).

When a boy at school goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from episodes of Police Patrol to find him. With Pari and Faiz by his side, Jai ventures into some of the most dangerous parts of the sprawling Indian city; the bazaar at night, and even the railway station at the end of the Purple Line. But kids continue to vanish, and the trio must confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force and soul-snatching djinns in order to uncover the truth.

'Djinn Patrol is storytelling at its best’ Anne Enright, Booker-prize winning author of The Gathering

© Deepa Anappara 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Critic reviews

It’s not hard to see why Djinn Patrol is one of the most eagerly awaited debut novels this spring. It feels like a reckoning with modern India and its many complex problems… Anappara cleverly filters a uniquely Indian horror story through a chirpy, Famous Five-esque narrative and the voice of a witty, young, have-a-go hero (Johanna Thomas-Corr)

Djinn Patrol is storytelling at its best. The prose is not just sympathetic, vivid, and beautifully detailed, but also completely assured and deft. We care about these characters from the first page and our concern for them is richly repaid (Anne Enright, Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Gathering)

In Jai, Anappara has created a boy vivid in his humanity, one whose voice somersaults on the page. Rich with easy joy, Anappara’s writing announces the arrival of a literary supernova... (Warning: If you begin reading the book in the morning, don’t expect to get anything done for the rest of the day.) (Lorraine Adams)

Anappara's characters brim with swagger and spirit and she creates a world of wit, warmth and heart (Nina Stibbe)

A captivating literary style... A dazzling, wonderful book (Elif Shafak)

Extraordinary... moving and unpredictable... remarkable (Maureen Corrigan)

A vivid, immersive debut laced with wonder

A brilliant debut (Ian McEwan, Sunday Times bestselling author of Atonement)

Deepa Anappara’s richly textured and delightfully observed debut evokes the sights and sounds of a sprawling Indian city. Every detail rings true... Day-to-day life in the slums has such vitality that you immediately warm to the residents, with their resilience and dry humour (Max Davidson)

A moving and confident novel about the preciousness of life. The storytelling is distinctive and immersive (Nikesh Shukla, author and editor of The Good Immigrant)