Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
"Based on a true story--Nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality police shows, thinks he's smarter than his friend Pari (even though she gets the best grades), and considers himself to be a better boss than Faiz (even though Faiz is the one with a job). When a classmate goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from TV to find him. He asks Pari and Faiz to be his assistants and together they draw up lists of people to interview and places to visit. But what begins as a game turns sinister as other children start disappearing from their neighborhood. Jai, Pari, and Faiz have to confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force, and their fears of soul-snatching djinns. As the disappearances edge ever closer to home, the lives of Jai and his friends will never be the same again. At times exuberant, at times heartbreaking, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line traces the unfolding of a tragedy while capturing the fierce warmth and resilience of a community forged in times of trouble"--
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
In a sprawling Indian basti at the end of a Purple Line metro stop, fast-talking nine-year-old Jai watches a classmate disappear and starts a detective agency with his two best friends to find out what is happening.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is fictional but informed by real disappearances of children from Indian slums. Deepa Anappara was a journalist who reported on these cases for years before turning to fiction.
Yes. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 2021 and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. It is widely considered one of the strongest debut novels of 2020.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line was written by Deepa Anappara, published in 2020 by Random House.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is 352 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line takes most readers 5 to 8 hours to finish.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is a standalone novel by Deepa Anappara, not part of a series.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.