THE PRINTER'S DEVIL

Convicts, murderers and the shady inhabitants of the London underworld are part of daily life for 12-year-old printer's devil, Mog Winter - after all, Mog prints their WANTED posters...But a face to face encounter with a real crook - a prison escapee - leads to Mog becoming enmeshed in an ingenious theft, a series of mistaken identities and a murder hunt...all connected to a recently docked ship from the Indian subcontinent, and Mog's own mysterious past.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT...
THE PRINTER'S DEVIL
y PAUL BAJORIA
PUBLICATION: OCTOBER 2004, SIMON & SCHUSTER
"An atmospheric debut of enormous merit, Bajoria's novel submerges the reader from it's opening lines... includes a chin-dropping twist in the middle that makes the book stand out." Carousel
"an exciting and atmospheric adventure thriller." The Children's Bookseller
"The setting of the novel, by which I mean both time and place, has a very credible feel to it. It's undeniably alien to the reader but handled in a very unobtrusive way...Bajoria handles the clues beautifully...no doubt that this is a sparkling debut" The Guardian (Review)
"real talent and passion shine through, and Paul Bajoria's debut The Printer's Devil positively dazzles...Three quarters of the way through his story Bajoria knocks the reader for six with such an unexpected twist that it sends you back to the beginning looking for clues. And shamefully I found myself haranguing the publishers for answers not given at the end. Ten to 12 year olds will have an agonising wait for the sequel. " The Sunday Telegraph
"Picturesque story...criminal underworld provides a vibrant background" Irish Times - Robert Dunbar's favourite books of 2004
"thrilling...captivating" Camden New Journal
"an interesting read" Glasgow Sunday Herald
"authentic evocation of time and place" Inis Magazine
"an atmospheric tale of adventure and intrigue" TBK Magazine + interview
"seductive plot...intelligent, precise prose" The Sunday Times 'Book of the Week'
"twist packed thriller" The Funday Times
The Printer's Devil by Paul Bajoria comes with all the razzmatazz of an international best-seller - and deservedly so...Beautifully written and shaped, this is a thriller with a powerful emotional core."
indsey Fraser, Sunday Herald
"(An) impressive debut... Bajoria very entertainingly evokes the details of his clamorous setting, placing these within a plot dominated by mistaken identities and unexpected twists: the reader who spots in advance the most unexpected of all of them is a very perceptive reader indeed."
obert Dunbar, Times Educational Supplement
"This intricate, exciting thriller is an assured debut. It exactly fills the demand for a good adventure story for older children."
onia Benster, The Bookseller
"A very sharp and pacy piece of work... a complex thriller set amongst the stew of colourful - and sometimes dangerous - inhabitants, vibrant streets and noxious alleyways of early nineteenth century London."
raham Marks, Publishing News
"A rewarding, historical, London-set adventure in the tradition of Joan Aiken. What I particularly like about the book is that it is pitched fairly and squarely at the 8-11 audience. It is good to have a substantial, quality children's novel that you can recommend unreservedly to primary age children without worrying that it is only suitable for the very oldest or most literate amongst them... impressive."
ichael Thorn, achuka.co.uk
"Bajoria's Dickensian-esque mystery is both atmospheric and intriguing. His villains are exquisitely nasty, his heroes are suitably earnest and his plot twists deserve a medal."
ohn McLay, Literary Scout
"From the very opening chapter, this original story captures the sights, sounds, smells and unsavoury characters of the backstreets of Victorian London, plunging you into a gripping adventure with a mysterious Indian connection... what a great book!"
o Williams, Federation of Children's Book Groups
"Good old fashioned story-telling."
avid Whetstone, The Journal
"A wonderfully labyrinthine plot that weaves a tangled thread through the dank, dark backstreets of Victorian London with enough twists, shocks and cinematic set-pieces to keep the reader up until sunrise. The impoverished printer's apprentice Mog is a fine character and the villains are all brilliantly hacked out of a woodblock and stamped on the page. The docks and alleys of the city are almost tangible and the evocation of the criminal underworld and the skullduggery, stench and atmosphere is accomplished... a real pea-souper!"
ony West, The Lion & Unicorn Bookshop
"Control of plot is crucial in a thriller and we are well-served here... Paul Bajoria is a name to note with pleasurable anticipation."
ooks for Keeps
"For a thrilling historical tale, look no further!"
Last updated: Febuary 4th 2005