Penguin Random House India recently announced the upcoming release of Press 9 for a Crime, the debut novel by acclaimed screenwriter and creator of the hit series Grahan, Shailendra Jha. The book will be available nationwide from 25 September 2025, with pre-orders now open on Amazon.
In just the first five months of 2025, Indians have lost an estimated Rs 7,000 crore to online scams, a staggering average of more than Rs 1,000 crore vanishing every month. Many of these frauds originate in heavily guarded compounds across Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, where trafficked Indians are forced to run digital crime networks. These scam factories use the latest tools—AI-generated deepfakes, fake stock apps, and terrifying “digital arrest” threats—to strip victims of both money and peace of mind.
Against this reality comes Press 9 for a Crime, a novel that feels like tomorrow’s headline. Set between the cramped lanes of East Delhi and the shadowy fraud-factories of Southeast Asia, it follows the Anand family, whose eldest son vanishes after accepting a job abroad. What begins as hope soon unravels into a nightmare of cyber slavery, where the missing are trapped in the cruel paradox of being both perpetrators and victims of crime.
With his sharp storytelling and human-centred lens, Jha transforms real-world headlines into a taut, heart-pounding thriller, the press release said. According to the publisher, Press 9 for a Crime is not only a gripping narrative of love, sacrifice, and resilience — it is also a warning shot to every digital citizen navigating an online world rife with invisible dangers.
“Having worked in news and now in storytelling, I am fascinated by the intersection of fact and fiction; where reality shocks and stories grip. Press 9 for a Crime emerges from that very intersection: cybercrime vast enough to be the world’s third-largest economy, yet the staggering numbers mean nothing until you see what it does to human lives,” said Shailendra Jha.
Deepthi Talwar, executive editor at Penguin Random House India, said “With razor-sharp suspense and immersive storytelling, Shailendra Jha takes readers inside the human cost of cybercrime, transforming a global menace into an unforgettable story of family, resilience, and survival. Readers will be drawn not only by the page-turning tension but also by the deep compassion at its heart. We’re proud to bring this powerful debut to readers everywhere.”
The novel has already won praise from filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, who calls it, “Fast, fierce, and frighteningly believable. This is the kind of thriller that keeps you turning pages and then keeps you up at night, thinking about the world we live in.”
Shailendra Jha, has spent over three decades shaping the way India tells its stories —first in news, then on screen, and now in fiction. As the award-winning creator and writer of Grahan (Disney+ Hotstar), which earned 10 Filmfare OTT nominations and the Screenwriters Association Award, Jha has proven his knack for socially resonant yet gripping storytelling. A former executive editor at TV Today Network and programming head at Star India, he has been at the forefront of India’s newsrooms and entertainment networks. With Press 9 for a Crime, Jha brings his cinematic imagination and journalistic sharpness to literature; crafting a crime thriller as layered and unpredictable as the world it exposes, the release said.
Pre-booking: Available now on Amazon- https://www.amazon.in/Press-9-Crime-Shailendra-Jha/dp/0143476149
