Philanthropists

While COVID-19 rages, the killings don’t stop—a new Inspector Mislan thriller for fans of Michael Connelly, James Ellroy, and John Burdett.

Eight months after the assassination attempt that nearly ended his life, Inspector Mislan Latif is back on twenty-four-hour duty with his assistant, Detective Sergeant Johan Kamaruddin, when the call comes in: double murder in a house in the police district of Sentul. The two dark-skinned men were killed identically, execution-style. In the master bedroom of the rental, in plain sight on the bed, in almost three pounds of drugs, while no identfying documents, wallets, phones, and the like are to be found. No shots were heard, or the neighbors won’t admit to hearing them, but someone called the killings in to notify the police. In the area, drugs are rampant and also foreign nationals, legal and illegal. If the vics were foreign, without papers, where do they start?

Just as Mislan and Jo begin to dig into the case, they face an unprecedented hurdle. COVID-19 is spreading in the country at an alarming rate, prompting a nationwide Movement Control Order. Pursuing their leads in spite of the new restrictions, the investigators come into contact with members of the underworld and the refugee community, before realizing that the real culprits may be closer than they think.

Rozlan Mohd Noor served for eleven years as a crime investigator in the CID of the Royal Malaysia Police and a court prosecutor before joining the private sector. 21 Immortals, his first Inspector Mislan novel, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writer’s Best First Book Award and longlisted for the International DUBLIN Literary Award. He has published four more Inspector Mislan novels. He currently resides in Thailand.

“Stellar . . . Mohd Noor enhances the story line with a deep dive into his lead’s psychology, emphasizing Mislan’s complex responses to having dodged death. This cleverly plotted entry is sure to win Mohd Noor new fans.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Wildly entertaining. . . Frankly, I thought Philanthropists ruled. . . . I truly appreciated the no-holds-barred attitude Rozlan Mohd Noor has towards the milieu he’s describing. There isn’t any pandering to readers either local or foreign. He tells it like it is, showcasing Malaysian conversation and customs without attempting to make anything pretty or otherwise acceptable for mass consumption. But he also makes it a point to explain points of procedure that are less than intuitive to people unfamiliar with them."—Criminal Element

Praise for the Inspector Mislan Series
"Rozlan Mohd Noor proves that a great character can be found anywhere on the globe. Undaunted and determined, Inspector Mislan Latif is my kind of detective. Harry Bosch would ride shotgun with him any time."—Michael Connelly

"Once I started reading 21 Immortals I realized the enormous potential the Inspector Mislan character has for both film and television production, so optioning the books has been the first step in bringing this gritty Malaysian cop to life on screen.”—David Barron, director at Envision Entertainment

"Stellar . . . Fans of honest cops working in a rigged system are in for a treat."—Publishers Weekly, starred review of 21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang Murders

“Written in terse prose with to-the-point dialogue, little gets in the way of Noor’s narrative momentum and he tears through the story’s investigation with a nimble touch.”—LA Review of Books on 21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang Murders

"Impressive . . . The combination of clever plotting and portrayal of life in Malaysia is a winner. Noor brilliantly integrates an unusual impossible crime into a gritty procedural story line."—Publishers Weekly, starred review of DUKE: Inspector Mislan and the Expressway Murders

“Razor-sharp and full of the grit and color of the streets of Kuala Lumpur,21 Immortals is a gripping examination of the link between organized crime and politics. Total edge-of-the-seat stuff."—Tash Aw, award-winning author of The Harmony Silk Factory and We, the Survivors

“Noor, himself a veteran of the Malaysian police force, makes the plot twists plausible and his characters true to life. This gritty series merits a long run.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review of UTube: Inspector Mislan and the Emancipatist Conspiracy

“Mislan’s investigations will transport American readers to a distant city made familiar by human connections and misdeeds. A timely, nuanced portrayal of LGBTQ+ issues, Noor's latest is highly recommended for fans of John Burdett’s Sonchai Jitpleecheep procedurals.”—Booklist (on UTube)

"Superb . . . Fans of hard-edged crime fiction from authors such as James Ellroy and Paul Cleave will be riveted.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review of Soulless: Inspector Mislan and the Faceless Girl

“Has all the makings of a classic detective novel—a tough, engaging detective, a story that grips from the first page, and an ending that is just as intriguing and satisfying as you hoped it would be. Highly recommended.”—W. C. Ryan, author of A House of Ghosts
 
“From a macabre murder scene to an unexpected ending . . . nothing is predictable in this atmospheric story set in exotic Malaysia.” —Timothy Jay Smith, author of Fire on the Island and The Fourth Courier

"A compelling and nefarious crime with corruption at its heart. Inspector Mislan is a fierce adversary."—Lauren A. Forry, author of They Did Bad Things 

"Rozian Mohd Noor tells the harrowing tale of a tough cop on the streets of Kuala Lumpur who attempts to solve the grotesque murder of an entire family. The suspense winds tighter with each new twist. Inspector Mislan, Noor’s all-too-human hero, is the perfect cop to solve this perfect crime."—Bart Paul, author of the Tommy Smith High Country Noir series

"As approachable as it is brilliant, 21 Immortals could and should become a classic of detective fiction. I like to think of Inspector Mislan Latif as Malaysia's Montalbano, not just for the love of food, coffee, and cigarettes, but for the wit, resolve, and humanity."—Davide Cazzaro, publisher of Nang magazine