"Philanthropists: Inspector Mislan and the Executioners", by Rozlan Mohd Noor, is the fifth and latest book in the Inspector Mislan police procedural series, published by Arcade Crimewise, an imprint of Sky Horse Publishing (@skyhorsepub ). Set eight months after the events of the previous book in the series, and during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia, "Philanthropists" follows Inspector Mislan and his assistant Johan investigate a double murder that looks to be connected to the drug world. As their investigation begins, so do the pandemic-related movement restrictions, and simple tasks become more complicated. Still, Inspector Mislan pushes through and is aided by all his loyal and dedicated co-workers.

As with the previous books, the writing style is very direct and comes without embellishment, much like Inspector Mislan himself. While each book follows a different case and can be read as a stand-alone detective novel, this one feels more like it's part of a series. There are multiple references to the cases and characters from the previous books, and while they are not detrimental to the story, they do give readers of the whole series a nice sense of familiarity. Inspector Mislan's character development is also very much influenced by the events of the previous books, especially "Soulless".

The most interesting aspect of "Philanthropists," to me, was its setting during the onset of the pandemic. Three years later, I still find it surreal how much of a global experience the initial stages of the Covid pandemic were. Reading about the Malaysian experience was very interesting. The usual vibrant descriptions of Kuala Lumpur from the previous books are replaced by descriptions of empty places and roadblocks to control movement. The mouth-watering food descriptions are still present, but only due to the citizens cooking for the frontline workers, as street food stalls are closed for business.

As anticipated, "Philanthropists" lived up to my expectations. I wholeheartedly recommend it, as well as the rest of the series, for fans of police procedurals and detective fiction.

Book Review
Philanthropists
Rozlan Mohd Noor
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


Imagine Harry Bosch patrolling the gritty streets of Kuala Lumpur or CSI Malaysia, and you arrive at an approximation of the challenges faced by Inspector Mislan Latif. Back on a 24-hour stint of duty at the Special Investigation Unit after surviving a gunshot and attempted assassination eight months ago, this is the sixth stellar outing for this dedicated detective.

Known as a maverick but loyal and of the highest integrity, Mislan is able to contend with the ever-present bureaucracy of the department. Each story is self-contained and can be enjoyed as a standalone, as Noor flawlessly supplies any necessary backstory. Each narrative is rich with characterization of supporting characters and expounds on the unique, exotic color and flavor of Malaysia.

Back in the saddle with his feet on his desk and just starting to take a quick snooze, Mislan’s phone rings, requesting his presence along with his assistant, Detective Sergeant John Kamaruddin. There has been a double murder in a home in the police district of Sentul. They find two dark-skinned immigrant men killed in identical execution style in the master bedroom of the rental. Somewhat perplexing is the presence of three pounds of drugs lying undisturbed on the bed. There are no identifying papers, wallets, or phones. None of the neighbors heard a shot or disturbance, and yet an anonymous source called the police. This local area is noted for its abundance of drugs as well as legal and illegal foreign nationals. This appears to be a crime with no motive and is possibly unsolvable. The two victims were apparently dealers of heroin and meth, supplied from the Golden Triangle by the Thai-Myanmar Syndicate.

As Mislan begins his investigation, COVID-19 is spreading rampantly through the country, and a nationwide lockdown is implemented, impairing Mislan’s resources and investigation. Businesses are shutting their doors, food is becoming difficult to obtain, and yet Mislan and his colleagues continue to eat well. The native cuisine almost becomes a separate character in the narrative. Mislan is continually trying to obtain his favorites: roti canai (a popular type of flatbread) and nasi lemak (considered a national dish: fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk). Soon after the murder, a cellphone connected to one of the victims is used to call charities offering to donate huge amounts of cash with no questions asked. The investigation takes them into the burgeoning underworld as well as the refugee community. Consideration has to be given to the possibility of a connection between the killers and the police force.

Themes explored include hostility towards immigrants and the Rohingyan community, distrust of the government and police force, impediments resulting from bureaucracy, and the far-reaching effects of COVID-19. Rozlan Noor, himself a veteran crime investigator of the Malaysian police force, effortlessly utilizes his experience to provide a complex and convoluted narrative with plausible twists that escalate into a compelling and propulsive page-turner. His terse and insightful prose allows the reader to feel the grit and color of the dark streets of Kuala Lumpur as Mislan relentlessly builds a case, no matter where it leads. Intrigue and suspense are incrementally ratcheted up to an explosive denouement.

This gem will appeal to fans of international crime and police procedurals, as well as aficionados of Jo Nesbo and Ian Rankin. Thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

Another solid police procedural set in Kuala Lumpur…

It had been a while since I’d read one of Rozlan Mohd Noor’s Inspector Mislan books, so I was pleased to receive a review copy of the latest in the series from the publishers. Philanthropists: Inspector Mislan and the Executioners is, like the earlier books, a tightly plotted police procedural set in Malaysia – in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. And it’s well worth the read.

The case itself is intriguing – the bodies of two men are found, without ID or much in the way of personal effects, in a rented house in a suburb of KL. The men appear to be immigrants, so maybe their deaths are related to that? Or are they related to the sizable quantity of drugs found in the house? Are the landlords somehow involved in the matter? As Mislan and his colleagues investigate, in Mislan’s rather bulldog style, the case rapidly gets more complicated, attracting attention at high levels, so that Superintendent Samsiah (known as “Ma’am”) has to get involved. as well. (I think Ma’am might be my favorite character in the series…) But of course eventually they figure out who did it, and why.

Almost as interesting as the case, though, are some of the details of the characters’ personal lives. In the book or two that I missed, apparently a lot has happened: Mislan was shot and nearly died, his son has moved to live with his ex-wife, and of course, Covid… At one point, for example, Mislan wants to tail a suspect, and Ma’am points out to him that by the time he gets through the Covid roadblocks, the suspect will either be gone, or will have made him. At the same time, since Philanthropists is set at the beginning of the pandemic, it also brought back memories of how naïve most of us were back then – not fully understanding the scope and the seriousness of the times to come. And finally, as always, I learned a bit more about Malaysia and its people and politics – and of course, since this is an Inspector Mislan book, its food.

I do think I missed a bit having not read a couple of the previous books in the series. Not too much, since the author does a pretty good job of providing background, but enough that I’d recommend reading them in order. Personally, I’m definitely going to go back and pick up the ones that I missed. Also, please keep I mind that I try to fight star-flation a bit, so for me a four-star review is a solid recommendation to read this book. And again, my thanks to the publishers, Skyhorse Publishing/Arcade Crimewise, and to NetGalley, for the advance review copy.

The premise is interesting, but the execution and the prose is not my cup of tea. Thank you for sending me this e-ARC.

Inspector Mislan Thriller

It’s been eight months since Mislan Latif almost lost his life to an assassination attempt. Not much can keep him away from work. Now he is back to his never-ending detective life along with his assistant, Johan Kamaruddin.

And what have these two gotten into now? Well, it’s an odd double murder. Two men have been killed execution-style. With nothing to identify them. No wallet, no phone, and no paperwork. However, the close to three pounds of drugs on the bed is an interesting clue.

Of Course, no one heard anything. No one knows anything, so who called the police? This is a bad area with drugs and foreigners operating illegally. So what now?

Glad you asked! Covid-19 is also happening all over. Which means some unexpected roadblocks. There are restrictions on moving about. People are afraid and no one is talking. The two are doggedly following leads and the going is slow, but when they go into the world of refugees and illegal activity, they may need to start looking closer to home.

Will this be the end of the duo? I have only read one other story by this author and it was one of the Inspector books. I enjoyed it a lot. This one I enjoyed this as well.

NetGalley/ Skyhorse Publishing March 07, 2023

This review will appear on my blog this Thursday, 2/16/2023. It will then, a few days later, appear on Goodread, LibraryThing, and elsewhere. Thank you for the read.


Philanthropists: Inspector Mislan and the Executioners by Rozlan Mohd Noor begins in early 2020 as Covid is just beginning to become a worldwide threat. In these early days just before lockdowns and societal disruptions, Inspector Mislan Abdul Latif of the Office of Special Investigations (D9) biggest issue is trying to deal with the fact that his young son is living with his ex-wife and he is still haunted by being shot a few months ago. While he would never admit it, he is lonely and the job is pretty much all he has in his life outside of the occasional call to his son. He thinks he has everything under control and nobody sees his loneliness. He thinks that nobody notices how there is a second or two of hesitation when he enters a crime scene and smells the spilled blood.

He would be wrong.

His assistant, Detective Sergeant Johan Kamaruddin certainly notices and did once again at their latest call out. Summoned to the scene of a double murder by Inspector Shahira Adanan, they arrived at just after 2:30 in the morning at a two-story house located across the city from their office. The last house on a dead-end road in a quiet neighborhood. At least, the neighborhood was quiet, until flooded by a horde of police vehicles with their flashing lights and chattering radios.

The home is sparsely furnished which leads Inspector Mislan Latif to believe that it is a rental. In the master bedroom there are two dead men lying on their side in bed facing each other. Each man has been shot twice. Once in the back and once in the back of the head. Both are shirtless.

While their wallets and other identification is missing, they were found with several different packages of various drugs stacked on the bed between them. No sign of their phones, electronic devices, mail or paperwork of any kind, or anything else that would identify them. All investigators have at this point are two very dead bodies and a pile of drugs.

Who they are is the first of many questions Inspector Mislan Latif and his team have to answer in the Philanthropists: Inspector Mislan and the Executioners. Things get complicated quickly as getting answers gets more and more difficult due to whom the victims were and the rapidly escalating threat of Covid.

A significant portion of the read is devoted to Inspector Mislan’s recollections of events in the various previous books. Especially the events of the last book, Soulless: Inspector Mislan and the Faceless Girl, which led to his being critically injured. If you have not read the proceeding books, it would be best to read them in order starting with 21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang Murders before you embark on this very good read.

My reading copy was a digital arc via NetGalley. Publication date is currently scheduled for March 7th.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023

I think this is the first Malaysian noir/thriller I read and it's a good and solid story.
I liked how the author set the story in a specific historical timeframe and not in a void. There's COVID, there's refugess and police corruption.
It's a gripping, dark, and well plotted story that kept my attention alive.
I want to read other books by this authorRecommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Skyhorse Publishing for an advanced copy of the latest in this police procedural series set in Malaysia.

A late night call brings a tired Inspector to a murder scene that is at once familiar, and different. Two immigrant men, both shot, with no identification left in a room, with a pile of drugs between them. A crime with no motive, nor meaning one of many that would probably be unsolvable. Of course this interests Inspector Mislan Letif of the Kuala Lumpur police, though there are many factors against him, all outside of the crime. The hostility against immigrants, a new government, that is not popular, his own health, and a bureaucracy in the police that seems to be against him. And COVID-19 which is just starting to make it's presence known. Everything is against him, but this is where Inspector Mislan thrives, smoking and eating well, even as the nation closes down around him and his team. Philanthropists: Inspector Mislan and the Executioners is the latest by retired police officer, Rozlan Mohd Noor in this long running, and gaining in popularity series.

During a 24-shift, Inspector Mislan is called to a murder scene in a neighbouring district where two bodies have been found, surrounded by drugs, living in a rental place owned by a company who rents to recent immigrants. Drugs are found on the scene, confusing authorities into why the two were killed. Mislan, recently returned from his own bout with being shot, senses something bigger than what they are seeing. Soon a cell phone tied to the victims is used to call charities offering them large donations, in cash with no questions asked. As the investigation starts to roll, Malaysia is placed in lockdown for COVID, tying up resources, but at the same time lowering crime rates. Mislan missing his son who is sheltering elsewhere devotes all his time to solving this case, one where violence is used to help the less fortunate, but may lead to an even worse crimes.

This is the sixth book in this series that I have enjoyed since reading the first one. Mislan is a very well drawn character, not macho, not mean, but thoughtful, a little lost from all the things going on in his life, a good investigator and a better man. The cast are all well drawn, with back stories, and even better continuing stories for a lot of them. I'm not much a fan of American police procedurals, but do enjoy ones set in different locations. Learning the different ways crime is investigated, along with what is legal and what is not is fascinating. The book takes in a lot about life in Malaysia, the immigrant crisis, their political crisis, and what there life was like in lockdown. The writing is very good, moves well, and keeps everything in line, with no surprise clues that make everything clear. Another great book in a series I really look forward too. Also the food that is mentioned is really a character in the story, and one of my favorite characters at that.

Recommended for fans of International crime books, and police procedural stories. Mislan is a very good character and one that I enjoy reading about. Also recommended for people with an interest in South Asia and the politics of the region. I look forward to the next book in the series.