Skin

by Rueben Dass

In a city plagued by gruesome murders, Inspector Alysha must confront her own demons to unmask a killer with a dark past and an even darker mind, who is driven by something that none of us would ever think could twist the human mind to such an outré extent


“I’ve seen a lot of things in my time, but nothing comes close to this. I’ve never seen a body in that condition.”


In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the naked body of a prominent investigative journalist is found in a foetal position with the hands covering her face. As forensic investigators attempt to move her hands, they discover that the entire skin of her face has been surgically removed. Fresh off their last case, Inspector Alysha (Aly) and her partner, Inspector Raj from CID Bukit Aman are assigned to investigate the murder.


As Aly and Raj embark on their investigation, more bodies of young women pile up in the same cryptic manner. Their investigative trail takes them from Kuala Lumpur to the tea plantations of Cameron Highlands and from there on to the quiet, sleepy town of Teluk Intan where they slowly begin to unravel secrets from the past that are seemingly linked to the case.


Before they know it, Aly and Raj find themselves on a quest to hunt their most dangerous adversary yet, someone with a dark past and an even darker mind, who is driven by something that none of us would ever think could twist the human mind to such an outré extent.

388 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2025

Reviews

[hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Local crime setting with a serial killer premise; of abuse, trauma and the prolonged psycho mess that turned into an addiction. I followed Inspector Aly and her partner, Inspector Raj from CID Bukit Aman in their quest to hunt for the killer who has murdered several young women with horrid tortures and left their bodies in a cryptic manner. Lightly tense yet I loved how it was so exhilaratingly told with a detailed backstory and compelling investigative procedural. From KL to the tea plantations of Cameron Highlands and the quiet sleepy town of Teluk Intan— a chase of secrets from the past with a peek to Aly’s personal struggles and emotional chaos in between.

Few red herrings, twisty yet easily foreseen— bit nervous on the ending but I liked the whole execution and its crisp psycho madness following the killer’s dynamics and characterization; of how a trigger from a rejection could make one being the most vile

(Thank you Penguin Books SEA for the gifted review copy!)

[Swati · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Arpita Rajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book in a day, that's how intriguing it was!
Each page, each story - it clings onto you right till the end!
(I'll edit this review after I get my thoughts together - because well...the book had a lot of traumaaa!)

[DIPTISHA SARKAR · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Skin' by Rueben Dass is one of the most fast paced and exciting murder mysteries I have ever read. The plot didn't feel done for a single chapter. With every turn of page I was more and more invested in the story. The limited characters in the book made it even easier to keep track of the events going on. The author did a wonderful job, keeping the suspense till the very last page.

Our protagonists are Inspector Aly and Inspector Raj, who are in charge of solving a case, which they don't even know what it will drag into.
A SERIAL KILLER IS ON THE LOOSE!
The case that begins with a kidnap and murder (that too in a specific format) ends up Aly living her worst nightmare.

To sum up, it is one of such books which keeps you at the edge of your seat. The only thing that bugged me a bit is the thing with the pigs (iykyk), I'm not quite sure what the pigs' role was in all this. Anyways, except that I loved how the author put every piece of story so perfectly. Just go for it.

[Gesa Sjah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! I enjoyed traversing this world of criminal investigation in Malaysia, told in rich detail. I read the first book in this series (The Number Four) and though it's not a must to follow the plot of Skin, it does make me appreciate some of the plot lines so much more - and also how much better the author has gotten! Hope there will be another book in this series~

[Nadirah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad at all! A solid local crime story with a believable police setting.