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Inspector Mislan Latif #5
SOULLESS: Inspector Mislan and the Faceless Girl
A death no one should suffer and an investigator who won’t give up—for fans of John Burdett, Ian Rankin, and Michael Connelly.
Early morning in Jalan Alor, one of the city’s red-light and tourist hotspots controlled by the Triads. A junkie’s scream of horror and the commotion that follows brings down the police, first a patrol car, and then, after what the officers see, Inspector Mislan and Detective Sergeant Johan from Special Investigations. The body in the duffle bag had been dumped in a back alley. The junkie who found the bag thought he’d hit the jackpot. The rats probably thought the same. But it was acid that took the young woman’s face and burned the flesh on her fingers, and something unknown caused the marks on her skin of what appears to be torture.
With no papers, no fingerprints, no face, and a body removed from the original crime scene, Mislan must build his case and find who committed this atrocity. The woman’s body seems to have been a message. But by whom? For whom?
This unsettling case will take Inspector Mislan and his team from Kuala Lumpur to the Land of Smiles, and from a dark alley to the dark web and a place where humans are made soulless.
Early morning in Jalan Alor, one of the city’s red-light and tourist hotspots controlled by the Triads. A junkie’s scream of horror and the commotion that follows brings down the police, first a patrol car, and then, after what the officers see, Inspector Mislan and Detective Sergeant Johan from Special Investigations. The body in the duffle bag had been dumped in a back alley. The junkie who found the bag thought he’d hit the jackpot. The rats probably thought the same. But it was acid that took the young woman’s face and burned the flesh on her fingers, and something unknown caused the marks on her skin of what appears to be torture.
With no papers, no fingerprints, no face, and a body removed from the original crime scene, Mislan must build his case and find who committed this atrocity. The woman’s body seems to have been a message. But by whom? For whom?
This unsettling case will take Inspector Mislan and his team from Kuala Lumpur to the Land of Smiles, and from a dark alley to the dark web and a place where humans are made soulless.
299 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2017
22 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Rozlan Mohd Noor
15 books57 followersRozlan Mohd Noor served as a police officer in the Royal Malaysia Police for 11 years as a crime investigator and court prosecutor before joining the private sector. He has published several crime/thriller novels. Six of them feature Inspector Mislan as the main protagonist, with Posthumous Child (2022) being the latest. The Inspector Mislan novels are now published internationally by Arcade CrimeWise, New York, starting with 21 Immortals in 2020 and DUKE in 2021. In 2022, the Inspector Mislan books were optioned as a mini-series by UK-based production company Envision Entertainment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 11, 2024
Soulless is the fifth book in the Inspector Mislan police procedural series, set in Kualu Lumpur, Malaysia, home to the Petronas Towers, situated south of Thailand and extending south to the city state of Singapore. What strikes one reading his series is how much like a familiar American police procedural it is and how universal stories are. Nevertheless, it is steeped in Malaysian culture which sets it apart and makes it unique.
Here, Inspector Mislan is faced with a corpse which is unidentifiable as the face has been burned off and the body tortured. Without a cloud as to who the victim is or whether she is even of local origin, Mislan doggedly pursues justice for her, a quest that takes him and his abrasive manners across international borders. It is an entirely absorbing story even though there is very little shoot-em-up type of action. Mislan’s personal life takes a backseat to his work here although his ongoing romance with the coroner takes a surprising turn.
Here, Inspector Mislan is faced with a corpse which is unidentifiable as the face has been burned off and the body tortured. Without a cloud as to who the victim is or whether she is even of local origin, Mislan doggedly pursues justice for her, a quest that takes him and his abrasive manners across international borders. It is an entirely absorbing story even though there is very little shoot-em-up type of action. Mislan’s personal life takes a backseat to his work here although his ongoing romance with the coroner takes a surprising turn.
February 9, 2021
Good storytelling as always.
This fifth installment of Inspector Mislan somehow showed a different vibes from its predecessors. Edgy, of course but with a sense of frustration, of giving up. Its darker, and references to the 'turmoils' in the country pre PRU-14 was all over the books. And now I'm wondering what really happened to that poor girl. It's politics, we civilians wouldn't know which were the truths, half truths or right out lies.
And the epilogue, really really intriguing. But since I read this in 2021, I was spared the moments of anxiety.
*******************************************
I have been to Hat Yai a few times (2 times to be exact haha) and my recollections of them was not quite the same as what was depicted here in the book. Hat Yai is at the border, and it's located in the southern Thai where majority of Thai Muslims lived. It's very different from what I imagined just by listening or reading previously. In fact, I felt safer there than back home. I loved the food (still thinking about that delicious Nasi Kerabu Golok) and halal food were very easy to get. I was surprised when Mislan and Johan faced difficulties with the language because the people there can understand Malay even if they can't answered back. I was happily shopping and bargaining in Malay (Kelantan dialect) without having to resort to English. Maybe then Tuan Mislan should speak Malay instead of English. Saving you a lot of trouble haha.
This fifth installment of Inspector Mislan somehow showed a different vibes from its predecessors. Edgy, of course but with a sense of frustration, of giving up. Its darker, and references to the 'turmoils' in the country pre PRU-14 was all over the books. And now I'm wondering what really happened to that poor girl. It's politics, we civilians wouldn't know which were the truths, half truths or right out lies.
And the epilogue, really really intriguing. But since I read this in 2021, I was spared the moments of anxiety.
*******************************************
I have been to Hat Yai a few times (2 times to be exact haha) and my recollections of them was not quite the same as what was depicted here in the book. Hat Yai is at the border, and it's located in the southern Thai where majority of Thai Muslims lived. It's very different from what I imagined just by listening or reading previously. In fact, I felt safer there than back home. I loved the food (still thinking about that delicious Nasi Kerabu Golok) and halal food were very easy to get. I was surprised when Mislan and Johan faced difficulties with the language because the people there can understand Malay even if they can't answered back. I was happily shopping and bargaining in Malay (Kelantan dialect) without having to resort to English. Maybe then Tuan Mislan should speak Malay instead of English. Saving you a lot of trouble haha.
March 18, 2018
Intense and suspense. Devastating and thrilled at the same time, and the plot case was something to ponder of. Love how it goes super fast at the last 10 chapters, giving such nervousness and excitement, few characters in a chapter and plot still well presented. I love both Mislan and Johan, and the team as a whole. It was fun and quite enjoyable to read about Malaysian police stuff and procedural, the behind scene of a crime case, the investigation and fishy connection even from inside the organisation.
Epilogue at the end was something unexpected. Surprising and yet, I hope it was nothing serious. I still need more of Inspector Mislan, please.
Epilogue at the end was something unexpected. Surprising and yet, I hope it was nothing serious. I still need more of Inspector Mislan, please.
August 9, 2023
Seorang gadis ditemui terbunuh. Namun dengan ketiadaan wajah dan cap jari identiti mangsa sukar untuk ditemui. Namun, atas usaha gigih Inspektor Mislan dan Johan sedikit demi sedikit petunjuk tentang identiti mangsa berjaya diperolehi.
Sebuah cerita yang agak menarik namun pengakhirannya sedikit menghampakan untuk SH. Walaupun kurang gemar dengan pengakhiran tersebut namun SH rasa ia sangat bertepatan dengan kejadian dunia nyata.
Watak A Sark yang tidak kurang merengnya berbanding dengan Inspektor Mislan mewarnai lagi cerita ini. Inspektor Mislan sendiri kadangkala tergamam dengan perangai A Sark. Begitulah keadaan SUP Samsiah yang saban hari melayan karenah Mislan yang kadangkala mencabar kesabaran.
Tapi geram betul dengan bapak Jariya ni. Sanggup dia berbuat macam tu dekat anak kandungnya sendiri semata-mata kerana duit. Sampai anak tu dah jadi begitu pun dia tidak tahu. Tapi itulah lumrah manusia. Kemiskinan yang menghimpit hidup kadangkala membuatkan orang yang waras hilang kewarasannya.
Sebuah cerita yang agak menarik namun pengakhirannya sedikit menghampakan untuk SH. Walaupun kurang gemar dengan pengakhiran tersebut namun SH rasa ia sangat bertepatan dengan kejadian dunia nyata.
Watak A Sark yang tidak kurang merengnya berbanding dengan Inspektor Mislan mewarnai lagi cerita ini. Inspektor Mislan sendiri kadangkala tergamam dengan perangai A Sark. Begitulah keadaan SUP Samsiah yang saban hari melayan karenah Mislan yang kadangkala mencabar kesabaran.
Tapi geram betul dengan bapak Jariya ni. Sanggup dia berbuat macam tu dekat anak kandungnya sendiri semata-mata kerana duit. Sampai anak tu dah jadi begitu pun dia tidak tahu. Tapi itulah lumrah manusia. Kemiskinan yang menghimpit hidup kadangkala membuatkan orang yang waras hilang kewarasannya.
June 21, 2023
First of all, I salute the author for his efforts in writing this book, although the ending is a bit anticlimatic for my liking but i understand how hard it is to write crime stories with good storyline and an outstanding ending. Personally i would like it better if the main antagonist isn't some elite member or someone with influence because i prefer for the antagonist to get punished for their crimes but the ending provided by the author is underwhelming imo. And the autopsy scene reminds me of Dr. Temperance Brennan series where the MC is a criminal anthropologist, the books the TV series Bones is based on.
Moving on to things i don't particularly enjoy about this book. it's so annoying to see Dr. Safia communicate with the MC using songs like are you 15 y/o? then why you sending messages through songs? Just communicate like adults do for pete's sake. Your boyfriend might be a policeman but apparently he has 1 brain cell and i wouldn't blame him for not getting the message like who would get that tbh? Another thing that pissed me off is the author's pathetic attempt for a joke when he named one of his Thai character Phuk!mak. Now now before you call me a snowflake, i don't get upset easily. i read a lot of books where the characters or rather, the author, objectified and sexualised women all the time (a song of ice and fire series). But this, using a derogatory term as someone's name is straight up disrespectful and problematic. Call me a snowflake all you want, but in all fairness there are many other Thai names he can use but he chose instead to use the insulting word. Look, i don't mind all the cusses and constant use of the F word in the book, but this to me is over the line. It's a different case if the author isn't Malaysian and named a character that word but the author's malaysian and he damn know well what it means yet still chose to use it maybe for a laugh, well it's not funny now is it?
Moving on to things i don't particularly enjoy about this book. it's so annoying to see Dr. Safia communicate with the MC using songs like are you 15 y/o? then why you sending messages through songs? Just communicate like adults do for pete's sake. Your boyfriend might be a policeman but apparently he has 1 brain cell and i wouldn't blame him for not getting the message like who would get that tbh? Another thing that pissed me off is the author's pathetic attempt for a joke when he named one of his Thai character Phuk!mak. Now now before you call me a snowflake, i don't get upset easily. i read a lot of books where the characters or rather, the author, objectified and sexualised women all the time (a song of ice and fire series). But this, using a derogatory term as someone's name is straight up disrespectful and problematic. Call me a snowflake all you want, but in all fairness there are many other Thai names he can use but he chose instead to use the insulting word. Look, i don't mind all the cusses and constant use of the F word in the book, but this to me is over the line. It's a different case if the author isn't Malaysian and named a character that word but the author's malaysian and he damn know well what it means yet still chose to use it maybe for a laugh, well it's not funny now is it?
October 27, 2020
Title: SOULLESS, Inspector Mislan and the Faceless Girl
Author: Rozlan Mohd Noor
Publisher: Buku Fixi
Format: e-book
Rating: 5/5 stars
Soulless is a good detective story. The narrative is fast and straight forward. It is my second read from the Inspector Mislan Latif Series. The story intrigues all the time with the clues, suspects and scenario. Experiencing through reading, I witness the investigation process, the procedure of skull cleaning (it freaks me out!) performed by Dr Safia and I enjoy the small scenario of Cyber Security. The plot and characters are well blended and the setting described was very convincing. The story was told in a fast pace and active mode.
Author: Rozlan Mohd Noor
Publisher: Buku Fixi
Format: e-book
Rating: 5/5 stars
Soulless is a good detective story. The narrative is fast and straight forward. It is my second read from the Inspector Mislan Latif Series. The story intrigues all the time with the clues, suspects and scenario. Experiencing through reading, I witness the investigation process, the procedure of skull cleaning (it freaks me out!) performed by Dr Safia and I enjoy the small scenario of Cyber Security. The plot and characters are well blended and the setting described was very convincing. The story was told in a fast pace and active mode.
August 19, 2019
Walaupun ia sebuah naskhah bergenre 'police-procedural', penulis tidak tergesa-gesa dalam bercerita.
Plotnya disusun baik membuatkan aku membaca dengan santai walhal ceritanya sangat serius, saspens dan mendebarkan.
Aku dah jangka pengakhirannya sebegitu rupa kerana itulah realiti yang berlaku di negara ini apabila melibatkan golongan elit.
Penat juga jadi polis ni. Perlu dedikasi yang tinggi.
Plotnya disusun baik membuatkan aku membaca dengan santai walhal ceritanya sangat serius, saspens dan mendebarkan.
Aku dah jangka pengakhirannya sebegitu rupa kerana itulah realiti yang berlaku di negara ini apabila melibatkan golongan elit.
Penat juga jadi polis ni. Perlu dedikasi yang tinggi.
June 7, 2025
Damn those so called elite criminals. How could they be left to do such? And to think that so many are Ms. Depressing.
The last paragraph, Noooo
The last paragraph, Noooo
March 13, 2024
3.5 stars
I have a lot of thoughts on the book.
But first I'd like to call out the public library system. God bless them!!!!
I'm so grateful that I'm able to have access to a public library. I grew up in a family of voracious readers which I've continued and growing up, my mom would take us to the library every weekend to pick up books & attend the children's library events (authors appearing, movie screenings, book readings, arts & crafts, etc.) which we enjoyed. And now the library has digital media availability. (audiobooks, movies, tv series)
Did I mention this was all FREE!!! If I spent money on all the books/audio/dvd's I checked out from the library, I'd be broke. Not that I don't buy books; but let's be REAL, we don't want a copy of everything we read.
Now this soapbox is all to say that my local library offers "Interlibrary loans" which is how I was able to access this series. THANK YOU! THANK YOU to my county library system!!!
Now onto my review.
I didn't rate this one as high as the others b/c it wasn't as action-packed as the previous books. It's a symptom of the middle-book blah syndrome. The case wasn't the priority in the story as the characters were all dealing with their own personal issues. Some good, some bad developments in their lives. It was middle-book progression of characters by the writer which is fine. You don't want your characters to get stagnant.
Not to give any spoilers-but there was some sad news for Mislan which bummed me out. But there was a surprise on the last page that..Wowza! I actually gasped out loud. And now I'm on pins & needles until the next book comes thru my interlibrary loan.
The nature of the crime & the description of the victim as well as the steps taken to help identify her were gross to say the least. Yuck! is all I can say. I'd suggest not reading the first third before bed or before eating. Trust me. Not for the faint of heart.
That being said, it was an intriguing case. How do you identify a faceless victim? Not to mention if she's a foreigner. Also, the crime involves human trafficking which goes to show that has really become a global industry that needs to end.
This book had more details about Malaysia & the surrounding countries as well as the various religions & cultures which I liked learning about. There was some humor too.
Mr. Noor was a CID police officer and prosecutor before becoming a writer which means he has a background in the police procedurals he writes. I mention this b/c I imagine he's been watching too many US TV cop shows. There were several similar references throughout the book:
"Fie, sorry to disturb you, one quick question. Can you determine the deceased's age?'
'Medically, that's still a research in progress.'
'I thought you can determine anything medically or through DNA and bone analysis like on Bones,' Mislan teases.
Dr. Safia laughs heartily. 'Nothing close to it, and as a police officer you should stop watching those shows. They're for entertainment and very misleading."
I'm guessing Mr. Noor either laughs hysterically when watching or gets mad b/c they get it wrong. Either way, it's an amusing quirk for a writer to include.
I like Mislan. His boss gives him a lot of leeway b/c while his family is important, he gets focused on his investigations until it gets solved. It's similar to other police series and why we root for our lead detective. We like to imagine that if we're ever victims, there'd be a bulldog cop helping us too.
And on a side note, A'sark is a Thai detective character introduced who's similar to Mislan:
"What the hell just happened?' Mislan says, nonplussed, still holing tightly to the hand grip. 'This motherfucker is crazy. I'm beginning to like him."
I liked him too. May I suggest to the writer for this cop to return or perhaps a spin-off book please!
Overall, another engrossing book. I look forward to continuing with these books and I hope I'm still able to access them.
I have a lot of thoughts on the book.
But first I'd like to call out the public library system. God bless them!!!!
I'm so grateful that I'm able to have access to a public library. I grew up in a family of voracious readers which I've continued and growing up, my mom would take us to the library every weekend to pick up books & attend the children's library events (authors appearing, movie screenings, book readings, arts & crafts, etc.) which we enjoyed. And now the library has digital media availability. (audiobooks, movies, tv series)
Did I mention this was all FREE!!! If I spent money on all the books/audio/dvd's I checked out from the library, I'd be broke. Not that I don't buy books; but let's be REAL, we don't want a copy of everything we read.
Now this soapbox is all to say that my local library offers "Interlibrary loans" which is how I was able to access this series. THANK YOU! THANK YOU to my county library system!!!
Now onto my review.
I didn't rate this one as high as the others b/c it wasn't as action-packed as the previous books. It's a symptom of the middle-book blah syndrome. The case wasn't the priority in the story as the characters were all dealing with their own personal issues. Some good, some bad developments in their lives. It was middle-book progression of characters by the writer which is fine. You don't want your characters to get stagnant.
Not to give any spoilers-but there was some sad news for Mislan which bummed me out. But there was a surprise on the last page that..Wowza! I actually gasped out loud. And now I'm on pins & needles until the next book comes thru my interlibrary loan.
The nature of the crime & the description of the victim as well as the steps taken to help identify her were gross to say the least. Yuck! is all I can say. I'd suggest not reading the first third before bed or before eating. Trust me. Not for the faint of heart.
That being said, it was an intriguing case. How do you identify a faceless victim? Not to mention if she's a foreigner. Also, the crime involves human trafficking which goes to show that has really become a global industry that needs to end.
This book had more details about Malaysia & the surrounding countries as well as the various religions & cultures which I liked learning about. There was some humor too.
Mr. Noor was a CID police officer and prosecutor before becoming a writer which means he has a background in the police procedurals he writes. I mention this b/c I imagine he's been watching too many US TV cop shows. There were several similar references throughout the book:
"Fie, sorry to disturb you, one quick question. Can you determine the deceased's age?'
'Medically, that's still a research in progress.'
'I thought you can determine anything medically or through DNA and bone analysis like on Bones,' Mislan teases.
Dr. Safia laughs heartily. 'Nothing close to it, and as a police officer you should stop watching those shows. They're for entertainment and very misleading."
I'm guessing Mr. Noor either laughs hysterically when watching or gets mad b/c they get it wrong. Either way, it's an amusing quirk for a writer to include.
I like Mislan. His boss gives him a lot of leeway b/c while his family is important, he gets focused on his investigations until it gets solved. It's similar to other police series and why we root for our lead detective. We like to imagine that if we're ever victims, there'd be a bulldog cop helping us too.
And on a side note, A'sark is a Thai detective character introduced who's similar to Mislan:
"What the hell just happened?' Mislan says, nonplussed, still holing tightly to the hand grip. 'This motherfucker is crazy. I'm beginning to like him."
I liked him too. May I suggest to the writer for this cop to return or perhaps a spin-off book please!
Overall, another engrossing book. I look forward to continuing with these books and I hope I'm still able to access them.
September 30, 2024
Spoilers ahead. The perfect example of how a good detective novel should be written.
Summary: A dead woman is found with her face and fingertips burnt off with acid. There is no ID but an earring is found in her stomach. There was also a small text type tattoo on her back. Inspector Mislan and his sergeant believe the tattoo points towards a Buddhist religion. So they go to a temple to ask about the text. While there, they met the temple administrator and his sister. They also ask about the earring. The sister tells them that the text on the earring, the markings and the craftsmanship point towards a Thai origin.
Based on all these factors they feel the deceased is probably Thai and asks the Thai authorities to put out a query on their social media. They get a hit from a young woman who recognizes the earring and Mislan and Jo travel to Thailand to follow up. The deceased is ID'd as a friend of hers. The deceased' family is questioned and it appears that the father sold the girl to sex traffickers who took her to Malaysia. The father gives up the procurer who in turn gives up his buyer (Auntie Sara) who is a Malaysian of Thai ethnicity. She in turn gives up her buyer.
Mislan is now treading on very dangerous territory as it's revealed that the sex trafficking ring caters to buyers very high up in Malaysian politics (those of cabinet level). Mislan's boss in fact tells him that the case will be taken off his hands and handled by her superiors and there is nothing he can do. For all his trouble, two assassins ambush Mislan and shoot him.
The book is good because it follows the tried and true formula of the detective finding clues and following up on them to lead to more clues and so on up to the end. I also like the book because of the description of the local culture and places as if I were also visiting it. Finally the author does a great job of fleshing out the characters and their interactions with each other. A home run on all fronts. I'm glad to have discovered this series.
Summary: A dead woman is found with her face and fingertips burnt off with acid. There is no ID but an earring is found in her stomach. There was also a small text type tattoo on her back. Inspector Mislan and his sergeant believe the tattoo points towards a Buddhist religion. So they go to a temple to ask about the text. While there, they met the temple administrator and his sister. They also ask about the earring. The sister tells them that the text on the earring, the markings and the craftsmanship point towards a Thai origin.
Based on all these factors they feel the deceased is probably Thai and asks the Thai authorities to put out a query on their social media. They get a hit from a young woman who recognizes the earring and Mislan and Jo travel to Thailand to follow up. The deceased is ID'd as a friend of hers. The deceased' family is questioned and it appears that the father sold the girl to sex traffickers who took her to Malaysia. The father gives up the procurer who in turn gives up his buyer (Auntie Sara) who is a Malaysian of Thai ethnicity. She in turn gives up her buyer.
Mislan is now treading on very dangerous territory as it's revealed that the sex trafficking ring caters to buyers very high up in Malaysian politics (those of cabinet level). Mislan's boss in fact tells him that the case will be taken off his hands and handled by her superiors and there is nothing he can do. For all his trouble, two assassins ambush Mislan and shoot him.
The book is good because it follows the tried and true formula of the detective finding clues and following up on them to lead to more clues and so on up to the end. I also like the book because of the description of the local culture and places as if I were also visiting it. Finally the author does a great job of fleshing out the characters and their interactions with each other. A home run on all fronts. I'm glad to have discovered this series.
May 16, 2023
Starting by saying that this is quite amazing!! 5/5 ⭐️ I like the story line, the actions, the forensics knowledge I got. We go deeper about Inspector Mislan too (his family&love life) How they connect the case and most storyline takes place in Thailand so basically I was in Thailand when I read it! It just I wish there's a POV from the victim because I want to know more details. And to get to know why the victim was killed took a little bit long. But overall, I like this!! (Maybe a little bit more than Posthumous Child 🤣)
January 10, 2021
Tak pernah tak best cuma mood ke laut dalam tu yang lambat habisnya.. Kali ini penjenayahnya memang kejam gila.. Mayat dijumpai tanpa wajah dan semua jarinya di hancurkan supaya mangsa susah untuk dicari tahu identitinya.. Penyelamat mangsa ialah sebentuk subang yang berada di dalam perutnya..
November 13, 2024
Ebook.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...! It can't end like that..! Where's the next book, where...?
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...! It can't end like that..! Where's the next book, where...?
February 19, 2021
Penemuan mayat seorang gadis tanpa wajah membawa Inspektor Mislan dan Johan jauh hingga ke seberang negara. Rentak penceritaan yang dari perlahan jadi semakin laju bila hampir ke penghujung. Satu demi satu bukti diperolehi. Endingnya buat aku, haish!!
April 7, 2022
Soulless: Inspector Mislan And The Faceless Girl by Rozlan Mohd Noor begins at 4 AM in the Jalan Alor area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Every city has such an area. A place for sin whether it be drugs, gambling, or prostitution. Jalen Alor is publicly famous for a certain seafood restaurant and being an entertainment district. But, other things go on there, and that includes the dumping of a dead body.
The local police on the beat get involved because of altercation between a panicked homeless man and a pimp who was highly offended that his car was jostled by the homeless man. There was good reason for his panic. In hid drug addled state, he thought the bag was tossed from god above and was full of money. Instead, he found a body that has no face. Not that the lack of face stops the rats from coning for a feast now that the four-legged vermin in the ally can get to it.
When the crime scene forensic team arrives, it takes some doing to get the rats to back off. They have already done some damage to the body, but are not responsible for the fact there is no face. Acid did that and was also responsible for what little is left of her fingers. The situation means Inspector Mislan Latif and Detective Sergeant Johan Kamaruddin of Special Investigations (D9) are summoned to the scene to take over the case.
With no facial identification or fingerprint identification possible, it is clear that the killer or killers went to extraordinary efforts to hide the identity of the victim. The investigators know she was female and probably young and in her late teens or early twenties. It is also clear that she was tortured before death. The only clues to her identity are two tattoos. One of which is a butterfly and the other is some sort of quote or saying.
Those tattoos are a start for Inspector Mislan in a case that will take him and Johan to various places in Thailand and back to Malaysia. As always in this series, politics, the interference or threat of interference by the rich and the powerful, are involved as are the social dynamics of culture and class across ethnic lines in Malaysian society. Author Rozlan Mohd Noor paints a rich tapestry of sight and sound in this series and does so again in Soulless: Inspector Mislan And The Faceless Girl.
This is the fourth book in the series and the first one I have read that seemed off at times. I don’t know if it was my lack of culture awareness or something else, but it seemed strange to have so many people smiling or amused at incredibly dark and somber moments in the book. A character will make a response to a dark bit of dialogue or scene description and be referred to as “smiling” or “laughing” with their dialogue response. That happened throughout the read and was jarring as it almost always felt very off in relation to the context of the situation. This issue is something I never noticed in previous books.
While overall this was an enjoyable read, it was also marred by a horrible open ending in the final paragraph. An event abruptly happens at the very end of the book, in the final three sentence paragraph, and one is left totally hanging. I don’t know if this was deliberate act by the author, a publisher decision, or what, but it was a very unsatisfactory end for this read.
Soulless: Inspector Mislan And The Faceless Girl by Rozlan Mohd Noor is a good read. This reader did not find it at the same level of the previous books in the series, but it was still a good read with the caveats above. The book is currently scheduled to be released in July 2022.
My reading copy was a digital arc via net galley.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2022
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The local police on the beat get involved because of altercation between a panicked homeless man and a pimp who was highly offended that his car was jostled by the homeless man. There was good reason for his panic. In hid drug addled state, he thought the bag was tossed from god above and was full of money. Instead, he found a body that has no face. Not that the lack of face stops the rats from coning for a feast now that the four-legged vermin in the ally can get to it.
When the crime scene forensic team arrives, it takes some doing to get the rats to back off. They have already done some damage to the body, but are not responsible for the fact there is no face. Acid did that and was also responsible for what little is left of her fingers. The situation means Inspector Mislan Latif and Detective Sergeant Johan Kamaruddin of Special Investigations (D9) are summoned to the scene to take over the case.
With no facial identification or fingerprint identification possible, it is clear that the killer or killers went to extraordinary efforts to hide the identity of the victim. The investigators know she was female and probably young and in her late teens or early twenties. It is also clear that she was tortured before death. The only clues to her identity are two tattoos. One of which is a butterfly and the other is some sort of quote or saying.
Those tattoos are a start for Inspector Mislan in a case that will take him and Johan to various places in Thailand and back to Malaysia. As always in this series, politics, the interference or threat of interference by the rich and the powerful, are involved as are the social dynamics of culture and class across ethnic lines in Malaysian society. Author Rozlan Mohd Noor paints a rich tapestry of sight and sound in this series and does so again in Soulless: Inspector Mislan And The Faceless Girl.
This is the fourth book in the series and the first one I have read that seemed off at times. I don’t know if it was my lack of culture awareness or something else, but it seemed strange to have so many people smiling or amused at incredibly dark and somber moments in the book. A character will make a response to a dark bit of dialogue or scene description and be referred to as “smiling” or “laughing” with their dialogue response. That happened throughout the read and was jarring as it almost always felt very off in relation to the context of the situation. This issue is something I never noticed in previous books.
While overall this was an enjoyable read, it was also marred by a horrible open ending in the final paragraph. An event abruptly happens at the very end of the book, in the final three sentence paragraph, and one is left totally hanging. I don’t know if this was deliberate act by the author, a publisher decision, or what, but it was a very unsatisfactory end for this read.
Soulless: Inspector Mislan And The Faceless Girl by Rozlan Mohd Noor is a good read. This reader did not find it at the same level of the previous books in the series, but it was still a good read with the caveats above. The book is currently scheduled to be released in July 2022.
My reading copy was a digital arc via net galley.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2022
Reviews, News, and More
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
June 5, 2020
SOULLES - inspector Mislan and the faceless girl
by: Rozlan Mohd Noor
FIXI NOVO - 2017
--------------------------------------------------------------
To dilly dally is not Rozlan Mohd Noor (11 years of experience at PDRM). Nearing 300 pages this fiction managed to entice readers to tag along Insp Mislan right after a terrible incident at a dumpster introducing the real subject of investigation: The faceless girl
With no clue except a tattoo on her shoulder and an earring found in her stomach during an autopsy. Introducing the Maverick Mislan, it's very wise of the author to present a simpler case of an innocent officer who was shot dead during his off day during robbery - proceeding to an introduction of each character at a fictional PDRM Headquarters.
There were so many familiar names used by the author: ASP Amir Muhammad, ASP Tina Isaac, AIO Gina Yap Lai Yoong, and many more including the villain Zan Azli of The Fat Bidin Club, Ted Mahson - Very interesting indeed. Each name will be mentioned in full at a certain right paragraph. Each page should not be missed!
What I personally like about this novel?
The running around at PDRM office (mourning prayer and ego chamber), Characters of many supporting roles, facts of chosen localities including Songkhla (Hatyai, Patahalung and Danok), Cigarettes as a sign of tense, cynical descriptions of Mislan about real incidents in his country and of course that cool female Superintendent Samsiah Hassan. A reminder that real investigation is not like those crime series on television.
Differences in terms of language and culture were very well presented. Selected dialogues can be funny, informative, simple and some were in italic font to ensure readers clarity.
What happened to the disintegrated head of the faceless girl by forensic Dr. Safia that was initially planned to identify how she looks?
SOULLES managed to tickle curiosity while providing not only strong views of human trafficking but human behaviors.
PICK IT UP - enjoy reading it!
by: Rozlan Mohd Noor
FIXI NOVO - 2017
--------------------------------------------------------------
To dilly dally is not Rozlan Mohd Noor (11 years of experience at PDRM). Nearing 300 pages this fiction managed to entice readers to tag along Insp Mislan right after a terrible incident at a dumpster introducing the real subject of investigation: The faceless girl
With no clue except a tattoo on her shoulder and an earring found in her stomach during an autopsy. Introducing the Maverick Mislan, it's very wise of the author to present a simpler case of an innocent officer who was shot dead during his off day during robbery - proceeding to an introduction of each character at a fictional PDRM Headquarters.
There were so many familiar names used by the author: ASP Amir Muhammad, ASP Tina Isaac, AIO Gina Yap Lai Yoong, and many more including the villain Zan Azli of The Fat Bidin Club, Ted Mahson - Very interesting indeed. Each name will be mentioned in full at a certain right paragraph. Each page should not be missed!
What I personally like about this novel?
The running around at PDRM office (mourning prayer and ego chamber), Characters of many supporting roles, facts of chosen localities including Songkhla (Hatyai, Patahalung and Danok), Cigarettes as a sign of tense, cynical descriptions of Mislan about real incidents in his country and of course that cool female Superintendent Samsiah Hassan. A reminder that real investigation is not like those crime series on television.
Differences in terms of language and culture were very well presented. Selected dialogues can be funny, informative, simple and some were in italic font to ensure readers clarity.
What happened to the disintegrated head of the faceless girl by forensic Dr. Safia that was initially planned to identify how she looks?
SOULLES managed to tickle curiosity while providing not only strong views of human trafficking but human behaviors.
PICK IT UP - enjoy reading it!
February 20, 2022
This is my first time reading Inspector Mislan series and it is the 9th book from the series. Kinda fucked up when some previous cases mentioned in the story. However, the story is still enjoying and thrilling. I think this is why people like to watch CSI, Gerak Khas or whatsoever police investigation story at television. For me, i never been a fan and never thought to be one. But this book by this author already made me one. Too sad that it is almost impossible to buy copy for the previous books.
For the story, i like the dedication Inspector Mislan put in the case. Even some of the efforts are meaningless like removing the flesh from the faceless girl. I also like the character, the serious maverick and control by emotion inspector. Also his addiction to nicotine. His partner who always be the funny and understanding character for him.
For the epilogue, it makes me questioning "what the hell happened to Mislan? Is he died?" But probably not as there are other book in this series. I also like how the author mentioned some familiar names like Gina, Ted and Tina Issacs. And also the Phukimak in Thailand.
For the story, i like the dedication Inspector Mislan put in the case. Even some of the efforts are meaningless like removing the flesh from the faceless girl. I also like the character, the serious maverick and control by emotion inspector. Also his addiction to nicotine. His partner who always be the funny and understanding character for him.
For the epilogue, it makes me questioning "what the hell happened to Mislan? Is he died?" But probably not as there are other book in this series. I also like how the author mentioned some familiar names like Gina, Ted and Tina Issacs. And also the Phukimak in Thailand.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2022
This is the fourth book of the Inspector Mislan series to be published in English. Mislan is a detective in the capital of Kuala Lampur, where he is known for his ability to solve the most complicated crimes But with the help of his assistant Johan and his girlfriend the head of Police Forensic Science. but also is a thorn in the side of the Police Administration and will never be promoted.
A body is found on a red-light street of KL. The body is that of a dead young girl, whose face and fingerprint have been destroyed by acid. There are no papers on her and only two tatoos on her body give any clue as to where she is from. The also find a clue in her stomach of an earring with Thai writing on it.
The tatoo and earring lead Mislan and Johan to Thailand where they end up working with the Royal Thai Police section that deal with human trafficking. In the end they find who had bought and brought the girl into Malaysia, and caught her murderer.
SPOILER: the are two side stories added to the story. Mislan's girlfriend (the Forensic Doctor) goes off to another job away from KL without telling Mislan, and he is attacked by members of the human trafficking gang.
A body is found on a red-light street of KL. The body is that of a dead young girl, whose face and fingerprint have been destroyed by acid. There are no papers on her and only two tatoos on her body give any clue as to where she is from. The also find a clue in her stomach of an earring with Thai writing on it.
The tatoo and earring lead Mislan and Johan to Thailand where they end up working with the Royal Thai Police section that deal with human trafficking. In the end they find who had bought and brought the girl into Malaysia, and caught her murderer.
SPOILER: the are two side stories added to the story. Mislan's girlfriend (the Forensic Doctor) goes off to another job away from KL without telling Mislan, and he is attacked by members of the human trafficking gang.
May 22, 2022
In this outing, Mislan and Johan find themselves up against a baffling case - a murdered girl, with no visible signs of identity. Who killed here and why.? Their investigations will lead them into the seedy world of human trafficking, where the stakes are high, and the clientele influential. These people, Mislan observes, "... are souless, living on income from sex slaves ..". As mentioned, power and influence hold sway, and we know Mislan is not one for following the rules, putting offside those that could help him and increasing the antagonisism of those that want him out of the way.
Mislan's personal life takes a back seat to this investigation - his son is away with his ex-wife, his lover, Dr Safia is becoming distant, and Mislan seems more wrapped up in the case to notice what is going on around him.
There are many loose ends that need tying up before this case can be solved by Misland nad his team - but in the process, will Mislan be one of them?
A decent follow on for this series set in Kuala Lumpur - and the setting makes a nice change from the predominance of Euro-centric crime fiction.
Mislan's personal life takes a back seat to this investigation - his son is away with his ex-wife, his lover, Dr Safia is becoming distant, and Mislan seems more wrapped up in the case to notice what is going on around him.
There are many loose ends that need tying up before this case can be solved by Misland nad his team - but in the process, will Mislan be one of them?
A decent follow on for this series set in Kuala Lumpur - and the setting makes a nice change from the predominance of Euro-centric crime fiction.
February 23, 2023
"Soulless: Inspector Mislan and the Faceless Girl ", by Rozlan Mohd Noor is the fourth book in the Inspector Mislan detective series. I am not much of a series reader, but I read "21 Immortals" back in 2020 on a whim, and loved the author's direct style. For the next few years I've excitedly kept up with the following books in the series and felt they all lived up to my expectations. "Soulless" was no exception.
Plot wise, "Soulless" follows Inspector Mislan and his assisstant Johan, investigating the murder of a young woman whose body has been mutilated past the point of identification. For more than a third of the book the investigation is at a standstill. The focus is on what can be done to identify the body in question, and the ethical dilemmas regarding that. Once the investigation gets going, it reaches a scope greater than any of the previous investigations in the series.
One of the things I appreciate about this series is how rooted in reality it feels. As a former investigator himself, the author pokes fun at the assumptions that murder investigations are like an episode of CSI or NCIS. The Malaysian culture elements are also fascinating. In this book in particular, religious beliefs affect the investigation at first, which was an interesting concept. The food descriptions are mouth-watering as always. In addition to Malaysian culture, this time the investigation ventures into Thailand also, so the readers get a glimpe of Thai culture and food, and Thai-Malay relations, all via a Malay perspective of course.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed "Soulless". The plot was engaging, and I had a great time revisiting familiar characters. I'm very excited to read the fifth book in the series coming out in 2023.
Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing (Arcade Crimewise) for the e-arc. All opinions are my own. "Soulless", by Rozlan Mohd Noor has been available since July 2022. Also, watch out for the fifth book in the Inspector Mislan series, "Philantropists", coming out in March 2023.
Plot wise, "Soulless" follows Inspector Mislan and his assisstant Johan, investigating the murder of a young woman whose body has been mutilated past the point of identification. For more than a third of the book the investigation is at a standstill. The focus is on what can be done to identify the body in question, and the ethical dilemmas regarding that. Once the investigation gets going, it reaches a scope greater than any of the previous investigations in the series.
One of the things I appreciate about this series is how rooted in reality it feels. As a former investigator himself, the author pokes fun at the assumptions that murder investigations are like an episode of CSI or NCIS. The Malaysian culture elements are also fascinating. In this book in particular, religious beliefs affect the investigation at first, which was an interesting concept. The food descriptions are mouth-watering as always. In addition to Malaysian culture, this time the investigation ventures into Thailand also, so the readers get a glimpe of Thai culture and food, and Thai-Malay relations, all via a Malay perspective of course.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed "Soulless". The plot was engaging, and I had a great time revisiting familiar characters. I'm very excited to read the fifth book in the series coming out in 2023.
Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing (Arcade Crimewise) for the e-arc. All opinions are my own. "Soulless", by Rozlan Mohd Noor has been available since July 2022. Also, watch out for the fifth book in the Inspector Mislan series, "Philantropists", coming out in March 2023.
December 24, 2020
I was deceived. I've read the synopsis and with few keywords such as sinister, inhuman, and apparently the title is soulless. Of course I thought this book coming from horror perspective with some dark magic, forbidden ritual and broken oath. But its about an investigation.
Maybe my ignorant cause this misconception because I didn't search further about this Inspector Mislan series. Oh well
Btw, I find it quite annoying when the author keep mentioning IMDB scandal in the book. Like duhh... I paid a fiction book not expecting a viral issue from outside world. If I wanted to know deeper about IMDB, I will find a book 200% talking about it.
Other book from Inspector Mislan series? Hard pass.
Maybe my ignorant cause this misconception because I didn't search further about this Inspector Mislan series. Oh well
Btw, I find it quite annoying when the author keep mentioning IMDB scandal in the book. Like duhh... I paid a fiction book not expecting a viral issue from outside world. If I wanted to know deeper about IMDB, I will find a book 200% talking about it.
Other book from Inspector Mislan series? Hard pass.
February 16, 2022
The plot is amazing I must say. The initial/early heading plot was astonishing but the ending could be improved so much. I expected the antagonists to be better than just easily to get caught like that. The way they expressed themselves and easily get into them was disappointing.
I must say rather than having excessively elaborated, those tiny details from the start, it would be great to occupy those spaces with ending/semi ending plot.
I dislike the main character, too much vulgar though he s very passionate in his work. It really shows what policeman stand in our eyes as a public - vulgar.
But at last, the entire story was good enough though it could be improved so much. I enjoyed this one.
I must say rather than having excessively elaborated, those tiny details from the start, it would be great to occupy those spaces with ending/semi ending plot.
I dislike the main character, too much vulgar though he s very passionate in his work. It really shows what policeman stand in our eyes as a public - vulgar.
But at last, the entire story was good enough though it could be improved so much. I enjoyed this one.
September 2, 2022
As usual, Rozlan Mohd Noor gives us detailed investigative story of mystery. It's just that the side stories are a little boring. I prefer him to focus more on the mystery to solve rather than all the irrelevant side stories.
I thought that some scenes could be longer and explained in more detail especially the scenes abroad. Sometimes they feel quite rushed.
Nevertheless, interesting story again. I bought this book, the last copy available because of the intriguing synopsis. A faceless girl and the search to find out who she is. Worth reading. I enjoyed it and hardly could put the book down.
The ending could be written better, without reader feeling it was too rushed and knowing the writer just wants to end it too quickly.
I thought that some scenes could be longer and explained in more detail especially the scenes abroad. Sometimes they feel quite rushed.
Nevertheless, interesting story again. I bought this book, the last copy available because of the intriguing synopsis. A faceless girl and the search to find out who she is. Worth reading. I enjoyed it and hardly could put the book down.
The ending could be written better, without reader feeling it was too rushed and knowing the writer just wants to end it too quickly.
February 12, 2019
No doubt, Rozlan Mohd Noor ace at writing crime thriller novel. I like how in this novel, he paid homage to human trafficking case at Wang Kelian, and how he injects humor by inserting political references pre 8th May 2018 to the plot.
However, I found that this novel could be better if the storyline is elaborate further particularly on the relationship between victim and high profile individual involved in her death and would make the story 10 ten times more interesting.
Also in this book, Inspector Mislan dwell so much on his complicated relationship with Dr Sofia.
But I enjoy the book nonetheless.
However, I found that this novel could be better if the storyline is elaborate further particularly on the relationship between victim and high profile individual involved in her death and would make the story 10 ten times more interesting.
Also in this book, Inspector Mislan dwell so much on his complicated relationship with Dr Sofia.
But I enjoy the book nonetheless.
August 2, 2020
A 3.5-star thriller/crime fiction to be exact. Indeed, this is my first crime fiction novel. Overall, I enjoyed the characters, the conflicts & the storyline. Simple sentence + occasional humour ease my reading journey. The narration is reader-friendly, without stressing too much on forensic jargon.
The story starts well with the death of a young girl. Then the painstaking investigation procedures set in in order to identify her identity, along with her murderer. I like the detailed procedural & action-based narration throughout the process.
They are some partially-covered plotholes, for example, when they decided to decapacitate the victim's head & polished her skull to get a 3-D print of her facial features. But the story did not highlight the outcome of that part despite all the labourous work in order to get it done. Then the story focused on the trip to Thailand tracking the victim's friends, family & all the bad guys behind the scenes.
Towards the end of the story, of course, like in other crime fiction, increases in it's tension & pacing. It focuses on the use of IT, dark web, the arrest & demise of some individuals related to the crime.
I noticed some preventable punctuation error: the use of apostrophe & some minor spelling error which could've been picked up easily by the editor. I encountered a lot of "this-kind-of-sentence" throughout the story, which to a certain extent, I think it is unnecessary, & can he replaced with better word.
In summary, this book is worth-reading, action-packed & thrillingly good.
The story starts well with the death of a young girl. Then the painstaking investigation procedures set in in order to identify her identity, along with her murderer. I like the detailed procedural & action-based narration throughout the process.
They are some partially-covered plotholes, for example, when they decided to decapacitate the victim's head & polished her skull to get a 3-D print of her facial features. But the story did not highlight the outcome of that part despite all the labourous work in order to get it done. Then the story focused on the trip to Thailand tracking the victim's friends, family & all the bad guys behind the scenes.
Towards the end of the story, of course, like in other crime fiction, increases in it's tension & pacing. It focuses on the use of IT, dark web, the arrest & demise of some individuals related to the crime.
I noticed some preventable punctuation error: the use of apostrophe & some minor spelling error which could've been picked up easily by the editor. I encountered a lot of "this-kind-of-sentence" throughout the story, which to a certain extent, I think it is unnecessary, & can he replaced with better word.
In summary, this book is worth-reading, action-packed & thrillingly good.
June 25, 2022
Finished reading this police-procedural novel in less than a 24 hours. Thats just how good Rozlan is at writing crime thriller story.
Ceritanya agak sedikit flat at times tapi masih seronok untuk dibaca. Banyak ilmu kepolisan yang dimasukkan dan boleh dipelajari. Last 10 chapters are so intriguing, nak tahu siapa yang telibat disebalik jenayah yang diketengahkan.
Paling suka how Rozlan boleh buat saya raca the panic yang Mukmin rasa tu. Like, I legit can feel how gelabah Mukmin is lepas kantoi tu. Huhu
Nak kena cari the other novels in this series. So far baru baca Infantisid, Philanthropists dan Soulless.
Ceritanya agak sedikit flat at times tapi masih seronok untuk dibaca. Banyak ilmu kepolisan yang dimasukkan dan boleh dipelajari. Last 10 chapters are so intriguing, nak tahu siapa yang telibat disebalik jenayah yang diketengahkan.
Paling suka how Rozlan boleh buat saya raca the panic yang Mukmin rasa tu. Like, I legit can feel how gelabah Mukmin is lepas kantoi tu. Huhu
Nak kena cari the other novels in this series. So far baru baca Infantisid, Philanthropists dan Soulless.
September 26, 2022
This was my first book by Rozlan Mohd Noor and I thought it was a pretty good thriller! This is book five in the Inspector Mislan Latif series and it didn’t matter, I was able to jump right in! I thought this book had an interesting mystery and it kept me intrigued. I also enjoyed the author’s descriptive writing style. My only complaint about this one was that some parts of the book felt a bit rushed. If you like thrillers that follow a detective and are more about police procedures, you should give this one a try.
September 23, 2021
It didn't take me long to finish the book, I find it interesting considering the author used to be a cop and I'm sure the story was written from a cop's POV too. No spoiler aside, I feel bad for Inspector Mislan because at the end of the day, all of the credit of his hard work was given to someone else. The reality of life. C'est la vie.
December 24, 2022
This series, which has always been pretty gritty, is more so in this one--a girl is found who has been tortured, mutilated and killed in Kuala Lampur and falls to Inspector Mislan to solve who she is and why she was so brutally murdered--which he does. The seamy side of life is always at the center of this series, and this is no exception.
April 9, 2018
I love it!! Cannot put it in words. I feel sad while reading it, especially towards the end. I need more of Inspector Mislan & Johan. The input is very refreshing and I have no regret for buying and reading it. Thank you author! *ps: I strip off a star and spare it for the next book 😬
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