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Inspector Mislan Latif #7
POSTHUMOUS CHILD: Inspector Mislan and the Playground Murder
A young woman named Norita is found dead at a playground in Bangsar. Forensic examination makes an eerie discovery: The victim was pregnant but her baby has been stolen from the womb.
Inspector Mislan Latif and his assistant Detective Sergeant Johan Kamaruddin of Special Investigations (D9) examine Norita’s life as a GRO who entertained some very rich and connected clientele, including men in politics and the judiciary. Was she killed by one of her clients? And what happened to the baby?
Mislan’s boss Superintendent Samsiah suggests that this may not be a simple case of baby trafficking but may have a supernatural element. Mislan must overcome his natural disdain for such beliefs in order to consider every angle – all while dealing with a few powerful men who are determined to shut down the investigation.
Inspector Mislan Latif and his assistant Detective Sergeant Johan Kamaruddin of Special Investigations (D9) examine Norita’s life as a GRO who entertained some very rich and connected clientele, including men in politics and the judiciary. Was she killed by one of her clients? And what happened to the baby?
Mislan’s boss Superintendent Samsiah suggests that this may not be a simple case of baby trafficking but may have a supernatural element. Mislan must overcome his natural disdain for such beliefs in order to consider every angle – all while dealing with a few powerful men who are determined to shut down the investigation.
336 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2022
6 people are currently reading
45 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 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 2, 2025
I was hooked with the homicide case from the 1st chapter; a straightforward murder crime that happened on the pavement of a 7E which later tugged me to another case of a dead pregnant lady who was found at a playground in the elite neighbourhood of Bangsar. More drama and tension occured when the forensic examination made an eerie discovery on the stolen baby from the victim’s womb leading both Inspector Mislan and his assistant, Detective Sergeant Johan to tightly engrossed in investigating the case.
I love the setting a lot as it centered mostly at the D9 department focusing much on the teamwork and procedural— glimpses of bureaucracy, privilege, taking advantage due to your higher position as well that peek into how public saw and judging the authorities; I like Superintendent Samsiah’s perspective when Mislan was slandered with unnecessary commentary from the victim’s family that he wanted to lodge a police report towards them.
“…you know when we take civil action against a member of the public the whole nation will stand behind him or her. Not because they believe he or she is in the right, but because they’re against us. The public notion of us is— because of a few bad apples the whole orchard is rotten.”
Thrilling execution on the investigation part and quite riveting too to follow the backstory of the victim who worked as a GRO. A breeze of political and judiciary related as well pinch of supernatural element that intrigued me with the story of ‘anak kerak’ and ‘kuman thong’. Fancy most of the characterization as well their interactions, enthralling dynamic and heartwarming friendship especially with Johan, Chew and Reeziana.
A gripping whodunnit plot overall although I can make my guess due to that hinted scene of how they found the body. Nothing too red herring for me anyway and I was pleased on how Mislan untangled the mystery and wrapped the case at the end— that playful conversation of him and Audi was amusing!
“In every murder there are three elements: means, motive, opportunity. What I believe does not matter, what we can prove does.”
I love the setting a lot as it centered mostly at the D9 department focusing much on the teamwork and procedural— glimpses of bureaucracy, privilege, taking advantage due to your higher position as well that peek into how public saw and judging the authorities; I like Superintendent Samsiah’s perspective when Mislan was slandered with unnecessary commentary from the victim’s family that he wanted to lodge a police report towards them.
“…you know when we take civil action against a member of the public the whole nation will stand behind him or her. Not because they believe he or she is in the right, but because they’re against us. The public notion of us is— because of a few bad apples the whole orchard is rotten.”
Thrilling execution on the investigation part and quite riveting too to follow the backstory of the victim who worked as a GRO. A breeze of political and judiciary related as well pinch of supernatural element that intrigued me with the story of ‘anak kerak’ and ‘kuman thong’. Fancy most of the characterization as well their interactions, enthralling dynamic and heartwarming friendship especially with Johan, Chew and Reeziana.
A gripping whodunnit plot overall although I can make my guess due to that hinted scene of how they found the body. Nothing too red herring for me anyway and I was pleased on how Mislan untangled the mystery and wrapped the case at the end— that playful conversation of him and Audi was amusing!
“In every murder there are three elements: means, motive, opportunity. What I believe does not matter, what we can prove does.”
July 31, 2023
Seorang wanita yang mulanya disangka tidur di taman permainan kanak-kanak rupa-rupanya sudah meninggal dunia. Selepas siasatan dijalankan didapati wanita tersebut sedang mengandung dan janinnya didapati hilang. Inspektor Mizlan hampir hilang arah dalam siasatan kerana beberapa teorinya tidak mengena.
SH suka bagaimana penulis turut memasukkan elemen mistik ke dalam sebuah naskah siasatan jenayah. Ternyata pemujaan ke atas janin bukan sahaja dipercayai oleh kaum Melayu namun juga tersebar meluas di merata tempat. Punyai nama yang berlainan tapi tujuan yang hampir sama.
Dengan berlatarbelakangkan zaman pandemic dan membawa cerita betapa terdesaknya manusia dari sudut kewangan di waktu itu adalah sangat tepat. Banyak yang SH dengar terpaksa gulung tikar kerana beban kewangan di era pandemik. Situasi ini secara tak langsung membuatkan manusia-manusia tamak dan terdesak sanggup melakukan apa sahaja demi sebuah kemewahan dan mungkin juga sekadar kelansungan hidup.
SH suka dengan watak Superintendent Samsiah yang tegas namun tetap boleh menerima masukan dan pendapat dari orang bawahannya. Dia juga sangat bijak dan mampu membuka minda Inspektor Mislan daripada tertumpu pada satu arah penyiasatan sahaja. Bukan pandai mengarah namun turut mampu memberikan solusi atau cadangan untuk memudahkan orang di bawahnya.
SH suka bagaimana penulis turut memasukkan elemen mistik ke dalam sebuah naskah siasatan jenayah. Ternyata pemujaan ke atas janin bukan sahaja dipercayai oleh kaum Melayu namun juga tersebar meluas di merata tempat. Punyai nama yang berlainan tapi tujuan yang hampir sama.
Dengan berlatarbelakangkan zaman pandemic dan membawa cerita betapa terdesaknya manusia dari sudut kewangan di waktu itu adalah sangat tepat. Banyak yang SH dengar terpaksa gulung tikar kerana beban kewangan di era pandemik. Situasi ini secara tak langsung membuatkan manusia-manusia tamak dan terdesak sanggup melakukan apa sahaja demi sebuah kemewahan dan mungkin juga sekadar kelansungan hidup.
SH suka dengan watak Superintendent Samsiah yang tegas namun tetap boleh menerima masukan dan pendapat dari orang bawahannya. Dia juga sangat bijak dan mampu membuka minda Inspektor Mislan daripada tertumpu pada satu arah penyiasatan sahaja. Bukan pandai mengarah namun turut mampu memberikan solusi atau cadangan untuk memudahkan orang di bawahnya.
May 8, 2024
in all my life, i dont think ive ever read a crime/thriller novel, and it’s mainly because i thought id never enjoy reading them. but this one’s different – i found myself enjoying the plot :-)
granted, the plot initially felt like a slow-burn; hence, it took me all of an entire month to get through it. but towards the end, i sat through and finished the entire book because i kept wanting to know what happened next!!
overall, im pleased with the book and truly enjoyed reading it, though if there’s one gripe it would be the fact that there were too many spelling and grammatical errors. but if you can read past that, then id say this book isnt too bad! might just start reading other Inspector Mislan novels too 🤭
granted, the plot initially felt like a slow-burn; hence, it took me all of an entire month to get through it. but towards the end, i sat through and finished the entire book because i kept wanting to know what happened next!!
overall, im pleased with the book and truly enjoyed reading it, though if there’s one gripe it would be the fact that there were too many spelling and grammatical errors. but if you can read past that, then id say this book isnt too bad! might just start reading other Inspector Mislan novels too 🤭
September 12, 2023
5/5 ⭐️ This has become my top 5 fav reads of 2023! The case related to some mystic. You don't really expect of the plot twist tho. There are also some upsetting parts that find me a bit hard to read but overall it's an easy read!
January 23, 2023
Penulis ini, berjaya buat aku geram lagi. Kali ini pakej sekali dengan rasa seram. Dunia ini memang penuh dengan 'sesuatu' yang kita tak terjangka.
Pandemik membuatkan ramai manusia terdesak. Aku tidak melaluinya 100%. Sebab itu jalan cerita novel jenayah ini melangkaui imaginasi aku.
Istilah anak kerak dan kuman thong memang aku tidak pernah tahu. Penulis berjaya gerakkan jari aku google istilah-istilah ini.
Nampaknya banyak lagi buku aku kena baca untuk menambah ilmu pengetahuan. Aku terfikir, begitu singkatkah pemikiran manusia untuk hidup mewah bertuhankan duit?? Mengambil nyawa bagaikan memetik daun di tepi jalan. Sedih!!
Tahniah penulis untuk Posthumous Child!!
Pandemik membuatkan ramai manusia terdesak. Aku tidak melaluinya 100%. Sebab itu jalan cerita novel jenayah ini melangkaui imaginasi aku.
Istilah anak kerak dan kuman thong memang aku tidak pernah tahu. Penulis berjaya gerakkan jari aku google istilah-istilah ini.
Nampaknya banyak lagi buku aku kena baca untuk menambah ilmu pengetahuan. Aku terfikir, begitu singkatkah pemikiran manusia untuk hidup mewah bertuhankan duit?? Mengambil nyawa bagaikan memetik daun di tepi jalan. Sedih!!
Tahniah penulis untuk Posthumous Child!!
July 21, 2023
Former Malaysian police officer Rozlan's latest novel is full of twists, mystery and charges ahead full-speed and in summary an entertaining thriller set in Malaysia's capital city.
Rozlan uses his experience as a police officer to weave a believable crime thriller that manages to keep our interest until the very end. The story moves briskly and the plot is twisty and the climax is concluded satisfactorily that is believable in the real world unlike in the Hollywood movies.
My only complaint is that the character development is almost absent as the author races ahead with the story. It would have been interesting if we know more about Mislan and his backstory and what motivates him and his personal beliefs are. The same goes for his fellow detectives or his impressive female superior. It would be also interesting if the author used his decades of experience to tell us more about the shady GRO business and the criminal underworld that runs it.
There are some loose ends in the story too. For example, there is a hint about the protagonist being shot and the shooter being never identified but somehow the author failed to pursue this further. There is also a side plot of the victim's sister and mother creating problems for the police and the protagonist in particular but somehow this matter was not concluded in the story and left hanging.
On the overall, this is an excellent crime thriller that really entertains. The author's experience as a veteran police detective is reflected in the authenticity of the plot, description of the crime, police procedurals and the darker underbelly of KL city. Perfect for a light read to pass one's time.
Rozlan uses his experience as a police officer to weave a believable crime thriller that manages to keep our interest until the very end. The story moves briskly and the plot is twisty and the climax is concluded satisfactorily that is believable in the real world unlike in the Hollywood movies.
My only complaint is that the character development is almost absent as the author races ahead with the story. It would have been interesting if we know more about Mislan and his backstory and what motivates him and his personal beliefs are. The same goes for his fellow detectives or his impressive female superior. It would be also interesting if the author used his decades of experience to tell us more about the shady GRO business and the criminal underworld that runs it.
There are some loose ends in the story too. For example, there is a hint about the protagonist being shot and the shooter being never identified but somehow the author failed to pursue this further. There is also a side plot of the victim's sister and mother creating problems for the police and the protagonist in particular but somehow this matter was not concluded in the story and left hanging.
On the overall, this is an excellent crime thriller that really entertains. The author's experience as a veteran police detective is reflected in the authenticity of the plot, description of the crime, police procedurals and the darker underbelly of KL city. Perfect for a light read to pass one's time.
June 3, 2024
I love how the story shift from affair case to some supernatural belief related. And I'm concerned about the fact that such person, a GRO only has that kind of attention after her death. Like, people don't care about you and many hate you until u dead and people start paying attention to you.
About the writing, i think that it has so many morning prayer scene that it starts to irritate me. But i still think it's necessary for the story.
Rozlan mohd noor story never fail to amaze and entertain me so far.
About the writing, i think that it has so many morning prayer scene that it starts to irritate me. But i still think it's necessary for the story.
Rozlan mohd noor story never fail to amaze and entertain me so far.
January 29, 2025
LIKES:
- Absolutely my genre. LOVED IT!
- Familiar places and landmarks in the story – vivid imagination.
- Quickly becoming my favorite author – bought another book already, LOL! (Soulless)
NOT REALLY:
Not available in ebooks, not even in Google…
NOTES:
This is the third book by local authors that I’ve read :)
- Absolutely my genre. LOVED IT!
- Familiar places and landmarks in the story – vivid imagination.
- Quickly becoming my favorite author – bought another book already, LOL! (Soulless)
NOT REALLY:
Not available in ebooks, not even in Google…
NOTES:
This is the third book by local authors that I’ve read :)
November 25, 2022
As usual Rozlan Mohd Noor impressed me again- this time with something different with Inspector Mislan and the fetus used for supernatural beliefs.
Fast paced as always - I recommend you get it and read!
Fast paced as always - I recommend you get it and read!
February 15, 2023
As per usual of a Rozlan Mohd Noor's work, the detective-murder-mystery is on point. However, he is not so good in character development. There are new sides to the characters shown in the story about their beliefs, but nothing changes about them by the end of the story.
June 2, 2023
Absolutely amazing. I love the storytelling. He did it again.
August 7, 2023
A great book with an interesting storyline.
October 3, 2023
an attempt to also read more local lits. an entertaining crime thriller which plot coincides with the recent malaysian X discourse about ‘anak kerak’. a light and easy read
December 25, 2024
Never read crime or any investigation genre before, the beginning quit slow but in the middle and at the end of the chapter climax was good I'll give 3.8/5
December 29, 2024
Easy read. Informative. Hardly any complaints. Probably just the too easy writing but I do appreciate a Novo to get me out of a reading slump.
May 6, 2025
(Inspector Mislan Latiff series) The opening always slow-burning type, but surely will hook the reader to stay to solve those cases together.
October 29, 2024
I unexpectedly found this gem in a used bookstore.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews