I thoroughly enjoyed this! I was very much in the mood for a police procedural thriller when I picked this up to read and it was definitely that. I appreciated the insight into the politics involved in the force, interesting too as the author has previously worked as a police investigator and court prosecutor in Malaysia. On that note, I very much appreciated seeing a book firmly rooted in urban Malaysia made available to Anglophone readers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this copy.

Okay lah, I loved the thrill this book gave but will say at times it fell a bit flat. Liked how I was able to picture where the characters were based on my previous experience of KL and I loved being reminded of a city that I love. I can't wait to see that comes next in this series.

"21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang Murders", by Rozlan Mohd Noor is a Malaysian detective fiction novel, the first in the Inspector Mislan series. The entire series was originally published between 2010 and 2017, by Silverfish books, an indie press aiming to promote Malaysian literature in English, and is now being reissued by Arcade Crimewise, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing.

The book follows Inspector Mislan, a Major Crimes detective in Kuala Lumpur as he is investigating the murder of a prominent figure in fashion design, his wife and child. Father of a young child himself, Mislan is set to solve the murder, in spite of the perfect nature of the crime as well as the pressure from the press craving superiors in the Police Department.

I am a big fan of detective fiction and a big fan of traveling to different countries and observing life in different places, so this book was perfect for me. The thriller/ mystery aspect of the book is not over sensationalized, and there are no big cliffhangers, shoot-outs, or hold-your-breath chases. After all, as Inspector Mislan himself points it out on a few occasions, this is not an episode of CSI. Rather, it is a slow burn police investigation, where the detective sometimes needs to pull at straws, sometimes needs to call in favors, and sometimes needs to fight the corrupt system. When I picked this up I saw it compared to Keigo Higashino's detective fiction, but as I was reading it it reminded me more of Hideo Yokoyama's more procedural crime fiction. I picked it up for the murder case, but I stayed for the case investigation and the integrity of the characters that want to see the case through.

If you are a fan of detective fiction definitely give this one a go. It's quick, engaging, and rooted in reality. I am eager to continue with the series and I really hope Yelp can suggest some good Malaysian restaurants near me, because all the food mentions and descriptions had me drooling. Thank you NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing (Arcade Crimewise) for the free copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find myself some nasi lemak and a glass of teh tarik.

While I have not read many mystery novels set in Malaysia, the novel 21 Immortals: Inspector Mislan and the Yee Sang Murders has a familiar quality as someone who grew up watching police dramas from Hong Kong and South Korea.

There is grit and strong suggestion of a fantastical element associated with urban centers in Southeast Asian, but there are also tender family moments.

Written by a former police officer in Kuala Lumpur, the story follows Mislan Letif an inspector in the capital city. At the end of a shift, he is called to a wealthy neighborhood. There, he finds a family of three are sitting around a dinner table. They have yee sang on their table, a dish that is traditionally served during Chinese New Year. The husband, wife and their son are found frozen where they sit.

From there, Mislan begins his search of the murderers.

The story is fast-paced and economical with words. The book is only 288 pages, so there are no long descriptions or psychological profiles of the characters. As with requisite police procedurals, there are generalizations and jabs at the news media.

21 Immortals is the first instalment in the Inspector Mislan series and Malaysia’s answer to Sherlock Holmes and I must admit that the exotic location, as well as the perfectly executed plot, kept me reading long into the early hours. Kuala Lumpur Inspector Mislan Latif is about to clock off for the night after a long and arduous shift when he's called out to the strangest crime scene he's ever encountered. It looks to be a triple murder where each of the corpses, the mother, father and their ten-year-old sons, have been embalmed and posed around their table with a Chinese New Year's banquet in front of them. The clues are scant with Mislan soon coming to the realisation that this is going to be a tough case to solve. Even the cause of death isn't immediately clear. The results of their autopsies indicate that they were poisoned by hydrogen cyanide gas before their bizarre embalming. Later the male victim is identified as affluent businessman Robert Tham, whose brutal slaying may be related to his past as leader of a shady secret society. Once the police force realises the deaths are of a high-profile family the pressure to bring the perpetrator to justice escalates but Mislan refuses to bow to the pressure just to get a result.

It's a rare delight to find Eastern crime fiction that has been translated as well as this; it almost reads as though it was written in English. And the fact that the author was himself a detective for over a decade in KL adds an air of authenticity and realism to proceedings. Mislan is married to his job, as police employees often are, to the detriment of his personal life as he doesn't get to spend enough time with his son and his marriage has broken down with his wife having run off and committed adultery with another man. It'll certainly be interesting to see how his family life evolves as he's now back in the dating game as free and single. I particularly admired that he called out the corruption within the police force and is a man with honour who relentlessly pursues the truth rather than accepting the falsehoods often presented by others. This is a real page-turner and a superb police procedural but add in the tidbits about Malaysian culture, especially food, traditions and customs, and you have an unmissable crime caper. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Arcade Crimewise for an ARC.

Fans of the police procedural should pick this one up for a different take on the trop. Kuala Lumpur Inspective Latif Mislan is shocked to see a crime scene where a family is enbalmed and posed around a dinner table- who wouldn't be. What he didn't expect was to uncover so much corruption, greed, and tech issues as he worked through the case. This has good atmospherics for KL and its law enforcement community (I learned a bit). Also good- Mislan rather than the usual troubled detective, is trying his best to raise his 6 year old son Daniel. No spoilers from me on how things work out. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It's an entertaining read and here's hoping the next books in the series are also reissued in the US.

I quite liked the lightness of the story, and despite it's a crime investigation story, there is some sense of humour in it. To be honest, I was surprised by the author's frankness about Malay's weakness in English. Although it is a fictional story, pointing out any flaws in them is a taboo in Malaysia. It didn't go well when it was pointed out by their former Prime Minister himself. I just worry that some readers will get offended with it. However, I admire his courage to express his personal opinion of his own race in the book.

Another surprising thing for me is the number of sexual fantasy and objectification expressed in this book. For me, it was unusual to read it from a Malaysian author. Although I'm not a feminist, activist or whatsoever, I have another concern that some readers will be offended with it, especially in this kind of world that we are living in. Another minor thing to highlight is I had lost count with the number of cigarettes *cough cough* which I've "smoked" throughout this book. And I can feel the acidity in my stomach after drinking uncountable cups of coffee.

In terms of the story, I really liked the detailed investigation procedures, and it provides the answers to most of the questions which probably appear on the reader's mind. Unfortunately, I really don't like the story of the main character's personal life. It's too much for me, and it's taking more than sixty-per cent of the story which involves him flirting with the pathologist. The remaining is about the case investigation. I wish the author will offer more of his knowledge in the case due to his previous experience as a police officer. What a waste if a crime novel turns out more to a romance novel.

I don't consider myself reading a lot of Malaysian-authored books, and I know it's strange to say that this novel is very profoundly rooted in Malaysian cultures. It reflects a lot of daily lives in Malaysia, especially races specification. From any outsiders of the country, they probably have the impression that Malaysians are racist. But Malaysians already living with the racial questions in their whole lives. For example, most of the questions will relate what the race of the person that gets involved in the crime, the area that you are living will indicate which is the majority race that lives there, and so on. Also, food is one of the things that Malaysians are incredibly proud of it. This story offers a lot of details about Malaysians daily life such as races and food, and even illegal U-turn on the road despite he is a police officer. It's an unsophisticated story, and if you are looking for a heavy crime novel, this is not the one for you. But if you are interested to understand more about Malaysians from a lower-level perspective, this will be a good start. It would be great if the author's future work reduces the objectification and sexual fantasy but offers more of his knowledge and experience in crime investigation. It's uncommon that a Malaysian police officer or former police officer who can write a book. So, I hope that I can read more about it. It was really an unusual crime case. But it was ruined by the objectification, too many details of the main character's personal life and inappropriate repetitive actions.

4 stars. Even though I can't say I truly enjoyed it, it was, objectively, a great procedural.
So, here's the thing. It was very realistic. Very. This was no Hollywood crime thriller with glamourous detectives, full of inprobabilities and easy answers. This was plodding, technical and achingly slow, with dead ends and bureaucratic stumbling blocks. The detectives acted and reacted in realistic ways. They lead mundane lives and have mundane problems. The protagonist's son eats too many Maggi noodles because he (the protagonist) is not home enough to cook proper suppers each day. They watch Tom and Jerry together and work on homework and have a very normal, relatable family life. It was refreshing.
The crime was interesting, and the path to the solution was full of twists and turns and false leads. The eventual solution was satisfying, true to life but also hopeful.
It was a slow read, but worth it.

This is a good story. I enjoyed the detailed investigation of a triple murder in Kuala Lumpur. Inspector Mislam is the lead, and he takes the case as far as he can with numerous leads often turning to frustration. The Kuala Lumpur Police Department is portrayed as corrupt and incompetent, which is a nice match if you are on the side of the good guys. Mislam is. He works long hours, often to the detriment of his six-year old son.. Supported by his superior, he goes as far as he can to solve the case. Is it far enough? You can decide for yourself! Along the way you will be introduced to some unusual food!
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I received a free ebook of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I requested this title because I wanted to read a mystery set somewhere that I am not that familiar with and by an author new to me. 21 Immortals starts off grabbing the reader immediately with a bizarre crime, an entire family found dead and posed around a New Year’s feast in their home. Inspector Mislan only is on the case because the call came in at the very end of his shift and now he finds himself stuck with it. The case twists and turns through leads that involve hacking, triads, infidelity, and police corruption. There is also a significant side plot involving Inspector Mislan’s personal life as his wife has left him a single Dad to a five year old and he is now dating.

I found the case really interesting and enjoyed reading along as Mislan uncovered all the elements of the crime. I will admit to feeling a little lost about some of the references to Triads and crime in Malaysia and events in 1995. I feel I need a little more background knowledge to fully appreciate some of this novel. Still a very enjoyable police procedural and a change of pace from my normal reads.

Share this:

I’m a fan of police procedurals, and also of mysteries set in interesting locations, and so I was glad to receive an ARC of 21 Immortals by Rozlan Mohd Noor in exchange for my honest review.

And I enjoyed reading this book very much. I really do appreciate a good police procedural, and have fun imagining whether I could follow the clues and make the same deductions that the investigators do. And it’s also fun to enjoy, along with the investigators, those moments when things seem to fall into place, even if I didn’t figure it all out myself. This book let me do both. Without being spoiler-ish, I especially liked the way that Inspector Mislan figured out where/how the initial murders took place.

I also liked the descriptions of Kuala Lumpur (KL), which gave me a sense of the city that I didn’t have before, having visited it only once in the past, for a brief few hours, on a business trip. Given the unusual (to me) locale, I was a bit taken aback by how similar the investigation process, and also the politics of the investigation, were to what I could imagine taking place in my home country, the US. So, I actually googled the author to see whether he should, in fact, know what he’s talking about, and I found that he is an ex- police officer in the Malaysian police force, who worked as an Investigation Officer for 11 years in KL. So I guess he probably is really writing what he knows!

All-in-all, I enjoyed the book a lot, and having noticed that there are a few more titles in this series available in paper book format, I hope more are made available as e-books soon.

Please note that I tend to be pretty conservative in awarding stars, only giving five stars to maybe one in thirty or forty books, the ones I think I’ll read and re-read and re-read again. So four stars is a great rating from me and means I really recommend a book. And my thanks again to the publisher/NetGalley for the ARC!

If you are in the market for crime fiction set in an exotic locale, 21 Immortals is the ticket. It's the first of five books in Noor's Inspector Mislan series set in the tropical locale of Kualu Lumpur, Malaysia. Despite its foreign locale, 21 Immortals reads much like a police procedural set anywhere in the world. Mislan is about to log out for the night, when a call comes in about what turns out to be the world's most unusual crime scene: an entire family embalmed and posed at a fancy celebration dinner. There are no immediate clues, but dogged investigation eventually opens up some theories. Don't read this expecting gun battles and car chases. Expect a more plodding investigation. What is remarkable though is how universal the story of Inspector Mislan is.

This started out very promisingly and limped to an unsatisfying conclusion
What was promising? An appealing detective, a great Kuala Lumpur setting (with many appetizing descriptions of good) and a very unique and mystifying murder
What went wrong? Too much procedural detail and a solution that seemed arbitrary and greatly underexplained