Rueben Dass Reveals How He Makes a Murderer

“Late one night, I was walking home from the train station…” author Rueben Dass begins, sounding eerily like the opening scene of a Netflix thriller. Fortunately, no hooded figure lurked in the shadows. What did leap out, however, was a sudden flash of inspiration — an idea that would become the foundation of an entire novel, now realized by its simple, chilling title: “Skin.”

“I never actually planned to write this story,” Dass clarifies. “This is my second novel. Once I finished my first novel, I was like, okay, I think I’m done. You know, I’ll just maybe wait and see. And I just got this idea for a story, which I thought would be a nice continuation of my first one. So just like that, one thing led to another, and I wrote the story.”

“Skin” is a gripping tale steeped in suspense, twisted psychology, and carefully crafted characters. Yet, what truly sets it apart is its vivid cultural backdrop. Dass brings a uniquely Southeast Asian perspective to the crime fiction genre, weaving in threads of Malaysian culture and geography that are often absent in the traditionally Western-centric world of thrillers.

“I would like people to get to know the country and nuances of how Malaysia, for example, works,” Dass explains. “Of course, I'm not saying that Malaysia is full of serial killers. Malaysia is a very peaceful, very safe place.”

So how does one build a narrative so layered and captivating? For Dass, it starts with a meticulous yet fluid writing process, striking a balance between structure and spontaneity. “I usually outline to a certain degree,” Dass shares. “I would flesh out all the characters [and] write synopses for each of them. As I’m doing that, I let the plot mature in my head. Once I’m done with all the characters, [once] I know them inside out, then I would start outlining the story.”

“I actually use a screenwriting technique,” he continues. “So I would usually outline to the point where I know what the beginning, the middle, and sort of the end would be. And then, when I’m ready to take the plunge, I start writing and leave [the rest] to the process.”

As Dass mentioned, finding the shape of his characters is the foundation of the story’s development. This dedication to character detail absolutely shines through the persistent darkness of “Skin.” There’s such a specificity to the protagonists, Inspectors Aly and Raj — the way they talk to each other, the way they go about solving the case or digging up clues. Yes, everything is vast and cinematic, but it’s also intimate and rooted in reality. 

“My two main characters were very much inspired by real life,” Dass says. “For the book, I spent quite a lot of time with police officers. I interviewed an ex-police officer and a serving police officer. I spent a significant amount of time over the years talking to them, listening to their experiences and things like that.”

These conversations gave Dass a deeper perspective on law enforcement, allowing him to look beyond their uniforms and write them as individuals navigating the delicate balance between their demanding profession and personal lives. “I really wanted to bring out the human aspect,” he says. “At the end of the day, when they come home, they are a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister, facing problems that other people face — but with the extra challenge of their job.”

This fascination with human psychology and its darker corners is what ultimately drew Dass to crime fiction as his genre of choice when he began to write. “The question of why people commit these crimes, why people end up becoming serial killers — that’s always interested me,” he says.

“Skin” certainly reflects this curiosity, exploring themes of obsession and the psychological toll on everyone involved in the story — from investigators to victims. The result is a novel that’s as emotionally resonant as it is horrifying.

After about six years of writing in this dark space, Dass recognizes the toll it took on him. “If I’m writing a crime book, I only consume crime stuff, whether it’s documentaries or movies or books,” he says. “By the end of [this] book, I was quite drained, I think, worn out. I told myself, okay, I think I need a break.”

That realization inspired a change, a pivot to something brighter. His next project? A love story. “It’s a good time for me to start this project. It’s set in my grandfather’s village in South India,” he reveals. “It was inspired by my travels and the time I spent there.”

As Dass steps into this new chapter of his writing, fans of his thrillers can take comfort knowing that while the darkness may fade, his storytelling prowess will continue to shine — now in an entirely new light.

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About the Author:

Rueben Dass is a researcher by day and a novelist by night. Born in Kuala Lumpur, he spent most of his youth in the bustling city before moving to London for studies and later Singapore for work. He began creative writing whilst a student in London, in between classes and during his free time. He regularly publishes short stories and poetry on his website and other literary platforms. He is also the author of “The Number Four,” a prequel to “Skin” and Part I of the “Inspector Aly and Raj” series.

Cover Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Random House SEA