Tales of Pulau Merah – Where Mystery Meets Meaning in the Wilds of Southeast Asia

Have you ever looked into the eyes of a wild orangutan and felt—if only for a moment—that they were studying you just as much as you were observing them?

That feeling stayed with me.

It followed me into the forests of Borneo, through decades of conservation work, and more recently, into the realm of fiction writing. That moment of connection became one of the many sparks that ignited the Tales of Pulau Merah—a trilogy of mystery, philosophy, and ecological intrigue set on a fictional Southeast Asian island teeming with both natural beauty and human secrets.

Why I Wrote the Tales of Pulau Merah

After decades spent documenting the lives of orangutans and working to protect their fragile ecosystems, I felt compelled to try something different: a story. Not a scientific paper, not a report to a funder—a narrative that could move hearts while still holding truth. I wanted to reach people who may never pick up a conservation journal but would lose themselves in a good book, fall in love with the forest, and come out changed.

The series blends real-world conservation challenges with imaginative storytelling. There are orangutans, yes, but also overzealous tourists, corrupt officials, spiritual rituals, ghost stories, and deep-seated local legends. Through each chapter, I explore the tensions between progress and preservation, between scientific knowledge and ancient wisdom—and what happens when they collide.

Embracing AI as a Creative Partner

As unusual as it may sound, I didn’t write this series alone. I collaborated with artificial intelligence.

AI helped me brainstorm, organize, and iterate as I developed the stories, particularly when juggling multiple character arcs and timelines. I would feed it fragments—scenes, emotional beats, plot twists—and it helped me refine them into full chapters, maintaining consistency while keeping the pace engaging.

But let me be clear: the heart of this series comes from lived experience—Years in the field, long nights in the rainforest, and conversations with people who call these ecosystems home. AI was a tool, not the soul. The soul came from Borneo.

The Trilogy at a Glance

Book 1: Echoes of Pulau Merah

A celebrated conservationist is murdered on the remote island of Pulau Merah. What begins as a whodunit unravels into a tangled web of ecological sabotage, ancient Dayak beliefs, and a hidden orangutan sanctuary threatened by encroaching greed.

Book 2: Shadows of Pulau Merah

The mystery deepens as new characters emerge—a reclusive anthropologist, a Dayak healer with visions of impending disaster, and a foreign operative with unclear motives. The story explores the fragile alliances between conservationists and local leaders as the forest faces new threats from within and without.

Book 3: Ashes of Pulau Merah

Everything comes to a head. Old pacts are broken, truths are unearthed, and the island faces a final reckoning. At the heart of it all, the spirit of the forest—and those who fight to protect it—must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice.

Each book can be read on its own, but together, they form a layered tapestry of mystery, culture, and environmental urgency.

A Call to Action

If you’re someone who enjoys rich storytelling, layered characters, and tales with both heart and purpose, I invite you to explore the Tales of Pulau Merah. This trilogy is more than entertainment—it’s a mirror held up to the wild places we’re losing and the wildness still within us.

🌿 Check out the trilogy—whether you're drawn to the mysteries, the characters, or the cause behind the fiction.

📚 Available now on Amazon as a series of affordably priced eBooks.

💬 And when you read it, let me know what moved you. I’d love to hear your reflections.

Let’s keep telling stories that matter.