I was walking with a ghost: THE GIRL WHO TAKES AN EYE FOR AN EYE.

The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


The latest in the Millennium series picks up not long after book #4 ends, with Salander in a women's prison after the incident with Frans Balder and his son, August. Salander being Salander, prison doesn't bother her too much (she has her beloved mathematical equations after all), but she is irate over the treatment of another prisoner, Faria. Faria--and soon Salander--are under threat of the prison's most evil prisoner, Benito, and her feared knife, the Keris. Meanwhile, a visit from Holger Palmgren, Salander's former guardian, has Salander looking back on her childhood, wondering exactly what happened. Soon Mikael Blomkvist is involved as well.

This was a tough one. I was impressed with Lagercrantz's last take on the Millennium series and how well he picked it up, but this one felt a little off. Lisbeth is still Lisbeth for the most part, though it almost feels as if something is missing, at least until the end. And not to give too much away, but I missed her interactions with Blomkvist. I miss the novels where they were more tightly involved and entwined. Salander spends most of her time in prison and then on the run, while Blomkvist is investigating on her behalf.

The investigation is intriguing, but more straightforward than I was expecting. It involves Salander's childhood and an investigation into a society that studied twins, genetics, and more. There are certainly striking parallels to today's society, with its focus on racism and pure society. (It's a little scary, honestly.) There's also pieces that cover finances, the stock market, and more. It's all timely and exciting, but, as I said, more predictable than typical in this series.

Overall, I found the storyline interesting and dynamic. I always enjoy when Mikael gets focused on a story. I will love Salander forever, but I missed seeing her in her total glory. The book picks up at the end, the last fourth or so, and felt like a true Blomkvist/Salander tale. There's a moment that involves Salander's Hacker gang that gave me a few chills. Still, though, this just didn't live up to the other Millennium books, even Lagercrantz's previous try. I enjoyed it, but felt a little let down at the end. I'll be curious to see what the next attempt is like. 3.5 stars.

You can read my review of book #4, THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB, here.

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Like all the good things that ain't never coming back.

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book picks up, time-wise, after the last of Stieg Larsson's Millennium books ended. Mikael Blomkvist is struggling - his career is being debated in the press and his beloved Millennium magazine is floundering. He receives a tip from a source about a story. Mikael reluctantly follows up, but becomes more intrigued when it sounds like the story might involve Lisbeth Salander. Mikael immediately gets sucked into a plot of intrigue with implications far beyond his greatest expectations.

I was hesitant to read this novel, knowing the fights between Larsson's girlfriend and his family over his material. Eventually, I chose to read it, as I think of Blomkvist and Salander as dear friends and it was difficult to pass up the chance to continue to read further about their lives. I think Lagercrantz does a good job picking up with the material. No one can fill Larsson's shoes, in any way, but he does an excellent job of staying true to the characters and creating a highly suspenseful and interesting tale.

It's apparent you're not reading a Larsson novel at times - the plot is almost too quickly paced, versus Larsson's meandering writing. Lagercrantz goes into a lot of backstory, which is very interesting, but did leave me wondering how much was "true" (hard to leave behind the whole author dispute at times). But mostly, the plot was so well paced and well-written and Blomkvist seemed so like himself, that I just found myself immersed in the story. The story flips between Sweden and the USA -- bringing in an element of the NSA -- and it's exciting and fun. Lagercrantz does a strong job of bringing the series into the present day with this plotline. He also writes about an autistic child, August, so clearly, that you just find yourself rooting for the kid.

Blomkvist, as I mentioned, seems much his usual self. I love him so, so it was a little easier to overlook the lack of Lisbeth in this novel, but I do have to point it out - there's definitely not as much Lisbeth as one might want. She's around, of course, and amazing and strong (of course!), but you'll find yourself wishing for more Lisbeth scenes.

Finally, the end left me wishing for more in the series, so I figure that's a sign Lagercrantz did his job well, despite all the tumult associated with the book. I appreciate the care he took with Lisbeth and Blomkvist, and I was glad to spend some time with them again. I have to admit - I hope they'll be back. In the meantime, it was fun to catch up with them again.



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