Book Review: The Girl in the Spider’s Web

I picked up ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ with excitement and apprehension. I was excited to read yet another book about Lisbeth Salander and apprehensive because it is written by David Lagercrantz who was asked to assume responsibility for the continuation of the Millenium trilogy after the untimely demise of Stieg Larsson. Well, clearly David Lagercrantz is no Stieg Larsson but he has managed to do a good job and has churned out a story that will keep you engaged till the end.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web brings back Sweden’s most famous investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the world’s most iconic & weird hacker Lisbeth Salander for yet another thrilling journey where they expose crime and try to bring justice to the ones wronged.

A Swedish professor is working on artificial intelligence but he abandons his job to take custody of his autistic son, August. All is not well with Blomkvist and he is under attack from many sides. He is desperately in need of a scoop to redeem himself and the Millenium magazine which is under pressure from the investors to conform to a more appealing look. The professor faces a threat to his life and in desperation, he contacts Blomkvist. But before Blomkvist could meet him, the professor is murdered and the only eye witness is his autistic son, August. A series of escalating events post murder force Lisbeth to intervene. She rescues August, somehow manages to bond with him. August is autistic but exceptionally talented in drawing and mathematics. Finally Lisbeth and Blomkvist bring the conspiracy to light and track the murderer with the help of August.

The book gets off to a slow start but there is substantial action in the second half. The story gets more interesting as an old adversary (Lisbeth’s twin sister Camilla) re-emerges from the past. Spider’s Web is definitely a page-turner that moves forward with verve and style. The book is not an edgy one like Larsson’s works but it is mystifying enough to keep the readers hooked till the very end. The narrative is equally engaging and the incredible characters are brought back to life with the same magical touch. I enjoyed the book. It was a worthy sequel. Kudos to Lagercrantz for keeping the Millenium Saga alive!

Title: The Girl in the Spider’s Web

Originally published: 27 August 2015

Author: David Lagercrantz

Original title: Det som inte dödar oss

Series: Millenium

Preceded by: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest

Followed by: The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye

Page count: 400

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery

 

©2018 Shaloo Walia All rights reserved

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28 comments

  1. This sounds good, despite the slow start. I guess that’s the difference between thrillers (what I often read) and murder-mysteries (well, one of them): Thrillers have no slow start, middle, or ending.

    1. The book is good. Considering that a different author was hired to continue the series, the book maintains the standards set by Steig Larsson.

    1. I know Abhay…It’s been a while since I sketched or even wrote anything apart from book reviews. I took up a new job last October and have been quite busy since then. But your comment is like a wake up call. It’s good to know that my writing is being missed. Will try to post more often?

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