Dark Music': Latest Lagercrantz thriller boasts new detective duoBestselling author of The Girl in the Spider's Web', David Lagercrantz's new thriller features a detective duo inspired by Sherlock Holmes.
by Carmen Coetsee
05-12-2022 12:38
in Books
Dark Music' is the latest thriller from bestselling author David Lagercrantz. Image via Twitter @@AAKnopf
Swedish author David Lagercrantz has made a name for himself as the literary successor of famed thriller writer Stieg Larsson. Larsson is behind one of the most famous mystery trilogies in the world: the Millenium Trilogy, made of up the novels The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.
--
After Larsson's death, Lagercrantz took the baton and continued writing the fourth, fifth and sixth instalments of the Millenium series. The Girl in the Spider's Web, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye and The Girl Who Lived Twice all went on to became bestsellers.
Leaving behind the world of Larsson, Lagercrantz has taken on a new challenge. His latest thriller, Dark Music, is the first instalment of his own murder mystery series. With a layered mystery at its core and an unforgettable crime-fighting duo, Dark Music is not one to miss.
UNLIKELY DETECTIVE DUO CARRIES LAGERCRANTZ NOVEL Coming soon, the gripping new thriller from the bestselling author of The Girl in the Spider s Web Dark Music is the first in David Lagercrantz s gripping new series inspired by Sherlock Holmes.
Pre-order SIGNED here: https://t.co/AX5UMpx2ZE pic.twitter.com/Lg2A5lRvJb
Waterstones (@Waterstones) February 22, 2022
The true crime world has not shortage of unlikely crime fighting duos. From Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes and Watson to Stieg Larsson's Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, readers love detective duos.
--
David Lagercrantz knows this and his latest thriller Dark Music (translated from Swedish by Ian Giles), while a compelling mystery, is carried by the unlikely friendship and teamwork of Professor Hans Rekke and detective Micaela Vargas.
These two characters could not be more different and this is what makes this duo a top team. With dark humour, fast-paced writing and a twisty mystery, Dark Music gives readers a new team to root for.
Here we have #signed 1st editions of Dark Music the brand new thriller from David Lagercrantz
A new series inspired by Sherlock Holmes. A murder investigation brings together two unlikely allies in a race to uncover a shadowy international conspiracyhttps://t.co/AeJiCrWx9C pic.twitter.com/Muy9GphMrN
Fox Lane Books (@foxlanebooks) August 15, 2022
If the novel did not have such a great combination of characters, it would not have been as good a mystery.
--
While the mystery is compelling, the writing style leans a bit chaotic. The reader is sometimes left feeling a bit confused. This could just be Lagercrantz's writing style, or it could have something to do with the fact that Dark Music is a translated work. Sometimes, things do get lost in translation and in Dark Music, the story got a bit muddled at times.
This does not take away from the fact that this is a mystery that will have you hooked. With stunning descriptions of Scandinavian cities and intriguing characters, Dark Music is a perfect Christmas gift for the true crime fanatic in your family.
DARK MUSIC' SYNOPSIS ALSO READ: Catch Me A Killer': SA criminal profiler's memoir turned into series
I'm spending Saturday evening with #DavidLagercrantz's #DarkMusic #translated by @iangiles #Sweden @maclehosepress @swedishbooks pic.twitter.com/2B7OWam1wR
Ewa Sherman (@sh_ewa) October 15, 2022
Professor Hans Rekke is a world authority on interrogation techniques. He was born into wealth and power and has a picture-perfect wife and daughter. But he also has a fragile psyche that falls apart under pressure.
Micaela Vargas is a street-smart police officer. She is the daughter of Chilean political refugees, grew up in the projects on the outskirts of Stockholm and has two brothers on the wrong side of the law. She is tenacious and uncompromising, and desperate to prove herself to her fellow cops.
Micaela needs Hans's unique mind to help her solve the case of a murdered asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. Hans needs Micaela to save him from himself. Together, they need to find the killer before they're both silenced for good.
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR We would like to congratulate David Lagercrantz on his PLATINUM Award for The Girl in The Spider s Web @QuercusBooks @maclehosepress @NielsenBook
Delighted we were able to present David w/ this award last week! Congratulations once again! #BestsellerAward pic.twitter.com/3pxMHXB1gp
The Bestseller Awards (@BestsellerAwrds) September 20, 2022
David Lagercrantz is a Swedish journalist and bestselling author. He studied philosophy and religion, before obtaining a degree from the Gothenburg School of Journalism. He worked as a crime reporter for four years at the Scandinavian newspaper Expressen, where he covered the most prominent murder cases in Sweden during the late 80s and early 90s.
Lagercrantz made his book debut in 1997 with the story of G ran Kropp, a Swedish adventurer who summited Mount Everest with neither oxygen nor Sherpas, only one week after one of the worst disasters ever on the mountain.
The book was a success in Sweden and abroad and paved the way for an illustrious writing career. He has gone on to write several bestselling crime novels.
Dark Music is published by Quercus Publishing and is available from Exclusive Books stores for R363.
WIN WIN WIN R300 with The South African daily Advent QUIZ. ENTER HERE!
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Dark Music': Latest Lagercrantz thriller boasts new detective duoBestselling author of The Girl in the Spider's Web', David Lagercrantz's new thriller features a detective duo inspired by Sherlock Holmes. 
