Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Dark Music': Latest Lagercrantz thriller boasts new detective duo

05/12/2022

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!
LINK: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/books/dark-music-murder-myster...
See more stories from thesouthafrican

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

20/03/2026

FCC Approves Nexstar's Acquisition of Tegna

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

Icesi names Ronald David Reyes as the 2025 recipient of t...

Colombia's Icesi University and WSDG are proud to announce Ronald David Reyes as the recipient of the 2025 WSDG Excellence Scholarship, awarded to an outsta...

20/03/2026

Celebrating the greatest creators - One Battle After Ano...

Avid today celebrated the filmmakers, editors and sound teams that worked with Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools to create the vast majority of this year'...

20/03/2026

MRMC Names CP Communications Its Official U.S. Rental, Sales Partner

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

FOR-A To Feature Software-Defined, AI-Driven Solutions At 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

2026 NAB Show Exhibitor Insight: Riedel Communications

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

DirecTV Files Suit to Block Nexstar/Tegna Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

Fujifilm Announces Four New Broadcast Zoom Lenses

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/03/2026

NAB 2026: Software-Defined, AI-Powered Workflow Tells the...

Real-time 9:16 AI-Generated Autocropping; Software-Defined Station in a Box; and Software Switcher with Unlimited Layering Are Among Show Highlights For the fi...

20/03/2026

Signiant Showcases New Content Innovations Driving Visibility, Access, and Action at NAB 2026

Signiant Showcases New Content Innovations Driving Visibility, Access, and Actio...

20/03/2026

Caffeine Relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for End to End Post Workflow

Caffeine Relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for End to End Post Workflow Brie Clayton March 19, 2026 0 Comments Blackmagic Cloud helps Mexican post faci...

20/03/2026

It's time to play The Money List! Baz Ashmawy is back at the helm as the quiz returns for a fourth season

It's time to play The Money List! Baz Ashmawy is back at the helm as the qui...

19/03/2026

The Rise of Streaming, Particularly for Sports, Revives Loudness Issues

Live sports production increases complexity, with dynamic audio levels and an overall philosophy that encourages transient volume spikes Fourteen years ago, Am...

19/03/2026

Advanced Systems Group Names Peter Thordarson as Technical Account Executive

Advanced Systems Group, a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, announced the appointment of Peter Thordarson to the newly cr...

19/03/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Arya Taymuree, University of Washington

For this senior from the Bay Area, the speed and pressure of live sports production play right into her strengths In the live-sports-video industry, the future...

19/03/2026

Grass Valley Expands Partnership with University of Pittsburgh Athletics, Upgrading Production Infrastructure to SMPTE ST 2110 IP

Grass Valley has expanded its long-term partnership with University of Pittsburg...

19/03/2026

Audio-Technica Debuts ATV-SG1 and ATV-SG1LE On-Camera Shotgun Microphones

Audio-Technica has released the ATV-SG1 and ATV-SG1LE On-Camera Shotgun Microphones, designed for use with DSLR, mirrorless SLR, and other cameras. The ATV-SG1...

19/03/2026

NAB 2026: Harmonic Enhances XOS Advanced Media Processor to Streamline Next-Generation Broadcast Distribution

Harmonic (booth W2831) announces updates to its XOS Advanced Media Processor aim...

19/03/2026

DAZN and Top Rank Sign Multi-Year Rights Deal to Bring Marquee Events and Historic Archive to the Global Home of Boxing

DAZN and Top Rank have announced a multi-year partnership that will bring Top Ra...

19/03/2026

IHSE and Cyviz Announce Strategic Partnership

IHSE, a provider of KVM systems, has announced a partnership with Cyviz AS, a provider of technology solutions for collaboration and mission-critical operations...

19/03/2026

Net Insight appoints Larissa Grner-Meeus as Chief Product Officer (CPO)

Net Insight has appointed Larissa G rner-Meeus as Chief Product Officer. She joins the company's executive management team. G rner-Meeus holds a Dipl-Ing. ...

19/03/2026

Leader Appoints Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager UK & Northern Europe

Leader Electronics of Europe has appointed Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager for the UK and Northern Europe. In the role, he will manage key accounts and ha...

19/03/2026

FIFA and YouTube Team Up in FIFA World Cup 2026 Preferred Platform Agreement

FIFA has announced that YouTube will be a Preferred Platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Under the agreement, FIFA's Media Partners will be able to publis...

19/03/2026

Upgrade to NCAA March Madness Live App Expands Multi-Game Viewing, Enhances Second-Screen Experience

New features across mobile, connected devices, and automotive platforms undersco...

19/03/2026

PSSI Global Services Welcomes Ben Bradshaw as Director of Product and Network Development

PSSI Global Services has appointed Ben Bradshaw as Director of Product and Netwo...

19/03/2026

NAB 2026: Cobalt Digital to Unveil Additions to End-to-End IPMX and ST 2110 Ecosystem

Cobalt Digital has announced its NAB 2026 product lineup, which includes additio...

19/03/2026

Sportradar Releases Industry Outlook on the Future of U.S. Sports Viewing

Sportradar has released a new report, Innovation in Sports Media: The Next Era of Sports Viewing, examining how the sports viewing experience in the U.S. is evo...

19/03/2026

Matrox Video's ConvertIP Awarded in Rai Framework Agreement Supporting IP Modernization Strategy

Matrox Video has been awarded a three-year framework agreement to supply its Con...

19/03/2026

Controlled Chaos: Inside the Mighty Production Engine Behind the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's First Week

CBS Sports' Jason Cohen and TNT Sports' Chris Brown lead the charge on n...

19/03/2026

Loud and Fun Is the Goal for NCAA Tourney Audio

A1 Dave Grundtvig and his team deploy plenty of mics to capture the sounds and energy from the stands as well the court March Madness is a tournament in which ...

19/03/2026

Spotify Marks 5 Years of EQUAL With EQUAL: The Podcast and Global Events

In 2021, we launched EQUAL, a program designed to address an industry reality that persists: Women artists, songwriters, and producers too often face fewer oppo...

19/03/2026

Toontrack release Transistor Organ EKX

Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...

19/03/2026

Roland preview Melody Flip

New generative AI plug-in due in May 2026 Roland have announced the upcoming launch of a new generative AI tool created in collaboration with Sony Computer ...

19/03/2026

Native Instruments CEO Statement

Nick Williams updates users on insolvency process Nick Williams, the CEO of Native Instruments, has released the following official statement regarding thei...

19/03/2026

Milab to restart production

Iconic Swedish mic manufacturer back in action Legendary Swedish microphone manufacturer Milab have announced that production is now fully underway, and mic...

19/03/2026

FT1-EMU plug-in from Freqport

Acclaimed saturation unit goes virtual Freqport's Freqtube FT1 (reviewed here in SOS February 2023) offers a convenient way to integrate real valve-base...

19/03/2026

SGL Carbon: Restructuring ensures earnings forecast and creates basis for new growth

The discontinuation of loss-making business activities as part of the restructur...

19/03/2026

Silicon Valley satire The Audacity premieres 15 April on SBS and SBS On Demand

Silicon Valley satire The Audacity premieres 15 April on SBS and SBS On Demand 19 March, 2026 Media releases From one of the writer/producers of Succession...

19/03/2026

SBS brings communities together at Bondi Pavilion for Harmony Week multilingual broadcast

SBS brings communities together at Bondi Pavilion for Harmony Week multilingual ...

19/03/2026

Clarification from SBS regarding Western Sydney expansion

Clarification from SBS regarding Western Sydney expansion 19 March, 2026 Media releases From an SBS spokesperson: SBS wishes to clarify some media coverag...

19/03/2026

Leader appoints Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager UK...

Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager - UK & Northern Euro...

19/03/2026

Accedo One and Magine Pro Officially Launch Leyra Deliver...

The recently announced joint venture between Accedo One and Magine Pro has been officially launched as Leyra. The new company will combine the two complementary...

19/03/2026

Lightware matrices are the go-to choice for signal manage...

Budapest, Hungary, March 2026 - Demand for traditional matrix switching remains strong across live events, rental and staging markets. With a reputation for rel...

19/03/2026

DPA Elevates 4097 Micro Shotgun With CORE Technology

DPA Microphones adds to its CORE microphone selection with the 4097 CORE Micro Shotgun, which delivers a new level of clarity, headroom and sonic transparency...

19/03/2026

Starfish highlights flexible TS Splicer releases and new...

Starfish Technologies will present the latest releases of its TS Splicer (Win) and TS Splicer (K8) at NAB Show 2026, together with a new Monitoring Dashboard de...