WHEN STIEG LARSON SUDDENLY PASSED AWAY IN 2004, FANS OF THE Millennium series thought they would never see its continuation. Fortunately, David Lagercrantz agreed to write the fourth book in the series, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, which was released in 2015. Lagercrantz was given full creative control over the storyline of his addition to the series, although he was determined to stay as true to the original series as possible. Although, he did not want to duplicate Larsson’s writing style. Lagercrantz’s novel has less violence and a few changes to some of the main characters.
Not everyone was happy about the series continuation, though. While Larsson’s brother and father both supported Lagercrantz’s work in the series, Eva Gabrielsson, Larsson’s long-term partner, did not. She says that she has a copy of Larsson’s manuscript for the fourth book, and it is nothing like the one written by Lagercrantz.
The novel begins with Frans Balder leaving his job at Solifon to take care of his autistic son. Lisbeth Salander, currently a target of the NSA, is investigating The Spider Society for personal reasons. Mikael Blomkvist gets involved with the investigation of The Spider Society after he learns of Balder’s connection with Salander. The night that Blomkvist and Balder are supposed to meet, Balder is killed. August is left unharmed and becomes a key witness in the investigation. Salander is responsible for keeping August alive and recruits Blomkvist and Erika Berger to help her. August becomes the unlikely hero after he draws a picture that names the murderer and helps Lisbeth Salander decipher the final secret help by the NSA.
Pre-order and initial sales, along with its debut on the U.S. best sellers list upon its release are evidence that The Girl in the Spider’s Web will be a success for both David Lagercrantz and the Millennium series publishers. Initial reviews are positive from both readers and critics. A New York Times review says that Salander and Blomkvist are “as compelling as ever” and fans “will not be disappointed.” The Wall Street Journal says that David Lagercrantz “has more than met the challenge” while USA Today gives it 4 out of 4 stars.