Review: The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz: European Reading Challenge

European Reading Challenge hosted by Rose City Reader

Here is the first of three books for this challenge:

Title: The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz  

About: #6 in the Millennium series first created by Stieg Larsson, 2019

Setting: Sweden and Russia

Genre: Scandinavian thriller, suspense

Lizbeth Salander has her own problems to worry about, namely her crazed sister Camilla's obsession with finding and destroying Lizbeth, whom she blames for so much. 

As a result, Lizbeth pays half-hearted attention to her old co-worker and friend Mikael Blomquist, who is also looking for her. But for different reasons. He needs her help to solve another case involving a strange, homeless and destitute man on the streets with incoherent messages about the Defense Minister of Sweden.  

And so the case involves another mystery involving government officials. This one, printed in 2019, uses current global situations to weave its plot. There is supposed Russian involvement in Swedish political affairs, cases of fake news, and disinformation to destroy careers and reputations. Though this novel is fiction, certain themes sound familiar. 

And so, the novel pulls you in, with the characters that we know from previous books in the series - Salander and Mikael Blomquist - and also with the larger plot. To add to the interest, several of the book's characters are involved in a fatal climb on Mount Everest, where devious and dreadful things take place. 

A definite five rating for this reader, for sure. I'm looking forward for more of Lizbeth and Blomquist in the next books that are sure to come.