A great follow on to the Lisbeth Salander series. Well written with a great plot and with more insight into Blomkvist’s and Salander’s families. Lisbeth is one of my all time favourite characters and this did not disappoint!

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book

Go get yourself a Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist fix - for full review go to https://www.tumblr.com/joebloggshere/724983997519872000/the-girl-in-the-eagles-talons-by-karin

The Girl in the Eagle's Talons by Karin Smirnoff

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Change is coming to Sweden’s far north: its untapped natural resources are sparking a gold rush with the criminal underworld leading the charge. But it’s not the prospect of riches that brings Lisbeth Salander to the small town of Gasskas. She has been named guardian to her niece Svala, whose mother has disappeared. Two things soon become clear: Svala is a remarkably gifted teenager—and she’s being watched.

Mikael Blomkvist is also heading north. He has seen better days. Millennium magazine is in its final print issue, and relations with his daughter are strained. Worse still, there are troubling rumors surrounding the man she’s about to marry. When the truth behind the whispers explodes into violence, Salander emerges as Blomkvist’s last hope.

My Opinion

I have been a fan of this series from the beginning and whilst each author change has led to a difference in the writing I have not been put off. This is not an easy read - it has a very detailed plot, but it is very worth the effort. Smirnoff has added another great addition to the series.

Rating 4/5

The untapped natural resources of Sweden's far north are sparking a gold rush, with the criminal underworld leading the charge. But it's not the prospect of riches that brings Lisbeth Salander to the small town of Gasskas. Her niece's mother is the latest woman in the region to have vanished without trace. Two things soon become clear: Svala is a remarkably gifted teenager -- and she's being watched.

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is also heading north. He has seen better days. Millennium magazine is in its final print issue, and relations with his daughter are strained. Worse still, there are troubling rumours surrounding the man she's about to marry. When the truth behind the whispers explodes into violence, Salander emerges as Blomkvist's last hope.

Having read Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy and thoroughly enjoying them, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to see if this worked. I was certainly not disappointed. This is a great story, written well, keeping the original characters and maintaining the true feeling of the work.

Salander must look after her niece as her mother has disappeared. Blomkvist needs Sander when his grandson is kidnapped. Are these linked?

Twists and turns, danger and violence.

Enjoy.

The return of some great characters is a reason to celebrate, but with a different author it was difficult to pick up where they were left. It’s a good enough thriller but the story is a bit jumpy with many characters and complications. I would read the next but hope the story is easier to follow.

Thanks to Netgalley for the read in return for a review.

The Girl in the Eagle's Talons - Karin Smirnoff
Having read all the other Lisbeth Salander novels I was looking forward to seeing how this one developed especially as it was another new author to enter the series.

Blomkvist goes to a really dismal place Gasskass for his daughters wedding to a man he does not like or trust. He has every reason not to like him as he is mixed up with a nasty crew trying to pressurise people into allowing a wind turbine park on their land.

Lisbeth is also in the same part of the world to reluctantly look after her niece Svala as her mother Marta has gone missing. Svala is another gifted female not unlike Lisbeth who is determined to find her mother with or without Lisbeth's help.

As usual there is a lot of torture, murder and all things unpleasant but both Blomkvist and Lisbeth's stories interweave when the wedding is hijacked and Blomkvist's grandson is kidnapped.

It was not my favourite read of all of them and until I truly got half way through I found the numerous characters, the writing style and the plotline confusing. There was rather too much going on in this one hence the confusion despite the character list at the beginning which actually did not help that much. Also when reading the book it drifted into each characters story mid paragraph which I found difficult sometimes to follow.

It's worth reading though as I am sure future novels will feature Svala and Lisbeth's growing relationship and Svala herself is an interesting development in the novels.

Thanks to Netgalley for a pre publication copy.

An enjoyable continuation of the Lisbeth Salander series, where we see her and Blomqvist’s characters develop believably as they grow older. Plenty of violence and gore, as we expect from this series, set against the background of a massive renewable energy scheme - but as ever, with some crazed individuals subverting it’s eco credibility.

I have not previously read any of the Millenium series so the characters of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist were new to me. The action speeds along and as with previous Scandinavian translations I have read I felt nothing was lost in translation. I smiled at the references to Tik Tok knowing how much time my 19 year old daughter spends with it. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC.

The Girl in the Eagles Talons is book 7 of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo thriller series, this book written by Swedish author, Karin Smirnoff.
In short, Lisbeth Salander is back, this time she finds herself looking after her 13 year old niece whose mother has disappeared and soon discovers how dangerous the situation is with a brutal criminal underworld operating in this snowy northern region of Sweden. Coincidentally, old friend, Investigative Journalist Mikael Blomkirst is also in the area visiting his daughter and grandson and it doesn’t take long for their worlds to collide and join forces to desperately find the missing and expose the corruption.
I was excited to read this latest Lisbeth thriller and it had all the ingredients of the expected read, a gripping plot, action packed and with a strong sense of place. There’s a lot going on and at times the style of writing, when the author italicised the characters thoughts, were sometimes rather random, maybe just lost in translation. All in all though, it’s another thrilling ride to add to the Millennium series and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.
Big thanks to Karin Smirnoff, Quercus Books and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

Having loved the initial trilogy and the follow up books, although the latter didn't really compare I was very interested to read this book.

I am sad to say that I didn’t enjoy it, it took far too long to get me interested and even then it was a struggle. The relationships of the characters didn't gel like they have previously and the new characters didn't work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Karin does a very good job at following in Stieg Larsson’s footsteps and creating a thrilling adventure for Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist in the far north of Sweden, where the journalist’s daughter Pernilla is marrying a rather dodgy local bigwig who finds himself at the centre of land deals about mining and windfarm developments.
There’s also a niece for Salander to look after, a new experience and not one especially wanted for her.
Plenty of action ensues especially towards the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Quercus Books for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Obviously there is a different author (and gender) writing about Lisbeth, so I would expect changes and differing points of view. The story itself is terrific but the characters a bit different from normal. This feels a bit uncomfortable to me but I dare say that by the next book things will feel more settled. Overall a book I would recommend to friends.

I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This series is back on top form - 5*

I first fell in love with the Millennium series in 2014. It was my first introduction into Scandinavian literature. I was thrilled and obsessed when I read the trilogy. I was then devastated to find out of Larsson's suicide that he was so troubled writing these fantastic books and there would be no more. Thankfully, Lagercrantz took over the series for three books, which I found filled my need for Salander and Blomkvist but was missing something.

Fast forward to Smirnoff taking the reigns of the Millennium series. I feel whatever was missing by the previous author isn't noticeable in this book. I CONSUMED this book. I love conspiracies and theories; I really enjoyed the premise of the book. I liked the introduction of Salander's niece and how this showed new sides to a character we all well and truly love. Blomkvist was quite a side character in this book but it turned out I didn't really mind. The supporting characters and the plot was so strong that I had no time to miss Blomkvist.

I really hope Smirnoff continues the series because she's proven she has a true understanding of what the Millennium series is. She understands the complexities of the characters and the importance of a pacey, well-written and deeply thought out plot.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons, the seventh novel in the Millennium series to feature Swedish investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and cyber security specialist Lisbeth Salander.

Salander is in small northern town of Gaaskas to look after her niece, Svala, whose mother is the latest woman to disappear from the area. It soon becomes obvious that Svala, no ordinary teenager has secrets and is being watched. Blomkvist is also in town for his daughter’s wedding and is at a bit of a loose end as his magazine,
Millennium, is closing, so he turns his attention to his son in law to be, Henry Salo, and potential misdeeds at the council. When the misdeeds turn to violence Blomkvist and Salander team up.

I enjoyed The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons, which is slow to start before turning into a tense thriller with plenty of agendas and violence. It is so long since I read the original Millennium trilogy that I will not be making comparisons and will simply review this novel for what it is.

The novel is told from various points of view, which is initially difficult to get a handle on, but once the scene setting is done it is relatively easy to follow the web of interconnections and agendas. It would seem that it’s all about money, but when isn’t it?, set against a background of wind power and renewables. I am aware of climate change and try to do my bit, but I don’t like having it thrust down my throat in fiction. For this reason it took me a while to get into the novel and put it down in favour of something else several times. Fortunately the preaching disappears when the action starts.

The novel is very much the Lisbeth and Svala show. They have never met before, but appear to have quite a few similarities, not least the end justifies the means mentality. I can see a fruitful partnership in their futures. Their main preoccupation is rescuing her mother on Svala’s part and keeping Svala safe on Salander’s. Bring it on as they leave bodies in their wake and generally create mayhem. Blomkvist has a minor role in this, supplying the intel and generally upsetting everyone around him.

The plot is, as I said, slow to get going, but once it starts it’s non stop action with some interesting twists and some pretty unlikeable characters. There are some real bad guys, but the author makes the point that a few poor decisions can easily lead to much worse. Not that there is much time to analyse anything, because it runs at a fast pace with one action scene after another. There are a few lucky events, like Svala having a grenade in her backpack (don’t ask), but what does it matter when the reader is caught up in the mayhem?

The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons is a good read that I can recommend.

I find little to recommend about this book. I found the story line hard to follow and the whole thing confused. I eventually started skimming through it in case there was some gem later on. There wasn’t. I really cannot recommend this.

Having lived the original trilogy, I was intrigued to see where this new auntie took the series. It’s an engaging story, and one well told but just didn’t grip me in the way the first three books had.

This review is hard to write and I would like to split it in two parts. One where I look at this as part of the Millennium series and one where I look at this as a free standing crime novel.

The Girl in the Eagles Talons is the 7th instalment in the Millennium series written by Karin Smirnoff who is the second author who attempts to step into Stieg Larssons footsteps. These are big footsteps to fill. I already said this with David Lagercrantz - it won’t be easy to fulfill my expectations. It won’t be easy to keep these characters alive the way we love them. And what can I say. Karin Smirnoff sadly absolutely failed at keeping these characters alive instead she introduces a bunch of new characters. I sometimes even had the feeling she did not even read the first 6 instalments. The Lisbeth we know from Larsson and mind you Lagercrantz is strong, powerful, calculated, rational, prepared. Instead we meet a Lisbeth who is at times described as speechless and not knowing what to do. And worst of all a Lisbeth who drives straight into santas village.
You get a depressed Mikael Blomkvist who lacks his usual energy. He seems like the sweet old granddad.
Moving on from the characters I absolutely hated (and I did already hate that with Lagercrantzs first instalment) seeing Lisbeth as a babysitter. Again it does not suit her character and seems highly unlikely. Yes Lisbeth is protective and with the autistic boy August in Lagercrantz it worked. However with Svala it is nearly comical. Svala is one of the new characters and you get the feeling Smirnoff tried to create a new younger and better Lisbeth. Someone whose superpowers lie in not being able to feel pain, who is extremely smart and can figure out any code and someone who on top of that is a good girl and does not swear.
Continuing on with the plot I found it rather convenient in a funny way that Lisbeth, Mikael, Hans Faste and Svavelsjö MC all ended upp in Gasskass at the same time coincidentally. It seemed a bit unrealistic and I did not understand this change of scenery.

To conclude: As part of the Millennium series I found this bad. Gender stereotypes that previously have been broken this seems to force everyone back into these roles. Formerly strong characters now seem weak and their behaviour just does not match previous behaviour. The plot partially seems similar to book no.4 in the series.

Now seeing it as an individual novel. This reads so easily. The flow is great minus some terminology that did not get translated or explained. I did like Svala and I think overall it managed to hold the tension very well and I wanted to keep reading. I wasn’t a massive fan of how the characters thoughts were portrait in a way as if they were talking to themselves. (Which again would be a point that does not fit in with previous instalments). And I did not like that certain things seemed to be left quite open and not tied up.

All in all Karin Smirnoff can write a good crime novel I just think she hasn’t done herself any favours with trying to continue the Millennium series. There are too many changes in characters, there is not enough punch. Yes there is criticism to society, but it is done in such a direct way and then does not get elaborated on so you really quickly forget that it was even there.

3 stars from me as it was still entertaining it just was not the Millennium I know and love.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

An enjoyable return to the Girl With … series with outings for Michael and Lisbeth, and assorted villains from previous stories.

Lisbeth is in the north to meet social workers about a niece that would otherwise go into care and Michael for the wedding of his daughter to the local head of the municipal council. Little do they know how linked everything is.