New adventures with Lisbeth Salander and her world are always welcome - and the newest author contributing to the series does a fine job honoring Stieg Larsson's original creation. This is an excellent read.

The inclusion of a mini-Lisbeth, in the person of Salander's niece, adds a fun twist to the story line. Thirteen-year-old Svala is a survivor, and she resembles her aunt in other cogent ways. Throughout the book, these two protagonists grow with and shape each other.

The villain Branco is really bad - and I wonder if we will see this twisted character in the future? He is appropriately creepy and disturbing. Other characters in the story are skillfully nuanced: not all good and noble, but not all bad beyond redemption. Mikael's daughter Pernilla is engaged to politician Salo, and both have their good and bad moments.

The author teases with Lisbeth and Mikael Blomkvist growing closer -- but only teasing in this book. The author has planned other releases for Lisbeth and Mikael in the future, so perhaps we will see a rapprochement in the coming books.

One aspect of Smirnoff's writing that kept me off-track: the time and spacing between events. Maybe visual spacing in the final version of the book will help clue-in the reader, but in the ARC I read, the story can jump a hundred miles and change setting within a pair of sentences or a single paragraph. Who is speaking or what is happening often shifts within a single paragraph or within a single page without clue- and the reader is expected to keep up with the author's narrative.

Often that narrative is sparse, and at times the reader must make assumptions (and hope they are correct) to understand who is speaking, or being spoken of, and what actually happens. Confusion is common.

Overall, though, the story is a great one, and I enjoyed the fresh adventures. There are a number of new and pivotal characters introduced, but at the same time favorites from Lisbeth's and Mikael's stories remain.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the chance to dive into this favorite story once again. The book will be released August 29, 2023. I have great hope for many future happy hours with this series.

I'm a bit conflicted about this book - and I'm not sure if it is because of the writing or the translation. Overall, I love this series, these characters, and the Lisbeth Salander character arc is fascinating. I was also excited to see Blomkvist and Salander together again on page. After a slow start, the storyline picked up a bit and I was drawn in to the plot. Just a head's up, this does end on a bit of a cliffhanger and is, according to the publishers, the first in a trilogy all written by Smirnoff.
Here's where it missed the mark - the characters, brought so much to life by Steig Larsson, felt like charicatures of themselves. Lisbeth and Mikael don't actually resolve any of their issues or really even talk all that much. I was also willing to distend my belief a little bit in terms of the characters coming together again, but ALL the characters?? Seemed a little far-fetched that they would all show up at the same time in the same almost unheard of small town.
Additionally, the writing was disjointed and fragmented. Again, I'm not sure if this is because of the translation or the writing style, but I'm thinking it's a bit of both. Often I was unsure which character's POV we were following since it seemingly changed in the middle of a page sometimes. There were so many characters introduced in the opening, it took a while to get them all straight. There were many "flashbacks" - I think - it was a bit hard to tell the timeline sometimes. There were some other parts where the writing was so much in fragments and so vague that I wasn't exactly sure what was happening - and I teach Shakespeare to teenagers... I'll probably finish the trilogy because I love these characters, but man, this book made me miss Steig Larsson and wonder what he would have done with these wonderful characters he developed.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for the Advance Reader Copy of this translated version. The review above is my honest opinion based on my reading of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher sending me an advance copy of this book. I wish I liked it more. It was marked "uncorrected proof," but to me it reads more like an early version of a manuscript that needs to be edited. I was expecting to find typos and maybe a few minor grammatical issues, but this book has more serious issues at its core.

I very nearly put it down at about 30% through, but Lisander finally showed up about then and I continued on. The author spent too much time early on with her new characters and their machinations without giving the reader any sense of why this all matters. It felt very disjointed and outright confusing at times. I noticed another reviewer mentioned odd phrasing and commented that maybe be due to problems in translation. I had the same thought. Many many words or phrases are either not translated at all or are turned in to an awkward phrase or word that makes you go back.

The author also frequently puts the cart before the horse. I went back to see when her character Svala (whom I really liked) started driving the car. There's no indication of that until she turns the wheel. Then Lisander and she have a discussion that explains why she's driving. That's just one example, but the same kind of thing occurs often throughout the book.

Amienoff also uses italics to indicate both a character's inner thoughts, but also when the character is hearing their mother or someone else "speak" to them. BUT, frequently it was difficult to tell which of the many characters was having this inner monologue.

For me, the biggest problem was the characterizations. I didn't like any of the characters enough to really care what happened to them. Even Lisander and Mikael are unlikeable in this book. Lisander's half-niece, Svala was the only character I really enjoyed. The others were mostly indistinguishable from each other in their dialogue--another issue that made it hard to tell who was talking. Lisander is not much on the ball in this one. She seems clueless about TikTok, and the issue of whether Plague has betrayed her is implied, but never really dealt with.

I wish Smirnoff had given Svala her own book and not tried to resurrect Lisander and Mikael.

I was thrilled when I saw that the Millennium series was going to be continuing with a new author. I loved the first trilogy, then the second trilogy. Lisbeth Salander is a fantastic, one-of-a-kind character, and I couldn't wait to see what other craziness she could get involved with. On the whole, I enjoyed this one, but not as much as I liked the previous books. It felt to me that there were too many storylines and at times I had a hard time following what was going on. It all came together for the most part in the end, but I still felt like there were some unanswered questions - maybe they'll be answered in the next two books? Which I will definitely read. I still love this series and I'm hoping we'll get more of Svala (Lisbeth's 13 year-old niece)!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

‘The Girl With the Eagle’s Talons’ is the latest in the series about Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist. This story also includes members of their extended families and their issues and problems. However, the storyline did not keep me as interested as in previous books in the series, even though there was plenty of danger, intrigue, and action.

In the new installment of the best-selling Millennium series we see the return of Lisbeth and Mikael. Lisbeth finds herself in the small town of Gasskas where there is a strong criminal underground because of a gold rush. She has been named the guardian to her niece because her mother has disappeared. It is quickly apparent that she is being watched…most likely because she is remarkably gifted. In the world of conspiracy and betrayal, old enemies and new friends, will Lisbeth be able to survive?

This was an interesting book but took a while to get into, and for me to warm up to it. It started out introducing a lot of characters, and the writing felt choppy or stilted. Once I got a handle on not only the characters but also the style, then I was able to enjoy the book. I really enjoyed the character development and Lisbeth was entertaining to read about. I enjoyed the book’s setting and descriptions. I’ve always wanted to visit Sweden, so it was a fun place, though I’m not wanting to go where the characters were with the criminal underworld. I only read the first book in the original series, and I will say that this one is quite different. It is written by a different author with a unique style, so don’t go into it expecting the same. I am left wondering if perhaps some things were lost in the translation of this one. It is still a good read, just different.

Thank you to the publisher Knopf, @aaknopf, for providing me with a printed ARC and Netgalley @netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: August 29, 202

I read the first three books in this series and enjoyed them. The Girl in the Eagle's Talon, although obviously written by someone else, continues Lisbeth Salander's story. I found the beginning confusing; lots of characters introduced and rather stilted writing. I think fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will enjoy this sequel, but it just isn't the same.

Great, fast read. Filled with a lot of action. Mikael and Lisbeth are always getting themselves into hot water, and this book is no exception. Both characters are challenged by being put into roles that make them uncomfortable (Lisbeth as guardian of a teenage girl and Mikael as father/grandfather) and it was interesting to see the past and present combine. Looking forward to reading the rest of the new trilogy from Karin Smirnoff, can't wait to see what's next for Mikael and Lisbeth.

A lot of reviewers have given this newest “Lisbeth Salander” novel high marks. Perhaps I’m missing something, but I just don’t think “The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons” is a very good novel. I found it not well written (or translated), often confusing, and wholly lacking in the energy and edginess that Stieg Larsen injected into the first three novels in the series.

In the small and remote Swedish town of Gasskas, people keep disappearing.

In the city of Stockholm, Mickey Blomkvist is one unhappy, about-to-be-ex-investigative reporter. His magazine “Millenium” is closing. His partner in the magazine and sometime lover Erika Berger won’t talk to him. Lisbeth Salander won’t return his emails. His daughter Permilla (who he’s neglected for his career for many years) is marrying a man Blomkvist doesn’t trust: Henry Salo, the manager of the small, remote Swedish town of Gasskas. About the only thing Blomkvist has going for him is his relationship with his young grandson, Lukas, Permilla’s son and soon to be Salo’s stepson.

Blomkvist travels to Gasskas to give Pernilla away at the wedding. Henry Salo is in the middle of a real estate deal in which land will be sold to various interests for the establishment of a large wind farm which will be of great economic benefit to the town. Gangster Tycoon Marcus Branco is deamanding almost the entire wind farm for himself. Henry tells him he can’t have it all because it’s been promised to other interests. Branco turns to a motorcycle gang under his control (the same gang Lisbeth battled in a previous novel) and orders the kidnapping of young Lukas at the reception following the wedding.

Coincidentally, Lisbeth Salander is also in Gasskas. Her sister-in-law, Marta (married to Lisbeth’s freakish brother-in-law Ronald Neidermann whom Lisbeth killed) has gone missing and Social Services wants Lisbeth to take charge of her 12-year-old niece, Svala, a girl of strange talents (much like Lisbeth). Marta, by the way, is Henry Salo’s old girlfriend.

Clearly, there’s a lot going on—so much that it’s difficult to keep it all straight and not get lost; not to mention that some of the coincidences are just not believable. And the characters are so wooden and dour. They almost completely lack the passion, energy, and cleverness of Stieg Larson’s original creations.

Unfortunately, the writing and translation don’t help. The text includes Swedish references that are left unexplained. Points of view sometimes seem to change mid-paragraph. (One minute, we’re in one character’s head; the next minute we’re in another’s). Much of the dialogue seems stilted and not all that believable. Some sections of the novel rely on short, choppy sentence fragments. Other sections seem to be reporting the author’s thoughts rather than the characters’. This is particularly so when it comes to the stating of various political positions including the necessity for green energy, contempt for Donald Trump, women’s inequality, how big business can corrupt politicians, etc.

All in all, a disappointing read, so much so that I quit three-quarters of the way through.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my honest and independent opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much. I am so glad to have more Lisbeth books and wish for more because she is a multilayered main character. This was an exciting book and I look forward to more.

I was so upset to think that there would never be another book in this series. Then I read that they found a new author and I was so happy. Hope that I wouldn’t be disappointed, and I can tell you I was not. This is a great book,
It was a good thing the characters was in the front, to keep you up to date. I couldn’t put this book down Lisbeth is back in action. As she takes on a role as a caregiver to Svala. So many characters in this book to keep the action going. With so many great right on political points. This book will definitely be going to be on the bestseller list. And now I can’t wait for the next one. I’m sure some people will not like the language of this book. But I always read with an open mind

The Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson was published after his death, and it became a best-seller in Sweden and then globally. A second trilogy that continued the series was written by David Lagercrantz. The Girl in the Eagle's Talons by Karin Smirnoff is the first book in a third trilogy, extending the series. The main characters throughout the seven novels are Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative reporter with Millennium magazine, and Lisbeth Salander, a bisexual, anti-social (or perhaps just asocial), and occasionally violent computer hacker.

In this novel, the small town of Gasskas in northern Sweden is being run by Henry Salo, who is engaged to Blomkvist’s daughter. Salo is working to have huge windfarms built in the area, but one of the corporations will use any means necessary to achieve dominance. And Salo has numerous weaknesses that they hope to exploit, which brings great danger to everyone near him.

Salander, meanwhile, is (at least temporarily) the guardian for her niece Svala, whose mother has disappeared. And when we learn that Svala’s situation in intertwined with Salo’s, the mystery deepens and violence unfolds.

This is one of those times when I would recommend that a person read the novels in order. Or, at the very least, the initial trilogy. You will either be hooked (as I am) or will decide that perhaps this is not for you. (And, yes, Lisbeth is a great character!)

The Girl in the Eagle's Talons is the latest Millennium book, this written by Karin Smirnoff, the third author to take her hands at penning the eclectic suspense novels. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this one... while I love all the exposure to Lisbeth Salander, I do think there was something quite off with the translation. Too any weird phrases where I knew what was supposed to be said and hadn't been. It also was written too simple in the beginning and had me struggle to stay interested. But a third in, things took shape and had some classic drama. I still miss the original, and the over-arching story of Salander's family. But the connections between all the characters here was done very well.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of The Girl in the Eagle's Talons by Karin Smirnoff

Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomvkist have returned in a new chapter in the Millennium Series. Once again the stakes are matters of life and death---a vague company plans to build a detrimental series of wind turbines in Finland and will let nothing stand in the way of their goals.

Lisbeth enters the scene in Chapter 13 when she is contacted with the news that her niece (the daughter of her dead half-brother Ronald Niedermann) is in need of temporary guardianship as her mother has disappeared. Here is a new side of Lisbeth: seeing to the welfare of an adolescent in her care. In the search for the girl's mother, Lisbeth will connect with Mikhail and head down a dangerous path.

The story offers rich detail both of the environmental factors along with strong and compelling characters.

The Girl in the Eagle's Talons is dark and disturbing but readers are treated to the genius of Lisbeth as she focuses on getting the job done on her terms.

I loved this book. This is one of my favorite series, and even though I did not read the one before, I felt like I wasn't missing out. I am so glad they brought back Lisabeth. She is among the most courageous and badass female characters I have ever experienced. This book was perfectly done with just amount of thawing of Lisabeth's soul to her niece and enough crime and suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons is the 7th and latest book in the Millennium series and the first by Karin Smirnoff. I have read the other six books and was very much looking forward to reading this new one.

It was action packed and brought back many of the old characters but also introduced some new ones. In this newest book , we meet Svala who is Lisbeth’s niece. Although it was very entertaining, at times it was a bit confusing and hard to follow. There were a lot of story lines going on at the same time but in the end they did come together.

It was interesting to see what the new author did with the old characters and meeting the new characters as well as watching the established story lines intertwine with the new plot. I will be interested to see where this author takes this series from here.

Karin Smirnoff has taken The Girl in the Eagle's Talons and made it into another one of Stieg Larsson's stories. Not quiet like Stieg's but close enough to be interesting. We meet Svala who is a relative related to Lisbeth by being her fathers half sister. She's like her father in that she has no feeling when her body is harmed or broken. Svala is looking for her mother, Märta Hirak. Mikael is in the story as his daughter is being married to a Henry Salo who is a big wig politician. Besides he is being threatened by Marcus Brancos. Lisbeth is at the heart of everything being the only relative who will take Svala for two days. She knows that Svala is looking for Märta and she goes looking for her, after Lucus has been kidnapped at his mothers wedding and his grandfather (Mikael) is shot. All this is just the things that makes the book interesting. You can read it and read about many more things that happen in the story. You won't be sorry you did.

I want to thank the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for making an ARC available for me to review this new book.

The late Stieg Larsson left us too early, and his "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" trilogy is one of the best mystery/thrillers you can find. Larsson's death provided an opening for David Lagercrantz to continue the story of Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist with another trilogy. That set of stories was good, but it is hard to maintain the quality and precision by the original author.

Now we have a new work, part one of a new trilogy by author Karin Smirnoff. Salander is stilt the main character, but we are introduced to her niece Svala, a 13-year old "mini" Lisbeth in that she is incredibly smart and talented...Salander is tasked with serving as the guardian for Svala, whose mother has gone missing in the town of Gasskas in northern Sweden. It turns out there is a lot going on in Gasskas in terms of missing people..

We meet Henry Salo who could also be the central character in this book. Salo is many things--a leader of the Gasskas municipality who is .working to get a new wind farm approved that is controversial and tied to the influence of a mysterious mob group and he is also about to marry Mikael Blomkvist's daughter (hence how Blomkvist shows up in Gasskas).. The former journalist is mourning the loss of the investigating magazine he worked at for the first six books (Millenium) and has been repositioned as a podcast, which Blomkvist wants no part of..

The reader is quickly thrust in to a lot of questions: What happened to Svala's mother and the other missing people in this small town? Why is a mob group trying to control the process of securing land for the wind farm? Why are Salander and Blomvkist involved in all of this?

The writing is crisp and moves forward quickly. I found myself making additional time to read this new book and enjoying it quite a bit. I avoid spoilers in my reviews; however if you liked the original trilogy, and you read the books by Lagercrantz you will probably enjoy this new effort. There are a few gaps here and there that cause the reader pause, but overall it is good to have Lisbeth Salander back in action. I'm just not sure where the next book in this trilogy goes, but suspect it will center on the growing relationship between Lisbeth and her cousin, with Blomvkist continuing to show up between stops for coffee and beer (he always is drinking something somewhere in this book!).

I give it 4.25 stars rounded down to 4.

Iconic Lisbeth Salander is back! Brought to life by Swedish author Stieg Larsson and continued after his death by others, this one may not live up to the standards of the original author but it packs quite a punch.

All the known characters are back, involved with a mysterious organization determined to save the planet….or so it seems. Lisbeth comes in contact with a niece she has never met and finds a kindred spirit, whom she helps find her missing mother and awakens feelings Lisbeth didn’t know she has.

I hope the author brings this mini Lisbeth Salander back because I think the two of them together would make a formidable team.

Highly recommended!

As a big fan of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo/Millennium Series, I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I enjoyed reading more about Lisbeth and the other returning characters, and her niece was a great addition to the cast. For me, the first half of the book was a little slow, with most of the attention going to other characters rather than Lisbeth. The previous trilogy seemed like a more seamless continuation of the original books. I think this trilogy will take the story in a new direction, so it was probably necessary to get more background information. I look forward to seeing how things are resolved in future books. Fans of the series will be happy to read this book and continue the adventure.