This is a unique and exciting new Swedish thriller by the author of The Girl in the Spider’s Web (translated by Ian Giles).

Its very different leads are a beat cop from a family of Chilean political refugees and a wealthy, world renowned specialist in interrogation techniques (think a Swedish Sherlock Holmes).

Dark Music is an intricate mystery with fascinating leads, whom I very much hope to meet again. Don't miss this one!

Dark Music by David Lagercrantz is the first in the Rekke and Vargas series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publishers Knopf Doubleday Publishing and Penguin Random House Publishing and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Information:
Professor Hans Rekke is manic-depressive, and has genius insights into logic and observation.  He is musically gifted.  He was born into a family of wealth and power, but with an over-bearing mother who saw little but his failures. He has a daughter Julia, and his relationship with his wife is "iffy".  He and his brother Magnus do not always see eye-to-eye.

Police Officer Micaela Vargas is the daughter of Chilean refugees, and she grew up in the poor area of Stockholm.  Both of her brothers Simon and Lucas are on the wrong side of the law.  She works with Inspector Jonas Beijor, Chief Inspector Carl Fransson, and Assistant Police Commissioner Martin Falkegren.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Jamal Kabir, a soccer referee, is beaten to death.  Suspicions immediately fall on the drunken father of one of the players.  But things are not as they seem.

Assistant Police Commissioner Martin Falkegren takes a few colleagues, including the street-smart Officer Micaela Vargas, to meet with Professor Hans Rekke, who has published some rather amazing articles on interrogation techniques.  But Falkegren isn't impressed, and dismisses everything Rekke says.  Micaela Vargas, however, can't let it go, even after being removed from the murder investigation.

Micaela and Hans end up working together to try and solve the murder, but things are a little more political than either had anticipated, and finding answers may put them both in danger.


My Opinions:
First, kudos to the translator  Ian Giles.

Now, regarding the book.

The character of Rekke seems to be a reproduction of Sherlock Holmes, including his deductive prowess, musical ability and drug use.  Vargas, then would be a female Watson.  They look like they will make a good team.   I like their budding relationship.

Rekke has no problems discussing his mental health issues, which I found wonderful, although other people are quick to blame them for every problem that arises.  Vargas is still having issues at work for being a woman, and she has a family that does not help her spread her wings. Both characters are working through their issues.

I wasn't overly fond of the topics of the Taliban, religion, and terrorism, much less the overall political angles.  However, the story itself was interesting, although a little too drawn out.  The book is a little deep, with plenty of characters, so you have to pay attention.

Bottom line, I will be watching for the next in this series!

3.5 Stars

This is a Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson-style story set in Sweden in 2003 – 2004.

Jamal Kabir, an Afghani refugee living in Stockholm, is murdered. The team investigating the case includes Micaela Vargas, the daughter of Chilean political refugees. The team encounters Professor Hans Rekke, an authority on interrogation techniques. Micaela is immediately fascinated by this man. Though she is removed from the team, she continues to be interested in the case, and when she comes into contact with Rekke again, the two work together to solve the case. They focus on learning as much as they can about the victim, believing knowledge of his past will lead to the killer’s identity.

In the Author’s Note at the end, Lagercrantz states, “No one can possibly doubt the debt of gratitude I owe to Conan Doyle and his creation Sherlock Holmes, and I have ensured that I nod to them as often as possible.” There are certainly many parallels. Rekke is Holmes, of course, and Micaela is Dr. Watson. Rekke’s older brother Magnus, a government official, is like Mycroft, Holmes’ older brother, who is also a power broker. Both Magnus and Mycroft are described as larger and stouter and intelligent. Sherlock’s housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, becomes Rekke’s housekeeper, Mrs. Hansson.

The similarities between Sherlock and Rekke are obvious. Both possess amazing observational skills which, along with their deductive reasoning, leave people astounded. The two are similar in physical appearance, and both are prone to depression. Both use drugs to help them cope. Sherlock plays the violin, and Rekke was a promising concert pianist who had trained at Juilliard.

Micaela is the Dr. Watson character. She is determined to prove herself to her fellow officers who seem to dismiss her, though it becomes obvious that she is intelligent and capable. Rekke comes to admire her, commenting on how people tend to underestimate her astuteness. She is loyal to Rekke, defending him to others, especially the police. Interestingly, like Watson, she virtually becomes a roommate, living in Rekke’s apartment at a 2B address.

The book begins very slowly. The first one-quarter has little plot. The focus is on character development and providing background information about the personal lives of both Rekke and Micaela. Actually, there is very little action altogether. The two spend most of their time in the apartment discussing the case, researching online, and making phone calls to people who might be able to help them.

It is Micaela’s perspective that receives most of the attention, though there are short passages giving the viewpoint of other characters. Sometimes these sections from others have questionable value. For instance, is it relevant that Jonas Beijer, a police officer, “thought about [Micaela] during his wakeful nights”? Likewise, Chief Inspector Fransson thinks of another woman “when he felt at his most vulnerable.” Later in the novel, there are flashbacks which fully explain those events that Rekke and Micaela uncover.

The author has a penchant for cliff hangers. One chapter ends with “He got the feeling that the situation was about to explode” while another concludes with a character stating, “’I remember something.’”

Conan Doyle tended to use Latin phrases so Lagercrantz does as well. Unfortunately, it becomes annoying when those phrases are not translated. For example, “’De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine,’ [Rekke] mumbled, not entirely joking.” The reader is left to figure out the meaning because there is no explanation of the phrase. Including Latin is not the problem, but leaving the reader to decipher the meaning does not impress me.

The last few pages clearly indicate that this is the first book of a series as a new case is introduced. This explains the focus on establishing characters and the dynamics of their relationship. There is also a lot of information given about private lives. Supposedly Micaela’s brothers will become important players in future stories?

Though the book may not appeal to readers who want an action-packed plot, it will appeal to those who enjoy a more cerebral mystery. I will probably read the second book in the series to see the direction in which Lagercrantz takes the duo.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

A murder mystery where an immigrant soccer referee may have been murdered by the disgruntled father of a soccer star.
However, on further analysis by a psychology professor, the evidence seems circumstantial at best.

Translated from Swedish into English, Dark Music is a fascinating and disturbing story about murder, corruption in high places, Afghanistan's ban on music (amongst other things), the Taliban's interrogation methods, politics of the day and (in)justice. It is the first of a new series highlighting two very different protagonists, clever Professor Hans Rekke from an upper class background and police officer Micaela Vargas from a humble family. Rekke's brilliant mind is an excellent complement to tenacious and ambitious Micaela. Their imperfections and demons are real (depression, drug use) but they both seek the truth in what lay behind the murder of Jamal Kabir. As they peel back the layers what they discover is far deeper and darker than they had imagined.

Readers who seek out gritty and original writing and genre-bends, do pick this up. Whilst the premise is gripping, the book did not connect with me in any way and I was not engrossed or engaged. Sadly, at times I just wanted to reach the end. I have read many Nonfiction books about the Taliban, Afghan culture, "interrogation" methods and traditions so that aspect in this book intrigued me. The idea of this new series is a very good one; I just didn't click with the style.

My sincere thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, Viking and NetGalley.