Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy—better known as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series—put Scandinavian crime fiction on the global map in the mid-2000s. The books, which were later adapted into film and television, became so wildly popular that even after Larsson’s death, the adventures of the eccentric yet unstoppable hacker and her loyal (though occasionally unfaithful) collaborator, Mikael Blomkvist, continued. Karin Smirnoff’s The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons is now the seventh installment in the series.
The Controversial Past of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
What started as a crime series quickly evolved into something more. Something bigger. The protagonist, Lisbeth Salander—a woman who, even with the bed included, barely weighs 40 kilos—soon became an action hero. More than that, she transformed into a vengeful angel, a strong, independent woman who made life a living hell for the men who deserved it.
Then came the sequels by David Lagercrantz, and… well, I have no idea. In my humble opinion, Lagercrantz is one of the weakest among the ever-brooding Nordic crime authors. I haven’t been able to finish a single book of his that I picked up. Naturally, that includes the three Millennium installments he cobbled together.
But let’s see how Karin Smirnoff approaches the iron-willed, tattooed girl—who, after two decades, is undoubtedly a tattooed woman by now.
All Men Are Pigs!
Lisbeth Salander has never had much luck with men. That hasn’t changed. Smirnoff meticulously sets the stage for all sorts of potential revenge plots by populating the small northern Swedish town of Gasskas with a cast of utter lowlifes. Among them: the vile biker gang members from previous books, a familiar and highly punchable police officer, and a new addition—the investor Branco, who operates with unorthodox methods and seems determined to check off every possible crime in the shortest time possible.
So, Karin Smirnoff really gets under your skin right from the beginning of The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons. The mere fact that such filthy characters even exist! Great, because that’s exactly how you build reader interest.
All Roads Lead to Gasskas
Of course, The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons wouldn’t be complete without Salander’s longtime investigative partner, journalist Mikael Blomkvist. Because guess what? Micke B. also ends up in Lapland.
Oh, did I forget to mention? Naturally, the tattooed girl is headed there too.
And in case it wasn’t already obvious, the picturesque Gasskas is well on its way to earning the title of Sweden’s most crime-ridden location.
Mikael Blomkvist Has No Idea What to Do with Himself
Unfortunately, Blomkvist has aged into a somewhat aimless old man. Millennium magazine is dead. It’s being turned into a podcast.
If there’s a pointless character in The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons, it’s Blomkvist. Aside from passively watching the events unfold, he mostly bothers the local newspaper staff with his unsolicited expertise. Plus, driven by old habits, he snoops around the business circle in Gasskas, hoping to uncover some shady connections.
And yes—it’s exactly as dull as it sounds.
The Niece Without a Tattoo
Why has our the big-city, tattooed girl traveled north? Because she has a niece! And you can imagine just how thrilled Lisbeth Salander is about gaining another family member. About as much as she’d enjoy a knife in the back.
Svala, however, is essentially a younger version of Lisbeth. Just as weird, just as withdrawn, but equally determined and strong-willed. In fact, The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons mostly revolves around her. If Lisbeth Salander didn’t show up, her reluctant niece would more than fill her shoes.
On top of that, the untattooed girl has two superpowers: she doesn’t feel pain, and no lock can keep her out. (Both of which, let’s just say, come in handy over the course of the story.)
The most notable part of Smirnoff’s book is the relationship between these two relatives. More precisely, it’s the dynamic of their relationship, which countless films and books have been built around: how will these two deal with this uncomfortable situation? After initial reluctance, will they grow closer? Especially considering that Lisbeth Salander is hardly the type to crave human connections. (Her personality remains almost exactly the same as in the first novel—still just as blunt. Character development moves at a snail’s pace!
The Stage Is Set—But Where’s the Action?
So, Karin Smirnoff takes her time carefully laying the groundwork for the story’s complications. And yet, despite all this buildup, The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons moves surprisingly slowly.
The 7th book in the Millennium series only makes use of Svala as a character. Aside from her, Karin Smirnoff plays it completely safe. Even about 100 pages before the book ends, you’re still waiting for things to finally get moving. And if you had to explain what happened until then, you’d be in quite a bind.
The conclusion is clear: Smirnoff didn’t write a standalone, self-contained story—she’s rationing the plot for future installments. The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons is essentially just the sluggish first third of a larger narrative. The action with which the book ultimately concludes is such that something happens, but at the same time, nothing really does.
The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons is a fairly uninspired continuation of a once-great series. Fans of Lisbeth Salander will be happy to see their hero return, and to some extent, they’ll get what they came for. Other readers, however, are left with just another forgettable Scandinavian crime novel.
Rating: 7/10
The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons (Millennium Series #7) by Karin Smirnoff
368 pages, Hardcover
Published in 2023 by Knopf
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