Review of DARK MUSIC by David Lagercrantz (New Release)

 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.