Fourth novel in Millenium series to be published 10 years after Stieg Larsson’s death

More than a decade after the death of Stieg Larsson, a fourth novel in the bestselling Millenium series is about to be published.

The title of the next book in the series has been confirmed by Larsson’s British publisher as The Girl in the Spider’s Web. It follows The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, which sold over 75m copies worldwide.

The latest novel will continue the story of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomqvist and is written by by Swedish author and journalist David Lagercrantz.

It will be released worldwide on August 27, and is expected to be published in 38 different languages.

Given the huge worldwide following the series has attained, including spawning two hit films, Lagercrantz wrote the latest book amid high levels of security.

For example, he worked on a computer with no internet connection and delivered the Swedish copy of the manuscript by hand to his publishers, while British publisher MacLehose Press has only just unveiled the cover.

“The Swedish original publishers Norstedts have put everyone on notice that no particle of this book can be shared with anybody. There’ll be no review copies in any language before it is launched on 27 August … Nobody will be in a position to beat the ring of steel around this book,” publisher Christopher MacLehose told The Guardian.

He said Lagercrantz had been given a free rein and maintained fans would not be disappointed.

“The reader of this fourth book will know exactly where they are — here we are, thrilled to be chained once more to the same calibre of narrator. Lagercrantz is very, very clever.”

Lagercrantz wrote the latest book in the series with the blessing of Stieg Larsson’s estate. The author’s father and brother instigated the project stating that they wanted to “keep alive the characters and world” that Larsson created.

However, the deceased author’s partner of 32 years Eva Gabrielsson has been vocal in her opposition to the continuation of the series “I wouldn’t have continued Stieg’s work. It was his language, his unique narrative.

“The worst thing is how saddened Stieg would have been. He never let anyone work on his literary texts. He would have been furious.

“Who knows, maybe he’ll send a lightning bolt at the book launch,” she told AFP.

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