Post Mortem: A Mystery

by David Lagercrantz

From the bestselling writer of The Girl in the Spider's Web comes another mystery led by detective duo Rekke and this time, their hunt for a serial killer has a literary twist.

It’s 1988. Dag and his friend Pompe are on a road trip through Europe. As they speed through French towns and Basque villages in Dag’s red BMW convertible, they party and discuss Celine, Hemingway, and Leonard Cohen. But when Pompe's drinking gets more intense, a darker side emerges. In the Spanish port city of Santander, Pompe and Dag meet a young waitress, Sandra. She has dreams of becoming a writer and is smitten by the two intellectual Scandinavians, especially Pompe, who represents the literary lifestyle she longs for. Before Dag goes home to Sweden, he decides to tell Sandra what Pompe might be capable of...

Now it's November 2008, back in Stockholm. We’re reintroduced to Professor Hans Rekke and his detective partner Micaela Vargas, who has a new boyfriend she hasn't yet told Rekke about. They receive a surprise visit from a Spanish police chief inspector who is haunted by the unsolved, brutal murder of a young woman in Santander in the late ‘80s, and believes this case is connected to others. Could there be a serial killer on the loose, who leaves numerical codes on the bodies of his victims? Can Rekke help decipher these signs before the killer strikes again?

Post Mortem switches between these two timelines, taking us into the last day of Sandra’s life, and Rekke and Vargas’s search for clues, which lead them by turns to an egomaniac writer, a widely loathed literary agent, and ultimately to Sandra's posthumously published short story. In yet another intricate and exciting puzzle mystery, David Lagercrantz draws on the literary world that he—and we—know all too well to tell a story about guilt, shame, repressed memories, human depravity, and publishing.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Sweden, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

352 pages, Hardcover

Published August 25, 2026

About the author

David Lagercrantz, born in 1962, is a journalist and author, living in Stockholm. His first book was published in 1997, a biography of the Swedish adventurer and mountaineer Göran Kropp. In 2000 his biography on the inventor Håkan Lans, A Swedish Genious, was published. His breakthrough as a novelist was Fall of Man in Wilmslow, a fictionalised novel about the British mathematician Alan Turing. In David Lagercrantz' writing you can often see a pattern: major talents who refuse to follow convention. He has been interested not only in what it takes to stand out from the crowd, but also in the resistance that such creativity inevitably faces.

In 2011 his best-selling sports biography I am Zlatan Ibrahimović was published, one of the most successful books in Sweden in modern times. The biography was nominated for the prestigious August Prize in 2012, as well as shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award. To date, the book has been published in over 30 languages around the world and been sold in millions of copies.

In the summer of 2013, Lagercrantz was asked by Moggliden (the Larsson Estate) and Norstedts to write the fourth, free-standing sequel to Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. The Girl in the Spider's Web was published – in August 27, 2015 – simultaneously by 26 publishers (in 24 languages) worldwide, ten years after the Swedish publication of Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Stieg Larsson's three Millennium novels have sold more than 82 Million copies to date, by 52 publishers worldwide. The Girl in the Spider's Web is sold to 47 publishers and more than 6 Million copies have been sold worldwide.

Reviews

[Tim]

This is for you if you like brutal, sadistic, drivel.

[AndaReadsTooMuch]

Post Mortem bills itself as a murder mystery with a literary twist and with a hook like that, how could I resist? While I may spend a lot of my time in fantasy worlds, my first love was and will always be murder mystery/thrillers.

David Lagercrantz weaves an intricate tale of murder, a sparkling and sharp literary world, and a ruthless killer that wants nothing more than to make women suffer. The method of killing is brutal and primal, and it’s not until a cold case sweeps across Rekke’s apartment does there hold some hope of it being solved. Professor Rekke and his roommate, Micaela Vargas, piece together a literary puzzle to try to save his next victim.

This was my first time reading David Lagercrantz, and I didn’t realize it was translated from Swedish. The prose was absolutely beautiful, grabbing you from the first pages with a cold case and snaring you with details, going through them in almost real time with Rekke and Vargas.

You see their missteps while simultaneously jumping backwards to 1988 and seeing the first murder play out to its inevitable end. It was haunting and unnerving. You feel the crush of time as you are racing along with the characters to put the pieces together. I was so enthralled I couldn’t believe I finished this book in a day! I was guessing until the very end and I still didn’t get it right. If you want to experience a different kind of murder mystery, one where you can’t help but get wrapped up in the story, then this one is for you!

Five out of five typewriters for this one!

Post Mortem hits shelves August 25, and I highly recommend this one. Especially if you need a shake up on your TBR, it’s the perfect mystery to dive right into!

Thank you to Knopf for the gifted physical copy. (My very second physical ARC ever!) All opinions are my own.

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich]

Post Mortem by David Lagercrantz is the third in the Rekke and Vargas series.



Let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Knopf, and the author (David Lagercrantz), for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



First, yet again, kudos to the translator Ian Giles, who has made reading this so easy.

The book looked at a love of music and writing, but it really looked at guilt and shame, and trying to bury your past.

Again, there were a number of characters in this book, most of them somewhat despicable.  I continue to think highly of Rekke who somehow manages to see his way through the muddles, which are often created by his own mental illness and drug use.  As well, Micaela seems to understand him.  Her own issues are quite evident in this book, but she eventually deals with them.   Although I'm not a romance reader, I wish the two would get together.

The plot was really interesting, but because of often unfamiliar names, it took a while to get into it.  As well, since the story went back and forth in time-lines (without title indications), that was confusing -- hopefully that gets corrected when the book comes out.

Another problem I have with these books is that the author refers to Hans Rekke by his last name, and Micaela Vargas by her first.  That is also happening in another series I am reading, but can't remember who that is at the moment, and I'm wondering if it is another Scandinavian series.  Anyway, it bugs me.

Okay, problem number three is the fact that although the main case was tied up, the book ended in a cliff-hanger.  I just generally dislike them.

I seem to have a lot of complaints, but I enjoyed it.  This was another really intriguing, very complex mystery...and you have to pay attention.


For a more thorough review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, my own synopsis of the book, and its author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

[Melissa]

A gritty mystery with literary ties gives a solid detective noir feel in 𝑷𝑶𝑺𝑻 𝑴𝑶𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑴 𝒃𝒚 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅 𝑳𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒛 #gifted to me by @aaknopf and @prhaudio of which I am so grateful!

I am really enjoying the translated fiction this year, and this Swedish Mystery, translated by Ian Giles and expertly read by Simon Vance, is another literary gem that has introduced me to an author I will be following from now on.

Hans Rekke is a professor who teams up with his lodger, Micaela Vargas, a police officer to look into a strange case of a brutal cold case murder from 1988 with newly discovered pieces that link to other bodies. The original victim was a writer who published a short story after her death that offer clues. The duo must uncover the carefully hidden twists before being caught up in its thrilling conclusion.

I have to admit, I had to start this one over after I'd read the first hundred pages as I was realizing I was reading too fast and felt like I'd missed something. I slowed down, focused my attention, and was rewarded with a complex and cleverly paced mystery. The characters were given time to develop to give it full contextual depth. I sank in and let the story pull me into its atmosphere on its own time and enjoyed it! I was led into a conclusion that was proved quite wrong at the end, which was both devastating and satisfying.

The translation was fantastic and felt easy to follow, but the audio was a gift so I could hear as well as see the names as they were meant to be. Vance did a great job injecting a slow burn rise of intensity with great accents!
This is apparently the 3rd installment of this duo solving crimes, so now I feel I must go back and get their backstories!

[Tony da Napoli]

3.5 🎇 rounded up. Hans Rekke series #3. Disclaimer: see reviews by Anne, Matt, Alexandria,Yun and other great reviewers for details. I am not in that league, but here is my take:
First, I like Lagercrantz' work. If you have read his extensions of Stieg Larsson.'s "Girl" series and did not like them or the first two Rekke mysteries, then don't read this work.
This is Nordic noir. It is a dark horrific crime and a (deliberately) Holmes-like deducing-master sleuth with assists from companion/officer Micaela Vargas-- and the requisite brother in high politics. Some say a Sherlock knockoff, but the similarity leaves off with that basic framework.

A nasty crime in Spain 20 years ago by unknown creep or creeps finds it's way to Sweden with several threads. Believe me, it makes sense when you read it. So there are two timelines we are following. Back then in Spain and 2008--and consider how even today half of all northern Europeans flock south every summer.

Our mastermind Sleuth, Rekke, and his erstwhile lady companion/police officer have to put together several leads in the trail of the crime. I thought it read really well up to about 65-75% when it seemed to drag, then the last 25% it takes off again. A suitable ending with a well-done desired twist to it-- although I did "feel" the ending lacked the greater detail that led up to it.

I recommend this for fans, though not necessarily for first-time readers of Lagercrantz.

[BookByBook karenreadslotsofbooks]

BOOK Review
Post Mortem: A Mystery (Rekke Series)
By David Lagercrantz
Translated from Swedish by Ian Giles
PUB DATE: August 25, 2026
⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to @aaknopf for the gifted physical copy of Post Mortem.

This mystery crime series features the detective duo, Professor Hans Rekke and his partner Micaela Vargas. The story alternates between present day Stockholm, Sweden (2008) and 1988 Santander Spain - the scene of the crime.
Rekke and Vargas are tasked with investigating the unsolved murder of Sandra with little to go on besides some intriguing “literary” clues.
I really enjoyed the 1988 timeline which introduces Sandra and the other characters who may or may not have the motive and the capability of committing the violent murder. Lagercrantz slowly reveals how Sandra’s last few days unfolded, leaving many possibilities as to who perpetrated the crime and why. The characters of the 1988 timeline present as mysterious and shady.
I struggled with the present day timeline. I had difficulty keeping the role of each character and their significance to the investigation straight. I also found the relationship of Rekke and Vargas to be stiff and unfriendly which kept me wondering how they worked well as partners. It felt like none of the present day characters liked each other or were likable. Despite my issues with the present day timeline, I was invested enough in the crime and the outcome to keep reading.
Post Mortem is not the first book in the Rekke Series. I am thinking I might have understood the Rekke/Vargas relationship better if I had read the previous books in this series. I also am curious how much the translation affected the dynamics and relationships amongst the characters.

[Teresa]

Post Mortem is the second book in the "Rekke" series. I have not read the first book and I could kind of tell that there might be some backstory I was missing, but overall had no issues reading this as a standalone. Professor Hans Rekke has Sherlockian powers of deduction and a brother who works in the Swedish government. Rekke's detective partner and housemate, Micaela Vargas is like his Watson.
The plot of Post Mortem alternates between two timelines, 1988 and 2008, and between multiple perspectives in each timeline. In 2008, Rekke and Micaela are visited by a Spanish police chief inspector who is in Stockholm for a conference. He has brought them the files from a cold case from 1988: a young woman who was brutally murdered in the town of Santander. He has reason to believe this case may be related to others (a serial killer?) and that there may be a Swedish connection, and he hopes Rekke will put his powers of deduction toward solving the case. The 1988 timeline introduces the victim, a waitress named Sandra, and two Swedish tourists (Pompe and Dag) she meets at the cafe where she works, and relates the events of her last day, leading up to her death. The 2008 timeline has a lot of different characters, too many of which are arrogant, narcissistic, cruel men - but that makes for a good number of suspects! The tone of the book is fairly dark, and there are several subplots, not all of which connect to the main story, so it can be a bit of work to keep everything and everyone straight, but overall I thought the character development was good and the plot was logical and well-paced with enough surprises to keep the reader from getting too complacent!

[Gia]

It's taken over a month to write this review. Post Mortem by David Lagercrantz peaked my interest from the synopsis of the cold case Rekke & Vargas would be working on. And to the implication that the book(s) and characters were inspired by Sherlock Homles mysteries.

And when I began reading and discovered that Vargas's character had immigrated to Sweden I was even more excited.

However, the heavy racism in the book was harder to stomach than the murder case from over a decade earlier. And I got the impression that Micaela and her boyfriend(?) were just plot devices to be used to make the story have some sort of impact?

The suggestions and comments from Rekke's brother and other characters were consumed by the political and social conflicts within the US and Iran around 2008. And I never really felt I got a hold of the reasoning for this other than plot.

Or perhaps the original text is older than I thought and it was only just translated recently.

But even so, Vargas's character is passive. I forgot about her until she would re-appear in a chapter. Side note: in my opinion, physical pain and symptoms a woman experiences is not a forte for this author.

Rekke sets off on this manic fixation to connect other cold cases to this unknown killer.

While simultaneously we are shown the moments leading up to the murder from the victim and a suspicious third party person.

The pacing is inconsistent. I didn't feel any real tension until the last few pages when the murder was going to strike again.

It was all a bit too confused for me.

[Dan]

✦ Book Review: Post Mortem: A Mystery (Rekke Series #3) by David Lagercrantz
✧ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ, @AAKnopf
➤ 𝚂𝚈𝙽𝙾𝙿𝚂𝙸𝚂
In 1988 Spain, an aspiring writer named Sandra is murdered under mysterious circumstances. Twenty years later, Professor Hans Rekke and police officer Micaela Vargas become involved when a Spanish investigator believes Sandra's death may be connected to a series of other murders. As they revisit the decades-old case, strange numerical clues and Sandra's own writing begin to reveal connections that suggest something far more complicated than a single unsolved murder.
➤ 𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂
There is a good mystery buried inside Post Mortem, and the cold case, strange clues, and connections between past and present gave me enough to keep reading. Where the book lost me somewhat was the amount of contemporary social commentary woven into the characters and story. Some of the portrayals of men and women felt unnecessarily one-sided to me, and after a while it began pulling my attention away from the mystery itself. I read fiction largely as an escape from the arguments and divisions we're already surrounded by in everyday life, so I tend to prefer when the characters and mystery are allowed to take center stage. That will probably bother some readers far less than it did me, and underneath it all Lagercrantz still delivers an interesting case with enough complexity to keep things moving. I didn't dislike the book, but I came away wishing it had spent more time on the mystery and less time reminding me of the world I was trying to escape for a few hours.

[Elisa]

I loved the first volume in this series, I wasn’t a fan of the second book and this third one was definitely not for me. Hans Rekke is an original take on Mr. Holmes. He is bipolar (a possible diagnosis for the original character) and brilliant. He has a sidekick who helps him see the truth (though Micaela is more than a Watson… she’s smart) and a shady brother. This time, he investigates a cold case from Spain, that could lead to a more immediate danger and a possible serial killer. There is nothing wrong with the plot, the writing or the translation but, as a matter of personal preference, I didn’t enjoy this novel. It was too slow for me, with too many internal dialogues, conversations about people’s feelings, and not enough action. It may be that there is an abused dog at the heart of the mystery. It’s symbolic, but based on very real cases, and I just don’t want to read about that. And the characters keep going back again and again, rehashing the pain of the unnamed pooch. I’m aware that there are also humans murdered in these pages so, like I said, it may not be the book but me. There is also a political subplot that didn’t mesh with the rest, and that slowed the action even more. I’m happy to see that other readers enjoyed it more. It was not for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Knopf.

[Denice Langley]

A dark Nordic noir that unwinds in two different eras. The search to link them provides an added dimension to the murders, committed in a particularly brutal manner, with the murderer's calling card etched into the victims' bodies. The story opens in 1988 as two friends travel together. Their actions become more violent the longer they travel. One of them will turn back when his friend loses all restraint.

In 2008, the detectives are investigating a series of murders that are very violent. Each victim has numbers cut into their bodies, but the investigators have no idea what they could mean. As the investigation continues, a retired police officer will contact them with information on a cold case he failed to solve in 1988. His information will lead the police to compare the 1988 cases with the current ones. As the investigation moves between the two timelines, readers also learn that the detectives have personal problems that are affecting their work. This amps up the danger they will face as they move closer to solving the murders. David Lagercrantz has skillfully developed the characters into three-dimensional humans we have seen grow in the first two books. Their actions will stir questions but few answers as they pursue the killer.

[Dogsandbooksanddogsandbooks]

Thank you to Knopf for my gifted, finished copy.
Translated from Swedish to English.

A mystery set in 1988 is revived in 2008 when a Spanish Deputy Police Commissioner, never able to forget the case, brings it to Professor Hans Rekke. Rekke is a man plagued with mental health issues but a crime solver offianado, nonetheless. His partner, Micaela Vargas, is currently living in his home but not as a couple, also seeks to find answers to this crime.

The book is best when in the 1980's. I was intrigued by the two male companions that seemed as though evil was swirling around them. Forward twenty years and the relationship between Rekke and Vargas is odd. Vargas's relationship with another man seems out of place without context from perhaps an earlier book in the series. Post Mortem is book 3 in the Rekke Series. There are so many things and people in the 2008 timeframe that are mostly a distraction to the case at hand.

I was invested enough in the original crime 20 years earlier that I hung in there. I would imagine a case completely set in the present time would be just as engaging. As it was, the back and forth of Post Mortem didn't work for me.

[Mike]

Although a Nordic noir, Post Mortem (2026) by David Lagercrantz focuses on the lives of Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas. It’s 2008 and the recent Presidential election brightens a gloomy Swedish winter. Rekke is consulted by a Spanish police Inspector who failed to solve a brutal murder in 1988. Twenty years later, Rekke and Vargas discover links to multiple other murders and suspect it’s the work of a Swedish citizen. There is also a literary connection, so the detectives search the writing community for a possible suspect. Meanwhile, Vargas is keeping her new relationship a secret from Rekke, whose focus is always on the crime puzzle. The narrative switches back and forth in time in a quality crime tale, which is a fine standalone read with a four star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads]

Thank you for this gifted finished copy in exchange for a honest review.

In 1988 a road trip gets dark quickly. Moving quick, meeting a girl and drinking hard, things get ugly.

Flash forward to 2008 and the murder of a woman Haunts a few still and this cold case just will not die, a new lead might crack it open or so Reeke thinks. I love a dual timeline and this gave us both, the past of Sandra, how things started to go down and the danger she might have been in as the detectives investigate all these years later. A cold case with a killer that seems to be more like a possible serial killer with bodies stacking up.

This was a great cold case type book that had me wondering, what really happened all those years ago and wax what we saw, really what happened...

Very good whodoneit factor and would love to check out more.

[Ken Fredette]

In this story Micaela and Rekke don't seem to hit it off while their alter egos seem to function quite well. Micaela's body seems to be infallible with losing a child and getting knifed up. Pompe and Pontus are the same person and Popov is another person that hates women and likes to break their fingers. This said, I don't like all the bad people with the name starting in P. It's rather confusing when you're reading the story. But it is a fast paced book with all the bad guys giving off their worst feelings. Plus Rekke seems to be under some kind of drug and is quite the guy to be seen. The book is really quite good and the story can continue with his missing sister sho he's never heard of.

[Randomly.eric]

Thank you to Knopf for the gifted physical ARC.

Rounded up from 3.5. I recently read Dark Music and Fatal Gambit to prepare for Post Mortem. I found all 3 to be entertaining reads, if not a bit stoic feeling. I never really connected with the characters in a way that made me love them. That being said, I did enjoy the mystery and investigation aspects. Post Mortem felt like it expanded in scale from the previous two installments. Rekke is an unassuming badass and Vargas is right there with him. Together they are a formidable team. While I enjoyed the story, and absolutely loved the short chapters, it didn't feel like this brought anything new or unique to the table. Which is fine. It did it's job and kept me entertained and turning the pages.

[Mario Mirabelli]

Excellent book that brings the past back in a horrifyingly way. Professor Hans Rekke has had a number of careers from concert pianist, college professor and unofficial title of best detective on the European continent. With the help of a mere police officer, Micaela Vargas, the two manage to overcome Rekke's many quicks to solve the unsolvable. Their latest foray involves a murder twenty years prior and is about as cold as a case can get. No worries here as the the team knows all the back channels as well as the obvious avenues.
The writing is superb but the duo have their own code/ways and at times they can be a bit confusing to the less dedicated. Enjoy.

[Linda]

I absolutely love this series! This one is so good that I didn’t want to stop reading. An intriguing storyline, interesting but complex characters, a vicious murder that sets the protagonists on a serpentine path on the search for a malevolent killer, and enough twist and turns to make you dizzy….an amazing read.

The ending? Oh my goodness! It will leave you breathless. I can’t wait until the next one.

[Judy Davis]

Several sites reviewing the book offer statements such as the following: “Lagercrantz sneakily uses similar-sounding names to keep the identity of the killer hidden. It certainly befuddles the reader.” When reading a mystery, I am rarely befuddled and typically have no difficulty keeping track of characters. Not so with this book. I was just confused! I did finish the book only to see which of the many characters whose names began with the letter P turned out to be the killer.

[Naima Westberg]

Very good and fast pace - you didn’t get bored and wasn’t to character focused

[Deb]

2.5 stars

[Ann McElhatton]

Up from a 2.5. I think it’s was tougher read for me since I’d didn’t know all the characters as it is a series. Enjoyable enough though.