The Spider    by Lars Kepler Order:  USA  Can Knopf, 2023 (2023) Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson In the opening to Lars Kepler's rather gruesome thriller, The Spider, the author tells readers that Detective Superintendent Joona Linna ended serial killer Jurek Walter's murderous spree. Next we meet the head of Stockholm's National Crime Unit as she becomes a new killer's first victim. Joona is called to the scene. This is only the first of a series of murders. Bodies are removed from the death scene and later found elsewhere, dissolved in caustic soda and decomposing in a sack. Saga Bauer, once in the Security Sevice, works as a PI, while awaiting a psychologist's green light to return to policing. Three years before, she received a postcard, speaking of a Makarov pistol with nine white bullets, the last reserved for her good friend Joona Linna. It said that only Saga could save him. Now, white bullet casings are found near victims' remains. Saga is convinced of a connection between Jurek Walter, the postcards, and this new killing spree. The perp starts sending her clues and she's pulled into the investigation. The clues help but police are always just a little too late. Then suspicion falls on Saga herself. Saga must now evade the authorities while trying to save Joona from entanglement in a monstrous spider web spun by someone with a shocking connection to Jurek Walters and an obsession with vengeance - but who is the ultimate target? The ending will leave readers very curious about what's ahead. Don't miss this series! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews