What Motivates Liza Marklund, Queen of Scandinavian Crime Fiction?

Last Will by Liza Marklund
(Emily Bestler/Atria May 2012)

Photo by Annika Marklund

New York Times Betselling author
Liza Marklund

Liza Marklund

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With  more than 12 million copies of her books sold in 30 languages—and landing a multi-series movie deal with the producer of the film versions of Stieg Larsson’s novels—internationally bestselling author Liza Marklund once again brings her beloved investigative reporter Annika Bengtzon back to the page in LAST WILL.

In this latest adrenaline-fueled adventure, Annika finds herself caught in the middle of an intricate drama with links to international terrorism, global pharmaceutical corporations, and Alfred Nobel himself.

"I've always been tremendously fascinated by Sweden's most well-known citizen,” Liza Marklund admits. “His achievements are legendary, but we actually know very little about Alfred Nobel himself—the man, his life, and his dreams. His descendants, and the foundation that have administered his estate, have made a deliberate effort to perpetuate this situation. They want Nobel to be remembered as the revolutionary industrial magnate that he was, and not as the lonely hypochondriac longing for love that he became. I find the division between the official image of the glamorous man of the world and the forlorn, rootless human being extremely interesting. This is the essence of my novel LAST WILL. I wanted to explore the conflict between the external and the internal, to glimpse what lies behind the facades, and investigate how important recognition by the outside world really is."

Heroine Annika Bengtzon is an investigative journalist for the tabloid, Evening Post. She is used to covering the more sordid stories in life.  It’s her job to interview the grieving relative, the remorseful celebrity, or the witness to a brutal murder.   So when she’s invited to attend the glamorous Nobel Prize Dinner at Stockholm’s City Hall in LAST WILL, she’s ecstatic. She’ll finally be able to dress up, enjoy the speeches of some of the most notable scholars in the world, and let her mind drift from her own personal problems. But nothing is ever easy for Annika, and while she’s dancing in the Hall after the official ceremony she’s abruptly bumped into by strange woman—a woman with yellow eyes—just moments before gunfire erupts. Unfortunately, Annika becomes a key witness to the murder and she’s officially placed under a disclosure ban.  She can’t talk about, much less report, what she’s seen.

Author Liza Marklund has been lauded by critics and colleagues alike for her crisp, clean prose, her deeply realized and fallible characters, and her intelligent and provocative storylines.  As a former reporter and a current Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, she has also witnessed firsthand the harsher side of society.  Her novels are replete with current events and women’s issues, and are a skillful blend of taut mystery and sociology.

Marklund admits to Authorlink that she has never aspired to any profession other than writing, and she claims it is writing that "keeps me sane." In this AUDIO interview, the bestselling author talks about her new book, her movie deals, and what she believes it takes to succeed as a writer.

Since her debut in 1995, Liza has written ten novels and one nonfiction book. Her crime series featuring the gutsy reporter Annika Bengtzon instantly became an international hit. Marklund is the co-author of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel, The Postcard Killers, written with literary powerhouse, James Patterson.  She currently lives in southern Spain with her family. To learn more about Liza Marklund and her work, visit: www.lizamarklund.com.

–Doris Booth