The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is the first book in a trilogy written by Stieg Larson, often referred to as the Millennium trilogy. Sadly, Stieg Larsson died a few years ago, just after his manuscripts had been accepted by the publisher. He was a journalist, and died at his desk.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is yet another great Swedish crime novel, with an intricate story and interesting, well developed characters. The book is the latest in the great Swedish fiction tradition that begun in the 1960’s by Sjowall & Wahloo and has continued with Henning Mankell, Hakan Nesser and a number of other excellent authors.

Mikael Blomkvist is an investigative financial journalist and publisher/co-owner of the independent magazine Millennium. In one of his stories, about the crooked and wealthy financier Hans-Erik Wennerstrom, he goes too far. Wennerstrom sues Blomkvist, and Blomkvist loses and is sentenced to jail. Also, Millennium loses credibility and advertising revenue.

However, wealthy Henrik Vanger offers Mikael a deal he can hardly refuse. By doing a job for Vanger that involves uncovering the truth of a disappearance that has been unsolved for 40-odd years, he will get access to evidence to convict Wennerstrom and thus ensure the survival of Millennium.

In examining the case, Mikael Blomkvist eventually teams up with Lisbeth Salander, a free spirited young woman with a dragon tattoo, who is also a drop-out from society, has been labeled dangerous by social workers, and is unable to control her own finances or manage her own life. However, she has amazing computer skills and is a very talented hacker.

Together, Mikael and Lisbeth, a quite unlikely but very fascinating pair, manage to piece the case together. And as the pieces fall into place, the pace of the book picks up. The suspenseful conclusion involves the fate of the victim in Vanger’s mystery, Wennerstrom's power, the future of Millennium, the Vanger secret, as well as backdrops of a Nazi past.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is one of the best crime books written lately. The characters and the interpersonal dynamics are highly interesting and well described, and the investigation tickles you imagination. The story is haunting. Like excellent wine, its taste will linger for a while after you have finished with it.

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