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Friday, May 14, 2010

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Kindle Edition)

by Stieg Larsson (Author)

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An international publishing sensation, Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel.

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

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Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #4 in Books
  • Published on: 2009-06-23
  • Released on: 2009-06-23
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: 1.13" h x 5.17" w x 8.10" l, 1.00 pounds
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 608 pages
Features
  • ISBN13: 9780307454546
  • Condition: NEW
  • Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.


Customer Reviews:

“This Swedish bestseller deserves to be a blockbuster here too”.,
Review Date : August 25, 2008
Reviewed By : K. M. "literary devotee" (California) -

This review is from: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Hardcover)

A 24-year-old computer hacker sporting an assortment of tattoos and body piercings and afflicted with Asperger Syndrome or something of the like has been under state guardianship in her native Sweden since she was thirteen. She supports herself by doing deep background investigations for Dragan Armansky, who, in turn, worries the anorexic-looking Lisbeth Salander is "the perfect victim for anyone who wished her ill." Salander may look fourteen and stubbornly shun social norms, but she possesses the inner strength of a determined survivor. She sees more than her word processor page in black and white and despises the users and abusers of this world. She won't hesitate to exact her own unique brand of retribution against small-potatoes bullies, sick predators, and corrupt magnates alike.

Financial journalist Carl Mikael Blomkvist has just been convicted of libeling a financier and is facing a fine and three months in jail. Blomkvist, after a Salander-completed background check, is summoned to a meeting with semi-retired industrialist Henrik Vanger whose far-flung but shrinking corporate empire is wholly family owned. Vanger has brooded for 36 years about the fate of his great niece, Harriet. Blomkvist is expected to live for a year on the island where many Vanger family members still reside and where Harriet was last seen. Under the cover story that he is writing a family history, Blomkvist is to investigate which family member might have done away with the teenager.

So, the stage is set. The reader easily guesses early that somehow Blomkvist and Salander will pool their talents to probe the Vanger mystery. However,Swede Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is no humdrum, formulaic whodunit. It is fascinating and very difficult to put down. Nor is it without some really suspenseful and chillingly ugly scenes....

The issue most saturating The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is that of shocking sexual violence primarily against women but not excluding men. Salander and Blomkvist both confront prima facie evidence of such crimes. Larsson's other major constituent elements are corporate malfeasance that threatens complete collapse of stock markets and anarchistic distrust of officialdom to the point of endorsing (at least, almost) vigilantism. He also deals with racism as he spins a complex web from strands of real and imagined history concerning mid-twentieth century Vanger affiliations with Sweden's fascist groups.

But Larsson's carefully calibrated tale is more than a grisly, cynical world view of his country and the modern world at large. At its core, it is an fascinating character study of a young woman who easily masters computer code but for whom human interaction is almost always more trouble than it is worth, of an investigative reporter who chooses a path of less resistance than Salander but whose humanity reaches out to many including her, and of peripheral characters -- such as Armansky -- who need more of their story told.

Fortunately, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in English translation will be followed by two more in the Millennium series: The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Air Castle that Blew Up. I can't wait. Larsson also made a 200-page start on a fourth book, but sadly he succumbed to a heart attack in 2004 and his father decided the unfinished work will remain unpublished.

I recommend this international bestseller to all who eagerly sift new books for challenging intellectual crime thrillers, who luxuriate in immersing themselves in the ambience of a compellingly created world and memorable characters, who soak up financial and investigative minutiae as well as computer hacking tidbits, and who want to share Larsson's crusade against violence and racism.


“Best Book of the Year”,
Review Date : September 13, 2008
Reviewed By : R. Crane (Washington, DC United States) -

This review is from: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Hardcover)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a masterwork of fine craftsmanhip. When I reached the final page I was disappointed that there was no more to read. I did not want the story to end. The characters are too intriguing for this to be the end. Apparently this was the first novel in a trilogy by the brillant writer, Stieg Larsson, who unfortunately died in 2004: the book contains a tribute to him and his career. I cannot wait to read the sequels scheduled for release in the USA in 2009.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an international best seller and is set in Sweden. It takes a little effort to get accustomed to all the Swedish names and places but then the story moves with lightening speed. There are two key plots happening simultaneously. In one, a Swedish financial investigative journalist publishes a libelous attack about a powerful industrialist and is sentenced to jail, fined a ruinous sum, and has his career torn to shreds. Another industrialist, Vanger, hires the journalist to investigate the 36 year old disappearnace of his then 14 year old grand niece. There has been no trace of her in all these years and she is assumed dead. Yet, every year on his birthday, he receives a mysterious gift of a pressed flower, mimicking a gift his missing grandniece used to give him when she lived there. Vanger, an old man, is tormented by the flower gifts, and wants one more chance to find out what happened to her and who killed her. What the journalist uncovers about the Vanger family's hitherto unknown secrets and connections to the Nazis, will have you hanging on the edge of your seat.

The book is titled after yet another character, Lisabeth Salander, a societal outcast and social ward of the State, uncivilized without any desire to obey societal norms, and replete with piercings, tattoos, and a goth/biker appearance. In short, at first glance a totally undesirable and unsympathetic person. She is a researcher with a corporate security firm and ends up working with the journalist. In truth, she is a survivor of abuse in all forms with low self esteem, and an inablity to trust. She is a genius with Asberger's Syndrome, a form of autism, who sees patterns in things ordinary mortals miss and uses incredible computer hacking skills to accomplish her goals. She is fascinating: ruthless and tough to a fault, yet internally vulnerable, struggling to comprehend her own feelings. She has an appeal that draws you to her, rooting for her, and wanting to understand her. Lisabeth is unforgettable, unlike most characters that populate mystery thrillers. There is such depth here.

The book is a thriller on many levels: The story about the Vanger family itself, the journalist's crusade to redeem his reputation, Lisabeth's vendettas and development, and of course, the truth about what actually happened to the missing Vanger heiresss. This is a superb novel and impossible to put down. Utterly stunning. Probably the year's best book. SUMMER 2009: SEE MY REVIEW OF THE SEQUEL, "THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE", ANOTHER OUTSTANDING BOOK.


“Less than I expected but still interesting”,
Review Date : September 18, 2008
Reviewed By : Cowboy Bill "cowboybill" (Omaha, NE USA) -

This review is from: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Hardcover)

Henrik Vanger, an elderly Swedish industrialist, has long been receiving the same anonymous gift on his birthday: a single framed flower. He is convinced the series of flowers has something to do with his great-niece Harriet who vanished decades ago in mysterious circumstances when she was just 16.

Vanger coerces a disgraced and prison-bound journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, to do some research into the disappearance. In exchange for information on his niece, Vanger promises Blomkvist enough dirt to take down the rich man who is sending him to jail.

So begins "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," a blockbuster best-seller in Europe. As Blomkvist moves closer to the truth, he teams up with the titular character, a tattooed detective named Lisbeth Salander who's the real star of the show. Together they uncover things that stun even Blomkvist, a crusading financial reporter who thought he knew all there was to know about the rot of corruption, the myriad abuses of power and the darkest sides of ourselves.

The novel is long and sometimes feels even longer; it takes its time threading out the dense plot. There's a lot going on here. This is the kind of book that provides you with a family-tree chart upfront; by midpoint you may be wishing there were even more aids offered by the author to keep track of things.

There is a series of horrible crimes at the heart of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," but I hesitate to call this work a thriller. It's a crime novel, yes, but it has more on its mind than generic conventions. The author, the late Stieg Larsson, was a journo in the muckraking tradition, like his character Blomkvist. The book serves up a heapin' helpful of essay that tastes like story but isn't. And while the mystery element is shockingly compelling in spots, it's also surprisingly unsurprising in others.

A million Europeans can't be wrong, and I'd be dishonest to say there's nothing worthwhile about this novel that is so popular across the pond. Despite its stop-and-go pace and tortuous (and sometimes tortured) construction, there is a serious emotional undertone to the book that is undeniable.

If you're not yet bored with stories that present villains you've seen a hundred times before -- e.g., reactionaries, racists and capitalists -- you might just enjoy this. Me, I really wanted to like this book and I did, but just barely. It's a lesser "Smilla's Sense of Snow," and for many that's obviously enough.

Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 10)

Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 10) (Hardcover)

Charlaine Harris (Author)


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Product Description

The #1 New York Times bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series- the basis for HBO(r)'s True Blood-continues!
After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

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Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #3 in Books
  • Published on: 2010-05-04
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: 1.18" h x 6.30" w x 9.28" l, 1.17 pounds
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 320 pages
Features
  • ISBN13: 9780441018642
  • Condition: NEW
  • Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.


Customer Reviews:

“Mixed Feelings”,
Review Date : May 4, 2010
Reviewed By :  TSouth "tsouth" (Indiana) -

This review is from: Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 10) (Hardcover)

Was DITF a good read? Yes. Is it my favorite book of the series? No.
I think after reading Dead and Gone I expected a lot more to come out of DITF. I thought that I would see more of Bill and Sookie working on their relationship. Be that as friends or more. I expected a great deal about Sookie and Eric. I thought that Alcide would play more of a role especially after Tray. I even thought Quinn might show back up. While we got some answers about Eric and Sookie several more were brought to the surface. Bill and Alcide were just glazed over essentially and Quinn was never mentioned. This booked seemed unfinished almost as if it were a stepping stone to the next book.

Several plot lines were introduced bought not resolved. This book could have been magnificent but it wasn't.

The problem I have with this book is that I can't sit here and tell you what BIG thing happened. Several little things were brought about, but no big climax. The story flowed nicely but if felt like it was just a normal Sookie day sitting out in the sun waiting for something bad to happen. While I appreciate that Sookie needs time to recover the story lacked momentum.

As a reader I feel that I've waited a year and I didn't get the fix I needed. It's almost as if my book was missing 200 or so pages. The story I received was nice but I keep looking for the next part.


“All in the "family"”,
Review Date : May 4, 2010
Reviewed By : E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) -

This review is from: Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 10) (Hardcover)

"Dead in the Family" has a very appropriate title -- all sorts of family members pop up, and not just for Sookie. Charlaine Harris still can whips up a pleasant warm Southern vibe for her not-so-urban fantasies, but unfortunately this latest novel isn't quite up to her usual standards: it's basically a mass of fluffy in-between storylines that rarely go anywhere.

Just after Amelia leaves for New Orleans, Sookie's cousin Claude appears at her home and asks to move in with her, since he's a lone fairy who needs the presence of another. Bill is suffering from silver poisoning AND depression, and Sookie has to find a "relative" who can help him. And Eric has some family issues as well -- his maker Appius Livius Ocella shows up on Sookie's doorstep, along with his "son"/lover Alexei.

To make matters worse, unidentified fairies and weres have been crossing Sookie's land,, and it also turns out that there's a dead body buried back there. And it's not Debbie Pelt's. Now Sookie must unravel the secrets plaguing the supernaturals around her, or there might be even more deaths.

"Dead in the Family" feels like Charlaine Harris wrote half-a-dozen short stories, ripped them apart at the seams, and then sewed them back together. There's no central plot to this book, just a mass of fluffy subplots woven loosely around each other. And some of the stories don't really have much point to them, so the book feels cluttered and fragmented.

The saving grace is that some of those subplots ARE interesting, mainly the ones that develop the characters -- the whole subplot involving Bill and the elderly Caroline Bellefleur is quite sweet and touching, and it should be interesting to see where Harris takes the religious/political pressure on the weres. And the typically bloody climax is a pretty shocking, gruesome one, if a bit slapdash.

But Sookie's characterization is very shaky in this book -- Harris zooms through her entire recovery from being TORTURED in ONE CHAPTER (ARG! Cop-out!), and initially she seems so aggressive that it feels like she's channeling Anita Blake. Fortunately she gets steadier and sunnier after the first few chapters, and it's intriguing to see her various family members interacting with her -- fae, were and telepathic human.

And there's some much-needed development given to the sexy, devil-may-care Claude (it's very cute when he's goofing around on the playground with Hunter), as well as new insights into Bill and Eric's lives and families (both living and undead).

"Dead in the Family" is all about the family ties, but it feels like Charlaine Harris just whipped together a bunch of short story ideas rather than writing a cohesive plot. Better luck next time.


“Excellent Addition”,
Review Date : May 8, 2010
Reviewed By : Penny (Houston, Texas) -

This review is from: Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 10) (Hardcover)

Make no mistake -- this is not a perfect book, but as it gets much more right than wrong and is much more in keeping with the earlier Sookie novels in tone, I give it the full 5 stars. There are spoilers herein, so beware!

What it gets right: Eric, Sookie gets her moxie back (mostly), Eric gets even more complex character development, the progression in Eric and Sookie's ability to express their love for each other, Bill getting his own Happily Ever After in such an unpredictable but welcome way to tie up his storyline, the return of some of the humor that endeared the early books to so many fans, the deepening friendship between Pam and Sookie, Jason maturing and acting the part of big brother for once, Claude's protectiveness of Sookie, and the more leisurely pacing overall.
I have long been a fan of Eric/Sookie, and I was definitely pleased with how things progress between them in this book. The mutual admissions of love were lovely (from Eric: "When my eyes open, I think of you, of every part of you" and "If this is not true love, it's as close as anyone gets"). It seems that Sookie is less and less concerned about the blood bond and is now acknowledging to herself and Eric that her feelings are as genuine as his. They laugh, banter, flirt, argue (and make up!), support each other, share emotions and secrets, express their love and protect each other fiercely.

I must say that I was surprised in reading the more negative reviews to see how many were penned by professed Eric/Sookie fans, who were lamenting the lack of sizzle and romantic tension. It seems to me that there is still sizzle between them, but the sexual tension is naturally tamped down to some extent now that the chase is over and they have settled into a relationship. I think Ms. Harris is attempting to show us what Eric and Sookie would be like as a couple leading their day-to-day lives, if they stay together. This is something many fans have long wanted, and I want to go on record as saying "Bravo!"

I absolutely loved the way that Ms. Harris gave Bill his own happiness -- it was such a unique and unpredictable plot twist (in my eyes anyway). Pam, as always, is hysterical with her dry humor and her sly teasing of Eric and Sookie.

It was a very welcome change for Sookie, albeit changed in some fundamental ways over the course of the series, to be more herself in this book. The characterization seemed so off in the previous novel, and I was glad to see it all back on-course with this one. One of the funnier moments was when Pam, looking disgusted at needing to relay this information on, tells Sookie that Eric says he is proud of her (for her part in a fight she and Pam end up in). I also welcomed Sookie starting to ask herself some hard questions about what she truly wants from life and what being a human or turned into a vampire might mean for her. We fans know that Ms. Harris has promised that Sookie will never be a vampire, but Sookie doesn't know this of course. So, it was good to finally see her debating the questions of aging vs. immortality (although with all these vampires dying a final death in Harris' novels, immortality is looking like it's not all it's cracked up to be!), having children and the fact that most vampires she knows were turned in the prime of their life.

Now, what did it get wrong? Well, I do agree with the reviewers who think the book suffered from lack of a cohesive driving plot line. It did feel more episodic than the other novels, but again, I thought the previous novel had far too many plot lines going on. The pacing was good for this one, but it lacked momentum and/or a central organizing plot. Ms. Harris did say that it wasn't until she finished the book that she identified the one unifying thread was the subject of family bonds.
Despite the news that Ms. Harris has at least two continuity editors reading the drafts (not to mention the publisher's paid editing staff), there are still lots of consistency errors and glitches. They were not as distracting in this novel, admittedly, but I do wonder why this many pairs of eyes are not catching some of these problems at the outset.

My biggest substantive complaint centers around the planned side-trip to Sam's brother's wedding. I wish Sookie would just tell Sam what she was thinking: that when she agreed to go, she and Eric were not in a solid relationship but now they are. But, as it seems this is the point of a novella coming out this winter, it looks like it is going to happen. So now I just have to assume that Eric was somehow persuaded to be in favor of this trip to family wedding with Sam. I'll be anxious to see how that all plays out.

Finally, I think many reviewers may not be aware that Harris was attempting to answer some fan questions from her site's boards and from signings in the early sections of this book. To those who weren't aware of what she was doing, it's easy to see how they might be confused by the "checklist" tone and by some of the information included as an aside here and there.

If Ms. Harris were reading this, I would say thank you for such a great novel, I thoroughly enjoyed the read! I also would suggest that she tell her publisher that she won't write to a deadline any longer. I think that the strain of putting out one Sookie book every May, in addition to her other writing and commitments like touring and conventions, is showing. Speaking as a huge fan of her work, I would much prefer to wait longer for the next books and have them be stronger works for having the extra time.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Hardcover)

Stieg Larsson (Author)


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Product Description

The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson’s internationally best-selling trilogy

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

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Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #2 in Books
  • Published on: 2010-05-25
  • Released on: 2010-05-25
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 576 pages


Customer Reviews:

“Beautiful Conclusion to an Almost Perfect Trilogy”,
Review Date : October 8, 2009
Reviewed By : J. Avellanet "author of Get to Market Now!" (Williamsburg, VA United States) -

This review is from: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest (Paperback)

Just as Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" is held up as the trilogy to which all fantasy trilogies are inevitably compared, I've little doubt that Larsson's Millenium series will play that benchmark role for mystery thrillers over the next few decades.

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest" is an incredibly worthy successor to the previous two books in the trilogy. And toward the end, there will be moments when tears are brought to your eyes. Larrson knew precisely how to play with timing, rhythm, and wording to pace the story and its ending just right. I'm hard pressed to even guess how else he could have ended this series.
The story follows the natural conclusion of the events in the first two books as everything dovetails toward a "behind-closed-door" trial. Larrson did a very good job of the first part of this book that takes place in the hospital where Lisbeth is recovering. I really enjoyed reading things from her perspective, then spinning out to others involved and each of their limited pieces of the evolving puzzle. And things just get better as the book moves along.

Frankly, once you hit part three of the book, it's almost impossible to put down. I picked it up just once...just to read a chapter or two in the second half of the book...only to find that three hours had gone by and the book was over.

Larrson's tying up of many loose ends throughout the book - and this is key - throughout the book (not all in the last few chapters like so many other writers) is masterful. And that emphasizes the one tragic aspect of this final book: knowing that we will never again be graced with Larrson's storytelling mastery.


“A must-read for fans of this trilogy, but...”,
Review Date : December 28, 2009
Reviewed By : E. Jacobs -

This review is from: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest (Paperback)

For the ending of this book alone, it is worth reading. However, while I wish I could say that this book was of the same caliber as that of the prior two books, in my opinion it was not. The book picked up right where the last left off, with Salander in the hospital being treated for her injuries. Blomkvist continues to sleuth on her behalf in order to expose those who have made her life hellish and attempted to frame her for all manner of crimes. Of course, in his spare time he also still manages to attract every woman within a 500-yard-radius like a bee to honey, but I digress. All of the other familiar characters from the prior books return.

I don't want to spoil the plot of the book, so I will give a general review. The overall feel of the book to me is that it was the least edited and least considered of the three. This would make sense if Larsson had intended to go back and do some more tweaking and editing before publication, but he was obviously unable to do so after his death. There are entire sections of the book that meander on and on with no apparent purpose with regard to moving the story forward. These sections would have benefited greatly from some serious editorial paring.

To me, the plot did not at all move along at the same clip as the prior books. The suspense just wasn't there to the same degree. I recall that I simply could not put down the previous books, but I was nowhere near as riveted by this one. In addition, there were a number of somewhat annoying grammatical errors, sentence fragments, etc.

For the good points of the book, the ending (if that is what we can call the last 150-200 pages) is a very nice, tightly written section that ties everything together beautifully. Again, it struck me that perhaps Larsson had written the ending earlier than the rest of book three, as it appeared to be the best-constructed section of the entire book. For the ending alone, this story is worth reading. I wavered between a 3-and 4- star review for this reason. Ultimately, I considered whether the book, standing alone without the other two, would be a 4-star book, and I don't believe that would be the case.

As an aside, one minor issue is that on the book cover of the copy I picked up while in Belgium, the first blurb says "The Trial", as if the book is mostly about Salander's trial itself, which it is not. The trial itself takes up about the last tenth of the book. Whether this type of advertising will occur with the North American edition I don't know, but I write this warning simply so you might know what to expect.

In summary, anyone who has read the first two books simply will not be able to deny themselves the final installment, nor should they. Although I did not find the book to hold the same level of suspense and I sometimes found it rather dull, the ending of the book makes it very worthwhile reading. It is a great loss that Mr. Larsson passed away before he could really fine-tune the final book, and before he could write another.


“Complex, Satisfying, Clever, Moral; Evil Versus Good”,
Review Date : October 13, 2009
Reviewed By : prisrob "pris," (New EnglandUSA) -

This review is from: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest (Paperback)

For those of you who have not read the first two volumes of this trilogy, I urge you to start on Volume one and proceed. The characters are so complex and real that an understanding of their background seems to me to be a must. The first two novels set up the reader for this wonderfully clever conclusion. The tale of good versus evil is one that is a history in time, and Stieg Larsson has given us a treat to savour.

The first one hundred pages of the third novel brings us up to date, and then we start the real read. More characters are introduced and at times during this 600 page read, I wondered if I could keep them straight. For the last two hundred pages, this book is very hard to put down. This is a tale of a series of conspiracies and how they come to cloud the Swedish democracy. How did Lisbeth Salander become the abused young woman, and will the people and times trying to destroy her win? And, Mikael Blomkvist, the journalist, will he be able to expose through his words, the wrongs that have been done. Will he regain Lisbeth's confidence?

Lisbeth Salander is in the Intensive Care Unit, she has been shot in the head. Her father is in a room down the hall, reportedly shot by Lisbeth. How did this come to be. Why are the Swedish Secret Service surreptitiously going in and out of his room? Why do we pick on those we do not understand? It is easier for us to believe those that are in power than to question the truth. The theme of the trilogy is that women are equals. There is no unnecessary overt sex and even though there is violence, it is believable. Blomkvist is a hero, he is the main antagonist and the muscle behind the investigation. He is out to assist Lisbeth Salander in becoming the woman she is meant to be instead of the woman who was looked at as the mad lesbian killer. He says, "When it comes down to it, this story is not primarily about spies and secret government agencies; it's about violence against women, and the men who enable it." The characters who surround them are wonderfully sketched out. We can picture in our mind's eye their faces and their countenance. This novel sums up the story of Lisbeth Salander, but leaves us wondering what is to be. Unfortunately, Stieg Larsson. because of his death, won't be continuing the series, it is up to us to find her rightful place.

It is easy to understand why this trilogy of Stieg Larsson's has become such a phenomenon. The search for justice and truth from a young, abused woman who has the nerves and strength of steel gives us all hope. We can believe through this wonderful narrative that the world is indeed a good place.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 10-13-09

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