Sophia C. reviewed on 3/6/2010 + 289 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Don't start the trilogy starting with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo until you have the entire series! This series opener is a marvelous and satisfying mystery thriller from deceased Swedish writer Steig Larsson. Financial reporter and Millennium publisher Mikael Blomkvist just lost a libel suit against dirty financier Hans-Erik Wennerstrom, but is sought out by the aging industrialist Henrik Vanger to give another go at solving the decades-old disappearance of his niece Harriet during a family retreat on secluded Hedeby island. Baited with incriminating evidence against Wennerstrom, Blomkvist devotes himself to the task under the guise of writing Vanger's family story. Larsson's crisp, methodical style lays some slow-going background until Blomkvist teams up with Lisbeth Salander on the case--the petite, emotionally disturbed prodigy title character. However, the plot intricately weaves present and past Sweden and the characters pull you in. You'll need the handy Vanger family tree in the first pages to help you navigate Reg Keeland's translation into British English. Keeping in mind that there are some risque scenes even for sexually liberal Sweden, this is a thriller not to be missed--I'm glad I followed my own opening advice!

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