This is the first book in a trilogy by Swedish author Larsson, who died in 2004, before the books were even published. They've created a huge sensation in the media, so I thought I'd see what all the fuss is about. You can read about the author at http://www.stieglarsson.com/
When I started the book, things were very hectic around here, and I really didn't have much time to get into it. I got a little bogged down in the financial espionage details in the beginning, but once I got to the midway mark, I was totally engrossed.
The main character is Mikael Blomkvist, a publisher and journalist who has recently been found guilty of libel after exposing a huge financial "gangster." While Blomkvist knows his story is true and documented, he doesn't fight the court's decision and wishes to step down from the magazine he publishes called Millenium. As he licks his wounds and prepares mentally for his jail time, he is presented with an interesting offer from Henrik Vanger, an elderly CEO of a huge company who also knows all about the gangster Blomkvist tried to bring down. He offers Blomkvist a deal: he'll get him some more evidence against the financier, if Blomkvist will write his biography and solve the "murder" of his niece who disappeared without a trace many years before. With some trepidation, Blomkvist agrees to the deal and begins digging up dirt on all the Vangers. During his investigation, it becomes apparent that he needs help, which comes in the form of an odd, social outcast Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo. Salander is a computer hacker extraordinaire, and her "skills" become invaluable to Blomkvist. Besides all this detailed mystery solving, the author lets us into the fascinating personal lives of the Vangers, Blomkvist, and most interestingly, Salander. The characters are always what drive a story for me as a reader, and Larsson's are fascinating indeed. How did Vanger's niece simply disappear one day without a trace? What are the Vanger's hiding and why? Why is Salander so strange and untouchable, and will Blomkvist be able to crack the case and Salander's facade at the same time?
These questions are for you (and me as I continue with the series)to read and find out. Summer is a great time for thrillers, so pick one up and let me know what you think!!!
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