Product Description

Salander is plotting her revenge - against the man who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. But it is not going to be a straightforward campaign. After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in Intensive Care, and is set to face trial for three murders and one attempted murder on her eventual release. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander must not only prove her innocence, but identify and denounce the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vulnerable to become victims of abuse and violence. Once a victim herself, Salander is now ready to fight back.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-01
• Released on: 2009-10-01
• Original language: Swedish
• Binding: Hardcover
• 602 pages

Customer Reviews

A fitting conclusion.
For those who think that I'm reviewing this before it is avaliable in English, let me tell you that I live in Holland, where it has been available in English since 26th September. I don't know why, and I don't care, but it was a great surprise to see it sitting there in the bookshop on Saturday!

Anyway, the third and final part of Larsson's amazing trilogy doesn't disappoint, and will certainly be revered by those who have already feasted on Lisbeth Salander's two previous outings. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest picks up from where the second part finishes. Salander is laid up in hospital recovering from a bullet wound in the head, but she has inadvertendly started a chain of events in the most secretive of government agencies, and they are determined to cover their tracks at all costs.

This whole series must surely be one of the most original ever to be committed to paper - a thoroughly unique (anti?) heroine in Salander and revolving around a investigative newspaper? Good Heavens. Even so, this whole series has been a masterpiece of plotting on Larsson's part - it is a complex web, but the writing is stark and simple that one never really gets lost in its intricacies. And make no mistake about it, it's a page turner - Larsson is not afraid to throw in the odd curveball that you're really not expecting to mix it all up, and the story just keeps on going with unstoppable momentum. This really is the perfect finish, when all the cracks that appeared in the first two books start to creak and grown and eventually the whole things falls down in a crash and a cloud of dust. I simply didn't want it to end. Famtastic.

In short, I can't praise it highly enough - not only is the whole series a brilliant crime caper, but as all great crime stories should, Larsson takes a mighty swipe at the post-war Swedish political landscape at the same time(I love Micheal Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series set in Italy for the same reason.)

Anyway, I was hooked halfway through the first (and, in my opinion, weakest) on the series, but this one really cranks up the pressure. It truly is one of the greatest crime masterworks of the decade and its such a crying shame that Larsson died long before his time and is no longer around to produce such great stories. I, for one, will miss Salander enormously.

5 stars, no question.

A great ending
The sad thing here is that the author Stieg Larsson is dead. At the end of the book i
felt like i wanted/needed a sequel, but realised it could never happen. Its the same
feeling experienced by the end of the second book, that excruciating cliffhanger.

As you'd expect Lisbeth Salander is in fact alive, albeit taking a bullet to the head
and being in intensive care. The same people who declared her mentally ill and sentenced her
to that instituion want her to go back there. They make her take the fall for two murders and
also the attempted murder of her father.

But Lisbeth is ready to fight back. The journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at
Millennium magazine provide invaluable help for her to prove her innocence and identify
the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vunerable to become victims of violence and abuse.

In my opinion it feels like a continuation of the second book rather than stand alone novel.
As a result its vital to read the other two books to understand the story and characters.

After about 100 pages or so the book takes off. Your subjected to new characters incredibly fast in
an attempt to explain the conspiracy against Lisbeth. The pace never gives up, its a genuinely
exhilirating read. Its a great ending to the trilogy, and it will no doubt leave you wishing for
that little bit more. Thank you Stieg Larsson.

Apt ending - leaves one wanting for more
I ordered the first book (Dragon Tattoo) out of curiosity and the second one along with it (primary reason being to reach the min order for free delivery!). Was taken by surprise by the excellent development of characters and the realistic yet forceful turn of events. The month-long wait after that to read the third book was well worth it. (In this respect, very very different from the serious letdown from Dan Brown).
To me, the third book is a continuation of the second book and as such there aren't so many twists in the plot. It is more of a book that brings the story to an end providing answers to all the questions that may have propped up during the first two books. The part about the Section is very well done and the clinical dismissal of the prosecution case makes for a pleasant ending to the series.
There are a few things that could have been done better though - Erica Berger's side story seems to be completely irrelevant. Unlike with Blomkvist in Dragon Tattoo, her absence from Millennium is something that the reader does not find very important. Secondly, and this is for the whole series and not just this book, few characters (if any) seem to have any shades of grey. This is probably because the author wants to take a very clear line as to where he stands. The commendable thing is that he still does not sound preachy (except for some parts in book 2 where Blomkvist tries to defend Salander).
All in all, it's an excellent book and an excellent series that deserves all 5 stars. Thanks Stieg Larsson for giving us Lisbeth Salander.