Product Description

Brilliantly written ... the characters are superbly drawn and the story grips from first to last.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 542 pages

Review
A publishing sensation who seemingly came from nowhere ... crime fiction has seldom needed to salute and mourn such a stellar talent as Larsson s in the same breath - Sunday Times.

Just when I was thinking there wasn't anything new on the horizon, along comes Stieg Larsson with this wonderfully unique story. I was completely absorbed - Michael Connelly. --Reviews

Observer
A striking novel, full of passion, an evocative sense of place and subtle insights into venal, corrupt minds

Independent
Our surrender to the novel is guaranteed

Customer Reviews

Intelligent tense thriller with a conscience
Some incredible thrillers are coming from Scandinavian countries these days. Anyone who is a fan of the Kurt Wallander series of books by Henning Mankell will know what I mean. Now we have a new addition to the shelf, courtesy of deceased author, Stieg Larsson.

This is the first volume in the Millenium trilogy and after finishing this first book, I am very much looking forward to the next two volumes. Larssson died in 2004 soon after delivering the manuscripts for 3 crime novels to his publisher. It's a pity that this gifted author isn't around for a long time to come.

The tale is split between the shady secrets of a wealthy family and the murky dealings of a famous businessman. Mikael Blomkvist, a recently convicted journalist, is hired by Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of his niece almost 40 years ago. Vanger promises Blomkvist the means to clear his good name as part of the payment and Blomkvist accepts.

The author manages to maintain an excellent pace throughout, but still delivers a strong social lesson while providing the thrills. It is an intelligent thriller with a conscience. Probably one of the best of its kind in recent years.

Totally Engrossing
This first novel of a trilogy more than satisfied all I
look for in a thriller/crime novel.The plot concerns itself
with a complicated international financial fraud, and the
buried evil past of a wealthy incestuous Swedish industrial
family.As the novel progresses a male journalist and young
female emotionally disturbed punk hacker join forces to
investigate both strands of the plot.In their different ways
both of these main characters are engaging ,and I am excited
to see how their relationship develops in the two further novels.
This is a totally engrossing novel ,full of suspense,characterisation,
and intelligent insights into contemporary culture and corruption.

gripping book, but not really a psychological masterpiece
It is a very readable book. It is an exciting detective story. It is NOT a psychological masterpiece.

Just to give you the most obvious example:
The incorruptible, sympathetic research journalist Mikeal makes a horrific bloody discovery. And he decides to keep silent about it. Instead, he concentrates on writing a book about the financial manipulations of a louche businessman.

Now am I the only one who thinks that's strange ?

It doesn't fit psychologically. If Mikeal decides to keep his gruesome discovery a secret, it should have a detrimental effect on him. His relationship with Erica would be ruined by it, the secret would have such paralysing influence on him that he wouldn't be capable of writing a book.
Instead at the end of the story there is a kind of "hurrah" mood, because they managed to unmask the businessman. Mikael reveals a series of financial crimes, but keeps silent about far worse crimes of abduction, rape and murder. Which has apparently no consequences for his conscience. Strange.

This lack of psychologic understanding reduces the book to superficial entertainment, level Reader's Digest. Which is all right, but for me after reading all the rave reviews, it was a disappointment.