The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Quercus)
I've been a fan of Swedish detective mysteries ever since I read my first Inspector Wallander book by Henning Mankell. There was just something about it… the cold, the vague depression, his unhappiness with the evil in Sweden…
I don't know why but I found it entertaining and strangely uplifting. So I was very excited when I got my hands on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (translated from the Swedish Män som hatar kvinnor Men who hate women.)
I was fascinated. The story spans across several decades and there are a few independent plot lines.
Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist who got tricked into slander. He is hired by industrialist Henrik Vanger to solve the murder of his niece that happened around 40 years ago. Vanger is convinced that someone in the family murdered Harriet and he will not rest before the murder is solved.
Blomkvist begins this task rather half-heartedly, but as the case progresses he becomes more and more convinced of foul play.
He partners up with Lisbeth Salander, a disfunctional punk hacker and researcher extraordinaire. Lisbeth has been abused by the system for most of her life. She lives by her own set of rules and is a genuinely intriguing character as you never know what she'll do next. The two develop an unlikely friendship. As they delve deeper into the past they uncover the horrible history of the Vanger family…
Best news? It's the first in a trilogy so there's plenty more to sink my teeth into.
Click here to get your copy now.
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