Basic plot
Mikael Blomkovist, a financial journalist convicted of libel finds himself roped into solving the mystery of Harriet Vanger, a member of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappearence. The fourty year old clues have gone ice cold but with the help of a young pierced and tattooed hacker/PI, Lisbeth Sander, they uncover more than they bargain for. True evil.
What I liked about this book
The ultimate 'closed room' mystery. A good read for all "whodunnit" buffs out there. The character development was very good and the plot itself quite compelling. Plus a chilling voyeuristic view into the mind of a psychopath.
What I disliked about the book
Given the immense hype of this book, I had monumental expectations. Some parts were actually a struggle to get through due to the amount of detail that had to be assimilated (4 generations of an industrial family, the workings of the Swedish justice system and financial market). Additionally, I found the aging protagonist's inability to "keep it in his pants" and propensity to stand around in his birthday suit, a bit too much for my vivid imagination (maybe if he was younger..hehe).
All in all a good book if you stick with it.
A quote I liked from this book
People always have secrets. It's just a matter of finding out what they are.
Rating: 3.5
