Swedish author Stieg Larsson was a first class novelist, and this second book in what is called his "Millennium Trilogy" is a stunning success and one of the finest novels that I have ever read. Unfortunately, there won't be any more additions to his Millennium Trilogy, as Stieg Larsson didn't even live to experience his own literary success. He died unexpectedly in 2004 of a massive heart attack at the young age of 50. 

Larsson didn't start out as a novelist, but rather as a photographer and then a magazine editor for a leftist magazine in Sweden. Larsson was so committed to leftist causes as well as exposing right wing groups that he lived under the constant threat of death. He left a will, later overturned because it wasn't witnessed, that awarded his entire estate to a Swedish socialist workers party. Thankfully, his writings are not overtly political, as Larsson was an admirer of many American mystery writers and he chose to emulate them. Writing started out a hobby that he did in the evenings for his own pleasure. Eventually he became consumed by the compelling stories of Michael Blomkvist (apparently his alter ego) and Lizbeth Salander, his two lead characters. 

It wasn't until shortly before his death that he made any attempt to publish his novels. He had intended to write ten novels about Blomkvist and Salander, but he died shortly after completing the third. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was originally titled, "Män som hatar kvinnor" ("Men Who Hate Women"), and it was released in 2005 nine months after he had passed away. The instant success of that novel led to the publication of this novel a year later and the third novel in the trilogy, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" a year after that. "The Girl Who Played with Fire" received an award for being the best Swedish crime novel for 2006. Note that the American publications follow these publication dates by several years due to licensing and translation constraints.

Larsson left an unfinished manuscript for a fourth novel along with notes for a fifth and sixth novel. It will be interesting to see if anyone has the talent to pick up on these outlines and flesh them out. It is my understanding that "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" has been made into a Swedish film, but a release date in this country has not yet been announced. We'll see, but it has been my experience that most films never capture the soaring beauty of the written word.

And this book is an exceptional example of the soaring beauty of the written word. If I could grade it any higher than "A+," I would. Yes, it is that good. It was an absolute pleasure to read as well as being a book that is almost impossible to put down. You will be drawn into a complex and beautifully woven plot with many moving parts and each story line twisting and turning progressively more tightly in nail biting suspense. 

Do you get the idea that I love this book? Yes, sir, I surely do, and I love it because Larsson has created literary characters who are so compelling that it is all too easy to become invested in them both intellectually and emotionally. Michael Blomkvist and Lizbeth Salander, the two lead characters, are so interesting that they almost come to life. Of the two, Michael Blomkvist is the more normal as a muckraking journalist for Millennium Magazine. He is unmarried even though in his mid-forties and always on the lookout for another scandal to expose. 

By chance Blomkvist teams up with a mysterious young woman by the name of Lizbeth Salander in the first novel. Lizbeth has a dark background which remains undisclosed, but what has come out of it is her fierce anger at all men who abuse women. Then she turns into a wild creature who will do anything to bring them down and destroy them. Lizbeth is beyond petite, almost anorexic at less than five feet in height and weighing only ninety pounds, but don't let her diminutive stature and size fool you. 

This inhabitant of the counterculture demimonde with tattoos all over her body has a photographic memory and talents far beyond comprehension. She is antisocial and graceless in relationships as well as rebelling against any and all forms of authority, but she remains true to her own moral code. Lizbeth is unlovable to those who know her, but highly lovable to those of us who read about her because she is such a fascinating and compelling character. As you can tell by the three titles of Larsson's trilogy, these stories are really about her. 

This being the case, I feel completely justified in begging that you first read "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," since reading that inaugural novel of the trilogy is critically necessary in setting the stage for the emotional roller coaster thrill ride of a read that will define this book. 

In this second novel of the trilogy, the tension ramps up with corruption in high places over an international smuggling ring in prostitution in which young girls from the Eastern Bloc are imported into Sweden to serve the interests of politicians and the captains of industry. Just the sort of thing to get Lizbeth riled up, but coincidence will be piling upon coincidence to  put her life in mortal jeopardy as the criminals strike too close to home to silence those who are trying to uncover this scandal. 2005, translated from Swedish by Reg Keeland, Alfred A. Knopf Book.