The Girl with the dragon tattoo
Currently this series is kicking around 1000 reserves at Auckland's Public Libraries, that is pretty huge, and just shows how popular this particular series is.
An excellent thriller/mystery story, the Millenium Trilogy begins with The Girl with the dragon tattoo...
Mikael Blomkvist, well know independent magazine publisher and journalist is sentenced to a prison term for libel against the incredibly wealthy and influential industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerstrom. Accepting the sentence, and the blame for the trouble he has brought on himself and his magazine (Millenium), Blomkvist begins preparing for his prison term when he is suddenly contacted by Henrik Vanger the elderly CEO of the Vanger Corporation. Vanger offers him a deal, he will inject a huge amount of cash into Millenium if Blomkvist writes the Vanger family history, and more importantly finds out what happened to his niece Harriet, who disappeared years previously.
Blomkvist agrees, and gets to work, but even with access to all the Vanger archives he finds himself up against a brick wall. Enter Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo. 20 something, sullen, hostile but an incredibly brilliant computer hacker and researcher, she becomes Blomkvist's ally and somewhat unusual sidekick as they begin digging into the Vanger family's dark & secret past.
The Girl who played with fire
The second installment of the Millenium Trilogy begins with a young reporter, Dag Svensson, approaching Mikael Blomkvist about publishing a story he has been working on in consultation with his girlfiriend Mia who is writing a thesis on the Swedish sex industy.
Salander has disappeared off Mikael's radar, and he has had no contact with her since they parted ways after the Vanger affair. But Salander has actually been watching Blomkvist - through a hack on his computer - reading his documents and emails. When she sees the name "Zala" in one of Svensson's documents she tracks him electronically and visits both him & Mia in their apartment.
When they are found dead, their computer gone, and Salander's prints in their apartment she, of course, becomes a suspect. And then Nils Bjurman, Salander's legally appointed guardian is also found dead, and she becomes hunter and hunted.
The Girl who kicked the hornet's nest
The final volume of the series begins where The Girl who played with fire ends.Salander is under 24 hour guard in hospital, the authorities only waiting until she is well enough to be charged with the attempted murder of "Zala".
But this is not her biggest problem. She will also be on trial for her very freedom of existence, and the power to control her own life.
There is indeed a secret plot to shut Salander up, and keep her locked away where she can never be a threat to the people who destroyed her life when she was a child...
All in all this is one terrific series. The characters are interesting and, I thought, well developed, the storyline is riveting. As I finished each book I couldn't wait to start the next one, and felt incredibly thankful that I had the next one ready to go. This is one well plotted series, and it is a real tragedy that Larsson was unable to expand on his success. If you enjoy well written, interesting thrillers or mysteries with lots of plot detail, PLEASE give this series a try.
