brenzi0408

#31

If you haven't read Larsson's previous novel "Girl With the Dragon Tatoo," fasten your seatbelt because you're in for quite a ride with his newest novel. Set once again in Sweden, all the cliche's apply here-nail biter, edge of your seat, page turner, whatever. This is just fantastic crime fiction.

A journalist and his partner have been murdered just as they were about to publish a book and thesis on the importation of sex slaves from Eastern Europe. They were going to be naming names of the high and powerful. At the same time, a lawyer/advocate is also murdered. The rest of the book is about solving the crimes and establishing a connection between the two crime scenes.

Enter Lisbeth Salander, the quirky heroine of the last novel, computer hacker extrordinaire and crime buster. This time she is being accused of the crimes and so, runs her own investigation, while the police and the security firm she was employed at and "Millenium" magazine, also are investigating. Her crime solving partner is also on the scene, journalist Mickael Blomkvist.

I guess the thing that set Larsson apart (he died in 2004) from your run of the mill crime writer was his ability to build suspense on just about every page of the 500 page book. He moves easily from one scene to another with ease and you never lose track of what's happening with all the different phases of the investigation. The characters are all extremely well developed but with his creation of Lisbeth Salander you have a heroine unlike any other. The action scenes leave you breathless. Very highly recommended. ( )