The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium #3)

Lisbeth Salander — the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels — lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Stieg Larsson brings his epic trilogy to a conclusion with his novel, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Readers have watched Blomkvist and Salander destroy the high and mighty, solve a forgotten disappearance, and uncover a secret section of Swedish Politics. In this final act, Salander must fight to right the wrong committed against her as a child while Blomkvist attempts to blow the Zalenchenko affair wide open. 

Readers already have a strong connection to both Salander and Blomkvist from the previous two novels. The empathy and interest that first piqued these connections are what engage readers to follow the story to the bitter end. Lisbeth Salander is, and will always be, an unbelievably strong, intelligent female character with the will and motivation to survive anything. Hell, readers witnessed her digging out of her own grave in The Girl Who Played With Fire. Now she's healing from a bullet wound to the head with criminal charges stacking up against her. Readers are no doubt on her side as she faces the evil that has tried to, not only destroy but, extinguish her life. 

The plot of the novel follows Salander's healing process, the criminal investigation of events which occurred in the second novel, the Zalenchenko club attempting to conceal their own crimes, and Blomkvist digging up every dirty detail for his next Millennium issue. Larrsson unravels the tightest wound secrets of Sweden all while introducing new factions and key players that will surprise the readers, invigorating their voracious need to know how the show will end. The entire trilogy is a whirlwind of conspiracy and the end will more than satisfy the Millennium fans. Let's just say, Salander implements her revenge in spades and doesn't stop there. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

        

Dragon Tattoo Review / Played With Fire Review

November Wrap-Up

Didn't get as many books read as I would have liked this month, but with the holidays I guess that's to be expected. My favorite this month was The Girl Who Played With Fire. Can't wait to finish off the Stieg Larsson series soon. Happy reading! 

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

But he has no idea just how explosive the story will be until, on the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered. And even more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander—the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker who came to his aid in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and who now becomes the focus and fierce heart of The Girl Who Played with Fire.

As Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Stieg Larsson continues the trilogy with The Girl Who Played With Fire and it's even more thrilling and dangerous than the first round. When a writer with a book about sex trafficking that will expose the dirty little secrets of police officers, politicians, and thugs shows up on Millineum's door step, Mikael Blomkvist wants nothing more than to publish it. That desire explodes into necessity when that writer and his girlfriend are murdered, and it looks like Lisbeth Salander's the one who pulled the trigger. 

Though the book circles through the characters, Salander and Blomkvist are still the main characters of this criminal mystery. Readers learn more about Salander's past, giving them further insight into her psyche while they also get to see Blomkvist back in action as an investigator. Salander's roughly disturbed childhood comes to light bringing more readers to her side through empathy and understanding. Even if she was the one to murder the aspiring author. I really enjoyed watching the dynamic between Salander and Blomkvist shift, since in the end of the first book Salander wasn't happy with his actions. 

The plot of this installment is thicker and more twisted than any web I've seen before. There are so many bystanders that are dragged into the mess of the investigation that it's difficult to keep them all straight. The main plot line follows the murders of the author and his girlfriend, pinpointing Salander as the murderer. After readers pick a side, agreeing with the police or with Blomkvist, the background comes to life sharing more details and more intrigue into the life of Lisbeth Salander. Highly recommended for lovers of crime and mystery novels, but only if they're ready to be fully invested in Miss Lisbeth Salander.

Rating: 4/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (73)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson. Absolutely amazing crime thriller. Cannot get enough of it. I'm 100% invested and almost finished.

02. Recently Finished:
Marcie by Carly Duncan. Touching novel about a young woman's relationship with her mother and the struggle after she dies.

03. Reading Next:
From my Heart to Yours by Michelle Zarrin. An autobiographical piece of fiction in which the main character examines her life and all she has learned.

Teaser Tuesday (86)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



The Girl Who Played with Fire (p.320)
     - Steig Larsson

I don't want Lisbeth Salander to be harmed when you apprehend her... but yes, in her case I would try to make sure the arrest is carried out with the utmost circumspection. If she is armed, there would be a very real risk that she will use the weapon.

WWW Wednesday (72)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

         

01. Currently Reading:
Marcie by Carly Duncan. When a young woman's mother dies, she struggles to accept the past and present.

02. Recently Finished:
Strong Enough to Love by Victoria Dahl. A romance novella that brings a man from the past into the main character's present.

03. Reading Next:
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson. The second novel in the series. Finally found a used copy in the local book store. Cannot wait to start this one!