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

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

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.

Wrap-Up: June 2013

June was a great month for reading, especially when I was sitting on the beach. (I would love to be there still!) It's a hard decision to name one my favorite but I'm going to have to say The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo took the prize. Absolutely amazing novel. 

WWW Wednesday (56)

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:
Yellow Socks and Blood Spots by Bailey Thompson. When a seventeen year old girl becomes pregnant, her boyfriend wants her to have an abortion. Blog Tour Review coming soon!

02. Recently Finished:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. Amazing financial crime novel, thriller, upside down love story, and murder mystery. Everything you need for a great read.

03. Reading Next:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. An abandoned orphanage on a secluded island that is surrounded by mystery. Why wouldn't I read this?

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch—and there's always a catch—is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. 

With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Why haven't I read this entire series yet? I can't believe that it's taken me this long to pick up Steig Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I'm completely blown away by the cunning storyline and stylisitic features of this novel. And I cannot wait to get my hands on the next two. 

Mikael and Lisbeth share the spotlight in this gripping novel. Mikael is a reporter who always gathers the facts, with sources. He is diligent, intelligent, loyal, trustworthy, and as readers find out, a damn good investigative reporter. Readers will love his forward thinking, his attention to detail, and his honesty. 

Lisbeth is a bit more difficult to connect with, Mikael being the only person in the novel that seems to be able to break through her reserves. As Lisbeth learns to trust and rely on Mikael, readers, in turn, will be able to build their relationship with her. While Mikael's connection with readers is firmly rooted from the beginning, Lisbeth's connection is an evolution.

The plot of this novel is, in a word, astounding. I was thoroughly impressed with how Larsson weaves such an intimate story, bringing together two completely different situations. The mystery of Harriet Vanger brought harsh family secrets to light while also uncovering a serial murderer. I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, along for the ride. 

Again, why haven't I read this series before now? 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

WWW Wednesday (55)

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 Cuckoos of Batch Magna by Peter Maughan. When the owner of a Welsh estate passes, he leaves it to the next heir - an unexpected American relative. Now he's planning on turning into a resort while planning to evict everyone who lives there. 

02. Recently Finished:
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. A woman runs away from an abusive marriage and tries to start over in a small coastal town. Wonderful story. 

03. Reading Next:
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. Finally getting around to reading this Swedish murder mystery.