The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

The book cover caught my eye…..it was intriguing.  The picture of a girl’s back with a dragon tattoo.  I was already a big fan of the Swedish Crime writer Henning Mankell and this new novelist was getting lots of publicity.

Tattoo is number one in the very successful Millennium Trilogy; the Swedish film was launched onto the screen in 2009.  The novel has all the basic ingredients for a good crime story, a powerful wealthy industrial family, a missing niece, (was she murdered?) and complex financial fraud. 

Into this quagmire steps our two protagonists, Mickael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist and amateur sleuth and Lisbeth Salande, cyber-goth, anti-social, damaged and intelligent hacker who has the gift of a photographic memory.

They make an unlikely pair but they form a close bond as the enemy is ruthless, evil and sadistic. The characters of this novel are not for the faint hearted. The family are dysfunctional, violent and have nazi connections.  My favourite character is Lisbeth, a complex woman, who has had her fair share of brutality and tragedy.  Her unfolding life story can leave you drained emotionally but thankfully she learns that some people are trustworthy and her healing can begin. The novel is very well written, however there are so many characters that Larsson could have included a family tree.  It is very satisfying as it leaves no loose threads, but I am consumed by Lisbeth and can’t wait to find out what happens to her next in ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’.

Available as a book

Available as a large print book

Available as a spoken word CD

Available as a spoken word MP3/Playaway

DVD