The main storyline focuses on the journalist Mikael Blomkvist who is accused of libel and decides not to challenge the charge and offers no defence, preferring to get the sentence over with in the face of enormous publicity. He is asked to investigate the disappearance of a rich magnate's favourite niece, who vanished almost 40 years before. The investigation has been a “pet project” for the magnate who is dying, and wants to give it one last try.
Helping Blomkvist in his research is Lizbeth Salander, a young woman thought to have Asperger's syndrome, who is under the guardianship of the state. Salander has suffered enormous sexual and emotional abuse and she trusts no one.
Salander is an incredible character, one minute dysfunctional, one minute a amazing hacker, socially awkward and a fragile introvert one minute, the next a dominatrix......
The book has a number of weaknesses:
- the serial killer who leaves cryptic biblical clues,
- the powerful family business empire everyone hates everyone else,
- Salander's experience with her new guardian is sadistic and I found the situation difficult to believe
- there are lots of short sections inserted to break up the action but serving no real purpose eg describing how Blomkvist has a shower, buys a paper and then goes out for a walk.....and let’s not forget the food: sandwiches, sausages, pizzas, cheese....... The book is long enough without this.
- the old missing person supposed murdered but whose body has never been found plot was a bit obvious
- the sadistic serial killer with a normal life and respectable profession is always a bit implausible.
Having said that…
I loved the book. I somehow found myself in love with Salander and really eager to read the next two books.
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