The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

Book two of the Millenium series did not disappoint.  Lisbeth Salander is accused of double homicide, but her two previous bosses are sure she's innocent.  Or is she?  They set out on investigations of their own to find the real answers, meanwhile Salander evades everyone who is looking for her.  The reader knows there is something about Salander's past that is the key to the murder investigation, but we don't find out what it is until the very last pages of the book.  But it's a fun and suspenseful ride getting there.

This book has the same quirks as the first:  The beginning is slow and a bit tedious at times as the author sets up his characters and circumstances.  Once that's over with, the remainder of the book is non-stop.  As with the previous book, I found myself reading at every possible opportunity.  I stayed up late, woke up early, and didn't eat much until I was finished reading!  Another quirk is the translation.  The translator, I'll bet, is a native Swede who studied English in school (and British English at that), but has never spent a lot of time in an English-speaking country or around English-speaking people.  The dialogue is unrealistic, and the occasional use of slang seems misplaced.  It's not enough to ruin the story or its pace, but I'm a stickler so I noticed.  Probably many (or most) people didn't notice, or if they did, they likely didn't care.  I guess I really don't care that much either, because it didn't stop me from reading.

Anyway, I am eagerly awaiting the third and final installment, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, to be published in paperback, at which time I will procure a copy and tear right through it.  I can't wait to see how it all ends.