Mala Sirena

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• Rated 3 stars

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• Rated 4 stars

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“Nicole D said: 4/5

This was an interesting book. It was a pretty good mystery/thriller with an otherworldly supernatural kind of twist. This is the first of what is turning out to be a trilogy, book two is coming out soon. I wasn't sure while I was reading it if I'd want to...”

“Nicole D said: 4/5

This was an interesting book. It was a pretty good mystery/thriller with an otherworldly supernatural kind of twist. This is the first of what is turning out to be a trilogy, book two is coming out soon. I wasn't sure while I was reading it if I'd want to continue, but I think I do. At times it dragged and was a bit overly descriptive, so that would have been the hold up but I like the originality of the story and perhaps in the second book it will be less descriptive.”

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“Fantasy Fan 23 said: 3.5 stars

When I first read the sample of this I was grateful that it wasn't set in Discworld, but after getting further into it I started thinking that it might as well have been for all the feeling of reality it has. Still, it's enjoyable as a Pratchett...”

“Fantasy Fan 23 said: 3.5 stars

When I first read the sample of this I was grateful that it wasn't set in Discworld, but after getting further into it I started thinking that it might as well have been for all the feeling of reality it has. Still, it's enjoyable as a Pratchett read. Dodger rescues a girl from thugs on a rainy night and subsequently learns that she is someone of importance, which naturally means that the thugs will be back to find her.

He insists that he's not a thief, though he tends to find other people's property. In fact, he makes his living by finding other people's property by being a Tosher, someone who finds lost coins and jewellery in the sewers. During the course of his adventures, he meets a lot of familiar characters like Sweeny Todd, Disraeli and Charlie Dickens.

The story is about as close to Dickens as Blowfish gets to the suace in Nanny Ogg's Deep Sea Blowfish recipe but it's a fun read and worth the hours it takes to get through while constantly getting distracted by internal rants that it isn't really the Artful Dodger at all.”

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“Christina T said: 4 stars
I found I liked Jack Reacher a lot. I wasn't so sure at first but he has a type of charm that you can't help but like. I kept picturing a young Dolph Lundgren (from Rocky IV) as Reacher. OK, so he killed at least half a dozen men with very little remorse and...”

“Christina T said: 4 stars
I found I liked Jack Reacher a lot. I wasn't so sure at first but he has a type of charm that you can't help but like. I kept picturing a young Dolph Lundgren (from Rocky IV) as Reacher. OK, so he killed at least half a dozen men with very little remorse and he did jump into bed with the first available woman he met...I still liked him. I liked that during the investigation the reader was privy to his thinking patterns and his methodology in solving the crime. This thriller was a great intro into Jack's wandering life and I can't wait to read more.

Book Worm said: 3*

The first in the Jack Reacher series of books.

Jack is an ex army policeman living the hobo life travelling round America as the fancy takes him. Unfortunately for him he is the only stranger in the town of Margrave the night a murder takes place which leads to his arrest.

Is it a case of mistaken identity or something far more sinister.

With the way he singlehandedly kills almost the entire population of the town it amazes me that Jack didn't end up back in the prison.

The book also has in my opinion a really tacky tag line "Jack Reacher. Men want to be him. Women want to be with him." puhlease wheres my bucket.

The story was certainly actioned packed and it was entertaining, however I am not sure that justifies all the rave reviews the series has.

LibraryCin said: 3.5 stars

Jack Reacher is a retired military police officer . As he wanders into a small town in Georgia one morning, he appears to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, as he is arrested for the murder of a stranger.

It was good, but I really didn't like Jack Reacher as a character, and ****SPOILERS**** didn't understand why everyone just let him help the police and kept him, a civilian, informed of everything to do with the case. I just didn't get it, and really didn't see how a random stranger in town – one who was initially arrested for the crime – would be trusted with that kind of information.****END SPOILERS**** I didn't think that was even a little bit realistic. Still, the story was good, but I'm not sure I'll be reading any more Jack Reacher.”

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“JoLene R said: 5 stars

This is my favorite in the series so far. The devestating effects of Halloween are felt all over the world. Mac has paid a high price for being caught alone on that night, however, Barrons has come to save her again. Everyone agrees that Mac is key to...”

“JoLene R said: 5 stars

This is my favorite in the series so far. The devestating effects of Halloween are felt all over the world. Mac has paid a high price for being caught alone on that night, however, Barrons has come to save her again. Everyone agrees that Mac is key to solving the crisis so everyone is trying to make deals with her including Darroc. Mac learns more about her background including her lineage and she is the subject of a prophesy.

Warning, this one ended on a real cliff-hanger. I am so glad that the next book is already published so that I can read it right away.

LibraryCin said: 3.5 stars

This is the 4th book in the Fever series, with a straight continuation from the 3rd book.
****SPOILERS for previous book****
Mac is in big trouble, but between Dani and Barrons, they are able to help. In this installment of the series, Mac tries to get the rest of the sidhe-seers to work together to fight, despite their leader, Rowena, trying to shield them from what's happening since the walls have broken down, releasing the Unseelie into the world.
****END SPOILERS****

It was good. Once again, it ended on a cliffhanger, as every book in the series has done, so I expected it. Really, the first book in the series was the initial set-up and the rest of the books have mostly been preparation for what I expect to be an action-packed finale. Of course, various bumps happen along the way during this prep-time to keep it interesting. Mac is also able to learn more about everything that's been going on, what she is, what's happening, etc.”

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“Michael E said: 4 stars

It’s hard to pin down why I liked this better than its predecessor, “The Innocent”. Maybe it’s because fellow author Ron McLarty puts his theatrical skills to work so well as a reader for the audiobook form for imbibing “The Hit” (and supplemented with...”

“Michael E said: 4 stars

It’s hard to pin down why I liked this better than its predecessor, “The Innocent”. Maybe it’s because fellow author Ron McLarty puts his theatrical skills to work so well as a reader for the audiobook form for imbibing “The Hit” (and supplemented with occasional sound effects—when do I stop calling this “reading”?). I put my other ongoing books aside to inhale this tale of a “Spy vs. Spy” scenario where our hero CIA hit man Will Robie is tasked to quickly retire a fellow agent, Jessica Reel, who mysteriously skips her hit assignment and takes out her own spotter.

The plot features a fiendish conspiracy involving CIA and ex-CIA among the bad guys and other CIA and intelligence figures as targets and responders. No wonder Robie has a hard time trusting anyone. Rather than freaking out, he keeps his cool and works the clues like a detective in between bouts of mayhem and pyrotechnics. Despite the rather hokey nature of the conspiracy, I was drawn in by the tone, by the almost calm spot in the mind of this trained killer that we and few others know has a heart of gold. I’m not sure how I can thrive on that implausibility, but the paradox of an instrument of assassination coexisting with a regular guy is satisfying to hold onto.

Robie had enough of treachery in the last book. No wonder he needs to touch base when he can with his own humanity. Toward that end, he tanks up through occasional friendly contacts with the 14-year old girl, Julie, and lovely FBI agent, Nicole Vance, he shared adventures with in “The Innocent”. Baldacci is wise enough to keep any romance with Vance or Reel herself on a back burner. Maybe that prospect of Robie becoming a man in full will continue to recede deliciously out of reach in future tales with this character. Which I already look forward to.”

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“Susan T said:
5 stars

McEuen’s ostentatious talent abundantly on display

Two of my very favorite things are auspicious debut novels and really smart techno-thrillers. Kudos to physicist Paul McEuen, Spiral is both. The novel opens with a gripping prologue set in...”

“Susan T said:
5 stars

McEuen’s ostentatious talent abundantly on display

Two of my very favorite things are auspicious debut novels and really smart techno-thrillers. Kudos to physicist Paul McEuen, Spiral is both. The novel opens with a gripping prologue set in March 1946 on a U.S. Navy ship in the South Pacific. World War II is over, but the Japanese have reserved one devastating weapon for their endgame.

In that prologue we are introduced to biologist Dr. Liam Connor, who saves not only the day, but perhaps the world. At 22, the Irishman is at the very beginning of a prodigious career. We next meet him 64 years later. Now the 86-year-old Nobel laureate is one of the most distinguished and beloved professors at Cornell. And he’s still vital as well, actively engaged in research that spans from his specialization in fungi to the very frontiers of nanotechnology.

“Though Liam was a biologist, he loved the wonderful precision of all this technology, the miniature landscapes of almost impossibly intricate detail that were created…Liam believed that a second wave was coming—one even bigger than the information revolution. When the technologies of the information age were applied to biology, life would become an engineering discipline. Using tools such as microfluidic labs-on-a-chip, PCR machines, and assemblers such as the Micro-Crawlers, you’d be able to make living cells the way you made computer chips, process DNA like so many ones and zeros. He was incredibly excited. He thought that in five years he’d be making fungi from scratch.”

Ah, doesn’t it make you want to grab a textbook! No? Maybe it’s just me. And, relax, I pulled a very technical quote because clearly I love that stuff. The novel is so very satisfyingly smart, but it’s also fully accessible to any lay reader. Dr. McEuen must be a pretty impressive lecturer himself, and he’s writing about a world and subjects he knows intimately.

Now, a lot of gee whiz science does not a thriller make. Thrillers require plot and pacing and character, and McEuen supplies them all in spades. I’m sorry, don’t get too attached to lovely Liam, as his death—well, murder—is the main catalyst of a plot that centers on his scientist granddaughter, Maggie, teaming up with Jake Sterling, the young nanotech expert who was Liam’s close associate. While at first they’re trying to understand why Liam appears to have killed himself, soon they’re unraveling clues Liam left from beyond the grave. Their path of discovery is engrossing, and the threat they uncover is terrifying.

I haven’t really told you much at all. Why should I? The pleasure is in the twists and turns along the way. The plot is there. The pacing is excellent. I flew through the novel in no time at all. And perhaps most impressive, all things considered, is McEuen’s deft touch with his characters. Not only does he do an excellent job fleshing out his central characters, he’s populated the novel with rich, colorful, and interesting secondary characters.

As I said, it’s a freakin’ auspicious debut! I know that Dr. McEuen has a fairly heavy-duty day job as a physicist and professor. I can only hope that he’s able to continue to carve out time for fiction.

Regina L said: 5 Stars and a heart

"Humanity has but three great enemies: fever, famine, and war; of these by far the greatest, by far the most terrible, is fever." William Osler

Quote from the book - “A biological threat tore apart a society. War, for all its horror, galvanized a nation, pulled it together against a common opponent. But fever was a different kind of enemy." Think a few years back.....Bird flu....when members of both political parties were warning people to stay home and off public transportation. We can pull together to support a cause, but when my personal discomfort or health can be directly related to the person sitting next to me....that's a different story.

The book opens at the close of WWII when the Japanese are making a desparate attempt to turn the tide of the war through a last ditch effort of the secret Unit 731 to execute a bio-terrorism plot. Liam Connor has retained a sample from that failed attempt. Fast forward 60+ years later...Connor is a prestigious, Nobel Peace Prize Winner teaching at Cornell University where he has tried to use the lessons from the past to make a better future. Sometimes that means burying knowledge rather than sharing it.

“You create a cure, you create a weapon” – For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Now, someone wants the body of Connor's work and they will stop at nothing. Connor, after being tortured, ends up dead at the bottom of the gorge on campus. But, he leaves clues behind for his colleague, Jake Sterling and grandaughter, Maggie to what he's been hiding and working on.

Admittedly, this is not my typical genre. On the one hand, I think it takes tremendous talent to successfully pull off a story in this vein. Often, the stories are so predictable and filled with implausible scenarios that they are just down right irritating. Of course, I just may not know enough about the subject to know if the story is plausible or not. On the other hand, it sure was engaging. Once you pick it up it is hard to put down. We had a big party at our house Friday night. About 35 people came over. When I have a big event like that, I'm focused like a laser on the cooking, the cleaning, and the planning. I had to carve out 2 hours in the middle of the preparation to get a little reading. in. I found this to be increidlby well written, full of tension, and just down right smart. In fact, I regretted reading this while getting a manicure because I had the strong desire to bite my nails the entire time.

I learned a couple of things. First, was the amazing history of Cornell University to admit minorities (women and African-Americans) well before it was considered by other institutions. Secondly, as a lover of history, I think it is important to recognize your own country's flaws. At one point, Maggie asks, “ But we are the good guys aren’t we?” To which, Vlad responds, “We are supposed to be. Not everyone is”. There is some interesting history about the US action in the first Gulf War related to burying Iraqi soldiers in the sand. Here is an interesting article for anyone wanting to compare notes. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910912&slug=1305069. Whether it was necessary or not is for each individual to decide. I just think we owe it to ourselves to critically look at our own actions as well as others. It was also interesting to learn about Nixon's actions against bio-terrorism. McEuen points to 1972, but Nixon actually came out in opposition in 1969.

For all my gushing, I do have a couple of criticisms. First, I did find the characters, with the exception of Connor and Hitoshi Kitano to be simplistic and archetypal in nature. I was particularly frustrated with Maggie, who served as the damsel in distress figure, the cute kid, Dylan, and the good soldier portrayal of Jake Sterling. I also felt Orchid could have been much more fully developed. A grandaughter as a product of the Rape of Nanking....what material! On the other hand, I absolutely adored Liam Connor, although he dies early in the book. I loved the way they portrayed him in his obituary, “In an interview three years ago, Connor was asked to name his biggest breakthrough. He replied, ‘I am still hoping to make it.’ After the reference to the Green Cross, I couldn't help but feel Kitano was loosely based on Kitano Masaji. Finally, I was frustrated with the assertion that the Salem Witch Trials and the French Revolution were a product of infected rye. I know that theory has been out there for a while, but it was stated more as a fact than a theory here and those issues are incredibly complex.

A couple of other favorite quotes:

“So every three seconds, your computer is like the entire population of Manhattan living a lifetime. And people wonder why it takes so long to boot up.” (pg 53)
“Never blame conspiracies when mischief or happenstance would suffice

“The era of tanks and fighter jets battling on land and in the sky was drawing to a close. The wars of the future would be fought on small battlefields by tiny weapons striking from a thousand directions at once. The fight would take place inside computer networks, inside human bodies. Cyber-warfare. Swarms of semi-autonomous robots, such as the Crawlers. Biological weapons.”

“The war (WWII) had left its mark on America. Giving America the swagger, the confidence to rule the world for more than half a century. Japan had experienced the other side, what if felt like to be conquered”

I felt the intellectual aspects of this book far outweighed the literary aspects. In my opinion, one of the reasons this works so well is the absolute horror of something like this happening and how unprepared and unaware we, as a collective whole, are of the dangers. After 9/11 there was a lot of discussion about what was next. This could very well be what is next.

againstthetide said: 4 stars

First, I almost don't think it is fair for me to review this book because it is so not my genre. I like some thrillers - - but pretty much only psychological ones. I am not well read in the genre at all. And there's a reason for that. But this one did draw me in . . .

Regina did a great job of describing the plot - - so I won't recap that in any detail. Plus it is a thriller so I think the less revealed, the better.

The author did a nice job of building suspense . . .and there are the requisite very scary scenes where you are oh-so-happy you aren't in the protagonists shoes. The level of detail in the descriptions was just right - - enough is there to make things believable without slowing down the pace.

I will confess I probably gave this book an extra star because all of the settings were very familiar to me. The book takes place primarily in Ithaca, NY (where I was born) and MARYLAND (where I now live). There was also a key scene in Rochester, NY (where I lived for 20 years prior to Maryland). So, really, it couldn't get more perfect. I know of or have been to many of the specific places described.

What I don't like about this thriller - - and what seems to be typical of the genre - - is the flatness of the characters. I just feel like the characters in thrillers are always either "bigger than life" or "flat as cardboard". This wasn't really different for me. Which means I don't actually care all that much what happens to them. You know you are not really engaged with the characters when you don't care that much when something really, really terrible is about to happen to them.

What I did find very impressive about the book is that clearly this author really did his homework - - history, setting, science - - all of it came across as very interesting and very believable. He also did a strong job with building suspense that propels the reader through the book. If I wanted a thriller, I'd definitely pick up one by this author again . . .I'm just not sure it is a genre that I really embrace as a reader.

I do have to say I agree strongly with Regina that part of the true horror of a book like this is the feeling that - - it could SO happen. Bio terror strikes me as one of the scariest of the terror possibilities because of its invisibility and the fact that it doesn't strike an isolated geography . . .it is very easy to imagine a threat like the one imagined in this book becoming a reality.

Nicole R said: 4 stars

Deadly fungal bioweapon from WW2. Phenomenally brilliant mycologist. High tech nanobots that could destroy the world.

This was a truly great book! You know me, anything is better with a dash of science :) I thought the plot was realistic and eerily close to something that could happen in real life. I loved the characters I was supposed to love and hated the ones I was supposed to hate. The ending was absolutely perfect.

The one aspect holding me back from the full 5 stars is that after the intro which took place during WW2, I felt like it took a while to introduce all of the characters and link them all into the story. Granted there were many characters to go through but that meant the real action was delayed quite a bit.

Overall, a great end to my reading year and a new author on my radar!

Michael E said: 3 stars

Decent escapist fare in the form of a precautionary tale over biological weapons. McEuen does well in plausibility of the science and in developing engaging characters, so the book is a step above thrillers by Crichton.

The story begins with a bang and some horror. We are presented with an pulse pounding scenario of a last ditch attempt of Japanese imperialists after the close of World War 2 to unleash a deadly epidemic based on a fungus that spreads by airborne or ingested spores. Like ergot fungus, it creates hallucinations in those infected and triggers insane violence before they die. Then we jump forward 60 years. You got it--the threat emerges again.

A fungal biologist who was involved in the military response to the threat in the past, Liam Conner, is now in his 80’s, a beloved emeritus professor and Nobel Prize winning researcher at Cornell. He soon ends up dead from jumping off a bridge. His colleague and nanotech scientist, Jake, and his mycologist daughter, Maggie, can’t convince authorities he would never commit suicide, so they have to become detectives themselves. You got it—they must foil a nefarious plot to unleash the deadly weapon again.

The complacency we all may feel that biological weapons research has stopped is undermined in this story. As in the Cold War, any progress in defense against a particular weapon becomes a danger, as the other side in a scenario of mutually assured destruction will perceive this imbalance as a threat. For example, if one side in develops a vaccine or cure for one biological agent, then that agent becomes a more effective weapon for a faction interested in rising in the world order.

There is an odd fusion of the wonders and potential dangers of miniature robots in the story. That thread adds some interesting science fiction twists to the plot. On the down side, the tale has the usual thriller cast of evil bad guys and the typical twists of kidnapping and threats to the hero’s loved ones. And persistent repetition for the reader of the apocalypse that will happen if the biological weapon gets unleashed. Still, ”

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“anarresa said: 2 stars

Magical fantasy set in a fictional Middle Eastern empire which was intriguing in principle, but with too many characters to really care about. I feel the same about the cast of Game of Thrones, so if you enjoy that series disregard my rating and give this...”

“anarresa said: 2 stars

Magical fantasy set in a fictional Middle Eastern empire which was intriguing in principle, but with too many characters to really care about. I feel the same about the cast of Game of Thrones, so if you enjoy that series disregard my rating and give this one a try.

In the capital of the Cerani Empire citizens are plagued by the pattern, an intricate design which forms on the skin. The pattern either kills or turns the infected into carriers, bodies whose will is supplanted by the Pattern-Master. The goal of the pattern and its master is unknown, though some gods and elemental beings have some inklings which they share with certain humans, but it serves as an opportunity for enemies of the Empire and particularly of the Emperor Beyon to further their own goals. Full of political maneuvering and bursts of fighting the novel stays exciting, but the cast of characters is large and while they are developed as best they can be there wasn't enough time for me to connect with them.”

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“Raspberrymocha55 said: 5 ★s

This 6th of the Monkeewrench series was a pleasure to read. Grace McBride took a break from Monkeewrench business to sail with former FBI agent John Smith. While on the boat they are attacked. Grace kills the attackers and shoves them off the boat into...”

“Raspberrymocha55 said: 5 ★s

This 6th of the Monkeewrench series was a pleasure to read. Grace McBride took a break from Monkeewrench business to sail with former FBI agent John Smith. While on the boat they are attacked. Grace kills the attackers and shoves them off the boat into the ocean. She and John run for their lives. She home to Minnesota and he goes off the grid. Meanwhile bodies begin piling up in Minneapolis. Homicide detectives Magozzi and Rolseth are on the case. The deaths reveal a terrorist plot more far reaching than even the FBI could fathom. I loved the fast paced action that doesn't give the reader time to breathe, wonderful.

Barbara M said: 3 stars

I like P. J. Tracy and the Monkeewrench series. You would never know there were two people writing the story, it is seamless in that respect. I was anxious to start this one as the last one left a big question about the future for Grace. This took care of that immediately and John Smith was back too. However, I felt let down by the resolution. It was just a bit too pat. Like they had to hurry things along. It was almost like the end of the story was an abridgment. Good story but not one of their best.”

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“Lisa L said: 4 stars
It was definitely worth the struggle to get through it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I tried to guess how it would end but I never saw it coming!


Book Concierge said: 3 stars

This is an international best seller with...”

“Lisa L said: 4 stars
It was definitely worth the struggle to get through it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I tried to guess how it would end but I never saw it coming!


Book Concierge said: 3 stars

This is an international best seller with incredible hype surrounding it (and the two sequels). The author died before publication, which only added to the hype.

As thrillers / mysteries go this is pretty well written. It starts off slowly because we need to get considerable background to set up the scheme. But after about 100 pages it really takes off. You have Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist specializing in financial matters, who has been convicted of libel and sentenced to restitution and a 3-month jail term. Then we’re introduced to Lisbeth Salander, a young, thin, lost girl who is a genius at computer hacking and investigation. Their lives intersect when Mikael is hired to find out what happened to the young heiress of a major corporate dynasty who disappeared some 30 years previously. His investigation leads to a previously unrecognized pattern of serial murders, which are “solved” unsatisfactorily in my opinion. Then back we go to the financial investigation that got him into trouble in the first place.

****** SPOILER ALERT BELOW ********

The main problem I have with the book are the extraneous plot points and unanswered questions. Do we really need to know about Lisbeth’s guardian’s assault on her and the way she retaliates? What’s the purpose of the religious connections … was there a cult or secret society? What’s up with Cecilia? Why keep the book going after Martin runs out of the torture chamber and kills himself by driving head on into a truck? Why NOT go to the police? Makes me think that Larsson just wanted some gratuitous sex thrown in – especially titillating S&M.

I’m not sure I’ll read the follow-ups. I certainly am in no hurry to do so.

Kristel said: 3.5 stars
First of the Millennium trilogy written by Stieg Larsson, a Swedish author. The author died in 2004. It was enjoyable in the first part. I found the suspense to be gripping and kept me reading but the second part of the book as the mystery began to reveal itself, I didn't like so much. I didn't like the sexual content. It's too bad because it started out so good. While this book is tagged 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, I have to qualify that it really is not one of the books from any of the three lists and I don't think it will make any future lists either. It just isn't that unique in the history of the novel but I could be wrong. I might be the only person who didn't like this book because I know a lot of people have raved about it but I don't think it lived up to the hype.


Ladyslott said: 5 stars
Mikael Blomqvist is a financial reporter who has just been found guilty of libel in his investigation of the Wennerstrom Corporation. His career in ruins, his finances in tatters and with a few months to get his life in order before he goes to jail he is a man adrift. When he is approached by Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of his niece Harriet 40 years earlier, Blomkvist takes on the project, especially because Vanger promises to give him information that will take down Wennerstrom.

Lisabeth Sanders is a multi-pierced, multi tattooed young woman with severe anti-social problems. She works for the Milton Security Company, doing freelance investigations and deep backround checks on people. When she is hired to investigate Blomkvist she is slowly drawn into the Vanger story and soon Mikael and Lisabeth’s paths will cross, changing both of their lives forever.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a crime thriller, but it is not formulaic at all. It touches on a number of topics, including the greed of corporations with no regard for consequences, Nazism, sexual mores and abuse.

The story is a little slow moving at first, but when the Vanger investigation takes off it moves at a breakneck pace. Although Larsson is juggling a number of storylines he is able to weave them all together in an involving and satisfying manner.

There are a lot of characters in this book but Lisabeth and her story is the one we end up caring most about. This is a woman who is brilliant yet unlikeable, she does not know how to interact with or trust people. She is tiny yet she can be brutal, giving off a sense of danger lurking just beneath. As her story unfolds we see the vulnerability hidden away, Lisabeth has been treated very poorly by society; she is betrayed and abused by people, mostly men, time and time again. She also has a black and white sense of wrong and right, her own moral code; Lisbeth has no problems exacting revenge on those she believes most deserving of it. As she tries to learn the boundaries of her friendship with Mikael, we are rooting for her to find her place in the world, hoping against hope that everything will turn out okay for her.

The ending of the book, while satisfying to some extent, is very open ended, making one anxious to pick up the next book in the series.

Cora R said: 4 stars
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a suspenseful mystery. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is hired to investigate the disappearance of a young girl over forty years ago. When he takes the job, he does not really expect to find out what really happened. But soon the truth begins to be revealed.

I really enjoyed this novel. It is not the genre I usually choose to read, but I am glad I did. The story takes place in Sweden and I enjoyed reading about another part of the world. The characters were realistic and likable despite their flaws. The violence portrayed in the novel was a bit graphic for my tastes, but it did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel (it did bother many of the others in my book club though). There was a part in the middle of the novel that began to drag a little for me, but once Mikael teamed up with Lisbeth and the revelations began, it picked up and kept my attention riveted.
Julie g said: 5 stars
What a great read.Gripping storyline that had me on the edge of my seat.Salander is the most unlikely character.A punky researcher who is a wizz at hacking and uncovering those things some want to hide in thier computers.She has it hard,with a guardian who is not all he should be and a life lived as an outsider.Blomkvist is a journalist who has been done for libel and has to give up his magazine for a year to go and work for Henrik Vanger.A man obsessed with the dissapearance of Harriet years earlier. I was not sure this would be my kind of book at first because of the political slant it seemed to be taking but as I read on I found that it was more than worthy of all the attention.I am only sad that there are only two more books in this series for I believe Stieg Larsson had about 40 book ideas for this series.
Katie M said: 4 stars
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the story of a journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who has just been sentenced to jail for being wrongfully accused of libel, who teams up with social misfit punk, Lisbeth Salander, who is a ward of the state that works as a researcher for a security company, to solve the mystery of the disappearance of wealthy industrialist, Henrik Vanger's, neice Harriet in 1966.

The book started off very slow to me. Actually, let me retract and sat that the prologue had me immediately interested, but that interest soon diminished for about two hundred pages while Larsson got a little excessive with setting up the plot and introducing so many characters that I found it hard to remember who was who. However, once the action picked up I was hooked and could not put the book down. I liked how there were other mysteries in the book besides the Harriet storyline like what happened to Lisbeth when she was younger to make her so disturbed. Also, what Henrik Vanger knows about Wennerstrom that could help vindicate Blomkvist once and for all. I also liked how all the loose ends were pretty much tied up nicely in the end but there were still other back stories that I hope continue in the next two novels like what will happen with Nils Bjurman.

All in all I think it was a great book and I can't wait to read the next two!
diamondgirl said: 5 stars
Mikael Bloomkvist, a Swedish financial reporter, has just been convicted of libel concerning a story he did on a corporate CEO when is asked to go to Hedestad and meet with Henrik Vanger, former CEO of the Vanger Corporation. With nothing else to do since the conviction he agrees. Henrik explains to him that he wants to hire him for one year, and in that year he wants him to ghost write Henrik's autobiography and try to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Henrik's niece, Harriet, in 1966. The disappearance has obsessed Henrik for the past 40 years and since he is getting older, he would like closer as to what happened. he is convinced Harriet was murdered, and wants Bloomkvist to see what he can find out. Bloomkvist agrees, for an outrageous payout at the end of the year and a little bit of sliver lining. Henrik can give Mikael Hans-Erik Wennestrom on a platter and help him clear his name after the libel conviction. As he starts his research for the autobiography and his attempt at figuring out what happened to Harriet Vanger, he is faced with the pure dysfunction that is the Vanger family for the past generations. Wife beaters, Nazi's and perverts make up most of the family and the closer Mikael gets to the truth, the more he gets sucked in to the family secrets that Henrik is hellbent on exposing. Once Mikael finds some things the police overlooked in the case of Harriet's disappearance, he requests the help of a researcher, who Henrik would approve of, to assist him with all of the sources he needs to check out. Bloomkvist goes to Dirch Frode, Henrik's longtime lawyer, friend and confidante, and in return gets a name of someone that can help him: Lisbeth Salander.

Salander is a 24 year old hacker who works freelance for a private investigation company. She was hired by Frode prior to Henrik hiring Mikael to run his background and provide a report on him. A product of the system, she accepts the job and goes up to Hedestad to help Mikael.

From then on the secrets start to split wide open about the Vanger family. Together they uncover what happened to Harriet in 1966, sexual abuse, incest and murder all in the family tree which brings forward someone who does not want the truth to get out and will stop the 2 of them at any cost.

I finished this yesterday but have had a hard time deciding what to write. The mystery plays out well through the whole book, but the constant financial secondary story was distracting. The first 50 - 100 pages concerning the lawsuit against Mikael went directly over my head. The answer to the mystery was pretty sick and twisted, but not so shocking that I didn't have a feeling where the story was going, even though there were a few surprises in particular that had me setting down the book for a few minutes.. A thing at the very beginning of the book that I thought would play a key roll in the whole story is just explained at the end as an aside. On the other hand, I loved the characters of Bloomkvist and Salander, who reminded me a bit of myself, and I am going to Walgreens this morning in the pouring down rain just so I can get the sequel and start reading it today.
Nayla M said: 5 stars
I was at a book bargain sale a couple of months ago when I spied The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It's not the type of book I'd usually pick up and read, but I had read so much about it here on PBT that it felt wrong not to get it! I'm glad I wasn't disappointed, and I can't wait to read the next 2 books. When I started reading the book, I rated it 3 stars at best, but by the time I reached page 100, it had already reached 5 sparkling stars.

Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist working for his own magazine Millennium, is sentenced to three months in jail for libel and to everyone's surprise, he does not fight back or give evidence.

An opportunity arises for him to get his revenge in the form of working for one of Sweden's oldest families, helping the head of the clan in solving the mysterious disappearance of his grand niece 36 years ago, Harriet Vanger.

Henrik Vanger, the 82 year old head of the Vangers is sure that one of his relatives had killed the teenage Harriet, and asks Mikael to come to his little island and try and uncover the apparent 'closed door' murder in exchange for information about Mikael's opponent.

Lisbeth Salander is a 24 year old freelancer worker for Milton Security. She had provided the necessary back up check regarding Mikael, and somehow gets entangled in the mystery that Mikael is trying to solve.

The story started a bit slow for me, but 100 or so pages later, I couldn't put it down (but had to, unfortunately). It was a battle of wills to not go and read the last few pages once things got interesting. I can't say I correctly guessed how things were going to end though! A satisfying end, albeit, I still want to know more about Salander. There were several interesting tidbits that I hadn't known and were mentioned in passing, like the author of Pippi Longstockings being Swedish. I had always thought the books and cartoon were either American or British for some reason, but then, I hardly remember anything from them so it might have been mentioned there! Did a bit of search on the books and I wonder why they changed the titles in the translation. All three books seem to have different names in Swedish, they mentioned that the 1st book was titled as "Men who Hate Women" in its original language.
i.should.b.reading said: 3 stars
With over 1000 reviews I'm sure most people have an idea of what the book is about. It's a mystery with a whole bunch of different mysteries wrapped up in it. What begins as an investigation 30 years later of a missing (presumed dead) girl turns into a whole lot more. I don't know how I feel about this book. Overall I liked the book. I did not understand what was happening in the beginning. I did not like that after 200 pages I wasn't sure why I was still reading the book. Then, I guess the story took over and I wanted to know what would happen. My favorite character was Lisbeth Salander and it was her story that kept me reading mainly because I wanted to see if she made it through the book or not. I will read the next book.

Mary Ellen B said: 3 stars
The opening grabbed me immediately. A pressed flower sent yearly and anonymously to an elderly man obsessed by the death of his niece nearly forty years ago. From there we are introduced to Mikael Blomkvist, the financial journalist who has just been convicted in a libel case. The uncle, Henrik Vanger, convinces Mikael to try and take a fresh look at the case that has tormented him. Into this dysfunctional Vanger clan we eventually get to Lisbeth Salander, a leather and studs computer hacker that for a psychiatrist could be the case of a lifetime.

f you are looking for an edge of your seat page-turner this is not the book. This is an intelligent novel where Stieg Larsson takes meticulous time to develop the sites, sounds, and sandwich eating tastes of the Swedish setting.

I more than likely would have given up on this work if it had not been the selection this month for my FTF book club. The Swedish names, places, and culture references left me feeling a bit disconnected. Larson also spends more time describing the outside world than the feelings of his characters. For that reason, I never became too attached to Mikael or Lisbeth. It was a good tale with some abrupt conclusions. In the end I was glad I stuck with it, but at a loss as to why it became such a best seller.
ghost of a rose said: 4.5 stars
There's no question about this book being a thriller!

In spite of all the wonderful reviews, I had been putting off reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo because some described it as quite violent. I'm glad I decided to give it a chance. True, there is violence in this book, but it doesn't appear frequently nor is it described too graphically. It's more like reading a newspaper article, not even close to the level of violence found in books such as the Hannibal Lector ones or The Blood Countess.

About the first 1/4 tells the story of an investigation into corrupt business practices. The next half is a mystery about a missing person and a serial killer. The last 1/4 of the book then returns to the business story. The entire book is intellectual and intriguingly complicated. The business and technology parts were a little boring for me, as those are not interests of mine. The mystery part was absolutely fascinating, with all kinds of twists and turns and interesting characters.

I agree with others who wanted to know more about Lisbeth Salander, and am looking forward to this in the next book.

Mild spoiler follows . . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

I was squicked out, though, that Blomkvist (the main male character) ended up with the girl who was young enough to be his daughter - and anorexically thin to boot! - rather than the older woman with whom he was previously involved. Although he does continue in an on-again-off-again long term affair with a different woman his own age as well. I guess that's Larsson's idea of being fair to women. Sigh.

Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and definitely plan to read The Girl Who Played With Fire.

Regina L said: 4 stars
This is what I love about Shelfari. I would have never picked this book up on my own, but because of all the raving by readers whose opinions I respect, I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did.

When journalist Mikael Blomkvist finds himslef on trial for libel and sentenced to prison, he is unsure what the future holds in terms of his career. Then an offer comes from industrialist Henrik Vanger to look into a forty year mystery of the disappearance of his niece under the cover of writing a family biography. It is only with the promise of evidence that will vindicate Blomkvist in regards to the story that ruined his career that Blomkvist accepts. As his work progresses, Blomkvist's path crosses Lisabeth Salander who has her own turmoil to deal with. The two unlikely partners delve into a host of mysteries that unfold almost simultaneously.

Although I typically get very frustrated with an author if I figure out the answers too early, that was not the case with Larsson. I had figured out the the ending of the Vanger mysteries but still enjoyed reading Blomksvist's and Lasander's path to the truth. The other thing I really appreciated about this book was the slow building of the tale like a beautiful crescendo in a well written piece of music (OK maybe I've gone over board). Larsson doesn't try to take off running of page one. Instead he realistically unfolds this tale and you are suddenly surprised to be completely absorbed in the story.

The ending definitely leaves you hanging. I'm assuming The Girl WHo Played With Fire is a sequel. I don't like reading series, but I will definitely read the follow up tale.

Sunflowery said: 5 stars
Wow! Ok, so I stayed up until 2:30 or so this morning because I could not put this book down. Two storylines - one of a journalist/magazine editor sentenced to a large fine and three months in prison for libel against a financial mogul, and another of a girl gone missing many years before. As the book plays out, the stories become entangled due to the people involved in each. It's really hard to say much without giving something away, so I'll just say that I really enjoyed it and plan to get the next book as soon as I hit the library again.

Mary B said: 4 stars
This lived up to the hype! Mysteries/thrillers aren't usually my thing but this one was engaging and well-written. The outcome of one of the mysteries was obvious very early on but that's ok. The characters were interesting enough to keep me reading. I'm on the list for the second book, and do I hear that I could amazon.uk book 3? I may consider that!

kolibri said: 4 stars
I think Larsson did a good job introducing us into a mystery in which so many people are suspicious to be the murderer/kidnapper, but without letting the reader lose the overview. The case of Hannah Vanger was thoroughly thought-out and catched my interest from the beginning. But I didn't care for the subplot of Mikael Blomkvist and his personal feud against one of Swedens big tycoons, which made the beginning and the end of the book.

Amanda L said: 3 stars
This is a novel about a journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, and a private investigator, Lisbeth Salander, and their attempts to solve the mystery of a 16 year old girl who disappeared 40-some years ago and to expose the illegal activities of one of Sweden’s biggest corporations.

The strengths and weaknesses of the book balanced each other out and make an average contemporary mystery/thriller novel. The strengths include the captivating storyline, the ultra-modern way in which the mystery was actually solved, and the moral dilemma faced by Blomkvist. There were times when I couldn’t put the book down. The major weakness of the book is the structure. The storyline of the missing girl was definitely the more interesting one, but the book started and ended with the weaker part of the plot. This made it a little hard to get into and to continue with after the main conflict was resolved, although I didn’t have as much trouble as some other people have based on their reviews. The other big problem I had with the book is that I just don’t care about Lisbeth, our title character. I thought she was annoying, stubborn, immature, and childish, all characteristics the author intended her to have, but it’s hard to like a book when you don’t like one of the protagonists. In a mystery, you want to like the heroes who solve it and dislike the criminals.

In addition, there were some major problems with the grammar and punctuation. This is the first time I’ve read an advance reader’s edition, so I don’t know if editing problems are common in these and get fixed before the final edition is published, but it drove me nuts throughout the book. There were words that had probably been split over two lines at one time, but had not had the hyphens removed and missing periods after abbreviations. There were also some translation problems, such as awkward phrasing and incorrect grammar.

Overall, it was an ok book, but not great. I might pick up the other books in the series if I run across them at a used book sale or something, but I won’t go out of my way to read more of Larsson’s work.

againstthetide said: 4 stars (but almost 5)
This book is a highly engaging read about the unsolved murder of a 16 year old girl, Harriet Vanger. A disgraced journalist and an anti-social computer hacker work together to solve the mystery.

There's a WHOLE lot to like about this book:

- It's a smart mystery, more intellectual and literary than many. It sucks you in, but you don't feel like you are reading a beach read.

- The main characters are well drawn and compelling.

- Surprisingly, it became darn hard to put down. It took a little longer than some books to get into (give it that full 50 pages), but once you are in, you are in deep.

- The mystery of Harriet Vanger is fascinating and cleverly done as there are plenty of suspects, each of whom are pretty interesting in their own right.

Things to be forewarned about:

- There is some very sexually graphic violence in the book. Let's just say that there are some sick puppies in the world and Larsson wasn't afraid to make them characters in his book. I wouldn't say it was gratuitous, but if you are squeamish about reading about these things, I wouldn't move this to the top of your reading pile.

Why It Wasn't a Five Star book for me:

There really is a main plot (solving Harriet's murder) and a subplot (taking down the industry titan who has disgraced our murder-solving journalist) in this book, and the subplot gets quite a bit of play and is fairly important to making the book hang all together.

BUT, at the end of the book, the main plot gets resolved, and then there are still fifty pages or more where the subplot was being resolved. Honestly, I found those last 50 pages to be a bit of a throwaway. Once the main mystery was solved, I really didn't care all that much about the subplot. And if the subplot had been tied up neatly and quickly, I really think the book would have been five stars for me. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and so it isn't (5 stars).

JudithAnn said: 5 stars
Great book!

A Swedish mystery about a journalist who investigates the disappearance of a 16-year old girl 30 years ago.

It starts off a bit slow, but picks up soon enough and kept me intrigued until near the end. Looking forward to the next in the series!


Erin S said: 4 stars

One of the oldest members of a prominent, wealthy family hires disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, to investigate the disappearance of his favorite niece that occurred over 40 years ago. As Blomkvist digs into the past of the prominent Vanger family, he is also dealing with the fallout of a libel lawsuit after accusing one of Sweden's most powerful businessmen of corruption. As Mikael begins to discover new evidence in the disappearance, he is aided by the tattooed, pierced, and unique, Lisbeth Salander. She is not only a suberb researcher, but also a troubled young woman dealing with her own issues.

I have read many reviews that said this book started very slowly, and it is true. However, all of the unrelated details given in the beginning are important to the development of the plot as a whole. Once the story picks up, it is an engaging and complex (and often disturbing) mystery of buried family secrets. I had difficulty reading some of the parts. The characters are well-developed and interesting. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

Jen M said: 4 stars

Review: It's funny how, though I'd read a number of reviews ahead of time and knew enough about the pacing and the plotline that I should have been comfortable with it, this book was astill a surprise in terms of what I expected. I'm not even really sure what it was I expected, only that this wasn't it. That's not a bad thing, but it was a little surprising.

Like so many have already mentioned, I found the beginning to be very slow. It wasn't uninteresting in that pace, but it also wasn't a huge draw. I enjoyed reading it when I picked it up but wasn't in a rush to get back to it. At around page 200, the pace picked up and I found it hard to be pulled away from it. I was even aware of the actual shift as it happened, and can remember thinking "ahh so this is what people were talking about."

In case there are still those who haven't read this yet (maybe I'm not the last one!), this is a multi-layered murder mystery with many twists along the way, some predictable and others not so much. This is not an action-type thriller, however, despite a few scenes which could be classified as such. Many of the revelations are made through research and conversations, and it's interesting to try and sort the patterns out along with the main characters...the web is so clogged and convoluted that unweaving the individual strands is difficult at times, and observing our main heroes working their way through them becomes a bit breathtaking in some scenes.

The initial mystery is resolved by the end of the book and it's nice that there isn't a cliffhanger. However, there are other unanswered questions and dark alleys to explore; this, in some ways, satisfies both types of readers...for those with no interest in continuing the series, it's wrapped up enough not to feel like one is missing anything. For those intrigued by the characters, enough seeds are planted to entice them to the next book to see what new troubles they unearth. I'm not in a hurry to pick up the next in the series, but I'm also just as glad that I already have it near to hand for when the desire strikes.

Diane said: 3 stars

The first time I tried to read this book, I couldn't get into it. Too much corporate espionage and all the details regarding the Vanger family. But I decided to give it another try. I forgot so much from the last time I had to start over. I struggled past the same difficult parts and I'm very glad I did.The book actually picked up the pace and I got hooked into it.

Lisbeth Salander is one of the most intriguing characters to come along in some time. Getting to know the character of Lisbeth Salander is very much like peeling an onion one layer at a time. Even at the book's conclusion you are left wanting to know more about her. The other main character, Mikael Blomkvist, isn't nearly as complex and richly drawn as Salander. Thank goodness! He seems to provide an anchor for the plot.

For the first half of the book, the story tells two tales: One of Mikael Blomkvist and the other of Lisbeth Salander. They finally meet under strange circumstances. Blomkvist has been hired by one of Sweden's wealthiest industrialists, Henrik Vanger, to locate the whereabouts of his favorite neice. She disappeared from the family compound twenty-five years ago and is cold as a cold case can be. Before Vangar hires him, he has a background investigation conducted by Milton Security's number one investigator-Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist is shocked by information contained in the report, information no one can access anywhere-except from his own computer. Salander is a computer hacker and she's hacked into the wrong computer.

Mikael determined to meet her finds her address and goes unannounced to her front door. Lisbeth is in complete shock and outrage that a client knows who she is. Eventually,they do work together and solve what happened to Harriet, brings closure for Henrik Vanger, and solves some of most horrible, savage crimes in modern Swedish history.

A tough read at first(the first half), but if you stay with it, it pays off.

Ayesha J said: 5/5

Forget Abba and all the smiling tall, fair and blonde Swedish people we stereotypically depict and enter the dark side of Sweden in the Story, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Stieg Larsson, a journalist turned author takes us through a thrilling mystery tale that for many years had remained unsolved. This very dark, twisted and gruesome story paints a very different picture of the Happy Go Lucky Swedish community.

Meet our main Character, Mikael Blomkvist, currently under a lawsuit for falsifying an article in the magazine he currently runs. His whole life starts to crumble right infront of him until he one day gets an intresting phone call. Henrik Vanger, an octogenerian industrialist, decided to use Mikael’s journalistic skills to investigate one last time the disappearance of his favorite great-niece, Harriet. Despite the case being forty years old, Mikael takes the offer as Henrik provided him with an offer no one can refuse, first, 2.4 million konor, second, a full rights a biography on the famous Vanger family and finally a chance to get away from the media.
Mikael with the help of a techy analyst, slander, begin to unravel the twisted lives of the Vanger family and find a way to connect Harriets disappearance to other occurring deaths within the nation. Yet someone has made sure that these secrets should never resurface and Mikael will not stop till he gets some answers.

This novel has taken the world by storm, it is unfortunate that Stieg Larsson could not live to see this happen, In some ways I would like to call him the Swedish version of james patterson! If you recall some of the first Alex cross novels they had a similar excitement and pace to it. This 500 page thriller manages to captivate the audience as soon as the investigation begins. Keep in mind that this book can get very dark and is not usually everyone’s cup of tea.

This is by far my favorite summer read of 2011.

Tien H said: 5 stars

Wow.
I have been avoiding this book / series because I heard that there’s some serious level of violence in it. However I found that it’s barely 1% of the book and I could just skim the page onto the next bit and not missed much at all. I found the first few chapters a bit slow so I couldn’t get into it until a bit later but once the first hint of the mystery was mentioned, I was hooked. Let’s just say that it was a marvellous modern mystery novel and I was totally engrossed and loved it.
Though, were the last few paragraphs really necessary…?

Dreamer said: 5/5 stars

Every year on his birthday, Henrik Vanger receives a framed pressed flower. It's the same gift that his niece used to send him, but the only problem is that his niece disappeared years ago, and no one knows what happened to her. Now, late in life, he's decided to hire someone to finally solve the mystery that has been killing him for years, and that someone is Mikael Blomkvist. Mikael is a journalist, and one of the best in the business, but he's come on hard times after a court case involving one of the stories that he wrote. When Henrik offers him the job of finding out what happened to his niece, Mikael wants to turn him down at first but becomes interested in the mystery. Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant computer hacker, is hired to perform the background check on Mikael. Not according to plan, she gets caught up in Mikael and the mystery of Harriet Vanger.

I meant to finish this much earlier this year, and given that the movie comes out in a week, I decided that it was finally time I did. Once I started, for the second time, I couldn't put the book down! I read it all in one day and am looking forward to finishing the series.

Jeremiah C said: 5 out of 5 Stars

It took me a long time to get around to reading this book, but I am glad that my wife finally convinced me to move it to the top of my TBR and get it read. This book was well worth every minute that was invested in the reading. It has been a long time since I found a book that drew me in and captivated me to the point that I was wanting to find every minute available to continue reading until the end.

I personally found this book to be filled with literary merit. I am a lover of flawed characters that are well developed and integrated into the story line. Rarely though is an author able to create a believably flawed character and yet make him or her a rounded character that drives the plot line through his or her own development. I loved the fact that Salander was such a believably flawed character and yet her flaws did not have to be broadcast to everyone. The talent of the author showed through in the fact that she was flawed without the reader truly knowing why.

I am sure that some readers are bothered by the violence contained in the book, but I did not find the violence or sexuality to be over the top. Certainly, the subject matter was not always pleasant but writing about the inherent immortality contained within humankind has never been an outlawed approach to literature. That was the very nature of classics such as The Scarlet Letter and Frankenstein. If this book were merely the latest piece of writing trash to be published and the violence and sexuality were included to sell the book I would feel drastically different. However, the book was not written with violence and sexuality for the purpose of selling trade copies and movie rights and as such is a beautiful capturing of the worst of human nature.

I look forward to reading the next two books. I am saddened by the fact that after the next two books I will not be able to read any more from this author. Rarely do readers have a chance to read books with great literary merit produced in their lifetime.

Sleekfeline said: 3 stars

The story hinges on the interactions between Henrik Vanger, Mikael Blomkvist, and Lisbeth Salander. Henrik is getting on in age and realizes his time on earth is coming to an end. He wants to make one last ditch effort to figure out what happened to his niece decades earlier. She went missing and hasn't been heard from since. Henrik is convinced she was murdered and wants to hire Mikael, an investigative journalist, to solve the riddle. Mikael digs into the Vanger's past to try and figure out the unsolved mystery of Harriet Vanger. Mikael brings in Lisbeth Salander to help him with research, as that's her specialty. She is a computer hacker and can track down the most obscure information. She is a bit of an antisocial person, staying on the fringes of society. She also has several tattoos, including one of a dragon. It seems someone feels Mikael and Lisbeth are getting close to truth and will do almost anything to keep it hidden.

This was a good story. It had intrigue and espionage, long kept secrets and love affairs. I saw the American version of the movie before reading the book. It was a pretty true adaptation of the book. It unfortunately had the effect of the book not being as intriguing because I knew what was going to happen. I did like the fact that the book wasn't as graphic in several of the situations involving Salander. The movie was a bit over the top in that regard. I'm looking forward to the next book in the trilogy as I have no idea where it's headed.”

Play Book Tag Shelf reviewed a book.

“Auntie Nanuuq said: ★ ★

Too much empty chatter.... Too many similarities to her other books...... Magical Realism is one thing, this ISN'T Any type of Realism....

More and more Alt's books are becoming mainstream Chick-Lit, without much substance.....

The witch...”

“Auntie Nanuuq said: ★ ★

Too much empty chatter.... Too many similarities to her other books...... Magical Realism is one thing, this ISN'T Any type of Realism....

More and more Alt's books are becoming mainstream Chick-Lit, without much substance.....

The witch that was in San Francisco has now moved to Stoney Mill, Indiana, working in an antique shop.... Her rough & tough boyfriend Marcus has moved with her..... She has a new apartment, but the Manager turns up dead.....

Color me bored”

Play Book Tag Shelf reviewed a book.

“Nicole R said: 3 stars

***Includes major spoilers if you haven't read book two***

The long-awaited final chapter to the Millennium Trilogy starts off the exact instant that the second book left off. Salander has been taken to the hospital after confronting Zalachenko and...”

“Nicole R said: 3 stars

***Includes major spoilers if you haven't read book two***

The long-awaited final chapter to the Millennium Trilogy starts off the exact instant that the second book left off. Salander has been taken to the hospital after confronting Zalachenko and she is the center of a salacious criminal trial - a trial that could uncover a secret Swedish agency like the world has never seen. While confined in isolation at the hospital, Salander's unlikely group of friends (Blomvkist, Armansky, and even Berger) along with a cast of new characters are working to clear her name...and write a best-selling expose at the same time!

***End spoilers***

Okay, I am prepared for the heckles from Larsson-Loving crowd. I just wasn't that into this book! I LOVED The Girl Who Played With Fire, thought it was brilliant, but this final installment lacked what the first two books had in spades: INTRIGUE. The first two books had me on the edge of my seat, never knowing what was coming next; each chapter was a thrilling revelation of a plot twist. In this book, I felt like we had all of the answers from the very beginning; we knew the major players and how they were related, or the few plot twists were given away at the beginning. A couple of surprises were thrown in but they were extremely mild and involved peripheral characters.

This book read like Millennium Trilogy installment 2B, which I didn't really care for. I enjoyed the separate and unique plots of books one and two that were woven together by shared characters and shady foreshadowing. This felt like Larsson wrote a 1200 page book and the editor decided to pull a Harry Potter (the movie) and divide the final manuscript in two, right down the middle. I would have read a 1200 page book. And if books two and three would have been combined (perhaps the second half shortened just a bit) then it would have gotten a higher rating from me.

Ultimately, this book tied up all the loose ends and I liked how my favorite characters ended up, but the suspense fell short for me.

Susan T said: 5 stars
I came to this novel with great trepidation. I'd loved the first two novels in the series and was understandably saddened by the premature end due to the author's untimely death. Aside from that, I was worried that the novel would end with some terrible cliff hanger as the previous one had. For what it's worth, I'm happy to report that if this series had to end now, I'm completely satisfied with how the story of Lisbeth Salander, Mikeal Blomkvist, et al wraps up.

As mentioned above, The Girl Who Played with Fire ends on a cliff hanger. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest picks up exactly where it ends off. I'd liked the second novel in the series much more than the first because it dealt far more extensively with the eponymous character. That is also the strength of Hornet's Nest. I just can't get enough of Lisbeth Salander. She is endlessly strange, fascinating, endearing, and resourceful.

This final novel strikes the best balance of the three between Lisbeth's story and Mikeal's story, which essentially converge at this point. But other characters get their fair share of narrative time and a subplot involving Erica Berger particularly captured my interest. Every storyline allowed Larsson to show off new facets of his established characters.

One of the most fascinating things about the plot of this book (which obviously I'm being incredibly vague about) was that in another novel, the good guys and the bad guys could have easily switched places. There are no cookie-cutter heroes and villains in Larsson's world. Sure, there are people to root for, but there's a lot of moral ambiguity involved. All of which makes for complex and smart story-telling. And Larsson's plotting is as strong as it ever was. This novel is his best yet.

At nearly 600-pages, I plowed through the book at breakneck speed, my interest never flagging. It is sadly clear to me that Larsson had further stories to tell about his girl. Not every loose thread is tied up, but the important bases are covered. The novel's end was as satisfying as anything you could ask for.

Rest in peace, Stieg.

Kentucky Reader said: 5 stars
This final book of Larsson's trilogy is everything a fan of the series could ask for in a finale.

If you've read the first two, you know that this one is a must-read. If you haven't read the first two, don't even think about reading only this one. You will be totally lost. This isn't really a series but one riveting story divided into three parts, and absolutely has to be read in order and in its entirety.

Larsson's use of history and politics adds immensely to the story's realism, and made it feel like it could just as easily take place in one of several other countries, including the U.S. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading about Sweden's culture.

To sum up the book without spoilers, following the events of the second book, Salander is fighting for her life in every sense. Blomkvist and her other supporters are working tirelessly to prove her innocence, save her from Zalachenko and his supporters, and keep her out of an institution -- asylum or prison. Although hospitalized, Salander fights to survive as only Salander can.

This is a wonderful end to the trilogy with questions answered, loose ends tied and justice served.

Coyotemusic said: 5 stars
Gah! I feel bereft. I know all good things must end, but Wow! I will miss having more of these books to look forward too.

Every one I read, I thought it's the best of the trilogy. And maybe this one was. For me, it seemed a bit less flawed than "Fire", but "Fire" had so much more Salander, so I'll stick with "Fire" as my favorite, but this one was great, too.

The characters are fascinating, the story-telling is top notch, the detail is interesting and relevant. As this book unfolded, I felt even more impressed with the story telling, because it was very clear that the whole trilogy had been conceived from the start. It was so well-plotted.

Another thing I really liked about this series was to gain insight into another culture. In this book there was a court proceeding, and it's impossible as a US citizen not to have a preconceived idea of a court proceeding. This was very different, and I kept saying to myself "well, that's ridiculous, that wouldn't happen that way in court", and then I'd remind myself ... Maybe it does happen that way in Sweden. It's just fascinating. I'd love to observe a Swedish trial just to observe the differences.

I didn't feel it mattered all that much if you read "Dragon Tattoo" before "Fire", but having read this book I'd say you definitely want to read the first two first.

Even if this isn't your normal genre, I highly recommend the series.

Stieg - I'm so sorry you didn't get to enjoy your success. But Bravo!
sharmee said: 4.5 stars
I could not wait for this book to come out in the US, so I had my friend who lives in the UK send it for me! I was not disappointed!! This was on par with the first 2 books, and of course, once I got to a certain point, I could not put it down – which was a bad thing since it’s 600 pages long! In this book, you find the answers to all of the questions you have from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire. As much as I loved this book, I am also very sad that it’s ended, especially knowing that we won’t receive any more of Lisbeth’s story, or any other great books, from this author (bless his soul)

annapi said: 5 stars and favorite
This thrilling conclusion to the Millenium Trilogy does not disappoint. It is SUPERB! It picks up right where the second volume left off - in fact, I would say the trilogy is actually two stories, the first book separate, and a humongous second story chopped into two books. The final volume opens with Lisbeth Salander being taken to the hospital, along with Zalachenko, also surprisingly still alive. Now, with the conspiracy that began so long ago threatening to break wide open, the members of the secret Section of Sweden's Security Police are in a desperate race to contain both of them or it will mean their end. And once again, Lisbeth Salander is to be the scapegoat as she is brought to trial for murder.

I could not imagine how Larsson could top the previous books, but once again I was blown away by the sheer magnitude of the work. It's hard to pick a favorite from the three - like the Lord of the Rings, the trilogy has to be taken in as a whole and just savored for its mastery of suspense and conspiracy. Even knowing that it just HAD to somehow come out right in the end, I was on pins and needles the whole time, racing through the book to find out just how it comes to its spectacular end. And it's all absolutely worth it. Reading this magnificent final volume and knowing there are no more to follow, I felt keenly the loss of this brilliant author who never had a chance to

serenitysaid: 3 stars

The third and final installment of the Millennium trilogy is not my favorite. It didn't have that great quick pace that the first two had. The end felt a bit forced as if there was a desperate attempt to tie up loose ends. But all in all I still liked it. I was glad to read the conclusion of Lisbeth's adventure and see the conspiracy be brought to a head. I think the 2nd book is the best of the series by far, because it really gave Lisbeth center stage. But this one focused on the major players behind the Zalachenko affair and unravelled the many tangle webs of illegal activity. There were a couple of great plot twists that I enjoyed, because I was fearing at times that this book would turn out to be predictable. But Larsson did a good job in his last installment and I'm very glad to finish the series on a good note.

Rachel H said: 3 stars

The story picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of the girl who played with fire. I enjoyed some of the plotting but found parts of the book too long and convoluted. I found there was too much we're going to do this strategy but not telling the reader what the startegy is. I also found the subplot with Berger unneccessary. I'm not sure why I didn't read this right after the girl who played with fire but I'm happy I finally finished the series.”

Play Book Tag Shelf reviewed a book.

“Ellen R said: 2 stars
Beautiful single mom of 2, Elizabeth, overwhelms handsome contractor, Matt, with her spunky attitude and immediately hires her as a carpenter. Although the lovely Liz has no experience Matt overlooks that because she is just so cute! Hilarity ensues along with...”

“Ellen R said: 2 stars
Beautiful single mom of 2, Elizabeth, overwhelms handsome contractor, Matt, with her spunky attitude and immediately hires her as a carpenter. Although the lovely Liz has no experience Matt overlooks that because she is just so cute! Hilarity ensues along with misunderstandings, bickering, a hapless neighborhood exhibitionist (a nude man with tennis shoes and a paper bag mask), an eccentric aunt, lots of lust and a behemoth of a family dog.

The book had its funny moments but it was almost just too silly for words. I know that I am not much of a romance reader but this story did not help its genre's cause in my eyes.

Faith said: 3 stars
The cute love story of Matt (a 30-year old single construction company owner) and Lizabeth (a newly divorced mother of 2 looking for a job as a construction contractor) and a stalker in town. I read this right after Thanksgiving by Evanovich and expected more of the same but was pleasantly surprised that it was much better. It was more of Evanovich's Plum style to me.. which is my preference. Lizabeth is a little unbelievable but was still cute... it wasn't as in your face gushy romancey like thanksgiving was. Reading about these two trying to catch the town stalker is funny and they are pretty cute as a couple. I enjoyed it.

Auntie Nanuuq said: ★ ★

I can't believe I Read This All the Way Through!

How dumb, how um, insipid, how empty, no real plot, unreal dialog, one line made me laugh out loud..... I'm not sure why this was even published, let alone written......

So there are chase scenes, a food-stealing dog, a Harley Hog.... action.... boring, but still action.”

Play Book Tag Shelf reviewed a book.

“Hope N said: 5 stars

I loved the first book in this trilogy and the second one is even better. I couldn't put it down and am going through world/character withdrawal now that it's over. Hobb describes her world vividly and with such sensory detail that you feel like you live...”

“Hope N said: 5 stars

I loved the first book in this trilogy and the second one is even better. I couldn't put it down and am going through world/character withdrawal now that it's over. Hobb describes her world vividly and with such sensory detail that you feel like you live there.

Unlike in the first book, I got attached to the characters this time. The first person narrator is now a young man. He figures things out he couldn't quite understand as a boy and so the reader's comprehension of the characters and plot increases. Although there are still many forces outside of his control -- and dramatic events that left me wanting to get my hands on the third book asap, -- Fitz is more of plot-driver than a victim of it. The characters in general feel stronger. They submit less to "destiny" and make their own choices, even when those choices are hard and have difficult consequences.

I still find the series male-centered. I wish there were more women as main characters but, as she develops the characters in general, Hobb's women do hold their own. I can't wait to read more of her books.”

Play Book Tag Shelf reviewed a book.

“Fantasy Fan 23 said:

Mutiny on the Bounty is one of those classic stories that everyone knows the premise and most have seen a film version or two, but fewer have read the book. The question is, which version is 'the original'?

When I went through book listings to...”

“Fantasy Fan 23 said:

Mutiny on the Bounty is one of those classic stories that everyone knows the premise and most have seen a film version or two, but fewer have read the book. The question is, which version is 'the original'?

When I went through book listings to determine this, I found many. At one point I settled on an old 1932 version as likely to be the source of film inspiration and I was probably right, but a little further research brought me to A Narrative On The Mutiny, On Board His Majesty's Ship Bounty; And The Subsequent Voyage Of Part Of The Crew, In The Ship's Boat, written by none other than William Bligh himself.

An original narrative by the captain! Needless to say, if I was looking for an original source, this was it. It was also fairly short, being the published Mission Log rather than intended as a novel. A comprehensive list of films and novels depicting events is on Wikipedia, but the original events from the mutineers' point of view have never been fully determined so have been fictionalised by the various authors.

I chose to read Captain Bligh's account.

As it is actually a journal, it does not read with the riveting prose that one might expect from a proper novel. However, the exploits of the men to survive and make their way home with little provision are an interesting chronicle and a piece of actual history well worth reading. There is also a fair bit of action as Bligh recounts escaping from unfriendly island natives and various exploits while at sea.

I thought it was poetic that I was reading it in early June as this coincides with the recorded dates of most of the journal. It was an interesting read, and I'm glad that I decided to add it to my store of historical knowledge.”

Play Book Tag Shelf reviewed a book.

“Book Worm said: ★★★

The 9th book in the Jack Reacher series of crime thrillers, the apparently random shooting of 5 people in Indiana reintroduces Reacher to a face from his past, a man who should want to avoid him at all costs but who is actually seeking his...”

“Book Worm said: ★★★

The 9th book in the Jack Reacher series of crime thrillers, the apparently random shooting of 5 people in Indiana reintroduces Reacher to a face from his past, a man who should want to avoid him at all costs but who is actually seeking his help.

Another fast paced book from Lee Child.”