The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
"...a brilliant climax to a fascinating and compelling trilogy..."
Synopsis:
Having barely escaped the clutches of her father, Zalachenko, Lispeth Salander has to fight for both her life and her freedom but, confined to a hospital bed, she is unable to wage the war against her enemies alone.
Mikael Blomkvist, journalist for Millennium, is determined to prove that Salander is innocent. But her story is not a simple one and there are plenty who do not want the truth to be told.
Annika Giannini (Salander's lawyer), Armansky (Salander's former boss), the staff of Millennium and, of course, Salander herself, seek to expose the rotten Section of the Secret Police, the people responsible for declaring Salander mentally incompetent as a young teenager and who now wish to lock her away once again.
Up against such a formidable enemy, Salander and her unlikely defenders must meet fire with fire if they are to survive.
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Review:
Having consumed and adored both of Larsson's previous offerings my expectations were high for the third book in the Millennium trilogy. If you haven't read Larsson before, please do, this novel makes no sense without the rich character history of the previous two. The introduction of new characters on top of the rapid reintroduction of everyone we've met before makes for a dizzying first fifty pages. After settling into Larsson's extraordinary world – if settle is the right word for such a gripping, multi-layered plot – I was once again delighted by Larsson's fantastic prose. His skill at defining characters means every one breathes life on the page making each situation all the more moving, entertaining or dramatic. I particularly liked the interweaving of Swedish legal history with character backgrounds that transformed what could have been dry, difficult subject matter into engaging, insightful glimpses into the motivation behind the police officers - and lawyers particularly. I felt I knew the characters so well before starting the book that some parts seemed almost predictable – such as Salander's ability to crack any password or hack any network – but Larsson keeps things fresh with the odd profound shock and some wonderfully crafted sub-plots. I really enjoyed seeing Erica Berger's role expand into something more than in the previous novels – her resignation at Millennium and new position as chief editor of another paper creates waves in both camps. Yet again, Larsson demonstrates his ability to create strong female characters that at no point take second place to their male counterparts. When I was coming to the end of the book I found myself already anticipating the sadness I would feel once it was over. This is a brilliant climax to a fascinating and compelling trilogy, one that will be enjoyed again and again for many years to come.