Another "Must Read"

For you book lovers, I have a suggestion for your Must Read List. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Swedish author Stieg Larsson is the first of a trilogy. Mystery is not the genre I read most often, but this one is a real page turner. It is well written and easy to read, and has all the components of a good mystery. Although the first hundred pages or so contain many Swedish place names and character names, I followed the advice given to me by a friend - Don't get bogged down trying to remember or sort out all the unfamiliar names- it doesn't matter later on. Good advice to remember.
There are two well developed protagonists in this book, each with their own "story to tell": Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who has written something he cannot prove and has been charged with criminal libel, and Lisbeth Salander, a young tattooed and pierced rebellious computer hacker who had a tough upbringing and is fighting to get "control" of her own life. The novel would be interesting enough just with the development of these two characters, but add in the mystery of a young girl's disappearance without a trace 40 years ago, and some dark secrets long hidden by her large wealthy family, and you have the recipe for a winner! The unlikely pair of Mikael and Lisbeth team up to unravel the mystery of Harriet Vanger's disappearance, uncovering some skeletons in the family closet along the way.... You must read this book!
I am now well into the second book of this Millennium Trilogy- The Girl Who Played With Fire - another gripping "edge of your seat" story, and number three awaits - The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest...
What a shame that author Larsson died in 2004 of a heart attack, he would surely have had a stellar career as a novelist...

Peace,
Linda

"Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting me at the end of a long day makes that day happier." ~ Kathleen Norris